When I started this blog, my main focus was on sharing my photography (and maybe generating some sales).  I subtitled the blog ‘A Journey in Creative Photography’ because this is truly a journey for me –  I learn something every time I pick up my camera and make an image.

This past week included a lesson in overcoming frustration and exercising patience.  Many of my friends have had great success in finding and making images of bears during the Salmon run at Taylor Creek.  I, however, have not been so fortunate.  Many trips to Taylor Creek have provided great images of waterfowl in the creek, but no bears.  See the Birds page to view some of these images.

And so, with no new bear images to share, I decided to revisit some of my first wild horse pictures and share more of them.  I enjoy making images of the wild horse bands in our area.  We have 4 bands in the Pinenut Mountains, just east of my home.  They are fascinating animals and wonderful subjects.  At times, they don’t provide exciting shots – one can only take so many pictures of horses eating the desert grasses, after all.  On occasion, they provide excitement – see the two studs fighting in the wild horses page – and, more often, a little whimsy and tenderness.  Please go to the wild horses page for more images.

Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy this week’s offering.

Photorogr

This image is from the first day I went looking for horses. This little guy is just switching his tail, but it gives the appearance that he is enjoying his lunch!

No, it’s not an illusion. He picked up the stick and chewed it for a bit.

This is one of those tender moments I was talking about. I think back to sitting on the couch with my young sons on my lap every time I see this picture.

What a week it has been! The only subject I haven’t seen this week is bears.  Not because I haven’t tried – I’ve been to Taylor Creek numerous times!  I think the bears don’t like my Old Spice deodorant.

My parents came for a visit.  We loaded into the Expedition and went looking for subjects.  We found two Horned Owls and a band of wild horses.  See the Birds and Wild Horses pages.

Please take a look in the RC aircraft and Landscape and Scenery pages for more pictures!  Here’s a few teasers!  Enjoy – Photorogr

This is a Merganser Duck. They dive to fish and then eat them whole. This Duck looked at me with a puzzled expression as I made images of him.

I was sitting on a log beside Taylor Creek, watching the Salmon in the clear water and hoping a bear would wander my way. This little guy came around the stump in front of me to see if I had anything to share, I guess. He was 6′ away from me as I made this image.

At the RC aircraft park. This is a P-26 hybrid (P-26 fuselage, something else provided the wings). The pilot told me it was a handful to fly, but he was enjoying the learning experience. Check the RC aircraft page for more pictures.

I’ve used up a lot of pixels in the last week.  I spent a couple days with my friend John looking for and making images of bears.  Thanks John, for helping me get my first bear images.  I also spent part of a day with my friend Rich at the Smith Valley Car Show.  Beautiful day for a car show and great shooting partner.

As always, the journey continued as I learned more about the relationship between aperture and contrast.  And I got a very big reminder about looking at the checklist before trying to make images of cars.  Here are a few examples of my successful week.  Take a look at the Automobiles page for more great cars in Smith Valley; the Birds page for ducks (and a little surprise); and the Landscapes and Scenery page for more bears.

Please contact me if you see something you like and want it for your very own.  Enjoy – Photorogr

The greatest thing about taking a journey is to experience new things.  One of my goals for this journey is to make better images by trying new things.  In the last week, I have begun to step away from the comfort of automatic settings on my camera.  I’m very excited with the result.

Before you roll your eyes too much, please understand that I have been shooting aperture priority for some time, so this is not a new path for me.  This week, I set my own white balance (which has always been a mystery to me, but I’m getting there) and also disabled the automatic lighting optimizer feature on my Canon EOS 60D.  I don’t know which change made the greater impact, but I found myself spending less time editing the pictures.

Last weekend, my good friend Rich and I visited several locations to see what we could see.  We were at Heritage Park in Gardnerville before the Civil War re-enactors began fighting one another.  We stopped by the RC Airfield to see what was happening there, and then found a band of wild horses peacefully eating prairie grass.  Apparently, we weren’t much of a threat as they let us get close for pictures.  Too close for my big lens, but Rich got some great shots.  And then he went wild and got a couple shots of me.  Thanks for making me look so good, Rich!  It’s always great to take pictures with you!

Well, I’m off to take pictures of soccer and maybe flag football!

Enjoy – Roger

Last Saturday, I watched AYSO girls soccer and made my first sports images.  Believe me when I say that these young ladies are very serious about their soccer.

You can see several images in the AYSO soccer page, but I have to highlight this image – it’s my favorite.  The look on the goalie’s face speaks volumes.  My son also played goalie, but it was hockey and we couldn’t see his face.

Enjoy – Roger

For those of you who got a flurry of update notices – please accept my apologies.  I received feedback on picture size, so I made them a little bigger for your enjoyment.  Please keep in mind, however, that the pictures on the blog are low resolution.  If you want one of these for your very own, the picture will be more clear.  I promise.

Thanks for looking at my pictures.

Roger aka PHOTOROGR

My journey into cyberspace is just beginning.  Please forgive the limited content on the site.  There will be more and it will get better!  I promise.

Feedback is important to me.  Please don’t be shy about commenting – constructive comments are always welcome!

Enjoy!

Roger aka PHOTOROGR