I promise not to do this very often, but I’m going to step away from my photographic journey for a moment to reflect on the day.  Veteran’s Day is very special to me, and it has become more special in recent years.

November 11 is the day we thank those who have taken the enlistment oath, put on a uniform, and put their lives on the line for our country.  My father worked in the National Guard as a traditional Guardsman and as a federal technician for 42 years, so we always treated Veteran’s Day as special.  My ancestors have proudly stepped up since before the nation was founded.

It is a day that I reflect on those with whom I personally served, and on family, both known and unknown, who have defended their nation – from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to the great wars of the early 20th century and the conflicts and police actions of the later 20th century to today.  Thanks to everyone who has served, and especially to members of my family.  We can document my ancestor’s service dating back to the Revolutionary War, fighting for the Confederacy during the Civil War, chasing Pancho Villa in Mexico with Gen ‘Blackjack’ Pershing, and in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

My wife’s parents met while they were in the Navy, her uncles were sailors, and one of her cousins currently serves in the Marine Corps.

My lovely bride, Susan, with her father, Don Hardy, Uncle Ed Hardy, and cousin, LTC Jeff Tlapa, in Washington, D.C., in September 2014. Don and Ed were part of Nevada’s Honor Flight and Susan went along as an escort. Jeff is stationed in our nation’s capitol. Ed and Don both served during World War II, and Don served again during the Korean War.

I enlisted during the Cold War, in 1985, and made great friends during my 25 years of service.  I am proud to have served with these awesome people.

A friend from the 819th RED HORSE Squadron with me, sharing a quick lunch during Contingency Engineering training at Eglin AFB FL, July 1987.

A light moment during field training.

l to r: LtCoL Butch Van Leuven, COL (Ret) Don Del Porto, LtCol (Ret) Craig Wesner, me, LtCol Kevin Knuf: when we were captains together in the Nevada Air National Guard.

Sometimes, we sent our children off to serve.

Captain Amberlee Kurkowski (center), US Army, with her dad, CMSgt (Ret) Tom Kurkowski, and me, just before one of her deployments to Southwest Asia. Tom and I served together for many years, and we talked often about his daughter’s time at West Point and her subsequent service, and my son’s time in the Navy.

As I said, my father served for 42 years, retiring as the first federally appointed Command Sergeant Major in the Wyoming Army National Guard.  My older brother, Bob, served in Vietnam and died in the line of duty as a Deputy Sheriff, trying to save a little girl during a flood.  Dad and I visited my brother’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery last year, and took in a few of the memorials while we were there.

Bobby is interred in Columbarium 1. Top row – second from right.

Dad at the WWII Memorial…

…and at the Korean War Memorial.

And my son, Devon, served in the US Navy for 10 years.

Brother Drew, Mother Susan, and Devon at this graduation from basic training, December 1999.

Now you understand why this day has such special meaning for me.  Please pause on this day to think about everyone who has served, but thank our veterans every day!  God bless America, and God watch over those who put themselves in harm’s way in her defense!

PHOTOROGR

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on my journey the last couple days.  As I write this, the Alabama song ‘The Fans’ is running through my head.  In case you’re not an Alabama fan (the singing group, not the university), the song pays tribute to the people who buy their records and attend their concerts.

Last Sunday, I was out for a drive with my lovely bride and her father when we came on a Hawk in a tree.  I had my camera and tripod, and they indulged me for a few minutes.  The result was a great image, but I wasn’t happy with my execution of the image (see below).  I spent a lot of time beating myself up over it.  It’s tough being your own worst critic, you know.

I put the image on Facebook, sharing with one of the photography groups, with my comments on the composition and execution.  The positive comments and feedback got me out of my funk and inspired me to get back out there.

Yesterday, I loaded up the gear and headed out to meet a friend for a morning of picture taking.  The weather was beautiful – cool temperatures and good sunlight.  Most importantly, the birds cooperated as well.  A Quail sat on a sagebrush, and I caught images him and other Quail on the ground.  A Red Tailed Hawk posed on a branch for a few shots.  Then he took off, resulting in good action shots.  While looking for an Eagle, we saw more Hawks and a herd of Deer in a meadow.  This Hawk (below) was stalking prey, and made several quick turns.  See the Birds page for more images.

I was very happy to find an Eagle.  Our first shots were marginal due to the shade, but she moved around to the sunny side of the tree, and the real shooting began.  This image is one of my favorites, but I’ll always wonder if she was sizing me up or just making personal contact.

As you can see, I had a great shooting day.  These images are dedicated to everyone who sees and follows my blog, or sees my images elsewhere.  You help me to become a better photographer with your support and encouragement.

THANK YOU!  Photorogr

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