Architecture in Austin (2)

Bridge over the Mississippi

A shot of this bridge we crossed over on our way to Austin. 

Mockingbird

Trashline

Peacocks!

There are 3 peacocks that have taken up residence in my neighborhood. According to a nice gal that lives nearby they even have some chicks. It is thought that these birds escaped from the Sarasota Jungle Gardens which is just a few blocks from where I live.

My boyfriend and I first spotted the birds a few evenings ago while we took Ghost out for a walk. The next evening I grabbed my trusty camera and headed out to see if I could find them again. Sure enough I did.

I stalked them through the neighborhood, often kneeling in dirt and crawling in grass. I love doing stuff like this and always serves to revitalize my passion for wildlife photography. The birds let me get pretty close which was a thrill.

Shooting these birds also made me realize that it's time to upgrade my telephoto lens. 

Study of a Leaf in Black and White

The leaf is in the process of decomposing.

Only the veins are left now. It doesn't even feel like a leaf anymore.

There are bits of itself still left. Here and there clinging on.

The leaf is surprisingly resilient; flexible even. It's not brittle or delicate. 

Death has given it a strength it did not know in life. 

Lightbox Bonanza!

I made a little light box tonite. I've only shot a few things in it but so far this is my favorite:

Here's a link to an older blog post of mine when I made my first lightbox: http://shootingannabellee.blogspot.com/2010/10/homemade-lightbox.html

This time I have the benefit of a SB-400 speedlight to help with lighting. 

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Ghost at the 5 Month Mark

The 2011 Sarasota Boat Parade

Behind You!

Ghost and Santiago

It's funny watching the two of them form a relationship. They are playing together now, instead of Ghost just barking at Santiago. Santiago will sometimes seek her out to play and seems to get confused when I have Ghost tied to a chair instead of letting her have free roam of the house.

Hanzou is getting more and more curious about Ghost but still hisses when she's near. Santiago, however, seems to warming up to the newest addition which is fantastic.

Graffiti Art

Two shots of some fantastic graffiti art from the Sarasota Chalk Festival that took place a few months back.

Tube Dude

Tube Dude of Sarasota, Florida. His show room is awesome.

http://www.tube-dude.com/

On Art and Censorship

Renowned graffiti artist, MTO painted this mural recently in Sarasota, Florida. The mural which is done only with spray paint is located in an area of town that suffers from high crime rates and rampant drug use. Compared to the rest of Sarasota, which is affluent, rich, and white, this area of town is often sneered at and dismissively referred to. As soon as the mural was completed the public cried out against its use of gang imagery.

According to a recent TV report, the model for the hands and the tattoos is a surfer from California living in Sarasota. 'Fast Life', he stated on the report, has nothing to do with gangs. Critics of the piece are stating that it is exactly that phrase, as well as the position of the fingers (the inspiration stated that the hands and fingers are positioned that way for aesthetic purposes) is offensive to the area and it's residents.

I'm not sure which section of Sarasota, which neighborhood, or which tax bracket has the loudest voice in opposing the piece. To me, I think the majority of the problem is because people simply hate having an issue that they would rather forget shoved in their face.

And what better way to shove an issue in your face than a huge mural?

Which is why the mural was scheduled to be painted over.

I took these shots on the day of the paint over but luckily the mural was saved last minute. The owner of the Tube Dude business, where the mural is located, said he would wait for one month to assess public opinion on the mural. If opinion is still negative after that time the piece is getting painted over.

Myself,  I love the mural. I think it's a fantastic piece of art expertly done. It's striking and powerful, and as all good art ought to do, inspire debate.

Ghost at 13 Weeks

Photography Exposure!

A few months back the local library contacted me about a photo I took. They presented me a terrific opportunity that ultimately fell through. It was left that the library could use the photo for whatever such as newsletters and the such and that I would be given credit for the photo. That was enough for me, really. I'm an amateur photographer and any exposure is fantastic.

A week ago the library contacted me again to ask if they could use the photo for invites to the opening of their new Teen Center. Well, I said 'Hell yeah" of course and this is the end result! 

To me it's awesome that the public will be able to see my photo. This is the most exposure anything I've done has ever received. The Selby Library is a great group of people and I'm thankful that they wanted to use the picture.

Thanksgiving 2011!

Harlock and I had Thanksgiving at home with Linda and Gilbert. Linda made ribs, stuffing, and a green bean casserole. Harlock did the ham, potatoes, and the all the rest. It was a delicious meal and we all ate way, way too much.

Nutella Cookies!

Nutella people are fanatics. If you eat Nutella you love it, if you don't eat Nutella then you're insane. It's delicious. Beyond delicious! It's divine.

I found this site: http://www.nutelladay.com/nutella-recipes/ which is just a listing of Nutella recipes for cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, and other awesome pastries. So, I decided to make some cookies. I finally choose a recipe found on Carrie's Sweet Life blog; http://www.carriessweetlife.com/nutella-chocolate-chip-cookies/ . 

Mixing the Nutella into the cookie dough.

The recipe is great and the cookies turned out amazing. Nice and chewy and full of Nutella goodness. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes for Nutella yummy.

Sarasota Bay