i like...

For some reason, I really like the grainy black and white setting on my PEN camera. I can't explain why, but this has definitely become a fun camera to take with me everywhere.  Well, I didn't have to go far to take this picture.  It was a picture of my favorite vehicle taken with my favorite camera on my favorite setting.  I would have to say that I like all three.  Stretching it with the text, but at least there is a picture with the post...

wilco

You guessed it...  More pictures with my EP2 camera.  They mostly turn out right out of the camera so it reduces my time in Elements.  Wilco seemed to just sit still for me, so I snapped a few pictures.  The first one has the artsy pinhole camera effect turned on.  The second one is in full manual mode.  Poor Sophi hasn't had a picture in a while.  I will try and take some soon.

birthday dinner

Sadi had her birthday dinner at Applebees with Heather and Anna.  Maci, Tyler and Sherri were there also (not in the picture, refer to previous blog below for explanation).  Happy 14th birthday to my little girl!  This was another picture taken with my new camera inside the building with no flash.  So far, I am very happy with the results.

turning the whole world upside down

Note:  no animals were injured while taking this picture...

I think that Maci would agree that her new dog Wilco has turned her world upside down.  This particular day he was very calm (because he wasn't feeling good at all).  He was in her arms and then he ducked his head under her arm and before you know it he was upside down.  He just stayed in this position, almost like he liked it.  Of course, I had my new camera and got the shot...

maci & wilco

So here is a picture taken with my EP2 camera at a track meet.  This is a picture straight out of the camera that was taken at night.  I bought the camera with a very fast lens (f1.7) and without a flash, because I wanted something small and capable without any accessories.  It has an artsy black and white grainy setting.  Cool picture of Maci and her new yorkie Wilco.  Also, didn't notice it at the time, but the ring adds alot to the picture.  

opportunity knocks

Took this snapshot the other day using my new camera (Olympus EP2).  The camera has been a real sore subject around our house for a few days, but I think I am safe to blog about it now (more about this later :)).  Don't get as many opportunities as I would like to take pictures of mom and the girls.  Not because I don't have enough cameras.  It always seems one of the three doesn't want their picture taken because of some random reason which usually has something to do with hair.  I just try and take the opportunities when I get them.

amazing

This one was taken a couple of years ago at the Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin.  It was a picture that I had put in my delete folder, but just never deleted.  Not the best photo in terms of focus, but the content seems great.  This is one of those moments that the actual feeling could never really be captured in a photo.  If you have ever seen an F-22 at an airshow, you will understand why.  I can remember that the noise and the vibration in my chest was so overwhelming during this low pass fly-by.  They call this overwhelming noise/vibration generated by the F-22 "the sound of freedom" and I would agree.   What an awesome show of engineering at it's finest!  The F-22 is coming to the Ft Worth airshow this fall.  I look forward to getting the chance to take more photos!

one more colored snow picture

this one is a little blurry because of the falling snow, but the leaning building and the door set it apart as a keeper.  was driving around the neighborhoods in north greenville looking for something interesting to photograph.  saw this building in the back yard of a house behind a chain linked fence.  had to stand up in my rover through the moon roof to get my camera above the chain link fence line.  i guess it goes to show that you sometimes have to do something different to capture the image (especially when you are short)...

colored snow...

Not your normal colored snow...  Noticed a few things while driving around in Greenville's white winter blanket today.  The colors really stood out!  I was by myself in the rover, so I stopped often and took pictures (yes, I keep a camera in my rover)...

no peeking...

Started looking at some pictures that I could use to practice on to show off my new Photoshop skills.  Sometimes I think I tend to overdo it...  Or maybe I have the creativity of a rock...  I really liked this picture and I thought it would be neat for it to have the appearance of an old poster hanging on the wall with the image superimposed in it.  Tried the background in several colors and settled on black & white.  What do you think?

happy trails...

A picture of me and the girls leaving Childress on Sunday afternoon and coming home to Greenville.  Boredom had already set in about 10 minutes into the trip, so I started trying to set the camera on the dash to take a picture (using the camera timer).  Unfortunately it worked the first time, so it didn't take up too much time.  I have to keep reminding myself that all trips are great trips compared to the Christmas Eve disaster when we slept in this same vehicle stuck on hwy 287 (still need to blog on this one someday)...

sunset in washington...

A picture of a sunset in Bellingham, WA taken in December 2009.  Been there many times on business and I have taken many sunset photos.  This one catches my eye because of the composition.  Not too much water or sky because of all of the elements that are part of the image (masts, shadows, grass and docks).  I framed the image using a new plug-in from photoshop elements.

A daughter's love...

Sherri will absolutely kill me for even thinking about putting a picture like this on my blog, but the more I looked through these pictures that I took the other day in Childress, the more I got to thinking about how wonderful she actually is...  To me this is the perfect example of how a dad would want his kid to turn out (and notice the blurred image of Sadi intently watching her mom take care of her grandpa). Makes me get emotional just thinking of what is going through all of their minds.  Sherri's dad has been getting progressively worse over the last year, but he somehow continues to defy all odds.  I would ask that if you are reading this that you would pray for Chauncey's comfort/peace and that you would also pray for Sherri, her sisters and the grandkids.  They are all going through alot right now, but it makes me realize how much we need each other and a God who absolutely loves us and has it all under control... 

Sadi & Mikayla

Got them edited and wanted to post them before Sadi gets them on her facebook.  Lots of fun trying to find new places downtown.  Had so much fun on the last try of "Best Friend Pictures", thought I would try it again.  Wish I could be more creative with the poses, but creativity is not my strong point.  Mostly, I just look for the moment and snap the picture.  Unfortunately, the majority of the time, I overthink it and the moment passes...  Here are the ones that I caught!

Sadi 2010

Took some pictures of Sadi and Mikayla downtown Greenville again today.  Couldn't resist posting this one of Sadi...

Family...

We took this in our backyard prior to our family Christmas.

My girls...

Beyond what any father could hope his daughters would be.  What more can I say...

Christmas Blend

Ok, so after reading the post on quirkybee.blogspot.com, I decided to also vent on something that sorta bugs me when we get close to the Christmas season.  I attached a picture that I took, so it stays with the troybradfordphoto theme (no blogs without a picture of it).

So here I am at the airport in Seattle the other day.  I was waiting in the loooooooong line for Starbucks coffee and of course I was next to someone who wanted to talk.  She was mentioning the fact that she was surprised that Starbucks still called their holiday coffee a “Christmas Blend”.  Then she goes on to tell me how she is a “Christian”, but she doesn’t necessarily think that it matters is someone uses “holiday” or “Christmas”.  Of course, me being the introvert that I am, (especially in airports) I am thinking that maybe I didn’t want coffee after all.  I can’t believe that out of all of the people in the airport, she picked me to share her opinion with.  Well, the conversation continued and then she got me to thinking.  She was telling me how she almost lost a friend over that very thing.  The friend was insistent on boycotting a particular store because they use the phrase “Happy Holidays” in their advertisements instead of “Merry Christmas”.  When she didn’t agree with her friend, the “disagreement” began.  In reality, it turned “ugly”.  So here is the thought that is going through my head.  “Would Jesus really get upset over such a technicality?”  If they are so insistent in using “Happy Holidays”, maybe we should think of why?  We shouldn’t be so arrogant and think that just because we believe in Jesus Christ, that everyone else should (because we are right and they are wrong).  Maybe if we just appreciated the fact that some stores (or people) say “Merry Christmas” (and let them know that) and not hold it against the ones that say “Happy Holidays”, then we might be portraying the love that Jesus extends to us (and them) every day. Remember how undeserving we really are!  Do you think the world sees the boycotting or complaining as our absolute love for our Savior or do you think they see it as our arrogance that we are saying we are right and they are wrong?  I DON’T want to come across as a person that is compromising my beliefs, but I DO want to be a person that doesn’t let my personal “technicalities” get in the way of letting others see the grace that Christ provides all of us all year long.  By the way, love that “Christmas Blend” coffee!

Saturday at the Gaylord

Got away this weekend (well sorta).  We went over to the Gaylord Hotel to eat out and see the ICE display.  Lots of fun, if it weren't for all of the other people with the same idea.   We stuck it out and in the end had a great time (and some good food).  See troybradfordiphonephotos.blogspot.com for a picture of some shopping that we also did...

Sophi

Ok, I've been working a lot lately and not able to take any new pictures.  Took this one of Sophi and thought it was good enough to post...