Posts Tagged ‘Photography’

"In Your Own Backyard"

Early spring is certainly one of my favorite times to live in Southwest Oklahoma.  It is especially so after the very destructive ice storm we had on January 28th, 2010.  Evidence of the damage from the massive ice storm is still very visible around the area.  Because of this, I was delighted to see the first sign of Henbit sprouting amidst the dead brown leaves of the bermuda grass and the green leafy curlydock.  I patiently watched as both the henbit and wild lettuce grew taller and taller.  The curlydock began providing a wonderfully rich green background and, already, I was making plans to capture images at the first opportunity.  An opportunity when the wind is not blowing too strong for macro work is rare during a Southwest Oklahoma spring day.  It’s even more rare when one occurs on the weekend when I can actually take advantage of it.  East Sunday was such a day, and rose before sunup and actually waiting patiently in my backyard to begin just as soon as it was light enough.  For the next 1 1/2 hours I had a great time, but even then, as time passed the breeze was gradually becoming more troublesome.  I had a great time in my own backyard until I finally conceded to the wind.

Concrete arches rise from a wheat field in Cotton County.

I still don’t know what this is, or was, or whatever!  I can no more estimate the number of times I’ve passed by this structure as I can estimate the number of times I’ve traveled Hwy. 5 between Temple and Walters, OK.  Growing up in Temple, and Walters being only 10 highway miles away, slightly over 7 miles by the railroad tracks that run between the two Southwest Oklahoma towns, I passed by this structure often.  It caught my attention every time I passed during daylight hours.  I’ve always found it mysterious.

Over the years I’ve asked many people the history of this place with most only responding they thought it had something to do with the railroad.  One story, presented with confidence by a man who grew up in Walters and said his parents told him that this was the ruins of a vegetable cannery built around the turn of the 20th Century.  I feel he’s probably right, but I still don’t know what part this structure would have played in a vegetable cannery.  If someone has any other information, or has any suggestions on the use of this arched structure, I’m interested in hearing them.

The Vaska Theatre Sign Still Lights the Lawton Sky.

Built in 1948, the Vaska Theatre, located at 1902 NW Ferris Avenue, is the oldest movie theatre in Lawton, OK.  It may not be as modern or have the latest technology like the multi-screen theatres in town, but it still has a lot to offer.  You can see movies for $3.00, you get free refills on large popcorns and sodas, and their longevity, having opened in 1948,  means they are dependable.  To point out the latter, Lawton suffered the worst ice storm, in anyone’s memory, on Thursday, January 28, 2010.  It shut the whole town down, taking out power to about 30,000 people and doing indescribable damage to trees throughout the city.  Many people were without electricity for 7 days, or longer, and the schools were closed for 7 days, too.  Well, you can imagine my surprise when looking out a back window of my house, I saw the top of the Vaska tower aglow from the red neon lights.  It didn’t surprise me that they had eclectricity, because we had been blessed and spared that particular misfortune at our house, only a block away.  What caught me offguard was that they were open, at all.  I thought to myself, “How great that during a time of hardship, for many, the Vaska was sending the message loud and clear of stability and strength, steadfastness in the face of adversity, and reaching out to all who sought refuge from the storm.”  This photo was taken the next night to record the proud moment in the Vaska’s rich history.

Snow and Ice at Osage Lake

It was the day after Christmas 2009, and two days since the biggest blizzard in over 20 years blanketed Southwest Oklahoma with amounts of snow varying from 2 to 8 inches.  Throughout the area, thin layers of snow lay alongside deep snow drifts, the results of 30-40 mph winds.  There was barely a breeze stirring today; the sky was blue and clear as far as one could see, and warmth from the sun felt so good!  The family had come to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge primarily to get out of the house but also to see the snow on the Refuge.  It was already mid-afternoon so we weren’t expecting to be the first footprints in the snow.  However, we were soon to be disappointed when we discovered that areas such as Boulder and Sunset had not even had their gates opened for access.  We may have been disappointed, but our intent to have fun was not thwarted.  Since we were in two vehicles, I led the group to the Treasure Lake – Post Oak Lake Area because I was confident we could get up the road and there were no gates to be closed, anyway.  Soon we found ourself out of the cars, enjoying the fresh air, the young bison grazing nearby on Indian Grass poking through the snow, and throwing snowballs at each other.  After a good time was had by all, and hands and feet were becoming uncomfortably cold, the family decided to drive to Mamaw’s house for a visit.  I opted to remain in the WMWR in search of interesting photo opportunities.  I was certain I could find some. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas Lights Reflect in the waters of Bath Lake

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Iron Foot Bridge

Sunday afternoon was beautiful with temperatures into the 60s.  While Sherry, Marcy, Erin, and Mike hiked the Elk Mountain Trail up Elk Mountain located on the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Oklahoma, I stayed at the bottom searching for photographic opportunities in the Sunset Picnic Area.  The old footbridge crossing Headquarters Creek was replaced with a new recently constructed ironwork bridge.  It is being allowed to age naturally.  I think it’s a nice and thoughtful touch.  The dominating red color in the granite and soil of Southwest Oklahoma is due to the high levels of oxidized iron; this oxidized iron bridge is a perfect fit.  The image is a 4 exposure HDR image.  I used a polarizing filter on my Carl Zeis 16-80mm lens to bring out the moss growing on the bottom of the stream.

Reesie Stalks Her Prey!

Throughout most of my life I have learned and practiced my photography skills in solitude.  However, this year I decided I would join our local photography club, “Wichita Wildlight Photographic Society“.  We meet once a month and enjoy being in a room with people who are there because they have some degree of passion for photography.  It’s a real mixture of people, representative of any group of 50 people you might form from the Walmart crowd.  Anyway, back in October, about 20, or so, of us loaded onto a bus at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center for an excursion into the Special Use area.  The Special Use area is closed to the public and contains well over half of the Refuge itself.  I had never been in this section of the WMWR, so I was excited to go even though 3:00 PM is not the best light to for photographs. Read the rest of this entry »