December 29, 2013 by millicanphotography

Favorites for 2013

This past June, I stepped down as store manager at Bedford Camera in Fort Smith. Called it “retirement,” but I knew I would return on a part-time basis, and I did. Let’s call it “semi-retirement.”

One result of semi-retiring is having more time to make photographs – and I have tried to do that. Enough that when I tried to select my favorite images for the year, it was difficult to narrow it down to just 10. But here are the ten images I most enjoyed creating this year. I hope you enjoy them, too!

(Click the image for a larger version.)

In early June, the purple coneflowers at Cherokee Prairie were in full bloom. I used the Tamron 180mm macro lens for its telephoto effect, blurring the background. The early morning light was soft and warm.
Field of Purple Coneflowers, Cherokee Prairie, near Charleston, Arkansas
Also in June, an Eastern-tailed Blue butterfly showed up at Cherokee Prairie, just as I was setting up my camera. A first of the species for me.
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido [Everes] omyntas) at Cherokee Prairie, near Charleston, Arkansas
In August, two friends and I were exploring in the Ozarks, and found this small stream. I admit one of the reasons I like this photograph is because I made it without following Mike up the side of the hill to where he was! (Yes, Mike did have some great images.)
A small waterfall in Arkansas’ Ozarks
This image was made in our front yard. We have a number of feeders, and a good number of birds visit year-round. Using a macro lens, and then cropping tighter in post resulted in this close-up, which reveals detail of the structure of the feather.
Feather, left behind
The Grand Canyon image almost did not happen. Originally, my travel plans for the trip home from the California Photo Festival included my first visit ever to the National Park. However, our governmental leaders had chosen that time to close all federal facilities. The day before I got there, the State of Arizona, as several other states had done, took it upon themselves to open the Park. Yay for them! – and me!
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Two days after visiting the Grand Canyon, I stopped at the famous Cadillac Ranch in Texas. What I did not know until then, was that graffiti artists are encouraged to use the old cars for their art – so much so that you can hardly tell these once were luxury automobiles.
The Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
My friend Mike and I went looking to make fall foliage photos and we found some of the best I have ever seen. This image is in the Arkansas Ozarks, on Haw Creek.
Autumn colors on Haw Creek in Arkansas
Muskogee, Oklahoma is home to Honor Heights Park, known in our area for its annual “Azalea Festival” in April. In addition, the park also puts on a dazzling Christmas lights display. This photo is of an animated LED light tree, and so required a long exposure so that all the light were lighted at some point during the exposure. Then, during the open shutter time, I rotated the zoom ring, creating the “burst” effect.
Christmas Lights, Honor Heights Park, Muskogee, Oklahoma
We have had some snow already this year – unusual for us – and I made this photo one evening of the Crawford County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which sits on the County Courthouse grounds.
Crawford County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, County Courthouse, Van Buren, Arkansas
This last photo is one of the most recent, and I caught this Mallard blasting off from a pond in Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, in Oklahoma.
Mallard drake taking flight at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, near Vian, Oklahoma

So, there you have them: my favorites from 2013. They may not be great photos, but each one of them holds special memories for me. I hope the next year brings as many.

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2014!

December 21, 2013 by millicanphotography

California Photo Festival

In October, I traveled to San Luis Obispo, California, to attend the California Photo Festival, aka “Click 4”, the fourth annual event. The week-long event is organized by Hal and Victoria Schmitt, who own and operate Light Photographic Workshops in Los Osos, California. There was a wide selection of subject matter in the classes, and photo shoots in vineyards, on the California beach in several locations, and on the city streets. We took photos of horses and riders, small critters, sunsets and sunrises, birds and other animals, and portraits of various models in a multitude of locales.

Instructors included Marc Muench, Rob Sheppard, Ben Willmore, Lee Varis, and Rick Sammon, as well as a dozen more. In addition, a number of vendors and equipment companies were on hand to show their equipment; not a huge trade show, but plenty of goodies to see and touch. 🙂

The cost for the Festival is reasonable, given the huge amount of information presented. Interested? Next year’s event is scheduled, but not yet accepting registration. Click the link above, or here, for more information.

Here are a few photos from my library. Hope you enjoy them!

“Horses on the Beach”

The intention was to photograph members of Cal Poly Tech’s Polo Team riding their horses in the surf at Morro Bay with a marvelous sunset in the background. The riders were there with their horses, but alas! we had no sun, just clouds, fog, and mist. We still made photographs! 🙂

Polo player in the surf at Morro Bay

Polo players riding in the surf at Morro Bay

One of the Cal Poly Polo team takes a break from the action. I really liked the reflection the wet sand gave us…

“Macro Critters!”

Another photo shoot set up for us was captive small animals – lizards, chameleon, snakes, spiders and insects – in “stations” that we could move to and from, making photographs of the small animals. Great fun, although somewhat cramped space. I carried my tripod, but left the legs together, using it like a monopod.

The Chameleon was perhaps the most photographed

Colorful, exotic lubber grasshopper

Gila Monster. I grew up hearing terrible stories about this animal…

“The Elfin Forest”

The morning after photographing the horses on the beach, I was in a group that went out for sunrise. Again, fog, drizzle, and clouds hid the sun. So, we turned out attention to details. We were in an area called the “Elfin Forest” which was populated with a dwarf oak tree, and more…

Small shrub with dried flowers and seed pods.

Bracken Fern closeup

“Photo Walk With Rick Sammon”

Another sunset opportunity, and finally, we saw the sun. Not to complain, but that is all there was to see – not a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun without a complement. We walked along the street at the Morro Bay Harbor, and still made photographs.

I photographed one of the other participants, with the sun backlighting him, creating the sun-star.

I photographed one of the other participants, backlit by the sun.

Morro Bay Harbor with Morro Rock on the horizon, just after the sun has gone down.

Morro Bay Harbor at dusk.

There were other classes and photo shoots; these are just some of my favorite images…

The California Photo Fest makes for a good destination, and will present the participant with a lot of information. Almost too much info! 🙂 But, if you pick and choose your classes and shoots, and don’t overdo yourself, you can learn much.

All photos were taken with the Sony Alpha 77; lenses were the Sony 16-50, Tamron 180 macro, Tamron 70-300.

December 5, 2013 by millicanphotography

California Coastal Highway

In October, I attended the California Photo Festival in San Luis Obispo, California. (I plan to discuss that event in a forthcoming blog post.) Arriving a couple of days in advance of the event, I spent most of one day driving up the Pacific coast on California Highway 1, also known as Cabrillo Highway, toward Big Sur. No destination, just exploring. Although my family lived for a few years in California a long time ago, I had never visited this part of the state, and on this trip only a portion of the route. Another time… Anyway, here are a few photographs from that day…

In a sharp bend of the road – and there were many of those – is this small beach, gated and marked with a “private property” sign. One of several enjoyable sights to be seen on the drive.

Small, private beach along Highway 1

This is another photo, shot vertically, of the same beach from a slightly different viewpoint.

Private Beach along Highway 1

High on a bluff, with sea lions below – so far away they almost cannot be seen in the photo – is a private residence.

Home with an ocean view

This photo is a crop of the previous one.

Home on the bluff

The Big Creek Bridge, not quite as photogenic as the Bixby Creek Bridge from what I have read, but I enjoyed photographing it.

Big Creek Bridge

Just a short visit to this beautiful part of our country, leaving me with a strong desire to return. I only scratched the surface, and did not visit at the best (photographically speaking) time of day. If you have been there, you know what I mean.

Sony Alpha 77, Sony SAL 16-50 and Tamron 70-300 lenses.

Millican Photography

Photography by Larry & Gayle Millican

Month: December 2013

Favorites for 2013

California Photo Festival

California Coastal Highway