Thursday, December 31, 2009
Cat naps are better than nothing...
So my 3 1/2 year old gave up naps at probably 2 1/2. Which causes more stress on a Mommy because even though they refuse to take one, they still NEED one to avoid evening crankiness! LOL However, there is the rare and elusive cat nap that she will take here and there (mostly on MY bed) that makes the day SO much better - for both of us!
Zoey and her new wheels...
I just got through editing the photos I took of my daughter and her first time on her four wheeler she got for Christmas this year. We we too busy Christmas day to have time to show it to her and let her ride it (plus the snow was 3-4 inches deep!) so the following day we gave it to her and she had the BEST time riding around our side and front yard on it (not to mention crashing into everything with it)!
The photos I took turned out so good I wanted to share them with you here. Check her out!
The rest can be viewed here on Facebook.
What was your kids favorite gift this year? Feel free to comment and post your own photos!
The photos I took turned out so good I wanted to share them with you here. Check her out!
The rest can be viewed here on Facebook.
What was your kids favorite gift this year? Feel free to comment and post your own photos!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Snow ... in Texas ... Again!
Yesterday we got a second round of snow in the matter of a week's time. If you live in Texas like I do, you know it's rare to even see snow piling up outside. It's extremely unknown for it to happen twice in a week!
Snow is such a beautiful backdrop and prop for photos so I bundled up my daughter, grabbed my camera and we headed out into the white wonderland. Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday, enjoy!
Zoey thinks it is hilarious to throw snow balls at Mommy!
Trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue!
You can view some more of my wintery shots here, on Facebook!
What's your favorite snowy picture? Feel free to comment and post it!
Snow is such a beautiful backdrop and prop for photos so I bundled up my daughter, grabbed my camera and we headed out into the white wonderland. Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday, enjoy!
Zoey thinks it is hilarious to throw snow balls at Mommy!
Trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue!
You can view some more of my wintery shots here, on Facebook!
What's your favorite snowy picture? Feel free to comment and post it!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Visting the Past... Dexter, Texas
The small derelict town of Dexter, Texas lies about 10 miles from my parent's farm in Callisburg, Texas yet in a decade of living in the area this was the first time I went there in search of the remnants.
History Lesson of the Day:
Founded in the mid 1860's, Dexter was the last stop for travelers headed north to Oklahoma before crossing the Red River. Outlaws on the run would commonly seek refuge in the town as they fled to Oklahoma.
By the early 1880s its population of 300 was served by at least thirty-seven businesses, including four blacksmith shops, three hotels, a district school, two steam gristmills and cotton gins, four physicians and somewhere between four and eight bars. Dexter was expected to overtake Gainesville as the largest town in Cooke County when residents thought the Denison and Pacific Railway was going to
pass through it. However when the rail line passed through Woodbine, a small town twenty miles south, Dexter began to decline.
All that remains in this once wild town from the old west is a church and several farm houses that sit among decayed traces of its former glory.
I drove up there with my step-father, I on the hunt for beautiful photos of the derelict remains, my Dad on the hunt for ghosts and orb filled photos! =)
When you round the corner, passing the church the first thing you notice is the tall structure that is known as the School Auditorium. We parked on a small street that runs beside it and walked over to the building. The trees and brush were thick on all sides but there was a well worn path that led right up to the front door.
These are views of the Auditorium exterior, top photo was taken in 1995, the bottom in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
I was kind of worried about the stability of the floor since there were rotten and broken spots in several areas but we had no trouble while inside. My Dad even went up on the stage to take photos - I was not so brave.
Looking up from the entrance...
East corner of the building...
This is my favorite photo of the day...Interior, West Corner
After exploring the auditorium for a while we made our way to the east of the building and found the remains of what is called the "Barber Shop" it was a small shack of a building that stood in-tact until around 2000 before it finally gave way to time and the elements.
Standing in the fallen doorway...
Photos of the Barber Shop. The top photo is the interior in 1995, mid photo is the exterior in 2003 and the bottom is the interior in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
A little further east you notice this concrete trim forms a box around the bank site. Hidden a few yards back in the tress and brush is the bank vault.
The vault is an amazing site. Just to think that it's been there since the days of the Wild West is so incredible. And the fact that the shutter doors are still in-tact was a real treat. We were loosing daylight quickly at this point and I hate all the photos I took of the door trim and front side of the vault but we do plan to go back, earlier in the day so we can stay longer and get even more photos.
Bank Vault remains in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
There wasn't much light left at all when I realized that the tall brick chimney across the street was from the old two story hotel. I was unable to get any decent pictures of it but it's my top priority on my return!
Photos of the Dexter Hotel. Top left is a black and white found in an old book. Top right is a painting (source unknown). Bottom left is the remains in 2000. Bottom right is what was left around 2004. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
Unfortunately this site has no historic markers and nothing is being maintained. It's only a matter of time before it is all lost to time and nature and I hope to document it in photos many more times before it's gone completely. It's a real treasure nestled in the crook of nowhere...
You can view the entire album of photos here on my personal Facebook account.
History Lesson of the Day:
Founded in the mid 1860's, Dexter was the last stop for travelers headed north to Oklahoma before crossing the Red River. Outlaws on the run would commonly seek refuge in the town as they fled to Oklahoma.
By the early 1880s its population of 300 was served by at least thirty-seven businesses, including four blacksmith shops, three hotels, a district school, two steam gristmills and cotton gins, four physicians and somewhere between four and eight bars. Dexter was expected to overtake Gainesville as the largest town in Cooke County when residents thought the Denison and Pacific Railway was going to
pass through it. However when the rail line passed through Woodbine, a small town twenty miles south, Dexter began to decline.
All that remains in this once wild town from the old west is a church and several farm houses that sit among decayed traces of its former glory.
I drove up there with my step-father, I on the hunt for beautiful photos of the derelict remains, my Dad on the hunt for ghosts and orb filled photos! =)
When you round the corner, passing the church the first thing you notice is the tall structure that is known as the School Auditorium. We parked on a small street that runs beside it and walked over to the building. The trees and brush were thick on all sides but there was a well worn path that led right up to the front door.
These are views of the Auditorium exterior, top photo was taken in 1995, the bottom in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
I was kind of worried about the stability of the floor since there were rotten and broken spots in several areas but we had no trouble while inside. My Dad even went up on the stage to take photos - I was not so brave.
Looking up from the entrance...
East corner of the building...
This is my favorite photo of the day...Interior, West Corner
After exploring the auditorium for a while we made our way to the east of the building and found the remains of what is called the "Barber Shop" it was a small shack of a building that stood in-tact until around 2000 before it finally gave way to time and the elements.
Standing in the fallen doorway...
Photos of the Barber Shop. The top photo is the interior in 1995, mid photo is the exterior in 2003 and the bottom is the interior in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
A little further east you notice this concrete trim forms a box around the bank site. Hidden a few yards back in the tress and brush is the bank vault.
The vault is an amazing site. Just to think that it's been there since the days of the Wild West is so incredible. And the fact that the shutter doors are still in-tact was a real treat. We were loosing daylight quickly at this point and I hate all the photos I took of the door trim and front side of the vault but we do plan to go back, earlier in the day so we can stay longer and get even more photos.
Bank Vault remains in 2003. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
There wasn't much light left at all when I realized that the tall brick chimney across the street was from the old two story hotel. I was unable to get any decent pictures of it but it's my top priority on my return!
Photos of the Dexter Hotel. Top left is a black and white found in an old book. Top right is a painting (source unknown). Bottom left is the remains in 2000. Bottom right is what was left around 2004. ( Source: jimmy75020 )
Unfortunately this site has no historic markers and nothing is being maintained. It's only a matter of time before it is all lost to time and nature and I hope to document it in photos many more times before it's gone completely. It's a real treasure nestled in the crook of nowhere...
You can view the entire album of photos here on my personal Facebook account.
3 days of editing...COMPLETE!
Back in October I set up a photo booth at my niece's Girl Scout event, The First Annual Cooke County Girl Scouts Halloween Hoedown. (That's a mouthful!) My Mom is the troop leader for Troop 4600 and agreed to take over the fall event which before was just a "Hoedown". Since my family is alllll about Halloween, we twisted it to incorporate October's festive delights!
Now, I wish my only duty of the day was photography - but alas I had many other jobs as well like set-up, decorating, wrangling my 3 year old daughter, game management, costume contest judging, etc, etc, etc... But, I still love the way the photos came out (most of them anyways!).
Of course this was right about the time I filled my hard-drive to the brim with photos and both of my disc burners went out on me. (I know - right?) Of course I always have my trusty step-father who is a computer whiz to help me out but with incompatible software and busy schedules, I only just now had the chance to upload and edit the batch of photos from the Halloween Hoedown. Since all attending troops were promised photo discs, I added some extra flair to the girl's photos to make it worth their wait.
I created some enhancements to spice up the photos with some Halloween flair, the first is "Creepy Colors" where an eerie glow is cast upon the photos and the second was "Funhouse Faces" where I took the girl's faces and warped them like those crazy fun house mirrors do! It took FOREVER, but I think it was worth it! The results are too funny and I can't wait to find out what all the Girl Scouts think of their silly alter-egos! =)
Here are some of my favorites:
Before
After "Funhouse Faces"
Before
After "Funhouse Faces"
Before
After "Funhouse Faces"
You can view the rest of the best here on Facebook!
Now, I wish my only duty of the day was photography - but alas I had many other jobs as well like set-up, decorating, wrangling my 3 year old daughter, game management, costume contest judging, etc, etc, etc... But, I still love the way the photos came out (most of them anyways!).
Of course this was right about the time I filled my hard-drive to the brim with photos and both of my disc burners went out on me. (I know - right?) Of course I always have my trusty step-father who is a computer whiz to help me out but with incompatible software and busy schedules, I only just now had the chance to upload and edit the batch of photos from the Halloween Hoedown. Since all attending troops were promised photo discs, I added some extra flair to the girl's photos to make it worth their wait.
I created some enhancements to spice up the photos with some Halloween flair, the first is "Creepy Colors" where an eerie glow is cast upon the photos and the second was "Funhouse Faces" where I took the girl's faces and warped them like those crazy fun house mirrors do! It took FOREVER, but I think it was worth it! The results are too funny and I can't wait to find out what all the Girl Scouts think of their silly alter-egos! =)
Here are some of my favorites:
After "Funhouse Faces"
Before
After "Funhouse Faces"
Before
After "Funhouse Faces"
You can view the rest of the best here on Facebook!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Let's Begin!
For the majority of my life I have been obsessed with photos. Taking them, collecting them, viewing them ... everything but being IN them! Over the past few years I've started to take my photography more seriously and really try to work at making each image I take special. More and more I am being told that I should turn my hobby into a career and I am finally taking the steps to do so.
Having a "natural talent" for capturing moments, places, things, people I am going to try to give my subjects the best images I can possibly create. I want to take my dream and turn it into beautiful captures for you.
Join me on my journey, Captured by Jess...
Having a "natural talent" for capturing moments, places, things, people I am going to try to give my subjects the best images I can possibly create. I want to take my dream and turn it into beautiful captures for you.
Join me on my journey, Captured by Jess...
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