A Braggadocio Moment…

Last night, the 19th, the Northwest Houston Photo Club had a night shoot downtown scheduled. I managed to get Janet up, fed and dressed in time to arrive only about three to five minutes late. However, about halfway to town it started raining and only got heavier as we got closer. I drove by the assigned meet up corner twice but couldn’t drive, watch traffic and see the people on the sidewalks well enough to identify anyone. As much as I would have loved to shoot downtown in the rain again I had Janet with me. It was too hot to leave her in the car even at 7:30pm and the logistics of handling her and managing to take photographs in the rain was just too overwhelming to consider so I returned home—or rather out to eat. After seeing the photographs posted to the web I couldn’t believe that they returned to the very same corner where I almost got the whole camera club arrested two years ago when I told a short, fat bantam rooster type that she had no authority to confiscate anyone’s camera when she threatened us for photographing the Toy Train called MetroRail. She called in reinforcements and before it was over we had four cops and three squad cars tied up for almost a half hour just to harass a dozen elderly white people so chubby could assert her whatever it is she thought she had.

Apparently the rains slacked after we left and from the photographs I have seen of the shoot I should have stayed.

Tonight was Club night and as much as everyone knows that I hate to brag on myself (yeah, like since when) this was the second month in a row that every photograph that I entered into the competition received a ribbon. I was in hopes that someone from the club would see that in the newsletter and mention it on the Discussions Blog but they didn’t. Actually, I did post it last month because I had never had that happen before but I thought better of being so obviously self absorbed and took down the thread (after everyone had seen it I hoped, LOL.) Last month I entered four photographs, two each in Open and Assigned and I came home with three first place and one second place ribbons. Tonight I only entered two photographs in the Assigned category and came home with a first and a second. For someone that frequently bemoans camera club photography it seems I suddenly have gotten very good at it. Of course, it is only fair to mentions that the competitions both months were far short of the usual number of prints entered but to be fair I was not the only entrant even though it may seem that way.

Here is a shot of Janet that I did at Aunt Bea’s tonight. Sure am glad I found this place again. It is cheap, cheap, cheap, the servings are extra large so that Janet and I can share a single meal and an awful lot of old people eat there so there is none of this stir fry almost singed veggie crap. The veggies may no longer contain nutrients but they are soft and mushable just the way Mama used to cook them. LOL In taking this shot I was trying to watch Janet, she moves constantly, retain something similar to focus and at the same time watch the actions of the fellow in the black shirt in the background. I couldn’t believe that I actually held the camera level, got her eyes reasonably sharp and captured a moment when both Janet and the fellow seemed to lean in the same direction at about the same angle—sheer luck.

I also did something else that I have not done in a very long time, added a shot to the Totem Series. I am not sure it is on a par with the ones I did last year but I was pleased to be shooting the subject again.

Well, tomorrow night is dinner out with a couple of neighbors and then friday is breakfast with Michael so it appears that I will be busy for the rest of the week. Just hope I get in a few clicks along the way.