My Little Pegasus

More art from the D.A.V. Thrift Store. This time it's a pegasus (which looks a lot like a My Little Pony) with some little flying things which look like either butterflies or flying bow ties.

I don't think it's from the same artist as Brian's Brain. The pegasus looks too realistic for it to be the same artist who can't paint a human form from the rear.

Brian's Brain

As we all know, some designs are just bad. This one makes me smile though as possible stories behind it run through my head every time I see it.

The basic story runs through my mind wondering how you the young man was who painted this. The perspective isn't too bad for a young painter. From there it would make sense that Brian had trouble spelling his name.

The better story is that the artist was actually trying for a basic zombie painting. And since zombies like brains, then it would stand to reason that one zombie would only be hungry for one brain. Of course, the poor zombie is standing there scratching it's head trying to figure out if the door opens in or out.

Regardless of the story behind the so-called art I have to give a thanks to D.A.V. Thrift Store in Irving, TX for not only having this out for sale, but not minding if I take pictures in their shop.

Still Life with Balls

Sometimes you literally stumble on to the best picture opportunities.

For example, take the baseball and wiffle ball I came across while walking a dried up creek bed.

Watery Arches

Taking a simple fountain in the evening and seeing what timing and settings can do.

Playing With Camera Phone Settings

Sometimes it's good to just take a bunch of photographs of the same subject with different settings just to see how it all comes out. Hopefully at least one of the shots will show something that you didn't expect or give an effect you were hoping for. All these were shot with a Nokia N97 using various settings.

The default setting. Everything is automatic (except my ability to take a level photograph)

A decent picture. It doesn't do a bad job of capturing the scene. The rocks a re a little washed out for my taste and the water is flat.

The vivid color tone setting.

Suddenly the rock color jumps out. It's a little too bold though as they aren't quite that vivid in real life. However, the water does come through with a little more life and color to it.

The sepia color tone setting.

The sepia shot was a real shot in the dark. My hopes were that the water's color would get picked up and filtered to a soft blue. Instead all it did was fade to extra dullness.

Putting the color tone back on normal and adjusting contrast and exposure sensitivities.

The rock color is now closer to reality than the vivid setting. The shadows are also a little more pronounced, which adds some interest to the image. Also, the water at the bottom is about as real as I've seen it.

Tunnel and Reflection

About a month ago I posted the Light at the End of the Tunnel of a shot under a bridge with no water. I've since revisited that spot a few times, and once was lucky enough to hit it after a heavy rain but before the summer heat evaporated off all the water again. 

This time the water shows a nice surprise hiding up the hill on the other side: a tree. 

Sure. I'll admit that there's not much exciting about just a tree. But with the starkness of the tunnel I liked how the reflection in the water showed something that wasn't visible directly out the other side. 

Still don't find it interesting? I guess you just have to be there...

Crown Pools Logo

The Crown Pools building in downtown Irving, Texas. It's really nothing more than a a big cinder block building that once held a pool supply store and has been vacant for several years now. For better or for worse  it's slated for demolition at some point to make way for a "downtown revitalization" project.
This project has seen the demise of several long-term local businesses due to building demolition and zoning changes. Of course the flattening of long term local businesses in order to make way for a bunch of modern buildings and businesses is a story for another day.

Until the day it gets torn down though I can still enjoy the 50's style logo and sign outside, even if the paint is starting to peel enough that the logo's integrity is failing...

Bombing for Peace

Spotted in downtown McKinney, Texas. 

I don't know how log it will last before someone paints over it, but it's still a great stencil.

Lyrical Graffiti

Sometimes there's not much else to say except, "Hate me. Crave me. Kill me. Do me." At least that's what this graffiti artist thought when they decided to tag a drainage pipe underneath a bridge.

Mini Beetle

The Bees Are Back

It's that time of year again in which swarms of bees start cropping up around trash cans because of all the extra sweet goodies that people keep throwing out. The trash can at the local Starbucks drive through is no exception to that. So I can understand why they clean it out and put a cover over the front so people can't use it.

My personal favorite though is not the sign itself. It's that down to the left someone has written in, "Yay the bees returned!"

Rock On

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I like taking pictures. More to the point, I like taking close up photos with my mobile phone. Macro-photography has always interested me, and the little idiosyncratic quirks of mobile phone camera always make it both a challenge to get a decent shot as well as an adventure to see what you really end up with.

This time I was having some fun with a bunch of rocks. Despite putting the phone's camera on closeup mode it's always interesting to see where the field of vision finally comes out.

Typography Freeway

A great look at the alphabet as seen from the highways and byways of Europe.

As seen from Electro Stories: Typography Freeway

Pixelize This

Digital Signal Processing. From photography to home entertainment, it's key in today's modern world. That's why it's a little annoying when all of a sudden it goes awry in the cable signal (in good weather no less). Still, ignoring the annoyance of not getting a clear signal, and not being able to have tech support help any (it's an issue with the signal itself, not the hardware in the house), it is an interesting view of things.

Seen here is an episode of NCIS which has been scrambled due to some poor signal quality. It seems that it couldn't descramble itself properly. Still, it does make for an interesting mobile phone background...

Two Sides of the Same Thing

A little graffiti fun from a Subway parking lot. I'm not sure what this was originally used for, but now it's just sitting in a parking space next to the dumpster...

Your grammar is uglier than how your mother dresses you....

I'm Singing a Song of Freedom

-Freedom! Freedom!

-Here comes the Freedom Man

On this day of independence

On this Independence Day

Listen to an American troubador from the U.S.A.

I'm singing a song of freedom

For all people who cry out to be free

Free to sail the seven seas

Free to worship as we please

If the birds up in the trees can be free

Why can't we?

I'm bringing a song of freedom

To all people wherever they may be

Free to speak and free to hear

Free from want and free from fear

Sons of freedom far and near who agree

Sing with me

That all God's people shall be free

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

Played by the Bob Crosby Orchestra

Sung by Bing Crosby in the movie Holiday Inn

Stack O' 'Shrooms

The glorious portobello mushroom, just a disguised brown crimini mushroom that's grown too big for it's original name, makes for a good meal, and once in a while, a good photo as well.

A Cuppa Style

Be it morning or evening, it's always time for a cup of tea. Sure, you could say it the English in my genes that gives me my penchant for tea, but I think that it's more than that.  It's more than the caffeine too (especially when it comes to the herbal blends).

Brewing a good cup of tea takes time. You can't just press a button and expect to get near the full flavor and aroma of the tea. Similarly, you can can't just suck down a cup and get the full experience either. Tea is meant to be sipped (and not just so you don't scald your tongue).  Having tea is forcing yourself to slow down and enjoy life. 

What does all this have to do with style and design? It's all really quite simple. It's all about the tea cup and its many shapes and designs!

Mall Shots

Malls can be a great source of inspiration if you stop looking at what's for sale...

The skylight.

Escalators.

Riviting... Isn't it...?