PHOTO OF THE DAY......THREE PEOPLE WE SHOULD HONOR TODAY

My friend Don Truman.  United States Navy.  Master Chief Boatswain's Mate.  Bronze Star.  Purple Heart.  Navy Cross.

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Lt. Lester L. Dansky

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SRA Billy Ogston

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PHOTO OF THE DAY.....OUT ON THE FLYING FIELD

Toby and his Dad out on the flying field.

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Photo of the Day......Home on the Range

Shot of my little home on the range, atop the pump house.  Taken on July 4, 2011 at the Black Mesa Ranch north of Kenton, Oklahoma. 

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Same Photo without processing

For anyone curious here is the same photo without processing converted to JPEG from the RAW.  Same resolution.  Same camera settings.  No processing.  
ISO 8000!

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Photo of the Day......Sunset over the Missouri Veteran's Cemetary

Handheld low light snapshot taken overlooking the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery with a Canon 5D Mark III at f/8.0 1/500 ISO 8000  240 ppi.  With a little warmth added and some noise reduction.  For a fast snap I am very impressed with the camera.     

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Photo of the Day

I had some things to say but when I completed the post I seem to have erased the entire work.  The recent changes made by Yahoo to the format methodology is so very bad and cumbersome I am actively looking for a replacement.  I expect web hosts to change and hopefully improve their software but it seems obvious to me that Yahoo has cheapened the hell out of this one.  

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As I prepare for my return trip to the western prairies I again re-display and review the photos I have selected to take with me share to  with the locals.  And, possibly lern the stories behind them.  Give life to these forlorn buildings.  Some previously passed by photo may get new life.  Maybe it was a Gem I missed.  

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Photo of the Day......Kids Playing in the River

Kids playing in the Paluxy River in Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose Texas.

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Photo of the Day......Abandoned Farmall Tractor

I wish to begin by extending an apology to those who follow this photo blog.  Over the recent couple of months we have sold the family manufacturing business and I have agreed to a one year consulting contract with the new owners so I have been very distracted from, what I like to tell myself, is my greatest passion.  Photography.  While my postings have been sparse of late my mind has never been far from the blog.  


Today I return to the prairies and offer a Tractor photo taken in Boise City, OK from back on July 2, 2011.

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Photo of the Day......Foyer Table Through Afternoon Door Window Light

Afternoon light through "leaded" door glass study using iPhone photo enhanced with Photoship CS5  

Photo of the Day......Historical Marker in Cimarron County Oklahoma

I don't believe any of us can truly imagine the freedom he felt.

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Photos of the Day......First Inn of Branson

I have a few more Branson Tornado Damage photos that I would like to share.  These last few photo postings will have themes.  The theme for this one is the First Inn of Branson.  I spent a good amount of time looking at this one building and I felt it alone had a survival story to tell so I gathered together the relevant photos of this building and put them into their own posting.  


The first photo is an internet download of the building as it looked before the storm hit.  The remaining photos are different views and perspectives on the damage it received.

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Photos of the Day......Branson Tornado Victims, Gawkers and Clean Up.

With this posting I have attempted to capture the people.  I have a very bad habit of concentrating too much on things and not nearly enough on people.  When you get right down to it everything really is about people.  


I suspect I might have been a subject of gawkers.  I went "whole hog".  With two cameras draped from my neck, one with a short lens the other telephoto.  I suspect I looked the part as I squatted and climbed up to get good angles.


The people who suffered the most seem to be the people who could least afford it.  The two first pictures are from the Ria Motel which houses homeless people living there on weekly rental.  Now where are they to go?  Please read this KY3 article on these very people.  


http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-tornado-takes-away-what-little-branson-homeless-had-20120302,0,5550931.story

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Photos of the Day......Tornado Damage in Branson, Missouri

I have posted a few photos of the tornado damage I saw in Branson on Wednesday afternoon.  I will post additional "themed" photos over the next few days.  The damage was extensive but also condensed within in a small area. If I was to say anything at all about these photos it would be to remind you that this was, on the overall, a small tornado.  Please click on the image to enlarge and explore. 

Photos of the Day......Tornado Damage at the Kimberling Inn Resort

I won't burden this photo blog with a lot of commentary.  Kimberling Inn has been a source of many family dinners and parties, company dinners and Christmas parties and just sitting around having drinks and good times.  Most of the buildings are destroyed, or at least beyond reasonable repair.  As you look at these photos please feel free to enlarge and look around and wonder like the rest of us how these things got where they are.  How did a whole section of roof, trussing and piping get from it's home to across the street in one piece.  Tornadoes are like tantrums they throw things everywhere with a chaotic rage.  My purely amateur guess is this tornado was not the same one that went through Branson and was an EF2 in size.   I will post my Branson tornado photos tomorrow.  I need some sleep.  


Again please click in the images to enlarge and explore them in detail.