Las Vegas

Las Vegas or Sin City or Vegas Baby... is some of the terms that you may have heard referring to Las Vegas, Nevada. The reason I bring Las Vegas up in this post is because in September I attend the annual Wyndham Worldwide Hotel Conference being held there. Now, just for every one's information, yes some people go there for business, fun, excitement, drink, gamble, the shows. I personally just went to attend a business function and then return home.  YEA RIGHT! I went for all those things I mentioned earlier. Going to Vegas though is one of those things where if you did it once, why do it again? I have been to Vegas now 3 times.

Yes, I did have a good time. I did gamble (actually won $19.00), I did have fun, meeting people at the conference and hanging out, but most of them were in their safety zones, and didn't have room for an outsider to hang. ( Did I mention, I went by myself.) I drank all the free alcohol that I could. The best part of drinking I have found is that alcohol always tastes better when someone else is buying. Excitement? I guess, if you call walking the Fremont Street, and seeing a man so drunk, that he took a header on the sidewalk because he had trip over his own feet. The poor guy hit his head, was out like Mike Tyson had given him an upper cut, and was down for the count. He just laid there, someone had called a Vegas Officer over to check out the situation. The officer called an ambulance. Then people gathered around, but staying back far enough so it won't seem like they were looking at what was going on. They didn't want to be too nosey. After all it's Vegas. What happens in Vegas.

If I had known just how much fun Fremont Street was going to be, I wouldn't even had bothered with the strip at all. Fremont Street is just too cool. The drinks are cheaper, to gamble was less expensive and it gives you the feeling of the way Vegas used to be. Fremont Street had outside concerts going on, vendors in the streets area, fake Elvis and Kid Rock, bartenders who doubled as dancers on the bar.

It's well worth the time when in Vegas, to check out Fremont Street. One of the really neat things I found at Fremont Street was a portion of it is covered, and certain times during the night all the lights go out, and an animated show begins on the dome. When I was there, the music of George Thorogood's "Bad To The Bone" blasted out to the aliens and the motorcycles that were in this animated feature. This stopped everyone in their tracks, and judging by every one's reaction, it was a hit.

By the end of the night it was well worth the trip to Fremont Street. I will tell you that one of the biggest adventure at Fremont was trying to find my car after I called it a night. Lost my car, couldn't find the parking area where it was, walked and walked looking for it. Finally, asked one of those officers who were helping out the guy on the sidewalk how to get get to my car. He response was "Where did you leave it?" I think if I had an answered to that I don't think I would have asked him in the first place.

Will I return to Vegas? Sure.

Lions, Tigers, Parie Dogs? Oh MY!

Lions, Tigers, and Prairie Dogs are just some of the animals you will find at the Richmond Zoo. Giraffes, Rhinos, Bats, Antelopes are some of the others. Which if you will allow me to sneak back into my childhood memories for a moment, what ever happen to having fun at the zoo? I remember back in grade school, what all the kids look forward to was the field trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo in Pittsburgh, PA. (In case you didn't know, I grew up in Pa. That's why I talk and write so funny.) It was filled with excitement and wonderment of seeing all the wild animals that the zoo held. It was always a great time, wondering around looking at the lions and tigers and bears, oh my... But visiting the zoo in Richmond did not bring the same amount of excitement. Now you have to remember, this was my first visit to a zoo since grade school. Is it that I am getting old was that the excitement wasn't there because of this? Or was it because the Richmond Zoo, kept you too distance from the animals?  Sure you can get close to and pet the giraffes, and they have a large cage filled with lots of colored canaries, that you can walk through but the animals you want to see are so distance to you, it's hard to even get a good picture.

What I wanted to see was the lions and tigers closer. I understand that precaution takes over with these wild animals, and that safety is an issue. But to be so far back that you have to funnel your eyes to be able to see them or that you have to look through a glass window in a crowd, with so many hand prints and dirt you really can't see much at all. Expand the viewing areas, or make it easier for people to see the animals. That's all that is needed.

The tigers and the lions are majestic animals, and they deserved to be treated this way. And royalty should be viewed in that fashion. As royalty. OK enough of that.

My favorite part of this visit was the Orangutan. I am not sure who was watching whom. People were passing by the whole time, and this Orangutan sat and watched as they did. Was this his zoo? A zoo that came to him? People passing by and taking pictures were amazed as he just sat there and watched. Maybe we were the zoo for him and he was looking at the strange creatures that were watching him.

Which ever it was, I think he got his monies worth.

So our trip to the zoo was not very exciting, but it was interesting. The next time you go to the zoo, see who's watching you. More zoo pictures are at www.photosbyrb.zenfolio.com

Little Wonder Horse Farm

Little Wonder Horse Farm is located in Topping, VA and is the home to 85 miniature horses. Now if you are asking where Topping, VA is, according to Google Maps it's an hour and a half from Richmond, VA. That is of course if you have directions to the farm itself. Then you will be lost for at least another half an hour to forty-five minutes.

The owners of the farm were kind enough to open it up to our photography group for pictures. Since I missed meeting up with the group, my wife and I ventured on our own to Topping, VA. For the most part it is an enjoyable drive, unless you hit I64 beach traffic and it can come to a screaming halt. Like I stated, Google states it's an hour and a half drive, but if you don't have an address it can take longer. Gratefully there is a Feed Store on the highway in Topping, that I figured if anybody was going to know where this farm was, they would. I was right! Gave me perfect directions. As we arrived, the group I was to be with, were packing their gear, cars, and leaving. Oh well so much for a group outing.

As I mentioned the owners were nice enough to open it up to the group, and to the late comers. Walking around the farm you encounter many miniature horses, from baby miniatures, to full grown. The tallest adult reaching thirty six inches. What I found interesting was the fact that during the day the horses were laying down, flat on their sides. Sound a sleep. I was under the impression that if a horse or cow was laying flat they were in need of medical treatment. In the case of the miniatures I learned some history of their breed. Miniature horses ran wild here in Virginia, and of course being smaller then most animals they were prey for some of the others. So, the miniatures would stay alert at night, and sleep during the day. This way they avoided becoming another wild animal late nite snack.

All the miniatures are people friendly, and not camera shy at all. I guess you would call a miniature horse baby, a colt. Not sure if that's a correct term. But they were interesting and fun to watch. It was enjoyable day and if you are ever in Topping, VA check them out.

You can see some more of the miniatures at my website http://www.photsbyrb.zenfolio.com/

Richmond's Dragon Boat Races

It's just been so hot here in Virginia, that to get the energy to go out and shoot some pictures took an act of Congress. I had no desire to go and shoot pictures in 105 degree heat. Nor did I think any of the subjects would have been warranted good enough to do so.

This weekend was a different story as I ventured out to see the Richmond's first Dragon Boat Races. Held on the James River at Rocketts Landing, it was interesting to see the boats and the teams all work together to win the events. Japeneese Boat Racing is held throughout the United States, with different teams from the area. Teams from Washington DC and the area came to participate in the races of Richmond this weekend. The teams consisted of employees of corporations, and the motivation is to build your team efforts both in boat races, but also in your work place.

The teams put forth great efforts to make the grade.

There were also culture exibitions such as Martial Atrs, Japaneese Traditionl Dancing. They were all very interesting and fun to watch. The colors were just outstanding.

This girl was so fast with the blades, it was really hard to get focused on her.

If you would like to look at some of the other photographs I took at this event, please visit http://www.photosbyrb.zenfolio.com/

Amazing! There has to be something greater then us.

There has to be something bigger then all of us to be able to create such an effect in the sky. I know it, and even if you do not believe in your heart of hearts, you know it too. An effect like this can not come from someone or something that has not given so much for us.

The above picture was taken after a huge electrical storm passed through our area. Right outside my house.

The sky has been always an interesting subject for me. The amazing colors that it can bring, whites, blues, grays, orange, red... all the colors. I could spend a whole day just shooting clouds and the sky. I have even caught myself day dreaming, as I did when I was a kid looking into the sky. Just thinking and wondering, what's up there....who's up there...

Here We Go.....

Well here I am. In the middle of the cyberspace, and haven't taken a wrong turn yet...

This is my first post, so be gentle with me. Wow, what was that? Here I am just typing away and a huge electrical storm just wipe out my new blog... my computer and all the electric.... figures.

Well I am going to tell you some things here about myself, my family and what inspires me to press the shutter on my cameras. My wife is from Columbia, I don't mean South Carolina either. I mean South America. So yes, Spanish is required. I have 4 really great kids. I would use the term children, but the youngest is 22, and the oldest is 29. So go figure. I refer to them as kids anyhow. I have 1 granddaughter who is just a real trip, and looks so much her mother that it could be frightening. That's her and I together at the beach, pictured above.

Oh, and let's not forget Socks The Dog... she's my best friend, and for some reason she happens to think I'm great, no matter how mad everyone is at me.... (maybe it's the part about feeding her, that brings this faithfulness.)

Now to the real reason I am here, to share insight and wisdom.... yea right.

I have no insight, I have no wisdom. Only what I like and what I don't like.

Photography is one of those things that I like. Until recently I didn't know just how much I enjoy it and that actually I am not too bad at it either. I am still learning, but everybody is still learning about everything, not just photography, but about life as well.

What makes me press that shutter, could be anything. A beautiful women, a child and mother, landscape that just will not let you turn away. An idea that if I just look at it from a different angle it could be just simple awesome. I have found out that having a camera strap to me, I forget about everything else. The people beside me, the cars whizzing by, blowing thiers horns to get me off the street. The only thing I see or can focus on is my subject. Then when the time and angle is right, SNAP goes the shutter. Now this is not to say that when I have snap that shutter, that an Ansel Adams picture emerges. It means I have taken a photograph that might be great, good or really bad. I would like to think all my photographs turn out great. But come on and get real. I don't believe that all photographers shots all do, and I am not going to kid myself into thinking this.

So there you have it, a beginning to a blog. A little about myself, my family and a glimpse into to my thoughts.

Just keep in mind,

"Some of the greatest photographs are not taken by chance, but by where you were standing when they are taken."