From 2004 - Ground Hog Observer

The expression on this girl's face is what made this a keeper...

From 2004 - Hammerhead Mailbox

Sometimes the creativity of others gives one pause to look. This mailbox was captured on Stewart Road in Galveston.

From 2004 - Creek Hunters

I have a brother-in-law that likes to do nothing more than hunt crawdads, crabs and minnows out of creeks and streams. Here he is at Enchanted Rock with his son doing same.

From 2004 - Surf

This was taken at Galveston, on the same day that "Reaching" was captured. For such a simple composition, this has turned out to be a favorite for many.

From 2004 - Blue Macaw

This bird was in Galveston's Moody Gardens. Some of the tail feather highlights were blown out, so cloned neighboring pixels at 50% opacity.

From 2004 - Vibrant Rose

I read a story once about someone who had a near-death experience. In attempting to convey what he saw, this individual told of seeing flowers that were so perfectly and vibrantly colored that it defied description in human terms. He related that the light producing such a sight seemed to come from within the flowers, and seemed to be alive.

Whether such an event actually happened, or even could happen, is a matter of debate among some. Regardless of the feasibility, ever since taking up photography I've sought to capture something that approximates that vision - and this comes close. We have a friend that grows the most beautiful flowers, and every day on my way to either drop off or pick up the kids I would see her flowers in various lighting conditions. This was taken during the afternoon, when the setting sun hit it just right. There were a few imperfections removed, such as a brown spot or two, and some tears on the edges of some petals, but they weren't many.

From 2004 - Neiko

This is Neiko, back when she was skinny, just days after we adopted her from the SPCA here in Houston. She's been a good cat, albeit a lazy one, constantly on a diet.

From 2004 - Dancing Cascade

It was during the post-capture processing of these pictures from the Stafford Center that I discovered the wonders of using the black eye dropper tool in Levels of Photoshop. Using that thing in the right place instantly sets the blackness of the background in a way that makes the subjects pop out, effectively increasing contrast and saturation. The sunset picture posted previously uses the same technique.

With the colors on display, along with the moment presented by the dancing children, this is one of my all-time favorites. This is a totally unbiased opinion, and has nothing to do with the fact that a certain family member is featured prominently in its composition...

From 2004 - Shadow Acrobat

Another one taken at Sea World. Shadows can sometimes be more interesting (and telling) than what is happening on the stage that is creating them.

A wire (and its shadow) ran diagonally across the bottom; both were photoshopped out.

From 2004 - Giraffe

This is a cropped-in shot that was taken from the tram at Disney's Animal Kingdom...

From 2004 - Moon Reflection

This was on the church retreat mentioned earlier, on the posting for May 2. It was very fortuitous that I arrived just as the fog was coming up off of the lake. Here you have a moon reflection, which 15 minutes before would have been much more powerful, but which turned out fairly well just the same. By the time I snapped this one the duck had disappeared altogether.

From 2004 - Tomorrow Land (100th)

This is one of those pictures that turned out so much better than anticipated. The viewfinder was aimed just above the "people line" at Disney World. Without the earthly reference of people everywhere, the composition ended up having an other-worldly, "spacey" look - perfect for the theme. Additionally, the colors and background lead to an almost cartoonesque appearance... something totally unanticipated.

I don't know whether this is good or bad, but through the years have discovered that the best photos are captured totally by accident or through sheer reflex...done without thinking at all. Last night we had dinner company, and one guest was scrolling through my favorites from Taiwan. Probably the two best shots were taken in this manner - not on purpose but just swinging the camera and snapping the shutter, realizing only after the fact that something decent was in hand.
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This is my 100th posting. I've thoroughly enjoyed using this tool to share the incredible beauty - in both nature and human interaction - that God has given us to enjoy. Regardless of how many or how few visit/follow this blog, what I'm endeavoring to do is maintain consistency and quality in the photos that are chosen to post, and presenting them in a format that is pleasing to the eye.

If there is one lamentable fact, it is that I don't have more time or energy to write. I have been greatly blessed with many adventures saturating a rich life; many have encouraged me to write down the stories that I've told over the years in a teaching career, or simply sitting around a table in fellowship. One day I hope to be able to work them in.

Whether this is your first time or you are a regular visitor, any and all comments or suggestions are welcome regarding the pictures or stories published.

--Jim Mahood

From 2004 - Sunset in Yardley

This was taken in Yardley, Pennsylvania. I silhouetted the foreground by setting the black point on the house to the left. That move simultaneously increased the contrast in the clouds and deepened the reds a bit.

From 2004 - Astros Pitcher

This was at an Astros game...must've taken several dozen pictures before capturing this one.

I'm not much of a sports fan, but sporting events are fun places to take pictures, with so much going on. And whether you follow them closely or not, baseball games are a terrific family activity by anyone's standard.

From 2004 - Green Dancer

Another one from the Stafford Center. The color, the slow moves during the dances, the modesty with which the girls dress, and the costume variety driven by vast history make Chinese dance recitals perfect for non-flash picture taking.

From 2004 - Winter Branches

The men's group in our church does an annual retreat, and this was taken on one of those trips. Rather than spend the night, I generally drive up early on Saturday morning. The early morning fog rising above the lake made this one worth the trip.

The focus of this picture wasn't supposed to be the trees, though that's the way it turned out. If you'll notice, there is a little dot on the water's surface to the left of the right-most tree. That is a duck.

From 2004 - Horse Grazing

This is one of those that started with a slam of the brakes and rolling eyes that said, "Here he goes again!" It was worth it, though.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, my brother lived absolutely in the middle of nowhere, which is just the kind of place I like. And to get there from any direction was a treat, with all the winding roads and creek crossings. The area surrounding Wimberley is one of the most beautiful in the state.