Texas Hill Country Photography

We had a fun filled trip to Southeast Alaska where we took refuge from the Texas heat. We toured Tracy Arm to see the glacier; went whale watching; went to Anan Bear Observatory; fished; and, traveled from Juneau to Sitka, Wrangell, and Ketchikan by the Alaskan Marine Highway ferry system. Check out some of the photos which are posted on the Flickr website. Click this link to go to the site where my screen name is Tipper.
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Need a drought broken? Call me! Seriously, I think there is a huge rain cloud that is drawn to me like a magnet when I begin on a photo journey or go to an art show. Here’s the list since last October: rained for three weeks in Pennsylvania; rained at Lost Maples; ice storm at the February Gruene show; rained at the March show; stormed at the Kerrville show (forecast was NO CHANCE OF RAIN); and, a deluge of rain at the July Rockport show. I hope our trip to Alaska in August will shake off the curse.

That said, I still look at the glass as half full instead of half empty because I have had record setting sales so far this year. I began making larger photos that are 24 x 36 when framed which is part of the reason for the increase as well as having a wider variety of subject matter from which to choose.

So, look out Salado. Be prepared for rain! I will be participating in the August 5-6 show at Pace Memorial Park on the banks of the Salado Creek. Hopefully, we won’t have to move to higher ground.

Also I have posted new July and August free desktop calendars in the Freebie Downloads section.

I have March 2006 desktop calendars (wallpaper) free for download in the downloads section. Thanks for stopping by.

Having one of my photographs selected as a magazine cover was another milestone for me. Featured on the cover of the Hill Country Magazine, Winter Issue, is a windmill I photographed along Texas Hwy. 46. Inside the issue, there is a full page with other windmill photographs taken in the Hill Country area. These and other windmills can be viewed in the “Hill Country Landscapes” of my Photo Gallery.

You can find the magazine at HEB, Wal-Mart, Walgreen’s, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings, Super S, Berkly’s, and some Travel Marts. Check out their website to preview the contents of the publication.

This trip was a first for us because as teachers we never got to vacation in the fall. The colors were near peak as we got into West Virginia and Pennsylvania and peaked while we were there. The mountainsides were amazing with all the red, yellow, gold, and orange foliage. There were a number of days that were overcast and rainy as you can tell from some of the skies in the photos. However, for the most part I attempted to eliminate the sky or keep it to a minimum in the composition. Another tip for getting pictures in difficult weather conditions is to take more close-ups instead of large expanses of the landscape.

The gristmill photo was taken at Babcock State Park where it is supposedly the most photographed spot in West Virginia. Apparently, that is true because I lined up along the stream with six other photographers there to take photos. Without any preplanning we were lucky to arrive at the best time of the day for a good exposure from the morning sun.

I restrained from photographing any of the Amish people where they could be recognized but the working of horses was particularly impressive and I just couldn’t resist a few shots of the action. The farm land, barns, crops (pumpkins in the fields) and mums made for a beautiful fall landscape.

I hope you enjoy viewing the West Virginia and Pennsylvania photos as much as I did taking them. Check the gallery for more of the pictures.

I have posted my first two free downloads under my downloads section. I hope you enjoy them; happy downloading.

The Texas Association of Bass Club’s (TABC) state championship tournament held on Stillhouse Hollow Lake and Lake Belton on September 10-11 provided a different format for my photography. As my husband Bobby launched the boat on Saturday morning, I hurriedly got my camera ready to get a picture of the sunrise that was unfolding. What a beautiful beginning to the weekend!

Looking for fishermen who were actually “catching” was a challenge. Also, photographing with the hazy conditions and using full zoom increased the difficulty of actually getting a good shot with the rocking action of the boat. It was fun getting an overview of how everyone was progressing in the tournament and then to see the teams as they arrived for weigh-in at the Bell County Convention Center each day.

The tournament is an annual event and was sponsored this year by the Belton Chamber of Commerce, Marine Outlet and Legend Boats, Tempest Rods, Waypoint Marine, and Travis Boating Center.

Summertime has been fun filled with our four grandsons. I think we look forward to keeping them as much as they look forward to staying with us. My pantry was stocked with foods that satisfy the wants of boys between the ages of two and six at the beginning of May. Okay, so the list goes like this: mac and cheese; chicken nuggets; juice; hot dogs; yogurt; and a huge box of Fruit Loops.

The first set of boys, Max and Wes, came with their mother to help with my booth at Gruene Market Days the third weekend of May. After having a successful show, the boys stayed a week with us. We entertained them non stop and kept them hyped up on all the junk food. In June, we (parents, grandsons, grandparents, two dogs, and one cat) all went to spend the week at the houseboat in Aransas Pass. Loads of fun was had boating, swimming, fishing and shopping. No need for food preparation with the usual stash of ready to eat foods. I even found a few photo opportunities while we out and about.

In July, I had record setting sales at the the Rockport Art Festival which made the heat and humidity more tolerable. Recovery time was short since I was to go baby sit Max and Wes in Richardson, TX for a couple of days before we all returned back to San Marcos for the week. So much for nutritious food when there has been no time to grocery shop. Thank goodness for that grandkid food we stockpiled at the beginning of summer.

After celebrating Wes’s fourth birthday in August at Six Flags we returned home with our other two grandsons, Cameron and Clayton. They were to stay with us for only three days so we had to play fast and furious. We went boating, kayaking, fishing, made crafts, and went to the movies. On the final morning with us, I emptied the last of the Fruit Loop box for the boy’s breakfast. I asked my husband, husband, Bobby, if he knew what that meant. He thought it meant he had to go put it in the trash. However, it meant the end of summer for Gram and Papa because that was the last meal we would have with any of the boys before they went back to school and preschool. As soon as they left for home we packed up and went to the Salado Art Fair where I had another good show.

Now, I hope to get caught up (is that ever possible) and have time to take a few more pictures.

This summer I was thrilled to have my first published images. Four of my cardinal photos were selected to appear in the Summer 2005 issue of Texas Hill Country Magazine.

The magazine is a relatively new publication that features items of interest from the Central Texas area. Distribution will be at these stores: HEB, Walmart, Walgreen’s, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings and Super S. (All stores may not currently stock it but will eventually.)

The Fall 2005 issue will appear in newsstands by mid September.

View The Galleries!

To the right, click on a gallery to view the images. Be sure to click the thumbnails to view the entire uncropped photo for best enjoyment! Thanks, and enjoy!