Belaires and Burgers - Princeton, Texas (iPhone 3G)
I play this little game with my dad and brother-in-law. When I see old cars and trucks, I stop and take a photo and see if they can name the make and model of the car. I don't think either one of them have missed one. It is amazing by just looking a tail light, fender, or grill they can name that car.
My dad is so funny. You can be showing him some old family photo of us kids, and he starts talking about the car in the background. One day we were driving to lunch and he was in mid sentence, when he let out a huge gasp and a "WOW!" I thought we were about to collide with something. He nearly broke his neck rubber necking to see a 50 something car going the other way.
Movies are the same. We watched "Worlds Fastest Indian" starring Anthony Hopkins. Ray and my dad played "Name that Car" the whole movie. And they won.
Oh, and the answer: 56 Ford Customline
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Name that car
A kick in the butt
Everyone needs one every once in a while.
Thanks Cindy for the kick in the butt to post some new photos. I am glad to know you were waiting for my next post. Or were you? Even so, I dedicate the last three posts to you!
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A Keller Sunday Morning Coming Down
Keller's Drive-in - Dallas, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Located on Northwest Highway in Dallas, it is a great place for a hamburger and a chocolate shake. The place hasn't had much upkeep in 40 years it seems, but it all just adds to the ambience.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Coffee with a View
Adriatica Bell Tower - McKinney, Texas (iPhone 3G)
The view from the Starbucks Drive-Thru, I just couldn't resist playing again with the iPhone camera.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
URBAN DECAY
What is old is new again at the Cotton Mill in McKinney. It is an intoxicated place to take photos. For the lucky few who get to office there, it is a creative haven.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
It's My Culture and Heritage
Harley Heritage
We just got back from our annual motorcycle vacation in which we rode to Durango, Colorado with 3 other couples. Most of us were on touring bikes--three Electraglides and one Heritage Softail. As far as I am concerned, it's not what you ride, but rather that you ride.
I recently saw a t-shirt that says "Bikers know why dogs hang their heads out car windows". That pretty much sums it up for me. Riding on a bike and seeing beautiful countryside is so different than traveling in a car. You get to experience the ride with each of your senses. The smell of the mountain laurel was sweet. The wind in your face was refreshing. The sound of the pipes was deafening at times. The ever-changing landscape was breathtaking. the taste of the bugs...uh, I guess that could be described as breathtaking as well.
We rode over 2700 miles in 8 days and rode in temperatures ranging from 32° to 100°. We rode over mountains reaching elevations nearing 12,000 ft. and crossed the continental divide several times. We saw the beginning of the Rio Grande River. As we explored the back roads of Colorado, we saw wildlife such as marmots, elk and a close encounter with a deer who choose an inopportune time to cross a mountain highway. That can get your heart pounding.
Our last night was spent on Historic Route 66 in the Blue Swallow Motel, built in 1939. That was a cool experience I won't forget.
Seeing a part of America on the back of a motorcycle is a thrill we share with our friends. It's hard to beat good rides, good food and good friends.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
AN OMINOUS LOOK
Summer Storm: McKinney Performing Arts Center - McKinney, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Another iPhone photo, I took this today when a Summer storm came through McKinney. Right after I got back to my office, the bottom fell out of those clouds and dumped a bunch of rain on downtown. It is kind of a spooky photo of the Historic Collin County Courthouse, which comes complete with its own ghostly entitites.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Apple Rocks
These photos were all taken and edited on the Apple iPhone on the back of the Harley. At 70 mph, I managed to snap the photo, edit it with web apps and upload them. This was my little experiment while traveling through Colorado during my 9 day vacation. I didn't start out to use the phone so much, but after playing with a few photos I liked the looks and thought it made and interesting collection.
Exiting the Storm - Clarendon, Texas (iPhone 3G)
Tee Pee Curios, Route 66 - Tucumcari, NM (iPhone 3G)
Somewhere in Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Aspens in Spring - Pagosa Springs, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Courthouse - Telluride, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - Silverton, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
On the Road to Mesa Verde - Mancos, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Roadside Tepees - Mancos, Colorado (iPhone 3G)
Chimney Rock Colorado (iPhone 3G)
LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
Camping Scooter
I guess I go a little crazy over our dogs. Scooter is probably the most photographed of all the beagles we have had. I just can't resist using her as a test subject. I was just playing with the natural light coming through the camper window and testing out the settings on my camera, of which there are tons.
She just slept through the whole thing, so peaceful. Scooter has a few alter egos. At Home Scooter, as we call her, gets into mischief a lot. Boredom I guess. But come time to go camping, she turns into Camping Scooter, one of the most perfect dog you'd ever meet. It is funny to see how she transforms herself into such a well behaved pup.
So I know it is in her. It just goes to prove she is just ignoring my so called authority at home. I guess we know who really is in control.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Nature's way
Lake Ray Roberts - Valley View, Texas
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
My hometown
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
What Dreams May Come
This one's for you Isaac...no photo only stupid shit.
I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt that I was at a fancy party with old friends. The guest list included friends from school, friends of old friends, family members of friends of old friends. People I hadn't thought of in years. We proceeded into a debate about photography and wedding photography. It was very strange.
I never cared to do weddings, as I mentioned earlier. But I did do one a couple of years ago because my friends' photographer had a death in the family 2 days before their wedding. They called me and I explained how I didn't do weddings, but as long as they were prepared to get what I could give them and not expect traditional wedding portraits, I would do it. They had faith in me that I didn't have in myself. At the end of the experience, I was very proud of the photos I took.
I guess the previous post (and the inordinate amount of time I have been spending on Facebook lately) was working on my subconscious.
So, back to my dream...someone asked why I would actually want to do more weddings. Then the debate began about whether you take photos of what you want or what the wedding couple wants. This is the one strange question I remember...."What if a guy was in a dress, what you would do??"
I debated the scenario with such flair, I would have made Clarence Darrow proud. I went to the mat with my beliefs. How I wouldn't exclude anyone from a photo. And the cross dresser would probably be the most interesting photo in the bunch. It would be the one to make the story complete. This must be my photojounalistic style coming out. I argued all sides. I deflected all arguments coming from the party-goers like Wonder Woman deflected bullets with her bracelets.
I woke up with a huge smile on face, feeling all proud of my new-found skill as a debater and the flair with which I presented my "intellectual arguments". Until I realized, I had just been arguing with myself for the past hour.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
LITTLE LADY
Little Lady of the Bluebonnets-Denison, Texas
Last week my sisters, my niece and I went were hanging out and found ourselves at the Denison Dam on Lake Texoma to see the bluebonnets. A few years ago, the rains had been plentiful and the wildflowers were everywhere up there. The dam is the most concentration of wildflowers I have seen this year.
I have never been one to plop down in the middle of wildflowers and have someone take my photo. But we three old ladies did it. As we were getting up (or shall I say TRYING to get up) there next to where I was seated, was a little lady bug. She had been there the whole time, crawling around, minding her own business.
I just took a quick snap shot of her. Afterall, she had been patient having three old ladies come to visit her flower garden. She deserved to have her photo taken too.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A RIDE TO REMEMBER
Somewhere in Wyoming
Obviously, I didn't take this photo. Our good friend Teresa did. She and her husband Dan are our road captains. I don't get to be in a lot of photos, hazards of the job I guess.
By the way, Dan and Teresa are responsible for Lipsmack Studio. So I have them to thank for the name and the encouragement. I took their wedding photos. I have never been big on taking photos of people, and especially weddings. Too big of a responsibility. But due to an emergency, I ended up taking their photos. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Yes, I stressed. Yes, I was a perfectionist. Yes, I took 600 photos. But they gave me a push I was needing to start this blog and start sharing my photos with the public.
This photo was taken this past summer on our big ride to Yellowstone. I don't ride much without a helmet, so don't freak. I learned my lesson. A friend fell over on her bike sitting still in a parking lot and knocked herself unconscious. So after that, I don't ride without it.
I like this photo. It portrays many of the things I love--my husband, riding, photography and friends. Good friends and good rides make for fantastic memories.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
A Bridge to adventure
War Eagle - Near Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Last fall we went to Northern Arkansas. We stayed a day or two in Eureka Springs and rode the Pig Trail back home. After a day of exploring downtown, we just rode out to have a nice leisurely ride before turning in for the evening. We rode out near Beaver Lake and by chance took a road that led to this. What a beautiful place. War Eagle is just a little place in the middle of no where, just a couple of old buildings. There were no people there but us and another car.
The old wooden bridge was fun to ride across, but kind of precarious since you didn't have much room to put your feet down should you need to stop. You had to keep the bike on the middle of the three boards, kind of like a tightrope act. Fate has is that the SUV in front of us was piled up with kids and they were driving very slowly across the bridge, to everyone a chance to look out over rickety old bridge. As they approached the end, they came to almost a dead stop.
We kept yelling, "Go! Go!" We were balancing on those three boards and trying to keep the 800 lb. bike (with two passengers) upright and still going in the forward position. I don't think the car in front ever thought about how stopping on the bridge was going to effect the motorcycles behind him. Luckily, Chris is an expert rider!
Some of the best rides are the places you discover by chance. The places no one told you about. The ones where you just decided for no reason at all to turn left instead of right. Seems there is always something waiting to be discovered when you are on a bike. Maybe it is the same in life.
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
The long and winding road
Beartooth Highway - Wyoming
This pass through the Beartooth Mountains was a fun ride. Up the long, twisty highway. A few years ago, my husband I took the road in our motorhome pulling a motorcycle trailer. Riders were passing us left and right, then you'd see them stopping in the scenic turnouts. Later, they would pass us again. It was a little humilating. The drive seemed to take all day to get from Yellowstone to Coty.
But this past summer, we and four other couples got to switch the roles. We got to wind our way up one of America's most scenic highways. From the top, we stopped and I took this photo of where he had just been. It was awe-inspiring to see that road weave around the mountains.
For some reason, the ride was much shorter on the bike. We were in Coty by lunch time. Which is good, this summer we weren't the old farts in the motorhome!
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
It's what i do
I am not sure which comes first, the chicken or the egg. As a graphic designer, I love photography. As a photographer, I love graphic design.
Tucker Hill - McKinney, Texas
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
Wind beneath my wings
This is one of my photos that surprises me at how much attention it gets. At my exhibit, people kept asking my husband if I were in another plane taking the photo or just how did I take it. I just told him to tell them I was parachuting and as I passed the wing, I just kept shooting on the way past. Thank goodness for rapid fire!
©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved.
All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.
