Fox's Photos

Memory Lane

2010-10-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the St. Charles Historic District in St. Charles, MO (the first capital of Missouri). This is one of the first things you see when you get out of your car in the parking lot. This beautiful pavilion sits atop the men's (left) and women's (right) bathrooms... just in case you needed to know. St. Charles is on of my favorite places to visit. The whole street is completely period. Cobble stone walkways and streets, horse and buggies, cute little row houses (most of which are now even cuter shops) and some really cool people. If you walk from one end of the street (Main St.) to the other you are almost completely overwhelmed by the different smells. Spices from the spice shops (Main Street Market is perhaps my favorite), food from one of the many restaurants, incense, horses, people, and the nearby river. I love this place. It never changes much (which I guess is sort of the point of a historic district), but it's still fun to come back to again and again. I guess it could be all the free samples from from MSM, but we're going to say that it has more to do with the beautiful surrounds and old world charms.

Beautiful Fall Colors Appearing Throughout Pier Marquette Park in Grafton, IL

2010-10-22T08:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I took a drive with my parents down the Great River Road in Alton and Grafton, Illinois. The leaves in many places were just starting to change colors, so there weren't many things to take pictures of. This was one of the good ones I was able to get. Unfortunately we were driving away in the car, so I snapped this out the window at 35 mph. I think it still turned out really well, and I hope you like it!

The River Road

2010-10-18T06:14:00.000-05:00

A trip down the Great River Road in Alton and Grafton, Illinois can be a lot of fun. The bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River are covered in trees and other types of foliage and in the fall you have an opportunity to see some of the most amazing colors imaginable. Unfortunately we didn't see much of a color change in the leaves yesterday. There were a few spots where you could definitely see a flash of red, orange, or yellow, but for the most part it was either green or brown. The river itself was also very low and there weren't many boats out. The picture you see was taken as we were driving down the road at about 60 miles per hour. I cropped out the windshield wipers as I took the picture through the front class, and did a few touchups to the color and the lighting. I love taking pictures of the bluffs. They are so huge and so powerful and every time you photograph them they look different. Who knows, maybe we'll go again a little later in the fall and I'll be able to show you some real Alton color change.

My Camera

2010-10-17T08:23:00.001-05:00

So I have gotten a lot of questions about what type of camera I use. The answer? A Canon Rebel T1i. I typically use the standard 18-55 mm lens, but I recently bought a 75-300 mm that I am becoming quite fond of. Of course you don't necessarily need to spend $700 to get a good camera. You just need patience. One of the best pictures I've ever taken was with my old point-and-shoot camera. If I can get good pictures with that anyone can. Just be sure to spend some time setting up the shot. You may have to mess around with the settings to get the camera to focus the way that you want, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. Want my advice? Don't be afraid to get dirty and look stupid. It happens... but you almost always get a better shot if you put yourself out there in the middle of things and go for it.

So if you are interested in getting into photography, don't let your budget get in the way. Cameras are getting cheaper and cheaper and you should be able to buy a really nice point-and-shoot for next to nothing. That's how I got started and it seems to have worked out fairly well for me (if I had to recommend a brand for PaS cameras it would be Kodak).

So grab your camera... regardless of what kind it is... and go outside to get some pictures. You never know when you'll get that one accidentally amazing shot to snowball your interest in photography into a blossoming career.

Orchid

2010-10-16T21:54:00.006-05:00

I became interested in photography at a pretty young age. I would have to say I was about 13 years old. Well back in the day before I spent a butt load of money on my fancy DSLR I used a regular point-and-shoot Kodak. This is actually my favorite shot. Of everything I've ever taken, whether it be with my old camera or my new, this is the best example of my photography. The colors and the lighting turned out completely perfect. I love the way the orchid slowly fades off into the background. I really don't think don't think I would be able to find anything about this picture that I don't like. It just goes to show that you don't need an expensive camera to get a good picture. Just a lot of luck and some very uncomfortable sitting positions.

An Important Message From Ellen DeGeneres

2010-10-01T16:20:00.002-05:00

Ellen DeGeneres speaks out about the recent string of suicides among gay youth. Her message to you? "It gets better."

Why so serious?

2010-09-30T05:15:00.000-05:00

My goodliest friend Sandy

2010-09-23T21:40:00.003-05:00

I never really used to be comfortable taking pictures of people. Recently though I've begun seeking out opportunities to do it. I guess it's all part of growing up as a photographer. Pictured here is one of my good friends Sandy. We went apple picking on her birthday this year and as usual I went with my trusty camera slung around my neck.

Taking this picture was a little difficult. There were three other people in our group, and they kept speeding up and slowing down and trying to get a picture of sandy alone was almost impossible. I did manage it in the end, and I think the results are pretty good. The trees seem to go on forever even though we are realistically only about 50 yards from the road, and I think my editing brought out the colors in the red apples on the ground really well. Of course nothing compares to the smile on my friend's face as she enjoys her special day with friends!

Punkin season

2010-09-21T06:42:00.000-05:00

The Power of Music

2010-09-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

Glee: The Best of Sue Sylvester

2010-09-06T10:10:00.001-05:00

Through my Eyes

2010-09-06T08:48:00.001-05:00

Simple things

2010-09-05T11:06:00.001-05:00

Simply reflective

2010-09-05T11:04:00.000-05:00

Where does it lead?

2010-09-05T11:01:00.003-05:00

Love Literacy

2010-09-05T10:58:00.001-05:00

Pages from C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

One of my favorite books when I was a little kid. I think I probably read it about four times. C.S. Lewis was just one of those authors that knew how to make a good story. It doesn't have to be realistic... it doesn't have to be funny... it just has to read well. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is definitely an example of this. Not only this book, but the other six in this series. I would recommend them to anyone regardless of their age.

On the photographic side, I was trying to take a picture that would capture my love of reading. But that isn't an easy thing to do. I mean... I could take a picture of my bookshelf, but who really wants to see that? So I opted for a nice, sturdy hardcover book and large, clear print to convey my message. Reading should be fun. Reading should make you happy or at least incite some emotional response. I worked really hard with this picture to get the light to fall just right in the middle of the page. It is meant to be a reminded that books have a way of illumination problems and solutions in the world around us.

So next time you find yourself with nothing else to do, pick up a book. If you pick the right book you might just find that you actually do love literacy.

Couldn't We All Use a Little?

2010-09-05T10:54:00.001-05:00

Showing Love Through Vandalism

2010-09-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

Dream Orchid

2010-09-05T10:49:00.001-05:00