Tim Stanley Photography

An Orange Flower

Tim Stanley — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:35 +0000

Several days ago I posted a blue flower from the Houston Zoo. Continuing on this mystery-flower-theme is entry number two. There were many of these orange flowers blooming, so I’m guessing it must be a spring or early summer blooming flower. (I figured that out all on my own).

Most times, I just walk around and enjoy the color and varieties, not caring much about their names. At least, not until I have to sit down and write something about them. Help a guy out and leave a comment if you know the name or anything else about this pretty flower.

Up, Up and Away

Tim Stanley — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:00:18 +0000

Most people never have a chance to ride in a large balloon, but if you ever visit Downtown Disney, they have large balloon that can take you up to 400 feet for a great view of the area.

The Characters in Flight ride takes about ten minutes, but will offer thrills that will last far beyond that day. This iPhone image was taken just as it was returning to its berth on a dock adjacent to the complex.

Bath Time

Tim Stanley — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:50 +0000

Looking your best is important, especially if you have company visiting you all day. Take these two leopards at the Houston Zoo for instance. People come and go all day long and they want to put on a good show.

For most of my zoo trips this year, these guys have been hiding somewhere and I was starting to believe they didn’t exist. But last week they were out, front and center; at least for a little while. It was fun watching one groom the other until he went back up on the rocks, out of sight.

A Blue Flower

Tim Stanley — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:11 +0000

A botanist I’m not. I can tell a flower from a tree, but don’t ask me what type of flower it is. I can recognize the majors; roses, daisies, sunflowers, tulips and such. But if it’s something unusual, I’m speechless.

Walking through the Houston Zoo, there were several flowers that screamed, “Hey, over here! Forget the mean looking lion and come check me out.” It’s hard to ignore such a pretty flower like this, so I accepted its invitation to admire its beauty and take a quick shot. Feel free to comment if anyone knows what kind it is.

I Wondered What Happened Next?

Tim Stanley — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:00:13 +0000

Sometimes you see a photo and you wonder what happens next. This scene recently played out in front of us at the Houston Zoo.

Here you have a common tree squirrel. He has found his nut and is reveling in the moment, when he looks up and spots a cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal. Both stood there for a few moments, not sure what to do next, but to those of us that were watching, it seemed like hours. Then one of them jumps…

One scenario is that the little guy makes it to the tree and snickers at the big cat. The other scenario is that the survival of the fittest- circle of life thing takes place. You get the idea. Either way, I’m not saying. I’ll let you finish the end of this little story.

A Lion’s Tail

Tim Stanley — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:56 +0000

You can’t beat a museum for variety, whether it’s art, science or something more specific like a car or aviation museum. The National Naval Aviation Museum at the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Pensacola, Florida is no exception. Dating back from the beginnings of flight, to some of the most modern aircraft, they have it all.

The modern Grumman F-14D Tomcat against the nostalgic Que Sera Sera, are just some of the variety you will find in their collection.

Iris By The Lake

Tim Stanley — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:00:26 +0000

As part of my on-going attempt of looking at the closer details, I found this iris by the lake at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. My first several shots were the old habit. Set up the tripod and grab the sunrise, the big picture first. After I get that out of my system, I reminded myself that I need to find something smaller to isolate on, or at least include it in the scene. While it’s not an extreme close-up, I think it does add to the appeal.

The Mandir Fountains

Tim Stanley — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:00:56 +0000

Sometimes when I go out on a shoot, I come back with a lot of images I like, but I try to narrow it down to one or two good ones to post here on the blog. Later, when I revisit the images, I’ll see a few more that I like too. So later, I’ll repost the same subject again, but hopefully with a different twist.

That is the case with this image of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. This was actually taken on my second visit about a year ago. You can find some other shots and more information of this Hindu Mandir here.

The Sorcerer’s Hat

Tim Stanley — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:00:18 +0000

It’s hard not to play tourist when you are in the midst of thousands of other tourists. If you go to a theme park like Disney, it’s hard not to take the same photos that thousands of other people have taken. I would have liked to had time to walk around and compose the creative and unusual images that no one else might have taken. But hey, it’s Disney. The rides are calling your name and there are so many things to see and do, in such little time. We were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for only one afternoon, so time was extremely limited. And I didn’t want to be slowed down with a large camera and lens, so the camera of the day was the iPhone.

The Sorcerer’s Hat, the Studios’ main icon is a giant showpiece based on the hat worn by Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer’s apprentice in “Fantasia. This was taken with my iPhone as we were closing the park down, so most people were gone. The iPhone doesn’t do a great job in low light, but a little noise reduction processing and it doesn’t look too bad.

A Fabergé Locket

Tim Stanley — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:00:21 +0000

It’s hard taking a photograph of a small object. Your focus has to be just right, the camera can’t move and lighting is always a concern. Put it behind a glass case and job just became harder. But that is nothing compared with actually creating a subject as small as this piece of history.

Part of the McFerrin Fabergé Collection, this locket is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s ”Fabergé A Brilliant Vision” Exhibit at Houston’s Museum of Natural Science.