To Lubbock and back!

Back in the early 70's I spent a couple of years at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.   Last weekend I participated in the Lubbock Arts Festival.  This was my third time back since being in college. 

 

Majestic Theater in Eastland, Texas

While driving to Lubbock I took a detour through Eastland, Texas to photograph the Majestic Theater. I wish it had a few more lights on but fortunately there was enough ambient light to get an interesting shot anyway.  During the festival I was asked if I had a shot of the Cactus Theater. I didn't at the time, but I do now.  After packing up on Sunday I drove through Whataburger, stopped to get gas, and then headed for the freeway to get out of town. I didn't get far. Only half of my burger had been eaten when I noticed the Cactus Theater and several other neon lighted businesses that were calling my camera. I found a place to park along Buddy Holly Drive where the Theater is located. It was approaching that magic time of day where the lights are on but images would still show a deep blue in the sky instead of black. I spent the next forty five minutes creating the next three images.

Cactus Theater

Chophouse 

Alley

After leaving Lubbock, my goal was to drive to Sweetwater and get a room for the night. I really hadn't planned on shooting anything else but then I spotted the Tower Theater in Post, Texas. Much like the Majestic, the lights were not on but there was enough ambient light for a decent image. While looking at the  high resolution version of this I could see that most of the lights are not even there any more. I guess that explains why they were not on!

Tower Theater in Post, Texas

Texas Wildflowers!

I recently spent a couple of days exploring the Texas Hill Country and photographing the wildflowers. A rainy winter and spring has created one of the most colorful displays that we have had in years. Several of my favorite locations were as good as I have seen them.

The area around Burnet, Llano, and Marble Falls had an abundance of bluebonnet and paintbrush. I particularly liked hiking and photographing the trails in Inks Lake State Park. There is always a good mix of roads, trails, cactus, and rocks to compliment the flowers in my photographs. It is also a much more enjoyable experience than pulling off the side of the highway and photographing the flowers. I can't wait until next year.