Great Day!

So my day started off with a walk around downtown Dallas with my wife.  I woke up earlier than I would have for a Saturday I'm not working, so I took a nap when I got home.  That explains why I am posting this blog at 1:59 am.  However, I digress.

So, my wife is into hiking and I am into photography, so we went on an urban hike today.  It was a bright sunny day with no clouds, so that meant I would be walking in and out of shadows all day.  That is pretty tough to keep adjusting the camera settings, but it is a great photographic challenge.

I have lived in Dallas for the past 9 years and I have to admit that I have never taken the time to see all that this city has to offer in terms of statues, buildings, etc.  Here is what I found.

1/500 Sec. Exp., F/5.6, 120mm, ISO 100

1/200 Sec. Exp., F/5.6, 17mm, ISO 100

This is the flag flying at Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was shot.

The Kennedy Memorial in Downtown Dallas.

1.6 Sec. Exp., F/16, 26mm, ISO 100

This is at Fountain Place.  A very nice glass building with fountains all over the place.  This is another place I will visit again in the spring when they have all the fountains turned on and the trees are in bloom.  I propped the camera up on a column so I could slow the shutter down without shaking the camera.  It helps to be creative.

1/125 Sec. Exp., F/5.6, 90mm, ISO 100

1/125 Sec. Exp., F/5.6, 90mm, ISO 100

I liked these two pictures because the building I was photographing had many mirrored glass panels that made anything reflecting in it look like a mosaic.  I thought that was a pretty cool looking effect.

1/250 Sec. Exp., F/3.5, 17mm, ISO 100

 

1/400 Sec. Exp., F/3.5, 17mm, ISO 100

 This is the Fallen Police Officer's Memorial.  It is designed with the fallen officers' badge numbers cut in a "mirror reverse" so that when the sun hits the top, the badge numbers are illuminated on the ground as shown.  Very creative and a very fitting tribute to those who have died protecting our city.

1/250 Sec. Exp, F/5, 55mm, ISO 100

1/250 Sec. Exp, F/4, 17mm, ISO 100

 This is a very large multi-statue tribute to Dallas' cattle driving past.  The path of these bronze cattle follow part of the path of the historic Chisholm trail.

The picture on the left I thought was a nice composition of a shadow and a reflection.  I think it also is a show of Texas' ranching / wild west past with its big city, technological present.

The picture on the right is the trail end of this cattle drive.  I got down low to get this shot.  All in all, I would estimate that there are about 3 dozen cattle and three mounted cowboys in this cattle drive.

So that is all for now.  I'll be going out soon to take my weekly sunrise picture.  Until next time...