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It’s always fun and challenging to shoot the Tour of Lawrence. I decided to shoot the downtown circuit on Sunday afternoon – but was met with rain, humidity and sparse crowds. But I did manage to tweak out several good shots. It was especially fun to see Catherine Walberg race (wife of co-worker Keith Walberg). Since I had grey skies and mucky weather – I took the old-school-look processing on the pics. Good stuff.

I’ve been surprised by some things in Kansas before, but nothing like visiting Monument Rocks and Castle Rock in western Kansas. It’s kind of amazing that I had not been to either place before, but I’ll go back many more times in the future. Monument Rocks is south of Oakley on US Hwy 83, and Castle Rock is 15 miles south of Quinter. These limestone formations were originally formed 80 million years ago. And since the formations are made of soft limestone – they are continually and quickly changing. Another good reason to go back often. My ideal shooting day at either site would be a beautiful, puffy-cloud day that is followed by an awesome thunderhead, lighting storm and then hard rain. The storm would move on quickly and open to an amazing sunset. Perfect. Here are several photos from that trip. The ‘panos’ were shot with my iPhone and a very cool app called “Pano.”

Fresh ideas are not always the best ideas. ~ Fortune Cookie

With inspiration from a cookie, I have combined two un-fresh ideas – a quote + a photo – and made a QUOTO.

I’m a sucker for ironic and funny quotes, and I have stacks of favorite photos that live lonely lives in a file folder. Now they get to live together in a QUOTO. I hope to sprinkle in quotes from family, friends and even some clients. I don’t think I write or say many quotable things – but I think I’m pretty darned good at recognizing quotable phrases. People say really clever and funny and stupid things without even knowing it.

My first-ever QUOTO entry combines my bug-splat-road-trip photo and a favorite quote from favorite writer, Douglas Adams.

I made my first trip to a Symphony in the Flint Hills this past Saturday. We were shooting photos and video for a Kansas Scenic Byways project. What a perfect day of mild weather, tasty food and beer, and  many good friends. At events like these I always wander off and shoot people and scenes away from the center of attention. It just seems more interesting. I met a man who put his lawn chair at the very back of the seating area. He was faced away from the Symphony and was looking out over the rolling Flint Hills. He told me it was the same place he sat every year. The place he called “the best damn seat in the Flint Hills.”