Maybe one more resolution…

Happy New Year

Near miss

One of the things I like about living in Austin.  Lying in the grass on December 30th in shorts and a t-shirt with my five year-old, looking up into space and telling him all the things I wish I knew.  Contrails are usually the weeds of the sky when it comes to landscape photography, but not today.  As the two jets appeared, my boy said, “Look, Dad!  They’re going to crash into each other!”  I didn’t have my camera with me, so all I can show is the result of the non-collision.

More defense of the short par-4

Allow me to define “reachable” when referring to par-4s.  According to the PGA Tour’s stats, only 55 yards spearates the longest driver (Bubba Watson, 315 yds.) from the guy sitting at 197th (Corey Pavin, 261) in driving distance.   That means most tour players hit it about 290.  Tour players.  Not you.  Some of you hit it longer, but unless you’re eight or eighty years old or have some physical setback that keeps you from making an efficient golf swing, you can hit it 290 if you really go after it.  Hitting the ball past Corey Pavin is not magic or strength or the ball or the driver or the shaft.  So, all you golf course architects:  Please, please build more holes for me.  300 from the back tee, maybe 210 from the ladies’ tee.  Then go to work on the green complex.  Options, options.  Make one bunker deep, another shallow enough to putt from.  False fronts, false rears, whatever.  Make me think about playing golf.

Here’s a list of some short par 4’s I like around the Austin area (golf course architect):

#10 at Lions Muny (Not sure…John Bredemus?)

#4 at Austin Country Club (Pete Dye)

#3 at Onion Creek Club (Jimmy Demaret)

#12 at Barton Creek Foothills (Tom Fazio)

#13 at UT Golf Club (Roy Bechtol/Randy Russell)

#15 at Grey Rock Golf Club (Jay Morrish)

#14 at Barton Creek Cliffside (Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore)

#16 at Roy Kizer GC (Randy Russell)

Maybe you have some favorites?

Mark Knowles

Here’s a shot of him taking a rest on one of the practice courts at the 2008 US Open. He had an injury and lost his third round match the following day.  But I doubt it was a big deal to him. Let me tell you a little bit about this guy.  For those who don’t follow tennis, Mark is one of the greatest doubles players in history.  A few months ago, he won his 50th career title at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors with his partner Mahesh Bhupati.  I spent some time with Mark in New York, and while he’s a top-tier athlete, he’s also very kind, generous, grounded and a devoted husband and father to their two boys. His wife and mine have been friends for 25 years.

He’s also a damn good golfer, but I plan to take him out and give him a good ol’ fashioned whoopin’ this spring at the course of his choice.  All the best on the court in 2009, MK.

Do photos help sell a house?

I’d like to think so, but I’m not so sure. I shot this one and some others over 16 months ago, and the sale closes today.  Maybe it wasn’t my pictures.  Doubtful they helped or hurt, but I wonder how much of the real estate business depends on photography.  It’s sort of a complex issue, because as a seller, I’m trying to show the goods without showing the bads.  I think the law requires me to disclose the bads, but nothing says I have to show them in photography.  And as a buyer, I’d prefer to see more journalistic photos.  Let me be the one to decide how cool it is.  Beyond all that, how much is the selling agent willing to spend on photography?  And with the digital landscape evolving so rapidly, and taking great pictures with no experience being easier than ever, will there ever be a market for outsourced real estate photography?

Name that hole

Resolution

I don’t make resolutions, especially since President Bush & Co. have worn out the whole “resolve,” “resolute” business.  But next year, I’m determined (better, isn’t it?) to post more random, personal pictures and explain how I got them to look that way.  I plan to do this with the sole intention of helping you create better photos for yourself.  This one here is of my daughter Peas.  The original is too average to show, so you only get the final result of tweaks and adjustments in Lightroom, iPhoto and PhotoShop.  Yep, all three.

Flat Stanley

Went and saw Flat Stanley last night at Drungo’s.  At least that’s their name when they’re doing covers.  I think I like The Doghouse Project better, which is the same group of guys playing all original stuff (just me…I like original music).  Patrick Spruiell there, the front man, is a talented guy.  Expect to see more of him in music or in film.  He’s played the lead in two feature films already, Dust being the latest.  In fact, they’re all talented musicians and filmmakers.  More on these guys here.  And more photos from the show at Drungo’s here.

Grey Rock Golf Club

I played Grey Rock this morning with a friend from Laredo, and I’ve got to say, it just keeps getting better.  The greens were as good as they’ve ever been in the 16 years I’ve been playing there, and the service today was incredible.  Especially good for people having to work on Christmas Eve.  Great job out there, everyone.  I look forward to playing more in 2009.  At Grey Rock, for sure, but also to getting in a round or two at Laredo CC in the spring.

Perspective

Last year while I was shooting around Cordillera Ranch, I felt like I couldn’t get the perfect shot of the 16th hole.  I still haven’t.  It’s an amazing par-3.  Tough, beautiful, and unlike any other hole out there.  I’ve only shot a few frames with something else in the picture, and this is one of them.  Looking back, I think if I’m asked to shoot it again, I’m going to take a model.  The golf cart and the guy about to hit his bunker shot really show how big this hole is.  Without them, it’d be tough to tell how deep that canyon really is.

Ambushed

Surely that’s what Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell (together or apart) felt when Lajitas announced that Lanny Wadkins would assume responsibility for redesigning the golf course out there after the massive flood.  I shot this one back in 2001.  Couple of questions:  Why wouldn’t they bring Bechtol and/or Russell back for the fix?  Both of them know every square inch of that place.  They know the drainage issues, environmental challenges, agronomic nuances and everything else better than anyone.  And with all due respect to Lanny, his playing career and his golf course design philosophy, if they were looking for a “name” to attach to the design, why not go get one that commands a bigger bang for the buck in terms of dirt selling?  I don’t expect an answer.  Just curious.

Fosforus Video

Did some video down at Fosforus yesterday.  Here’s one of the stills from the shoot.  That’s Jamie Hodge there, partner at Trade Ideas.  Special thanks to him, and to Chris Maher for the use of his studio.  Stay tuned for the clip…

Sometimes it’s easy

I read a lot about photography. Mostly on the web, comments from other shooters, business-type stuff.  And I come across a lot of “we photographers have the hardest, most rewarding job in the world.”  Please.  Making pictures, even at the most extreme level, isn’t even in top half of the toughest or most rewarding.  It may be slightly difficult at times or give the shooter a sense of accomplishment, but real toughness is found elsewhere.  (Joe McNally would’ve surely disagreed with me after muling that balance beam through a muddy cornfield.)

And sometimes it’s one of the easiest jobs in the world.  I’ve been working on some photos for a van wrap for Meals on Wheels and More, and today, my work was done before I ever released the shutter.  That’s Lacey there, a volunteer for MOWAM, who was very kind in giving even more of her time to come down to the studios at Fosforus and stand in for a few shots.  Thanks, Lacey.  You did all the heavy lifting today.

STPGA Golf Professional of the Year

And while we’re on the subject, David Pilsner over at Bay Oaks will take home the award for STPGA Golf Professional of the Year.  Another fine man, and very deserving of the award.  David was a big supporter of mine back in the days of Austin Golf magazine, which was around the time I shot this one of him at the 2005 Joe Black Cup Matches out at Barton Creek.  Congratulations, David.