Texas Wildfires

Here is a selection of images I made of the wildfires near Possum Kingdom Lake.



A massive wall of fire threatens a home in the Sportsman's World neighborhood.



Volunteer firefighters work to save a home from burning



An fire retardant air drop was coordinated



Texas State Troopers open a gate to allow cattle to escape the wildfire.


© 2011 Getty Images

2010 NFL Draft

I spent Thursday evening with Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant during the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Bryant was surrounded by friends and family while waiting to see how the draft would unfold.





As the draft started, Bryant began to pace around the house waiting for his phone to ring. The anticipation was killing him!







Finally the call came in. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones phoned Bryant and told him that the Cowboys had selected him. Bryant was overcome with emotion!

Opening Day

Here is a selection of photos from Opening Day at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX.

Baseball Fans





In the middle of the 8th inning a rogue fan decided to run onto the field. He first bolted down the baseline and slid into second base. Security guards then swarmed the field and took him down.



The Rangers were down by one run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Saltalamacchia celebrates a game winning walkoff RBI.






Cruz ended up taking a cream pie in the face during the post game celebrations!



A complete edit of photos from the game can be found HERE

Cheers,

tp

Metal Art

I wanted to try something new...I usually make large scale metal art, but I decided to try making something a little smaller. A simple belt buckle design would be about the right size.

I start out with a simple mild steel plate and measure out the design. Then cut out the oval and cleaned up the rough edges.



Then I twist up several sizes of filler rod to use on the buckle.



The twisted filler rod is formed and fit around the plate. Once everything is fitted up, the welding begins.



After burning in the filler rod and horseshoe design, I grind out any imperfections. Then the buckle is polished with a buffing wheel. Once the buckle shines, I stamp my initials into the backside of the buckle.



Kenda now has a Lucky Horshoe belt buckle!

John D. Hale Band

Our friend John D. Hale and his band made a mad dash from MO to Fort Worth overnight to play a show Sunday afternoon.

These guys are good! Check out their music: John D. Hale Band

Here are a few photos from the River Ranch in Fort Worth, TX.

The Beach

In late 2008 Hurricane Ike ravaged the TX coast. The storm erased entire communities off of the map...lives disrupted.

Much of the debris from this powerful storm was washed out to sea, only to wash ashore hundreds of miles away.

After the storm, Padre Island National Seashore was littered with every type of debris imaginable.

Golf Ball

Golf Cart

Television

Toilet Seat

Semi-Trailer Axle

christmas days gone by

The holiday season is the time of year where families gather together and celebrate. Today I had the pleasure of cooking lunch for 12 family members. Everyone enjoyed the good food and laughs.

It was a real treat to be able to spend the day in the kitchen and over the grill while hosting my family. I haven't always been around during the holidays.

Dec. 25, 2001

I was working in southern Afghanistan. I was making some photographs at the Mirwise Hospital in Kandahar when a seriously injured Afghan youth was rushed into the meager ER. The doctors tried to save him, but they had nothing more than a saline IV and bandages to work with.


The young man died not long after arriving at the hospital. It was a very heavy scene.

I ended up leaving the hospital with the family as an invited guest as they prepared to bury their son. We returned to their small village outside Kandahar City where men began digging a grave.


The young man's body was prepared for burial before sundown.

The sun was setting and soon the light was gone. Several trucks were positioned to light the funeral ceremony. It was a surreal scene.


As the dust settled and the family returned to their homes, I left the scene and returned to the Noor Jahan Hotel and edited the images. It was tough to call my family later that evening and wish all of them a Merry Christmas.

I was a world away that year...

It was good to be home this year...