Saturday 23 October 2021 was the date for the Wicked Bar Crawl in Cave Creek, Arizona.

As a participant, I can tell you it was loads of fun.  A huge turnout and nobody seemed to get out of hand.

Seven bars participated and there was bus service all evening so it was easy to get from bar to bar.  Plus, it prevented many of us who had a few adult beverages along the way from driving.

The evening started at Brugo's in Stagecoach Village.   I figured a good belly full of pasta would be a good way to start the evening.   This is quality Italian/Sicilian food!   I promise the next time I visit it will be for pizza! 

The fun included Mountain View Pub, Local Jonny's, Big Earl's Greasy Eats, The Hideaway, Buffalo Chip and Saloon, Harold's Corral, and The Roadhouse.   

I'm already thinking about next years costume. 

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images from Brugo's and the Wicked Bar Crawl!

 

A Rainforest in the Desert Called Butterfly Wonderland

Butterfly Wonderland is a rainforest in the middle of the Sonoran Desert in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Of course, it is a man made rainforest.   

Given the name, the focus is on butterflies.   But the tropical plants are amazing along with any rainforest surprises.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images from Butterfly Wonderland!

Bermuda COVID/Wuhan Adventure on the Viking Orion

Yes, I did visit Bermuda during the week of 6 July 2021.  But there was more to it than that.

I had to get tested for the virus a few days before leaving.   And get all the vaccinations.  Don't forget to mask up starting in the Phoenix airport.   And, mask during the flight, breathing in my own exhaust.   Did  I mention I was fully vaccinated?   Then, on the Viking Orion, you have to mask up.   That got old quickly.   

My one complaint was I was not fully informed about this until AFTER I paid for the trip.   

The Orion was half or less full by design.   But it seemed fully crewed.   The sights of Bermuda were wonderful.   The people very kind and appreciate as it seemed as though we might have been the first cruise ship in about a year and a half to return.   

Landing back in Phoenix, the first thing to be done?  THROW AWAY THE MASK!

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images from Bermuda... 

Jim with Mr. Jones, town crier of St. George's Bermuda and former mayor!

Arizona Downs Horse Racing in Prescott Arizona

I've photographed horse racing mostly at Turf Paradise in Phoenix.   I've also captured images at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.   But I never photographed at Arizona Downs until Wednesday 21 July 2021.

First things first.   Arizona Downs is beautiful.   Very modern building.   Not the best days for racing.  Their schedule this year only has racing Tuesday and Wednesday.   Imagine the crowds if they were racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Message to Turf Paradise: Look at how beautiful Arizona Downs is.   

I hope to come back and spend more time.   One thing I'd do differently is bring my 24-70mm lens.   I had the Tamron 100-400mm lens and I didn't need that kind of reach.   You are very close to the action at Arizona Downs.   

I capture images on a Canon EOS R6 and on this day used the Tamron 100-400.  Post processing in Lightroom mostly.   I also used PureRAW, Topaz, and Luminar.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my images from Arizona Downs!

Cave Creek Rodeo Finals 30 May 2021

Finally!  After over a year without fans, the Cave Creek Rodeo in Arizona opened to fans.  The stands were FULL and not a mask or muzzle in sight. 

I was in the Stockman's Club and took my perch high up in the last row.   I captured images with a Canon EOS R6 and a Tamron 100-400.   I rarely needed anything beyond 200mm so I could have used the Tamron 70-200mm.

The Servi Brothers of Colorado again supplied the stock.   They were very lively rodeo stock, too.   

The Cave Creek Rodeo featured seven events.  Steer wrestling, bareback riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, the ladies of barrel racing, and the popular bull riding.   

One of the interesting contestants came in the saddle bronc riding event.  Nathan Urie of Ferron, Utah was born with only a right arm!   He didn't make the eight second mark, but stayed on for a good six seconds.

Final standings for the Cave Creek Rodeo are HERE.

Post processing in Lightroom.  Sometimes in Luminar ai.   My new pre-processing takes my raw files into Adobe Camera Raw and then use the new "enhance" feature.   This cleans up any noise and also dramatically increases the size of the image so I can crop with confidence.   Then I take those new enhanced raw dng files into DxO's new PureRaw for final clean up.  

My settings for a night rodeo were shutter speed of 1/800, wide open aperture, auto white balance, and auto ISO.  I was impressed with the auto white balance.  I did not need to change white balance in Lightroom.   

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below for all of my Cave Creek Rodeo images!

AND, my narrated video on YouTube!  

*** Have you tried Luminar ai yet?   It's what I use.  Click HERE to find out more!

*** I have consistently saved money through Greentoe.  For me, I always check prices for camera lenses and equipment.  Shipping is free and often they pay the tax!  Click HERE to get started.

Visit to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium 23 May 2021

Canon and Tempe Camera sponsored a visit to the Wildlife World Zoo in late May in Litchfield Park, Arizona.  So there were many photographers on the premises.   They were loaning lenses but I thought I'd be ok with the Tamron 100-400mm lens on my Canon EOS R6.

Outside, I was on ISO 100 and daylight white balance.  I was also on aperture priority.

Once I got inside the aquarium, I wondered how I was going to do it with the Tamron 100-400mm lens.   I opened up the aperture and set the ISO to auto.  Some of the aquarium images were outrageously high, as high at 50,000 and 102,400!   It would take some post processing to eliminate or control noise.

Back home, I edited mostly with Lightroom.

Sometimes I also use Luminar AI   But I think something new I tried really helped me with the noise issues.   Before editing, I took all the raw files and "enhanced" in Adobe Camera Raw.  Then I took those raw files and put them through the new DxO PureRaw.  If images showed some noise, the last resort was Topaz deNoise.  And, deNoise saved many of my images I captured from the aquarium.

What I should have done was bring a second lens, perhaps the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 or the Canon 100mm macro lens.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images I captured from  the zoo….

*** Have you tried Luminar ai yet?   It's what I use.  Click HERE to find out more!

*** I have consistently saved money through Greentoe.  For me, I always check prices for camera lenses and equipment.  Shipping is free and often they pay the tax!  Click HERE to get started.

Images from the Front Yard

I spent a few early mornings in my front yard capturing images of bees, flowers, and (finally!) hummingbirds with my Canon EOS R6 and Canon 24-240 and Tamron 100-400mm lenses.

See the bee on the left?  He has a green tint and that came from the very green Brazilian Pepper Tree to his right.

Only one morning was I lucky enough to get images of hummingbirds.   Then in post processing, I had to go in and clean up the images in Photoshop.   I also used Lightroom and Luminar ai.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images I captured from my front yard in north Phoenix…

Friday Night at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek

Friday night and Cave Creek, especially the Buffalo Chip, is OPEN!   

It's time to enjoy some bull riding with hundreds of my closest unmasked friends.

Sadly, the "Chip" sold out of VIP tickets, but I hear that is common.   So a bunch of us sat in the bleachers.   Still saw some find action.   

The photo on the right:  a little cowboy pulling up his britches like the big cowboys.  

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the bull riding at the Buffalo Chip in Cave Creek, Arizona…

Arizona Gunfighters Visit Cave Creek Arizona

The Arizona Gunfighters came back to Cave Creek with their real show (not a rehearsal like a few weeks earlier).

They re-enacted famous gunfights from Dodge City and of course Tombstone and the OK Corral.

I captured all images with the Canon EOS R6 and the Tamron 70-200mm lens.   If I had to do it over again, I would have used the Tamron 24-70 since I was able to get closer than I thought. 

Post processing in Lightroom and Photoshop and a few also with Luminar ai.   

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the Arizona Gunfighters in Cave Creek, Arizona…

CAF Visits Deer Valley Airport 18 April 2021

The Commemorative Air Force brought a few warbirds with them in their visit to Deer Valley Airport in north Phoenix this past weekend.

The CAF is a non profit group that restores and flies vintage aircraft from the World War II era.

They brought along a few bombers and a training plane and I had a chance to capture some images.

Until My Next Adventure,

See you on down the road,

Jim Patterson

Click the photo below to see all the images from the CAF's visit to Deer Valley Airport.....