Turf Paradise Camels Ostriches and Zebras

Saturday March 26, 2016 saw one of the largest crowds I've ever seen at Turf Paradise... and all for the show between the sixth and seventh races.  Fans brought their children to watch the fun races featuring Camels, Ostriches, and Zebras, including a "zedonk" - a cross between a donkey and zebra.

Given the large crowd, I didn't have much choice as to photographing location.  So I went up to the top of the grandstands.  I used a Canon 5D Mark III and the Tamron 28-300mm lens.  For post editing, I used Lightroom and plugins from MacPhun (SnapHeal to erase annoying objects) and Aurora for the High Dynamic Range (HDR) look.  I also used Topaz Labs "Simplify" for a watercolor painting look.  

In addition to the action on both grass and dirt, I also photographed the fans.  Turf Paradise must have made a mint on doodads like stuffed animals, as these kids demonstrate.  

And many of the young people seemed more interested in their cell phones than the action on the track.  

Until My Next Adventure, 

(Cave Creek Rodeo)

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson     

...and, here are all the keeper photos!

Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park, Arizona

Mid-March and the weather is perfect here in the Phoenix area.  Time to visit a place I’d never seen before, the Wildlife World Zoo on the far west side of the Phoenix area in Litchfield Park.  It boasts the largest collection of exotic animals in Arizona.  They also have an aquarium.

I saw swans, kangaroos, parrots and other exotic birds, ducks,  monkeys, giraffes, a lovely meerkat that loved to pose for me, a leopard, a few ostrich, a tortoise, and a lot more.  

I photographed with a Canon 5D Mark III, a Tamron 28-300mm lens, on aperture priority, most of the time at ISO 100.  I did post editing with Lightroom and plugins from MacPhun, Topaz Labs, and OnOne.  

Until My Next Adventure, 

(Who knows before April 3rd and the Cave Creek Rodeo)

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

Here are all the keeper photos!

Tucson Rodeo February 2016

A beautiful February day in the upper 70s greeted fans out to see the Tucson Rodeo, or La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or Festival of the Cowboys.

Since my college days, I’ve gone to this professional rodeo the most. 

I remember very cold rodeo days, and the last one I photographed in 2011 was downright windy, making lens changes especially difficult.

Before the big girls and boys competed, the young ones came out.  I might have enjoyed the young ones most of all.  The little ones gave it their all in riding sheep.  And, the one rodeo event for the ladies is barrel racing.  Note the little girl with her blonde hair straight out as she rode hard around the barrels. 

Maybe one of my favorite shots of the day was the lady holding the sheep on a leash, with the other sheep waiting nearby.

I shot with a Canon 5D Mark III body using a Tamron 28-300mm lens and a Manfrotto tripod for a bit more stability.  I did use at times a 1.4x Tamron extender.  I left at home, sadly, a lens I should have used:  the Tamron 150-600mm.  I ended up having to crop most of my shots.  I processed them using Lightroom and a few plugins from Macphun:  SnapHeal and Focus along with the plugin called Perfectly Clear.  I took nearly 900 shots and pared it all down to about 67. 

Until My Next Adventure, 

(Cave Creek Rodeo)

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

Here are all the keeper photos!

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Shopping Expo

Saturday 13 February 2016 marked the first time I ever visited the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Shopping Expo at Westworld on the north side of Scottsdale. 

First off, I was stunned at the size of the shopping expo.  Imagine huge rows and rows of storefronts selling saddles, and anything having to do with horses and riding. 

When first walking in, I saw people there from Liberty Wildlife.   Last summer I photographed their rescued eagle Sonora when taking the Verde Canyon Railroad.   This time around they featured a couple of owls.

Then it was time for the afternoon show.  I especially liked the young people on their beautiful horses. 

Until My Next Adventure, 

(The Tucson Rodeo)

See You On Down The Road!

Jim Patterson

Here are all the keeper photos!