Tempe Arts Festival

Jenn wearing a paper hat from the kids craft corner.


Passing through the light.


Cowboy shopper!


Bird in a hand.


Walking past the walking mural.


This Pitt Bull just stood there holding his collar in his mouth.


From Hooters Mill Ave and 5th Street.


The police and fire department bagpipe crew.

This is the most fun I have had in a long time photographing. Just shooting without a care one.

I spent the day in downtown Tempe with my wife and a friend enjoying the art, food, people and perfect weather.

Ironman last week

Back lit dirt during sunset created this saturated yellow scene.


These athletes have already swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles now they have
a 26.2 mile run ahead of them. It is a long grueling day for most of these athletes. Some won't finish until midnight.


A female Pro Imke Schiersh from Frankfurt, Germany passes by.
She finished in 9:53 for 9th place women pro division.


My wife Lorie passes by on her second loop of
the 26.2 mile run cource

Runner runs into shaft of light.


Lorie Armstrong looks good on the third loop of the bike course.


View of competitors on bike course Rio Salado Parkway near Mill Ave.


Cyclist leave the transition area entering the bike course.


Men professional triathletes finish the swim and run to the transition to bike.


Wetsuit strippers peel wetsuits off swimmers as they exit the water.


2,300 athletes begin the day with a deep water standing start.

It's for you

Sister in law on the phone Lake Havasu City.

The road to Havasu

pop


Kofa Cafe


wind mill

Understanding the sublime to the ridiculous

brothers


the hug


Mert and Herman act like they own the coach!


brothers and sisters tour the coach

Trying to understand what I am doing and why I'm doing it isn't crystal clear even in my own mind. While, I enter a new phase of my life, I am trying to develop a vision that reveals life as I see it.

This time my intent is to work intellectually without interruption from outside influences. It is creative independence. A liberation from institutional norms and burdens.

In a sense these are stand alone feature photographs. But, it is also anti-peak action. It is the dance of life in its transitional movements and moments. Perhaps it's quit rather than in you face. It may not be the quick read where a schooled photographer might say "nice".

I'm trying to develop a continued heightened sense for the sublime. I think, I have always been attracted to it, it's just difficult to identify and capture. To see it isn't an unintentional accident. It is a skill set that requires experience. Sometimes it takes maturity to evolve!

Does the image translate to the viewer? Is it a snap shot or an out take that is over looked? Is it misunderstood or is it just a bad photograph? Whether or not it translates in my work is a continuing challenge.

These are some recent pics from Thanksgiving in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

They are actually the motor coach tour and the event surrounding the actual departure of family.

Sublime: adjective: used to denote the extreme or unparalleled nature of a person's attitude or behavior / excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe

Ironman Finisher 2nd place age group

Lorie and our family


Lorie finished 2nd in her age group.


It has been a very exciting weekend for the Armstrong family. My wife Lorie is a Triathlete for those of you that don't know. She just concluded her 4th Ford Ironman Triathlon this weekend in Tempe. She placed 2nd in her age group. The time difference from first to third was about 3 minutes. That is a close race considering it is over 140 mile course. The full Ironman course is a 140.6 mile race. It is a race that is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon 26.2 mile run all back to back to back.

She had a great race! She was ether in first or second place for almost 138 miles when a women from Canada passed her with 2 miles to go. Her finishing time qualified her a spot to compete in the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii next April. WOW! That's my girl.

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while. As you can imagine, I have been thinking about my future. I have been busy reading as much as I can about the freelance commercial photography business. I have to tell you the bar is really high and there are a lot of very talented accomplished photographers in the Valley.

I totally believe, I am capable of achieving great new heights in my life. I just have to be commit and be totally convinced that this is the right road to go down. I am continuing to move forward learning as much as I can with the help of some very good friends. One thing is certain this will not be an easy road by any means.

On another note. It is beginning to be clearer and clearer to me that my old job was and still is the quintessential dead end job.