Some of my favorite non-people shots from my trip… Apparently this should be titled ‘Shots of Trees in Texas’

Probably my favorite shot I’ve taken in a long time. No processing at all, which is huge for me. Something about simple majesty.

A sunset from the point at Glen Eden on Lake Texoma.

I like the contrast in colors… gotta love Red Mud!

A slightly more processed HDR version of the distant tree. The sky was beautiful this day.

I love these trees… Me and my sister Kelsey came here twice to shoot the field and the trees. This one is HDR, with a persepective of the trees.

Every July 4th for the last couple of years I’ve made my way back home (well, Lake Texoma, which is kinda home now, to celebrate the holiday with my family. This year was one of my favorite’s so far. I got to see Mom & Dad, my brother Brady, his wife Camey, and their two children Hailey and Hunter (commonly known as the H’s), my sister Kelsey and her boyfriend Zivi, as well as Kelsey’s friends, Hayley and Adam, long-time family friend Gary, my Uncle Mike, Aunt Donna, their children (my cousins) Sarah and Matt, and all the various lake peeps. We spent a lot of time eating food (as always), wakeboarding, sailing (I ‘learned’ how to sail!), shooting off fireworks, and doing some general hanging out (which may have been the best part). Here’s a few pics…

Some fireworks… I was shooting them off, so I didn’t get to take many pics.

Brady (Dew-in-hand) taking some extreme close-ups of hummingbirds. Kelsey & Zivi came to see the action.

Brady and children ‘posing’ for the camera.

Kelsey and Hailey at Glen Eden

From left to right… Hailey making her decision on Fireworks, Matt & Sarah, and Zivi, Hailey & Kelsey.

This is pretty much how Kelsey looks all the time.

I like this because of the stars in the background.

We’re Tuckers… we eat… lots.

Zivi staring off into the sunset… wonder what he’s thinking about?

Originally uploaded by michaeltucker.

I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might
forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all your breath trying
to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even
fought. The field reveals to a man his own folly and despair, and victory
is an illusion of philosophers and fools.

~William Faulkner
The Sound and the Fury

Went to the Kern River (about an hour North of Bakersfield). We camped for a few days, and Hit some class 2,3 & 4 Rapids down the Kern River in peak season. Unfortunately, no shots from the rafting.

A time-lapse shot of our campfire

A couple of shots from around my birthday.

Driving back from Bishop, we cruised through Mt. Whitney Portal. Shot from Movie Rd., Mt Whitney is in the background. It is the tallest mountain in the contiguous USA. I think it’s 14,484 ft.

Bouldering in Bishop is a life changing experience. I’ve climbed a lot of places, but nothing yet has put things in perspective like being in Bishop. The diversity of the Happies/Sads & of the Buttermilks is amazing. From Volcanic Tuft to Gigantic Boulders strewn around the mountains is crazy… less than ten miles apart from each other.

One of the prettiest and definitely the best bouldering area I’ve ever been to, the Buttermilks are just West of Bishop.

At the base of the Sads.

Sending the 10b at Apes Wall

3 days of camping… one climb.. lots of free beer. 1000+ climbers all in one place=Red Rocks Rendezvous 2008

A few shots climbing Power Wall at Malibu Creek