Monkeys in the mist

So I went to the zoo yesterday and saw some interesting things while watching some of our distant cousins.



Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

This little guy was trying to climb the rope. I guess this is an important skill for young primates to master, and the family was there with him (if you'll pardon the awful pun) "showing him the ropes". At first he was tentative, but with the encouragement of his relatives, he finally made it up the rope and stood triumphantly on a little stump of wood at the top. At that point, his mother had had enough and she climbed up there and grabbed him, probably thinking to herself, we've had enough of this for today. The little guy was cute and all of these folks look strangely familiar. Hard to believe that Darwin wasn't right.

NASCAR has nothing on these guys...

I went go-cart racing in Germany last week. I knew something was up when they handed me my Nomex flash gear and helmet....


Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

There were people there with their own racing suits and I was told by my German friends that many famous F-1 drivers started at a track just like this. At first I was a little upset. We had only arranged for 30 minutes of track time. After 30 minutes, I had trouble lifting myself out of my car. It was fairly intense and although I turned in the second fastest lap time in my group, I finished our 30 minutes race near the back of the pack. Guess I pushed it just a bit and after I slammed into the wall and was thrown half out of my car, I lost my nerve and eased back a bit. A young man's sport, but I have to say, it was fun and much different than your normal business outing. The autobahn makes so much more sense to me now. Now if I could only figure out where the dragstrip is in Frankfurt, and a way to get my Firebird over there, I could really have some good old clean American fun.


And yet another photographic adventure....

The most recent Popular Photography Magazine had an article about the pro photographers who shoot NFL football games. The article opened with the thought that being on the sidelines of an NFL game with a camera in hand is the lifelong dream of many photographers. Guess what I did this past weekend.....


Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

Of course I was there for the local paper's web site to shoot the drama surrounding the game - the tailgaters, the fans and my toughest assignment...the cheerleaders (someone had to do it...why not me). But when I wasn't doing these other things, I got to stand, kneel and crouch on the sidelines side by side with guys who do this for a living. I got to run up down the field and try to anticipate what the game would do next. I even almost got nailed by a very large player attempting to catch a pass who would not have cared for a moment if he had crushed me like a bug (okay maybe he would have a little bit, but you get the idea). I was a little outclassed on equipment (I do not own any $7000 primes or a pro digital body) but I was there with my Canon EOS 20D, EOS Rebel, 70-200L and an eagerness that a kid would bring to Christmas morning. I didn't do what those guys do...they have to watch the game intently and put themselves into position to capture the shot that Sports Illustrated or USA Today will run, but I did get to practice my art and for a moment live out a fantasy held by many. Every so often I would forget where I was and just get in the zone. Then something would happen and 60,000 screaming fans behind me would remind me where I was. I haven't even looked at my game pics yet (no time) - I was busy uploading stuff for the paper and had to leave on a trip - but when I do, I know I will have some keepers, and more importantly, an experience to never forget.

Generation X turns 40....

"Whatch you talkin 'bout Willis?" I know...nobody really cares. But it's true.


Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

As someone who proudly made it into the slacker generation by 2 months and 16 days, I'm here to tell you we're turning 40. What got me thinking about this was my drive home from the airport tonight. I hopped in my car and briefly considered firing up the XM radio or an MP3 filled CD (or perhaps my Creative Nomad music player hooked to the RCA jacks I installed when I did the sound system). Instead I decided to see what kind of slop good old Clear Channel was putting out tonight on that awful dying thing called FM radio. Have to hand it to those corporate wizards in programming. Before I got to the 80s station, I switched across U2, Van Halen, REM and Journey all playing at the same time. I thought - hey - they're playing this for me - to appeal to my laid back, slackerish demographic. We've arrived, damn it! And we're turning 40! We may even have some disposal income (not really if you factor in lame real estate appreciation and student loans that are almost paid off...). But hey - it's good to know we're moving on - some day TV Land will be a big hit in the nursing home. As for turning 40 - we're probably having mid life crisis type events as well - exhibit A - the photo above - my weekend car....(but at least two 20 year olds are not part of that picture)

And speaking of Alan Jackson

I saw my first ever country music concert a few weeks ago. And of course, I can't just see things, I must photograph them. So I did...sort of.



Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

I went to this concert because my kids are big country music fans. I will admit, it's growing on me. Perhaps it is simple escapism, but there is something to be said for that when it comes in the form of musical entertainment. I took a small portion of my photographic equipment. For those who appreciate this sort of thing, I took 2 digital bodies (a 20D and a Rebel), a Tamron xr di 28-75 F2.8 lens, a Canon EF 18-55 F3.5 lens and my beloved 70-200 F4L. I also took along my Sigma flash, Sunpak Flash and Omni-Bounce diffuser. Some extra batteries and about 3 gigs of memory cards rounded out the setup. Of course I scattered this gear among all members of the family, but unfortunately, still had a run in with the concert security (I think having the flash mounted on the camera set them off). Apparently, my gear was too 'pro' looking whatever that means. "But I am not a pro", I protested politely. I have never made a dime from my photography and in fact, I have racked up some serious bills pursuing this HOBBY that I love. No dice - they were not buying it. To make a long story short, much of the equipment went back to the car (including the 70-200 F4L) which would have led to some KILLER photos taking advantage of the low light capability of the Canon 20D. Without it - this is the best I could do. A heavily cropped photo with my much shorter Tamron. It's not a bad shot and I thought I'd post it here since despite the fact that he won't pay me a dime...I thought I'd generate some FREE publicity for Alan Jackson (who along with Martina McBride) put on a very enjoyable show.

Bah! Humbug!!

This is a photo I took last night at a community Christmas concert. Many who know me, know that I can be a scrooge, and perhaps this photo of the evil Santa Claus holding court sums it up.


Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

In fact, I though of calling this post "Satan Claus", but then I thought I might get confused with people who have other views on the matter. Unfortunately, the Christmas spirit normally escapes me. It seems like a time of year when people stress out about all sorts of things they can't control. The perfect gift, the perfect card, the perfect fruitcake....Is that the meaning of Christmas? For many, it appears so. What does Christmas mean to me? Well, I'm looking forward to getting caught up on sleep and spending some time with my family...other than that, those who call me scrooge also know my favorite holiday....the Fourth of July!

It's a small world after all...

I've been fortunate to be able spend some time in Europe lately. I took this photo a few weeks back in Frankfurt and will be headed back soon for another trip.
Photo by Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

Surprisingly, I experienced much more anti-American sentiment during a recent trip to Toronto. Everyone in Germany was pretty friendly. It's pretty expensive over there across the pond, though, with the Euro being at an all time high compared to the dollar. Most Americans don't seem concerned about this, but it scares the living daylights out of me since a dollar crisis could kill the current economic recovery and plunge the entire global economy back into a period of recession. To avoid this scenario, we have to address our current account deficit and regain some fiscal responsibility here at home. Oops....sorry, I'm probably boring you, right? I must say, many people would have absolutely no clue as to what I am talking about. Euro? What's that? Isn't that were Disney World is in France? I know, maybe I'm being harsh, but let's face it. There's a whole big world out there and we ought to think about it once in awhile. I know, we're an economic super power and don't need to worry about this stuff. Tell that to Sanjay, Peng and Claus....they would probably agree.

With apologies to Alan Jackson

"Where I come from...lots of front porch sitting" - Alan Jackson, Where I Come From


Photo by: Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004

So where do I come from? I suppose I come from the suburbs of Cleveland, OH - but that is another story for perhaps another day. For now, and hopefully many years to come, I hail from a "The Bold New City of the South". A friend of mine from New England recognized that motto when I told him I was from Jacksonville, FL. He said, "I know that town! That's the Bold New City of the South". I asked him how in the world he knew this (thinking our tourism people were not being paid enough) and he replied, "I looked up and read it off the side of the police cruiser while they were handcuffing me". Turns out he and some friends wound up on the wrong side of the local law enforcement officials during a spring break trip. At least he remembered our city motto and after a night in jail he saved on cab fair to the airport.

Is this city "Bold" and "New". I don't really know. We do have some nice beaches and the traffic and weather are easy, and if you're thinking hurricanes, forget it, they ALWAYS miss us. There is even some art and culture here although we have a ways to go. I've had a home here for going on two decades and have actually lived here for close to half that. It is my home and for me, after I've spent the week logging a few thousand frequent flyer miles to all sorts of places, it always brings a smile to my face when my feet hit the ground in this Bold New City.

Freedom

There is a photo I took of my youngest son that I call 'Freedom'.

.
Photo by: Tony Klimas, Copyright 2004


This photo has special meaning to me, because it invokes many thoughts and emotions whenever I view it. As a patriot and veteran, I understand the hardships of going off to do one's duty. As a father, I perhaps have a small comprehension of the sacrifices made by some in order to preserve our freedom and our way of life. I took this photo by random chance, while sight-seeing in Washington D.C. I looked up, my son was there, tracing letters he can't read, tracing out an idea he doesn't yet understand. We are very lucky to have all that we have and perhaps we should pause now and then to remember why it is we have the things we do. I'll sleep well tonight and so will my son. Some other parent and some other son, may not have this luxury. To them I can only pass on my respect and gratitude.