Braff Zackton To The Rescue

Well folks, ... I did it again and I have finally got the courage to write about my extrodinary stupidity. Sure anyone can run out of gas. But can you do it twice. Last time I ran out of gas I was on the top of a mountain and coasted 2 miles into Payson, AZ to get to a gas station. I coasted and pulled right up to the pump. Can you believe it? Well, ... not this time.
I pulled into La Junta, CO a couple of days ago for my last stop of the day. I noticed I needed gas but I also noticed some cool things to photograph. I kept taking pictures for almost an hour and started my way back to Pueblo, CO. I looked down when the car started screaming at me and it was flashing "YOU MORON ... YOU ARE OUT OF GAS ... AGAIN"! Neat feature on the Saturns. It said I was out of gas but I was still going for about another mile ... then I was officially out of gas.
While sitting on the side of Highway 50 ... I called Braff Zackton. For those of you who don't know ... Braff is the guy who bails people out of trouble in transport trucks all day long for a living. Braff is my go to guy when I do really stupid things on the highway.
Well, Braff ... started laughing and hung up on me. When I called back I could still hear him laughing and he hung up on me again. The third time I realized I was actually losing power from a cell phone that was empty and he might not be hanging up. So THERE I WAS ... No gas. No phone. Coyotes starting to howl. I was feeling a bit like dinner.
I charged my cell phone for a few minutes while people screamed past me ignoring the old white haired man with his flashers blaring on the highway. I would have had better luck getting help if I parked in the middle of the highway. After enough juice got into the phone I called Braff Zackton again and shouted my GPS cordinates into the phone as he typed furiously into Delta Gas Force. The next thing I know a Colorado cop is looking into my eyes saying, "Sir, Braff called me and said you are a Moron and that this isn't the first time you have run out of gas on a highway". I said, "Uh, that's me. The officer gets me to show him ID and then says he will take me to get gas.
The funny thing is that he was required to "pat-me-down" or "frisk me" or "search me" depending on your taste in being personally scrutinized. I would have killed for photos of me with my hands spread on top of the squad car. In my head I kept hearing, "Bad boys, bad boys ... whatcha gonna do when the come for you".
I was in the back of the squad car when he had to walk around and let me out of the back door at a crowded gas station. I had to buy a gas can inside the store. I felt like saying, STICK em UP! You know, as a joke, but the guy behind the counter was one of the crazy looking Colorado guys that probably had a few funnier jokes of his own that could send me back through the store wondow in some kinda tazed state running from buckshot.
The Colorado State Police Officer was a great help. He just kept smiling at me and looking in his rear view mirror and saying, "Dude, you better not spill that gas back there". Well, I didn't. The officer did ask me if I wanted to wear the cuffs while I tried putting the gas in the car. That was funny.
Well either way. Braff kept me from walking out into traffic during my two hour prayer meeting on highway 5-0 ... so I guess I will live to photograph again. Thanks Braff.
NikonSniper Steve

Basilica Of The Immaculate Conception

NikonSniper 3000 Celebration

Need extra storage space? Make sure you enter this NikonSniper drawing for a Western Digital – My Passport Essential 750GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive.

That’s right! In the next few months we will cross the 3000 follower milestone and in an effort to say thanks we will host a drawing for a 750GB Hard Drive.

I wish I could give these to everyone to say thanks properly but I haven’t won a lottery yet. I can tell you that the comments on this blog and all over the Internet on your blogs have been very encouraging and indeed humbling. Believe me … I know I am not as good as some of you declare … but it is so nice to know it is appreciated. Many thanks to all of you.

Contest rules are simple!
1. You must be a listed follower of the NikonSniper blog. After the drawing, I will check to see if the winner is in the list of followers.
2. Respond to THIS post in the comments with the request, “Please enter me in the NikonSniper 3000 contest.”
3. Wait patiently. The winner will be drawn within days of crossing the 3000 follower milestone.

YES, you can win if you are in a far away place! The last winner of the 200GB Hard Drive was from far eastern Canada. And that’s like … way out there, EH! So you can win no matter where you are from … unless you are one of my relatives. I don’t like kissin’ yer sister with a favor, so to speak.

Thanks again to all of you who make this blog interesting. You provide the words and meaning to many of the photos captured in my moments on the road. I do not comment on many photos because I like to hear what they mean to you without me explaining much about the photo. You all have a very different thoughts or stories remembered by the same photo and that’s where this blog truly becomes yours too!

God bless you all!
NikonSniper Steve

The Mile High City

Well, ... here we go again. I am at O'Hare Airport in Chicago and beginning a 17 day adventure in both sales and photography. I anxiously await glimpses of snow capped mountain photos with spring happening all around. Or old barns with mountain backdrops. I only hope that I can catch wildlife candids flying by the seat of my pants on the weekends. Any advice on how to get a Black Bear to smile with his arm around you in the woods? I was told by some of my colleagues to smear peanut butter and honey all over myself and sit in the woods after dark. Thanks I get the point!
I will land in Denver this afternoon and will immediately head up to the Sterling, CO area for the evening. Tomorrow I will have several stops in Northeast Colorado and a stop in Cheyenne, WY. I have been to Colorado before but only to a very small but beautiful portion. This trip will cover roughly 2,500 miles of highways and back roads. I expect this will improve my backlog of photos from the region.
Anyway, ... I hope you enjoy the photographic results of one of our most beautiful States in spring. You might think that I would get tired of the varied mountainous landscapes and roaring rivers after a while. You might think I would start taking them for granted. Just know that I take thousands of photos that no one else sees. I generally love them all ... unless of course I blow something completely ... and that does happen more than you would think. I think mountains are nearly impossible to think as ho-hum when you are a flatlander from Illinois.
Welcome all. Keep those travel tips coming!
Let's enjoy the ride together.
NikonSniper Steve

Colorado Tour Of Duty

Well, I have just returned tonight from Los Angeles from a 5 day junket. Fun was had by all! I have decided to chill for a few days in preparation for a 17 day trip to the beautiful State of Colorado. I haven't been there in about 15 years but I expect the rivers are running strong with a winter thaw coming faster every day. Colorado is a landscape photographers paradise ... so I think I might wear out some cameras on the weekends while I am there. I am going to try to bring you a peek of as much of Colorado as I can capture. Maybe I will even get photos of Tim Tebow filing his car with gas.
You can see the map above for my approximate travel route through Colorado. Your suggestions and tips are most welcome as I work my way through the mountains.
If you know people from Colorado or perhaps just people who like seeing mountains, rivers and open lands ... why not invite them to come along with us!
As always I want to thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement. I will begin posting photos again on Wednesday, April 28 from Colorado, the Centennial State.
Until then ... God bless!
NikonSniper Steve

LA Skyscrapers

Among The Beaver Huts

Airborne Again

Fast trip to Tucson, Arizona today. I doubt I will get a lot of time to photograph but I could get a shot at a sunset tomorrow night. Weather here in Chicago is great. Los Angeles is experiencing scattered periods of earthquakes. No major damage. Hope they stay well!
Spring is definitely happening all around us. Baseball started yesterday. Nobodys team is out of it yet! Thanks for all your kind comments. Will post photos again tonight from Arizona.
All the best.
NikonSniper Steve

Does Christmas End In April This Year?

Southern California Hills

Snow Sure Melted Fast

Maybe Spring is here. We really don't like to risk saying that kind of thing in March in the Northwest Chicagoland area. We can get slammed really hard for at least another month. A 15" dumping of snow can arrive on tax day (April 15) that usually sends hundreds of us out to building ledges with some high-school graduate state official yelling through a megahorn things like, "Step back from the ledge. You're not ugly ... you're just fat from your long winter nap." Sorry, yes ... that was yet another slam on any form of government. If you are a government official ... sorry, but I'm not sorry.

Today was a lazy day for me photographically speaking. But I did get excited to see and take this picture of my patio without snow. I actually have been in a long patio time drought. It started around June 1st last year when I began the wild west photo rodeo for the NikonSniper blog. It just seems to have been lousey weather every time I have been home. Rain, crazy high heat or that other Chicago suburb weather phenomenon known as "mosquito season". Mosquitos in the midwest are the only thing we have that is even remotely comparable to earthquakes. You can be sitting having a conversation with a friend and suddenly realize that you are quickly losing blood and need to seek help fast. You start swatting yourself in a convulsing manner that can leave you as much as 100 yards away from your original patio easyboy in a dazed state of mind due to lack of blood making it to your brain. You can sit there for a few seconds (while mosquitos relocate you again) in a stupper wondering, "What just happened.". When you return to your patio you may discover that a small fire has started because you knocked the mosquitos (candy) candle over and set fire to your patio dining cloth. My dear wife who never seems to be troubled with mosquitos might say, "I think that was a 4.7 on the Andy Richter scale." Cheer-y sort she is!

Anyway, I always love the Spring before mosquitos, between the rain, before the steam and during the sunny weekend days. Gosh, it's great to see the patio! It was 83 in Los Angeles last week and the hummingbirds were busy. I would definitely say that I THINK we are finally within 90 days till the patio is in ideal condition.
I hope your weather is looking up too! And if you are on the other side of the earth, Bruce ... just remember that a great day in the Chicagoland is not quite as good as a bad day in an Australian winter.

I am now preparing for a few trips to ... Colorado! This will be very cool because I haven't been there in years and it will be a first for the NikonSniper blog. I will give you all more details as soon as I know what I am doing so that you can tell me cool stuff to see along the way. These trips will be during April and part of May.

All the best to you!
NikonSniper Steve

Trona Heights

WOW!

4:04 am, Los Angeles. I was just shaken awake by what I thought was someone grabbing the bottom of my bed and shaking it up and down. I went down the hall to the reception desk at the Comfort Inn in Monterey Park and I looked at the night clerk who is usually asleep and said, Did something just happen? Yes, he replied. That was an earthquake.
I went back to my room and called Braff Zackton who was already at work in Chicago. Braff ran his earthquake search that he does every 30 minutes and informed me that I just rode a 4.4 in the Greater Los Angeles Area at 4:04am. It seems no one else is alarmed but me! That is completely whack and a first for me.
-----
9:20am update
I just got back from breakfast a few minutes ago. Still no one was talking about this event. It's the most reported event in a while on the Did You Feel It? web site. Rare breed these Californians. It's like ... the whole L-A area got up and went for a drive on the I-5 in a bumpy Rambler Station Wagon at 4am for no reason ... and nobody even talks about it. That is crazy.
I literally thought there was someone in my room picking up the bottom of the bed and clipping it to the lift on a Six Flags grade roller coaster. Isn't there a T-Shirt for this kinda thing?
-----
You might ask ... Why would I would call someone in Chicago about an Earthquake in California? Well, here's a little more background on Braff Zackton you may like to read.
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4:07pm update
OK, OK ... some of you have suggested that I was probably scared. C'mon! Me? No way! I eat this stuff up and spit it out.
OK well, the truth is ... I haven't slept since. I keep thinking I am feeling the ground shake again and now I am on the fourth floor of a building near LAX airport. And I will say that I couldn't sleep probably due to my sobbing like a baby. That kinda made it hard to settle down. Can't wait till the wheels are up at the end of the runway tomorrow morning.
-----
For those of you interested ... here is an Earthquake Article from this mornings excitement.

Is God Green?

Hello, NikonSniper followers. Well, my trip to the Los Angeles area is coming to a conclusion. That's right, dear ... I'm coming home!
One of the things I do for comfort when I am alone and away from my family for great lengths of time is to listen to sermons online. I know, I can almost hear you shouting "BORING"! OK, OK, some of you are about to quit NikonSniper for good! You've heard enough. I have just proved to you that I am completely looney!
Well, some of you know I was a bit of a creative kid. I was A.D.D. before being A.D.D. was cool! So I was, ... let's say, a bit of a handfull. For those of you who are new, here's a little Background to give you an idea of what kind of rodeo clown I was when I was a kid. Anyway, I tell you this so you don't go around thinking I have my head in the clouds with no clue of the real world.
Anyway. I was raised in a Christian home. More than that, ... my father was the pastor of a large church that we attended (sometimes in handcuffs). Oh, please don't cast me as some kind of religious fanatic. In fact, truth is ... I don't believe in religion whatsoever. I believe in a person and YES I know Him. And that God-man is Jesus.
Anyway, ... I don't want to scare you off ... because I DO completely respect your views. Here's what I wanted to say.
I find that as I age (get more older and more wrinkled-er) I appreciate nature more. If you would have told me when I was 30 that I would enjoy photographing butterflies one day ... well, I woulda told you that you were a complete ding-dong (probably not those words though). I so often feel at peace when I am sitting on a bench watching God's wonders. Like seeing wild deer up close just staring at you, giving you a close look, like they were sent to you. Well, I recently watched a sermon about the Christian in nature that I enjoyed called, "Is God Green?" You can hit the link and watch it if you like. It's good! It is by one of my favorite speakers named John Ortberg from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, CA. He won't bore you!
Go on, give it a listen ... I dare ya ... it's a risk free way to tell your mom that you went to church. Pastor Ortberg speaks on how we are to respect the world of the Creator.
I hardly ever lift my camera in the mountains, or near rivers, streams or great oceans without thinking about ... How Great Is Our God!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
NikonSniper Steve

Sassy Trees

faith? that's for old people!

Keep the faith! People have said those words to me over the years.
I guess for most of my life I have thought, ... "and just HOW do I do that?" Keep the faith? What faith? I have known people who I thought "had" great faith ... but I sure wasn't one of them. Most of them were wrinkled. And IF they weren't seriously wrinkled ... well, they were really quiet praying kinda people. People with faith, ... I guess I have always thought that flies never landed on them. You know, those dear wrinkled souls ... never really seemed to have any serious problems.
By nature, (OK, I think I am getting over some of this) I am and have always been a control freek. I hate change. Not even Obama has been able to make change sound good for me. Change SUCKS! I remember to this day the trama of seeing my oldest daughter after her first haircut. It's weird! How am I going to get used to that?
Well, we had five "wild" (generally speaking) kids in comparison to many families we knew ... but our kids are no where near as wild as I was (at least that I know about ... and believe me, I don't want to know about it either). So, we saw our fair share of change.
I can tell you countless stories of having to deal with REAL change in our world. Some really BIG stuff! Not just haircuts! Our kids were absolutely darling! I mean I love them to death and am very proud of them all ... but I can tell you other stories of years of pure "HELL" that my wife and I survived trying to be parents without a good clear cut manual. Sometimes we lived in terror of things coming apart at the seams. Those years changed us forever. Now we can laugh (a bit) at the past.
I think everybody experiences the kinds of things that change our worlds and our thinking. We don't experience the same stuff ... but our worlds change in different ways. It's all tough to deal with ... we just get different stuff to carry. I know people that have gone through the turmoil of divorce and the splitting up of their family. I know others that have lost children by disease and sudden tradgedy. I know of joblessness, homelessness and of others who were and seemingly ARE utterly alone in the world. I have known of so many horrible things that are real life changers. I'm sure you do too!
Where is faith in all of these trials? Where is God? Doesn't He care? Why is this happening to me? Is God getting some kind of pleasure watching me suffer? If there is a God, ... is He good? Or is He powerless to change things? Can He hear me? GOD, ... DO YOU HEAR ME NOW? I am calling out to you ... and I need to know you are there and that you at least hear me. Will you please talk to me and tell me what to do?
Have you ever wondered these things ... or shouted them from a hilltop into the starry night?
Perhaps, you don't believe there is a God at all. I understand that! And I have questioned what I believe countless times.
Faith? What is faith? And exactly how do I "keep the faith" that I can't fully grasp? Some of you hate reading these words. Perhaps, you may not even want to know if there is a God. Maybe you think ... if you don't fully understand that there is a God ... you won't be held accountable for sticking your head in the sand to avoid Him.
Some of you are searching for God. I believe that God is desperately searching to get through to you and yet you might feel like He is hiding or running from you every time you get close. Try praying this (without any predetermnined ideas on what or who God IS). Pray, ... God if you really are out there ... help me to really find you. Every time you wonder if He is there or if He really cares for you, ... pray that!
Faith? Mine never grew that much when I was young or when our kids were young. The truth is ... if my wallet could solve the problem ... I found that my faith had little opportunity to grow. I think faith can only grow when you remove yourself (or God removes you) from the equation so that you have to allow God to take control. I rarely ever had the guts to do that. So, I had and still have a somewhat retarded faith so to speak! I think those wrinkled faces I have seen were probably owned by people who struggled with their faith when they were younger too. I believe they learned to be faithful from lessons that they were given that were far too big for their wallets or any other resources to solve. I believe it is quite possible that they were forced to wait upon God because they could do nothing to solve their problems by themselves.
Have you ever experienced having a problem so big that you could not solve it? If you haven't ... I believe it is really difficult to have deep rooted faith. You likely lack faith wrinkles, which is OK, but life is not likely going to grant you that forever. The absence of wrinkles doesn't mean you don't have faith. It just means it hasn't had the opportunity to really grow. I'm saying, ... I think if you win the lottery every week ... it's a lot harder to need God ... and I think it's a lot more difficult for your faith to be stretched.
Have you ever seen a huge problem solved by God's hand? OH, ... I sure haven't arrived when it comes to being a "man of faith". I am not even close, ... though I think I am becoming a bit more weathered (wrinkled) every day. The Bible teaches us that "Without faith, it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6).
Have you ever felt you needed a sign from God that He even heard your prayers? I sure have. I wished that I could have those signs every day. It would have made the days a lot easier.

Remember the story of Thomas the disciple after the resurrection of Jesus? (See John 20)
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

You know, Judas of course is considered the worst of the disciples but Thomas wears that "doubting Thomas" label because of this account. What a slouch! Thomas you are such a loser! Oh wait, ... that's me too! So many times I have to see things in order to believe or to have faith. I am often a doubting Thomas. Is that you too? Maybe you won't even believe in Christ ... because He won't die on the cross for you this year and rise from the dead so you can see it for yourself and have it reported in your local paper. We all doubt. We all lack faith.

I want signs that God hears me everyday. Isn't that a form of doubt too? Jesus said to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus is talking about you and me here. If you believe in Christ, you had to do it without seeing the evidence Thomas was given. That means you need greater faith in one sense and you are blessed. Maybe It doesn't please God that I am always looking for a sign of His presence. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If it takes a daily morning video conference call with God for me to be convinced He cares and that He hears me ... how much faith do I really have in Him?

Waiting on the Lord and letting Him provide answers in His timing takes greater faith. Those wrinkled men and women of faith I have seen were likely shaped by the times in which they had no other choice but to wait for answers and see God provide in His way. But they were also shaped by accepting the answers that were provided. I guess I think the wrinkled people have spent more time being observers to what God is doing rather than being control freeks trying to do it themselves. They pray more and worry less. They pray BIG things that they know only God could possibly do. I admire them. I hope that one day I will be counted among them.

Faith? That's for old people! And for me.
Have a great day. It's great to be home ... even though it snowed again.
NikonSniper Steve

Eat My Dust

Lake Gas Station

Coming Down

Abandoned Farm

Desert Umbrella

Six Gun Skies

Fencing In The Desert

Flower Boxes

Stone Screensaver

Homebound Till Monday

Well, here I sit again. This time, Tucson International Airport. I am waiting to jump a ride back to Chicago through Dallas. It was nice to see some new scenery here in Arizona for a change. Arizona is amazing! I will be on the ground for a few days back in Illinois then it's off to, ... you guessed it, Los Angeles! This will be the 6th trip to L-A since December. It's starting to feel like I know the people in the hotels there.
Anyway, I am looking forward to getting home and seeing family ... and a friend of mine (John) who just bought a Nikon D90. For the last year or so, John has been jumping in the car with me and wandering around Illinois and Wisconsin taking pictures when I am home. John was using a Nikon D70 ... and now he has upgraded to the Nikon D90. There are many big feature jumps in this switch so I know he will be very "gungho" to hit the backroads of the Midwest again.
Some news. As many of you know, I travel Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona for the company that feeds my family. I have been afforded the great photographic fortune of seeing the Western USA all while traveling to printing companies in the West. My territory has now been expanded to include Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. Is that too cool, or what?
Well, I am now preparing for some runs to Colorado that should bring me closer to a great number of you who follow NikonSniper. What an opportunity! It is great to represent a company for more than 23 years that you love and to be able to photograph the Wild Wild West along the way. Photography is a great pastime when you are away from home as much as I have been in the last 9 months. So look out! I could be driving down a road near you soon. I am the guy with the camera hanging out the window that suddenly stops with little or no notice. If I hear your horn blarring behind me ... I'll just assume that's your Western Way to say hello to we who are stunned by the scenery God created ... that you get to see everyday.
Have a great Thursday.
NikonSniper Steve

Arizona Snake Cage

Blind Human Pinball

Well, I am back having breakfast at O'Hare now after spending 14 hours of leisure at home. Yes, I feel a bit like a human pinball.
Where to now?
Tucson via Dallas.
Sounds fun?
I hope to catch some sunsets on the cactus before I fall asleep tonight. I will be spending a quick visit or two in Phoenix on Monday and head down to Sierra Vista in the evening. As you can probably tell ... I don't use a "professional" travel agent. I do everything flying by the seat of my pants.
80 miles in 30 minutes?
Sure! I'll get a tank of gas on the way.
Well, that's one way to live. It annoys some people but it's the norm for me.
I hope to be home next weekend because I really need to get a pit stop at the eye doctor. My new glasses have been sitting in his office for a month. But they don't just give them to you ... they fit them to your face.
Huh? Seriously? You mean my wife can't just pick em up?
No sir, we need to make sure you are seeing properly through the right portion of your glasses for all conditions.
Mam, I can't see out of the glasses I am wearing, ... what's the difference?
I'm sorry sir. We just don't do that.
Well, maybe I'll drop by next weekend. Maybe not. I could be in Barrow, Alaska.
They aren't worried. I paid for everything already.
Well, I hope you all have a terrific Sunday. I'll try to catch you a sunset tonight.
NikonSniper Steve

South Bound

NikonSniper.com Is Here!

Well, it's sorta here anyway. I finally got the blogspot site mirrored to nikonsniper.com ... so I got that going for me ... which is nice! So, now when you are telling people about the nut with the camera ... you just have to tell em' nikonsniper.com. I even forget the blogspot address periodically ... so I end up telling people to just google nikonsniper and it will be the first choice. One day I hope to have a technically sound computer literate individual to really turn this site into something special.

Well, as you know, It's Wednesday again! Guess where I'm going?

You're right! Los Angeles! When, you ask. Well, I bought my ticket a few minutes ago ... so that means I'm L-A-ving tomorrow. Five nights at home and I'm outta here again. I will be back in Chicago for a change of shirts on Saturday only to depart on Sunday to Tucson, AZ for four days.

I am crazy busy tonight getting ready for this very important trip so ... this is all I'm posting till tomorrow night.

On a serious note, I really have to say something ... it's a special thank you ... to whoever that very special person is named Anonymous who keeps sending me that e-mail regarding Viagra. I am really so happy you found me! Thanks for the 162 rejected e-mails last week. You know I just can't pass up a 'VIAGRA SALE'. Thanks to Mr. Anonymous, NikonSniper followers can absolutely guarantee that I will read their comments very carefully because Mr. Anonymous loves to lure you into thinking he likes your pictures just before slamming you with the details and location where Viagra is being distributed like chicklets.

Anyway, folks gotta get off here and climb back on the mechanical bull I call life.

Take care. NikonSniper Steve

Rain On ... L-A

Well, I'm back in Chicago now and caught up on sleep late on Saturday. Thanks for coming along on that quick trip to Los Angeles with me. Over the past months, many of you asked or wondered just exactly what is it that I do that has me jumping around the country so much. Well, ... I will give you the short version. Perhaps, Zack Braffton, will chime in with his several versions of what I do for a living.

For 23 years, I have worked for a wonderful company ... named Web Printing Controls in Illinois. That's right, I am not a photographer. I do believe I have many shots of quality ... however, I do not earn a living doing photography. Real short, ... WPC is involved in the engineering, manufacturing and support of electronic printing controls that essentially reduce ink and paper waste and improve the quality of print on web offset printing presses ... that is the big presses, ... not office copy machines. Web Printing Controls was a "green" company before being green was cool. Isn't that like being "country" before being country was cool?

Anyway, I have had several careers within our company including mechanical engineering, technical sales support, and sales administration. These careers at WPC had me travel many years all over the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia.

In June of 2009, I became the Technical Sales Rep for the Western USA. So, as I travel from one customer to another in the West, I hang a camera out the car window. Since June 2009, I have logged 22,500 miles of highway driving in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. There's the quick answer as to why there are very sudden jumps in my photography opportunities. What a beautiful country to photograph between sales visits.

Stray Cuts Of Beef

Back TO LA Tomorrow

Well, after a long rest (6 days) back home in ice bound Chicago, I am heading back to Los Angeles for a bit more time in the tanning bed. I guess I was really starting to get pale-faced (engineering white) again, so I will be heading back for 46 hours of wrestling that traffic to the sun rays. YEP, it's true, I am getting a few more glorious days of holding my breath while waiting to see if I am in my first earthquake.

For you regular followers, you will recall that I missed our big Illinois "I can't remember the number" on the richter scale earthquake. Where was I? Los Angeles!

I sit at every red light in California holding my breath to feel if the rental car is idling funny or if that was a tremor that made me change lanes. I find myself driving on supported highways looking to see how far the drop is to the lower levels. I look at overhead roads wondering if my choice in rental cars could take the weight of that 6 lane wide stack falling from 80 feet overhead.

Anyway, it gives me something to do when I'm stuck in traffic watching my flight depart LAX on time. So, it's another road trip. Take care all!

NikonSniper Steve

Wisconsin Interstate Highway In February

Shuffle To The Beat Of The City

3.8 Earthquake In Chicago?

So, I fly home again tomorrow morning. I heard on the radio that I missed a Chicago snow storm and apparently an earthquake. An earthquake? Huh? Here I am in Los Angeles (earthquake co-capital of the USA) and I missed the Chicago earthquake. I called my wife to learn that the quake got our huge chime bells going in the middle of the night.

This morning I was telling people at the LA Times about our very own 3.8 Illinois earthquake. They laughed at me. They mocked our earthquake. One gentlemen told me he regularly has gas worse than 3.8. I excused myself from the loud heckling. This is probably huge news in Iowa. Yeah, ... I bet they wouldn't laugh.

Back To LA on Sunday

Well, I am back in the air again on Sunday heading to Los Angeles to discuss an exciting business opportunity. Just when you get settled and think you can rest for a bit ... you're outta here again. But, this is a very good kind of "outta here" so I won't complain. This should be a 3-4 day trip so I doubt I will get that much photographed ... but there are always those rare shots that pop up tailor-made for sniping.

Also, stay tuned in the next few weeks for some more very cool news regarding the travel destinations for
2010. The NikonSniper camera may be landing near you sooner than you think.

Hope you are all surviving your winter season. Flowers will be here before you know it!

Keep on shooting!
NikonSniper Steve

Getting That Road Trip Feelin' Again

Heading Back To California

Farm Style Frozen Corn

Anyone Else Missing Conan O'Brien?

Raining On LA!

Orange Juice Futures

Hey, Patrina! ... It's Still Raining In LA!

Here is a photo taken this afternoon during my drive from Los Angeles down to San Diego. Jealous? Well, perhaps you have wondered why most of the photos shown on NikonSniper are from clear weather days when you know the weather is lousy where I am.

The answer is simple. I shoot like crazy (2000-3000 on a weekend) when the weather is good and I post many of these shots throughout the week when it's pouring outside.

I just wanted you all to know that the sun doesn't always shine on my path.

And The Winner IS ...

Contest In Celebration Of 2000 Followers of NikonSniper

The winner of the Western Digital 200GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive is Shelley of New Brunswick, Canada. You can visit her blogs at Shutterbug and Ink Scrawls.

Thank you to the 156 of you that entered the drawing! We will do this again in the future when we reach another milestone ... so stay in touch.

As always, I am really thankful for your kinds words and comments while I'm at home and on the road and I just wanted to say thanks with this giveaway. Thanks to all of you. I hope you continue to enjoy your time here. God bless!

NikonSniper Steve

Cold Mountain Waters

So, What Is "Getting Tagged"?

OK, so I got tagged if that means anything to you. It seems that Concord Carpenter (a favorite of mine because he decided to get a new camera and take some classes) decided that I needed to go through the same exercise that he recently endured. This is called "getting tagged".

So, I had to call my daughter who is somewhere warm on a cruise ship (probably reading this near the pool) to find out what "getting tagged" meant. She assured me that it did not mean I had to stand in the batter's box while Yankees lefty CC Sabathia pelted me with baseballs. (Like WOW ... NikonSniper just got tagged in the head again!) Well, anyway, I learned that "getting tagged" (aka. "you're it") meant that I had to answer these questions and pick others for the same torture exercise after I finished. Well, I normally don't do this because I really don't have access to all those computer savvy skills and I lack the full command of the English language. BUT, I have decide to endure this now, once per year. So, this is it for this type of thingy for 2010.

Here's more than you want to know about NikonSniper Steve!

8 TV shows I watch on ocassions
Many of you already know that I do not own a television (I own cameras instead). So, … I see TV other ways if I have to or want to watch something.
1. my favorite show BY FAR is the NFL football season. I watch games at Braff Zackton's house (when he let's me in the door).
2. I also watch a bit of baseball at Braff's in October IF, and only IF a certain team from the Bronx is still in action. Sorry.

By accessing the world-wide (it's everywhere now) internet I have often enjoyed:
3. various News broadcasts that are not NBC
4. The Office
5. House
6. Friday Night Lights (Riggins is nearly my all-time favorite high school student).
7. Scrubs (though this show is nose-diving fast for me, I guess I prefer the early Dr. Cox).
8. Mercy

8 favorite places to eat and drink
1. home (especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day)
2. sometimes Olive Garden
3. sometimes Outback
4. sometimes Red Lobster
5. sometimes Dennys
6. sometimes Three Brothers (Woodstock, IL)
7. sometimes Angelo's (Woodstock, IL)
8. is it too late to get thrown out of an Applebee's

8 things I look forward to
1. heaven
2. being home
3. finally learning from my mistakes instead of repeating them
4. balancing life on my meds
5. spring
6. summer
7. real senior citizen discounts, not these cheesey pretend ones you get when you turn 50
8. acting like a complete nutball at all public events as soon as I'm 71 ... just to embarrass my whole family (I know they will pull the plug on me when it's time FOR SURE, I won't be getting an extra 10 minutes)

8 things I love about winter
1. my pills to help me deal with winter. Mmmmm, pills.
2. not having to go back to bed because I never left.
3. the sound of the doorbell or phone or Ky shoveling.
4. no mosquitoes (for sure Concord Carpenter).
5. photographing fresh snow as opposed to those gray-black salty pilars that sit in front of the house till the Cubs have lost 20 games.
6. sliding out of control through traffic lights. weeeeee!
7. going out for breakfast at 4pm.
8. not having to worry about skin cancer because the sun is gone so long. is it coming back?

8 things on my wish list
1. that my entire family knows Christ and His saving power.
2. that all of my remaining days are spent living fearless.
3. that I can bring attention to God via photography.
4. that I could lose weight by eating cashews.
5. that I could take the lifelong illness of my daughter from her and bear it upon my shoulders.
6. that I could have more nights with my wife on our patio.
7. that I could teach people how to improve their photography in places I have been.
8. that I could play the pipes!

8 things I am passionate about (not always in this order)
1. Wife & Family (excluding animals)
2. Friends
3. Photography
4. Football
5. Jazz
6. Travel
7. God (is kinda in everything)
8. Cher

8 things I have learned from the past
1. power tools require some level of skill
2. put your car into park before exiting the vehicle
3. don't assume you can still do what you did when you were eighteen
4. time never heals old hurts
5. fifty keys on a ring can break into anything with proper instruction
6. ... and so can a well-placed brick
7. you can joke all you want about scaring guys off from dating your daughters … but you're not in control, you never were
8. choose your battles, don't blow up over everything, unless Braff Zackton did it

8 things I want/need
1. family protection
2. laughter
3. three hots and a cot
4. nikonsniper tattoo
5. to stay crazy to the very end
6. australian retirement during winter months in usa
7. more Nikon lenses
8. jet skis

8 people I want to tag (I could pick about, hmmm, 2000 of you)
Don & Krise at Olympia Daily Photo
Elaine of Arctic View
Janine of Sniffles and Smiles
Bush Babe of the Crazy Wacko Land Down Under
Helen of Madcobug - My Everyday Life
Vivian at Snapshots
Gerry at Gerry's Place
Scott at World's Best Photography Blog

Sorry about that. It's kinda like jury duty. Have fun and let me know when your answers are blogged.

NikonSniper Steve

Violet January

Wow! 2000! Who Woulda Thunk It?

Thank you so much to every last one of you ... including those of you who follow but don't comment because of all that stuff ya have to go through in order to make commenting possible! You all matter! Just knowing you are there is really cool to me. Thanks. God bless you all.

Winner NikonSniper 2000 Announced Jan 20

Thank you to all of you who entered the drawing for the brand new "Western Digital - My Passport Essential 200GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive".
Entries have now been closed. There were approximately 156 entries for this prize. If you missed this drawing ... stay tuned for future drawings announced on NikonSniper.
Winner will be announced next week on Wednesday, January 20. Good luck to all of you!
The purpose of this giveaway was to simply say thanks to all of you for following NikonSniper. I hope you continue to enjoy your time here. God bless!
NikonSniper Steve

Happy Birthday Braff Zackton

One of our closest and most sarcastic followers is having a birthday today. Happy Birthday Braff Zackton!
I have known Braff for approximately 26 years and I probably have been to ten of his birthday parties over those years. I am missing another one today but I am sure he will understand. I mean after all ... it's only 26 degrees where Braff is today ... and it's like 70 here. So, it's the thought that counts, right Braff? Don't eat my piece of cake. I'll swing by in June.

10-4 Jay ... We Are In Your Drop Zone

Divided Mind

Have you ever had a divided mind? Of course you have! Well, it's happening for me now. I am about to depart for Southern California. Everything is in final stages. I am starting to feel like I am in California. The packing, the itinerary, travel targets, GPS loading, customer contact files, the phone numbers, emails, product literature, final calls to close friends in illinois, seeing my mom, family, ... and a special request task for one of my children in whom I am so proud are all in progress. I may tell you more about this last one in the future. It's just something that I am still strugling with a bit in family life. It's all good ... it's just part of growing up and trusting God in another "change issue" a bit more than before. This takes faith and can be tough on you even after you get gray hair. Well, I guess I learn a bit more every day. I don't always want to learn ... but someone up there has a sense of humor.

I have so enjoyed my break and the fact that most of you hung around during a winter lull in NikonSniper activity. Thanks so much. You are such an encouragement.

OK, let the rodeo begin! This next trip departs Chicago for Santa Ana on January 11 and will bring more photography from the Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and San Diego areas. I hope to head back to the Sequoia National Park and to the Simi Valley Ronald Reagan Library on the weekends. If you know these areas, your travel tips are welcomed. You can see the approximate travel map I will be covering on this adventure.
One really cool thing I learned on this trip is how to set up photo posts in advance so that when I get into difficult travel days there can be a normal launch of photos. This is cool because I can set it up and go to sleep or continue working without distractions. That will help me tomorrow when I am hitting the ground and need rest rather than have to seek new targets immediately.

Here's hoping you will come along. I will be looking through my travel schedule for the rest of 2010 to see where I will be heading in the months ahead. I will let you know when I am coming to a theater near you.

All the best.
NikonSniper Steve

It's 2010 In Chicago!

Well, I can hardly believe how fast this decade went past me. It's hard to believe I was sitting in my house ten years ago tonight waiting for us to lose power and heat in the middle of a Chicago winter. I was sitting here ready to watch the airplanes fall out of the sky due to Y2K mania.

There are going to be some new things coming in the months ahead on NikonSniper that should be quite interesting for your viewing pleasure. Can I tell ya? No! Not yet!

In the meantime, please make sure you get entered in the drawing for the 200 Gig Hard Drive (scroll down to read more). We are closing in fast on 2000 followers and that's really quite incredible.

Hope you continue to enjoy your visits here. Stay tuned!
NikonSniper Steve

Merry Christmas To All

Well, folks, I am actually going to shut down for a few days. Your comments will be displayed but there will be a few days without new posts. They will be my first days without a post since mid February so I feel a bit like Forrest Gump near the end of the movie when he is in the running mode, back and forth across America and he finally turns around and speaks to the hundreds that are following him, saying ... "I'm pretty tired, ... I think I'll go home now."

Well, I am not quittin'. I hope to do this for the rest of my life ... but I think I will spend some time chillin' for a few days. I thank you all for your kind wishes at this season. I hope you all have a blessed Christmas with your families. May God bless you all with His mercy and grace. Wise men still seek Him today.

Catch you in a few days.
NikonSniper Steve

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Perhaps those of you who live in America's Southern States will understand when I say that if you are from the North, it does not feel quite like Christmas if you aren't in snow. It is almost wild to my eyes to see the decorations on businesses and homes when it's 72 degrees and beautifully sunny outside. In the North, Christmas and New Years are often in snowy weather that you dread as soon as the ball drops in New York and the tree is crammed back into the closet. Everyone seems in good spirits through the school breaks and then the drudgery of Northern winter hits you like dropping both boots into 24 inches of salty slush.
ARIZONA ... you are looking mighty good about then! Well, as good as being South in the winter might feel ... especially as I get older ... I wouldn't trade the Northern Christmas season. It's home for me. I am sure you understand. Home is home ... no matter where that is for you. Here's hoping that you are home for Christmas. This is the end of the 2009 travel road for me. Very early tomorrow morning I will be heading to Santa Ana to fly to Chicago. I hope you have enjoyed this run. I look forward to some new places in 2010. Photos will continue in the next few days from our snow covered Chicago area (Well, we had 12" about 10 days ago but I'll believe it when I see it). I will probably continue to post some random trip shots from the past year as well. Hope you have enjoyed.

All the best.
NikonSniper Steve

Mountain Colors Outside El Cajon

Californian 7-11 Convenient Store

San Diego: An International City

Brrrr, Chicago ... I'm Staying Indoors Too!

One Swimming Pool, ZERO Movie Stars

Redondo Beach Layered Castle

Sure, You Can Park On A Ramp In LA