The -- Mostly -- Desert Scene

Here is a group of three that performed, synchronized. "Formation trotting!"

Here is a rider taking a turn at the show. My wife's first comment on this one (she rides horses, and knows what to look for) was to notice the curvature on the horse's spine -- he is bending himself around the curve.

Some of the horses did tricks for us in the second half of the show. This horse held himself on his hind legs for several seconds.

Finally, this picture would have been my best of the show, if only the lights had been aimed properly. I tried to pull out some detail from the shadow, but there just isn't enough there.

Cue the Zamboni music, it's time for a brief interlude from the Lipizzaners while I bore you with yet another black and white image.

A few posts back an anonomous poster said he'd send a suggested cropping for the clouds over Tucson image. I received his sugestion, and based on it, made this version:

I would have posted his suggestion, but he didn't have the full image to work from. This one was processed fron the full size, original RAW data file. (Be sure to click on the image to get the full effect.)

What do you think?

Continuing with browsing through my pictures from the horse show, here is a picture taken across the arena:

I like that picture, because it catches the horse with three hooves off the ground. It almost looks like all four are off the ground -- but that picture will come later in the week!

I do find the crowd in the background a bit distracting, though. Here is another picture, in which I've removed the crowd by darkening ("burning in", were I in a darkroom) the crowd and replicating some of the railing:

I like this last image, even though the illuminated rider is looking away:

I heard an announcement on the radio Friday, stating that the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions were in town, performing Friday and Saturday. I told my wife, and we went, camera in hand. So this week I'll be selecting some of the highlights of the pictures (I took over 200). The show started with a flag bearer for the national anthem. Later in the show, there is a second tribute, with this flag bearer:

One story from World War 2 tells about how Patton rushed to the town housing the Lipizzaner's, in hopes of rescuing them at the end of the war. (I remember that scene from the Patton movie.) The tribute commemorates this event.

Here is a picture of one of the groups in the show:

I like the foreground/background images here. Expect more in the next few days!