Any El Paso folks on this forum?

[Shanty]

I'm always interested in meeting fellow photogs online or in the El Paso locale. This forum caught my attention when I was searching for some feedback on some gear I had an interest in. Serendipity is a good thing. I've only scratched the surface of the threads in this forum so far, but have seen some excellent photos produced by some talented photogs. And the info on the gear was helpful. I WILL add a Nikon D7000 but am content to wait and see how Nikon (or the photogs) works out the bugs (hot pixels). Methinks a mountain is being made out of a mole hill, but SOME folks are having problems with the D7000. Others are not. Enough prattle, I look forward to a bit of inspiration and more valuable information on techniques and tips from the members of this forum.

Shannon

[Hanky]

Hi Shannon, welcome way out there to TPF! I lived EP for a yearlooking forward to your pics.Keep the sand out of the cam hehe.

[Shanty]

My daughter lives in Lewisville, Hank. I'll see her next week for Thanksgiving, but that usually means they are coming to visit us. I rarely make that drive. Too busy taking care of the chores on my acre of sand. Have chickens and geese to feed, Chihuahuas to babysit, and friends to visit with when they drop by to have a cold beer or glass of sweet tea under my big Mulberry tree.

I'll keep as much sand out of the camera as I can; you make sure you don't get caught in Dallas traffic.

Thanks for the welcome.

Shan

[mmuhlenkamp]

Welcome, Shannon. I grew up in EP and moved to Denton when I started college at UNT. I miss the weather and the culture there; it's always nice to go back for a visit. Plus great mexican food everywhere, not the tex-mex stuff (which is good, but not the same) around here. Look forward to seeing photos from you.

[Hanky]

Lol on the traffic, would you mind helping me with my memory? seems I remember
on the freeways there that they make it real hard to get on going the wrong way.
Currently we are suffering from an epidemic of wrong way drivers here in the city with the ugly new bridge.

[Shanty]

Ah, yes, Melissa . . . the weather. And little to low humidity. One of the safest cities of its size in America--across the river from the new murder capital of the world. Mexican food. Chiles. Sunsets to die for. Skies that are blue blue and clear. And many, many natives who leave. But most of those folks never cultivated a passion. Like photography or painting or . . . well, you know what I mean. Denton is a great city. So is Austin.

One of the assignments I gave in ALL of my writing classes was: "write about your passion or passions."

I was amazed at how many students didn't KNOW they had a passion or couldn't articulate what there passion was. Hmmmm, I'd often jump start them with this question.

"OK, what would you rather be doing RIGHT now?" I'd make sure they couldn't offer lame stuff, like get drunk, do drugs or eat.

That's when a few light bulbs would come on in their heads. I could almost hear them. I could always see them.

El Paso has been my passion since I arrived in 1982. I know, I know. I am a newbie. But I love having a mountain range inside the city limits. The Franklins. One of my projects. I love having a river to document, even though it divides us from Mexico. Divides us?

What I lament is NOT being able to travel to Mexico to do the photo projects I had planned. Yup, I could sneak over, and I have contemplated that for an instant or two, and get shot at or shot dead. The drug cartels give teenagers AK-47s, provide stolen vehicles for them to drive, and tell them to drive around and shoot . . . at anything they want. They usually start with their "enemies," whoever that might be. Then they prey on those driving high end vehicles. Have a loud party in Juarez and these thugs will come to shoot you dead. Why? Why not? In the past few days it was a couple of guys washing their vehicle at a car wash. So if much of the news coming out of Juarez seems to make no sense, this is why.

They like to shoot journalists on purpose (contracts) or to shoot folks with cameras around their necks or in their hands. At age 60 I can't run as fast as I could when I was 19, and they don't allow me to carry my pistol into Mexico to defend myself. Little I could do against a car load or truck load of teenagers with AKs anyway.

My ex-FBI/DEA neighbor who gave me that bit of intell and offers that the goal is to provide a reign of terror in Juarez. Narco terror. That has been accomplished. Police and the Army, many in the pockets of the cartels, are also too busy running around mopping up crime scenes to bother the drug cartel's activities. They rarely catch the henchmen because the retirement benefits for these teenagers is often a well placed .45 slug to the brain when their usefulness is over. That could be weeks or months or days. Easy money; easy early retirement.

Wow, where did that come from? Sorry about that Melissa. Just wanted fellow photogs to know that they better be in the runnng for a Pulitzer or an experienced combat photog if they want to cross the border to take some photos. And I am pissed beyond belief that I can't visit a country I have come to love over the years. A country FULL of photography projects.

Shan

[mmuhlenkamp]

I hear you Shan. Juarez was never exactly "safe", but it's just beyond ridiculous now. I don't even hear much about it here unless my mom tells me the news in EP. We loved taking trips over there to go out to eat and see shows, shop and haggle, get sold crappy trinkets on the bridge. It also worries me that all those dangers are going to spill over into El Paso and hurt my parents or friends. It saddens me that we'll expend all this energy to quell a terror thousands of miles away, but it seems that the government doesn't do a whole lot to help ease the dangers just south of the border.

Stay safe over there.

[Shanty]

Hank -- now I'm not going to say a drunk couldn't get on and head the wrong way on I-10. With drunks all things are possible. That's why we call 'em drunks. But it isn't easy. That's also why we call 'em drunks.

Time to head to Home Depot. Have a project to finish for the wife before Thanksgiving visitors arrive. That's the downside of being retired. No excuses other than one I often offer up, "I have a photo project to complete while the light is just right."

And I won't be able to add long winded diatribes to this forum for an hour or three.

Shan

[Shanty]

Ditto, Melissa. The food was great at prices that were, well, wonderful. That's where we always took out of town and out of state or out of country visitors. No mas!

Don't worry about your family. They are safe in El Paso. Really!

Gotta go.

Shan

[davidlc]

Welcome from north of you in Lubbock or I guess northeast.

[Ahh!]

Welcome from Frisco! I'll have to stop by that way some day and avoid getting sand in my camera, too.

[Shanty]

The issue with sand hits us hardest in late February through early April. That's when the sands from New Mexico--to my west--blow through at 50 mph. Of course, there is ALWAYS sand here, you just have to know when to stay indoors and organize photos. Right now there is little worry, and I am ready to do my December street photography in downtown El Paso and around the little village in which I live--Canutillo. Of course, thanks for the welcome! I am always glad to have visiting photogs here, especially if you are heading to White Sands. E-mail me and we can meet in El Paso or Alamogordo.