Warren Paul Harris Photography Blog

Since I don’t sleep much (Karen says I should open up a donut shop) I finally got busy and created the galleries associated with 3 shoots for The Girls and Cars of Texas from October and November 2009.  Simply click on the photos below to get to the individual galleries for Amy Fox, Tracie Fox and Ashley R.

Amy Fox in a 1951 Caddy

Amy Fox was one of the models who responded to a casting call I posted for a Girls and Cars shoot in Fredericksburg in October 2009.  We were headed down there to photograph an extensive private collection of amazing vehicles on a 1000 acre ranch just outside Fredericksburg, Texas.  The collection included a 1951 Rolls Royce Silver Dawn, a Ferrari Dino and a 1955 aqua Chevy Nomad among others.  Amy was great to work with and we got some nice shots with her.

Tracie Fox in the 1955 Chevy Nomad

Since we needed more than one model for this shoot, Amy recommended her sister-in-law Tracie, who was a joy to work with.  We had a great time shooting with her on this trip.  Some of the vehicles had been sitting for so long we simply could not get them to run.  Fortunately I had allowed for this as a possibility and we brought down around 150lbs of studio lighting and battery power for this project so we could light up the inside of the enormous barn where the collection was housed.  This turned out to be very useful and helped to create some dramatic effects.

Ashley and the 1964 Mercury Monterey

Last year. we were out to dinner at Mama Emilias in McKinney, Texas.  Parked outside were two amazing cars.  A bright yellow 1929 Ford and a Roger Rabbit-looking 1947 Ford Panel Truck painted in a silver and purple theme, complete with purple neon ground lighting.  What a cool vehicle!  I just had to have these for the book, and made arrangements with the owner to shoot them one night at a local airport where we could have a controlled environment.  Once again lugging out the full complement of studio lighting, cords and battery power – and a local fitness model / fitness instructor, Ashley Reese, we settled in for the evening to capture these gorgeous cars and this very nicely sculpted model in all their collective glory.  Ashley was a big hit (in her nurse and schoolgirl outfits) with the “locals” and a real treat to work with.  When you visit this gallery you will see why my preference is to shoot in the dark with my own lighting.  The results are very dramatic.

Texas State Fair Ferris Wheel

It’s been a busy week or so, with some projects I’ve been planning for a long time out of the way.  And a couple of opportunities – as well as the occasional detour or two allowing me to add some new images to my galleries.

Top of my list was the Texas State Fair.  We hadn’t been there in 10 years and I wanted a shot of Big Tex for my upcoming book on Texas, so off we went this last Monday night.  The fair was everything we’d remembered, but quieter – the advantage of going on a week night instead of a weekend day.  If you go, be sure to try the fried Peaches and Cream.  Excellent treat.  We elected not to try this years headline item, the Deep Fried Butter, as I’d like not to be going in for an arterial roto-rooter procedure any sooner than necessary.

Additionally, we spent the weekend at our friends’ home on Cedar Creek Lake, which gave me the opportunity to photograph the Gun Barrel City sign (seems the classic old billboard is long gone…) and the Crandall Cotton Gin on the way back (one of our favorite stops when we’re out on the Harley.)  Check it out when you’re down that way.  These images are in the Texas Gallery and one update to the Flora and Fauna Gallery.

The First Balloon of the Day

Arriving before dawn on the last day of the 2009 Balloon Festival, my intention was to shoot the “glow” and launch. Good fortune was with me, as we had a gorgeous ground fog on arrival, which creates a magical effect in low light photography.

The grass was soaking wet from the accumulation of fog droplets and the Dawn Patrol, a small collection of stalwart balloon crews, started to arrive and set up for the Glow.  An enthusiastic crowd of earlybirds greeted the flames and brilliant colors of the glowing, vibrantly-decorated craft in the pre-dawn mist.  I hope you enjoy the 2009 Plano Balloon Festival Gallery as much as I enjoyed creating it.