Assignment: Houston

Weekend Planner 10/30 - 11/01/09

What to do, what to do this weekend.  Here are some places that will have interesting photo opportunities.

Texas Renaissance Festival 

Wings Over Houston

Urban Harvest Farmer's Market Fall Festival

Discovery Green's Scream on the Green

MECA - Day of the Dead Festival

BikeHouston Moonlight Bicycle Ramble

Weekend Planner 10/22-10/25/09

Lots and lots and lots to do this weekend.  Once today's rain clears out it is going to be clear and cool.

Thursday:
October Artful Thursday Artist Talk: Photographer Bohnchang Koo

Saturday Only
Music Fest by the Bay 
Astronomy Day at the George Observatory
(Hey, that's in Brazos Bend and would fit this month's assignment!)
Community Green Fest 

Sunday Only
Fresh Arts: Fresh Fest 
Puerto Rican & Cuban Festival

Saturday & Sunday
Texas Renaissance Festival
Texian Market Days at the George Ranch 
Pet Fest Old Town Spring

Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Sugarland Mediterranean Festival
Ballunar Festival

Spotlight: Brazos Bend

If you haven't been out to Brazos Bend yet for this month's assignment, this weekend looks like another beautiful opportunity.

  

  

Photos by: S. J. Alexander, aggiechristine, P3t3rT, altoups

Weekly Reading 10-20-09

Humble beginnings in street photography
Photocritic.org

10 Nifty, Excellent Excuses for Failing at Photography
Lighting Essentials for Photographers

5 Still Life Lighting Tips for Beginners
Digital Photography School

How to photograph a spider's web
Digital Photography School

Basic Tips for Photographing the Stars
Your Photo Tips

HIWI Website

Our friends at  Houston It's Worth It have a brand new spiffy website and you get to participate.  The new website has several ways you can share your HIWI thoughts.  

Follow the Add your Photo/Story link to the upload form where you can not only upload photographs of the various afflictions, but also share your thoughts on why Houston It's Worth It.  You will also have the option to allow the HIWI staff to consider your photo or story for future publication.

Besides the famous afflictions there is one more category for photo uploads.  The Worth.  Why do you think Houston It's Worth It.  I know people have plenty of photos in this category.

And there is one more way to share your HIWI thoughts.  If you have a Twitter account you can add the hashtag #HIWI to any appropriately related tweet and it will appear on the website.

Lots of ways to show the Houston love.  

Links:
http://www.houstonitsworthit.com/
http://twitter.com/Team_HIWI

Weekend Planner 10/16 - 10/18/09

It's Festival Season!

Festival Roundup
Festa Italiana
Immersed in Ink Tatto & Arts Festival
Brazoria County Fair
Texas Renaissance Festival
South Shore Dockside Food & Wine Festival
Dragon Boat Regatta
Space City Cruisers
Artoberfest
A Night at Market Square
International Festival of Fort Bend
International Quilt Festival

Saturday Meet-Up

We are meeting up this weekend to photograph Brazos Bend and it looks like the weather couldn't be more beautiful. On October 17th at 9:30, we will meet at the big oak tree in front of the Nature Center to touch baby alligators and observe other citizens of the park in aquariums and then visit one of the two most accessible lakes (either 40 Acres or Elm) for a short jaunt around the lake (1-1.5 mile loop). The park rangers are working with our Flickr host, Christine, on organizing our group so please RSVP here so they know how many people are coming. You can also use this thread to find a ride (carpool!) and ask any questions you have. Hope to see you Saturday.

Weekly Reading 10-13-09

Rock Concert Photography - 9 Tips On How To Get The Shot
Digital Photography School

6 Tips for Better Night Photos with a Point and Shoot Camera
Digital Photography School

Have You Insured Your Camera Stuff
Photocritic.org

The Olympics and Creative Commons Photographs
Richard Giles

Trash the Dress at your next Wedding Shoot
Photopreneur

21 Signs You're a Real Photographer Now
Black Star Rising

Photograph the Light not the Land
Digital Photography School

Swamplot Assignments

Want to discover new corners of the city by completing assignments for a super cool website?  No not us, but thank, you we think Assignment: Houston is pretty cool.  No, this assignment group is by our friends at Swamplot.  Swamplot takes a humorous look at real estate news in and around the Houston area and they are starting a new group documentation project.

Here’s how it’ll work: Each week, Swamplot will ask readers to document a particular location in the Houston area. If you’d like to participate, just visit the location, take some terrific photos, and send them in!  ......  Photos of what? You get to choose! We’re just hoping to find an interesting portrait of that location — once we view all the submitted photos together.

The first assignment is the intersection of Kirby and West Alabama.  Photos need to be taken with 500 feet of the intersection.  Can't get to that intersection this week?  No problem!  A new assignment will be announced each Friday.  So break out your camera or even your camera phone and help Swamplot document Houston.

Link: Your Photos Here: Announcing Swamplot's New Group Photo Feature

Weekend Planner 10/9 - 10/11/09

Houstonist Photo Exhibit Reception - Come out tonight to celebrate Houston, all the wonderful things about it and it's wonderful photographers.  Tonight is the opening reception for the Houstonist Photo Show 600 sq mi: Hidden.  Friday. 7-10 p.m. Free.

Festival Roundup:
Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival
Bayou City Arts Festival
Texas Rennaisance Festival
Turkishfest
Fall Back Festival
Firefest
Bayou City Shrimp Festival

Splendid China - Chinese culture comes to life when the Shanghai Dance Company takes the stage at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Splendid China IV on October 9 & 10, 2009.  The company’s highly anticipated Houston debut features all-new dazzling and acrobatic choreography performed by China’s top dancers.

Cool Globes - Coming to Houston this fall, the Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet exhibit will display 50 artistically decorated, super-sized globes that depict simple solutions to global warming and educate individuals and companies about how they can partake in making their city and homes a greener place to live. The free, outdoor public art exhibit opens October 9, 2009 at Houston’s Discovery Green.

GHPA Walking Tour - Explore one of Houston’s earliest industrial districts and a center of urban revitalization efforts during GHPA’s guided architectural walking tour of the Warehouse District. Originally a residential neighborhood, the Warehouse District was transformed into an industrial area becaus Trained volunteers will lead the 90-minute tour starting at the Willow Street Pump Station, 811 N. San Jacinto.   Tickets are $10 per person ($7 for GHPA members and students with valid ID). Children 11 years old and under are admitted free. Tickets go on sale at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, October 11, at the Willow Street Pump Station, 811 N. San Jacinto at Steam Mill Street. Reservations are not required.