tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136440382008-07-03T22:29:43.631-05:00Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-22451380316734655842008-07-03T09:04:00.004-05:002008-07-03T22:29:36.128-05:00

A little more than 30 years ago, my mom and dad brought our whole gang to Enchanted Rock between Fredericksburg and Llano, Texas to climb the granite outcropping. Now, all of these years later, here I am with my kids climbing to the top once again.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-75019978048130155342008-07-02T21:43:00.005-05:002008-07-02T23:59:49.208-05:00

I love getting out during this time of the summer in order to catch a glimpse of whitetails in their summer coats and velvet antlers. I saw this guy yesterday as he milled around in a grass field in the great light just before sunset.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-49816286061232120032008-07-01T09:03:00.004-05:002008-07-01T12:16:11.274-05:00

If you look at the first page you see when you go to www.russellgraves.com, that's perhaps where you'll see the most changes. Instead of simply a portal page that you jump off of to explore other parts of the site, the entry page is now a snapshot of what you can expect to find in the rest of the site. By popular demand, you'll find a prominent slide show of images that rotate continually. In

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-6167204935084254232008-06-30T08:56:00.000-05:002008-06-30T08:56:00.434-05:00

If you'll notice I haven't been blogging much lately - largely in part to the massive June 15th wind and hail storm we had here in Childress. The storm dumped a bunch of hail on town as well as winds in excess of 90 miles per hour. My house, while it fared better than most, suffered roof damage and my backyard fence was blown down. For a while, life here in Childress was surreal

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-32840147154590249012008-06-30T08:52:00.000-05:002008-06-30T08:52:23.348-05:00

One of the cool things about the new site design is the rustic look. I think it compliments the spirit of the website by matching the design with the content. In fact, one of the big changes is now the design is carried throughout every page of the site and adds a bit of continuity and familiarity to every page you view.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-40672008738060491632008-06-29T09:02:00.005-05:002008-06-29T22:47:08.497-05:00

If you are reading this posting you’ve probably noticed that the site has a new look. Thanks to Jason Thompson of Cedar Hills Media and Marketing, he took russellgraves.com to a brand new level. If you need a website, you can't go wrong with Jason because: a. he understands the outdoors b. he understands the outdoor marketplace c. he knows web design and can creatively deliver a knockout

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-54941484052724120692008-06-04T15:57:00.003-05:002008-06-04T17:13:38.942-05:00

This past weekend, me and the family traveled to far West Texas to once again experience one of the crown jewels in Texas - Balmorhea State Park. Balmorhea is an oasis in the desert. Where San Solomon Springs bubble from beneath the rocks, the Civilian Conservation Corp built a pool around the springs back in the 1930's. This place is so cool as a destination to swim and just hang out in the

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-78174318532521121142008-06-04T12:50:00.004-05:002008-06-04T15:15:26.583-05:00

Yesterday, I was passing through Ropesville, Texas when I spotted a billboard with a familiar photo. When I slowed down to take a look, I noticed it was mine. More times than not, whenever I license an image for a billboard, I never see it. Therefore, it was neat to be able to finally see one of my pictures in action! Original Image

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-91531978139346179862008-06-04T11:58:00.002-05:002008-06-04T12:00:10.061-05:00

From Fort Davis, Texas...

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-25719103947038714962008-05-31T10:58:00.004-05:002008-06-03T22:20:58.165-05:00

It is so cool to roam around the Texas Rolling Plains and see bobwhite perched on a fence post singing for a prospective mate. Over most of their range, the bobwhite quail has either disappeared or their numbers are on the steep decline. However, here in Northwest Texas, they still hang on strong.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-22147937747445886332008-05-30T13:17:00.004-05:002008-05-30T13:36:19.580-05:00

During the last full moon, I traveled over to Medicine Mound, Texas to photograph the cool rock buildings that still stand in the old Hardeman County ghost town. I'd been to Medicine Mound before and have even perused their cool little museum . Therefore, I put it on my list of places I had to photograph at night. Medicine Mound has an interesting history. Here is an excerpt from the

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-3862723453367488352008-05-30T10:34:00.004-05:002008-05-30T13:17:09.799-05:00

I think this is a really cool photo of my buddy Stacy Wellborn and a tag-along horny toad.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-69159855285966752702008-05-25T14:08:00.004-05:002008-05-25T21:00:23.317-05:00

Take a listen to my latest appearance on the Great American Outdoor Trails radio show hosted by Jim Ferguson. This time, Jim and I talk about three important lenses for the field.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-31887394112594972252008-05-19T22:47:00.008-05:002008-05-22T20:09:27.725-05:00

The kids and I had a great time this past weekend. They played in the backyard while I made some delicious mesquite-grilled hamburgers. Although hot in Texas, I love summer and all of the family time that goes along with it.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-34932807336636573882008-05-19T17:20:00.004-05:002008-05-19T20:08:20.529-05:00

Luke has a great show that you have to check out at www.catfishradio.com Here is my latest segment. This time talking about shooting images in difficult lighting situations.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-9090718352484087002008-05-18T00:27:00.005-05:002008-05-19T17:13:20.086-05:00

It's time for another workshop. This time the focus is on wildlife. For more details, check out www.russellgraves.com/wildlifeworkshop.html

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-77094615460380228092008-05-11T21:45:00.000-05:002008-05-11T21:44:52.579-05:00

Spring means the bison rut and there are few things that I've ever witness that can compare to it. The guttural bellows of the big bulls combined with the loud thud of crashing skulls definitely makes my heart race. There is even a measure of danger. The testosterone charged atmosphere of the prairie makes these guys want to fight just about everything close by.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-86293033727292661702008-05-11T21:32:00.002-05:002008-05-11T21:45:27.709-05:00

Even prairie dogs love their mothers.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-7869748848879414852008-05-09T09:48:00.004-05:002008-05-09T10:19:06.990-05:00

I am not a big birder but each year, I am amazed at the number of grassland birds that are around here. This morning, I saw a first for me out here - a red-headed woodpecker. In addition to the woodpeacker, I did see some other cool stuff. It's impressive how in an area nearly devoid of big, mature trees, that these birds are cunning enough to make a living in a place that can be tough on both

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-19354078116016263602008-05-05T15:17:00.003-05:002008-05-05T15:27:00.860-05:00

Check out www.russellgraves.com/may08.html for all of the details.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-25384237432639791332008-05-04T21:40:00.003-05:002008-05-04T21:52:52.491-05:00

You know, I have seen turkeys do a lot of stuff. However, this past week, I watched half a dozen hens stop by a small earthen depression, and dust themselves. It was so cool to watch.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-21938951771790753032008-04-20T20:41:00.005-05:002008-04-21T20:31:12.174-05:00

April brings a new season for the popular Hunt Junkies web series. This time, you'll hear a new theme song... Thanks to the incredible talents of singer/songwriter Shane Jennings of Abilene, he came up with a fabulous bluesy number complete with the slide guitar. Aside from being a talented musician, Shane is also an avid hunter and a heck of a photographer. I hope you like this episode.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-53342871417080880002008-04-20T20:27:00.004-05:002008-04-20T20:42:29.061-05:00

I tried to shoot some turkey pictures this weekend but they came in behind my blind. Working fast, I tried my best to make lemonade out of lemons.

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-49153232807863956302008-04-13T16:39:00.015-05:002008-04-14T07:02:55.072-05:00

I've started experimenting a bit with multimedia storytelling and so far, I like what I'm discovering. This presentation involves marrying traditional photographs, audio interviews, ambient sounds, and music so that the subject takes on a new life. Think of National Public Radio's All Things Considered program but with pictures.. The thing I never liked about video is that too many things are

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13644038.post-33766133070099057922008-04-06T22:22:00.006-05:002008-04-07T21:34:06.615-05:00

This past weekend, my brother Bubba and I headed out again to do what we do best - hang out with each other. We spent the weekend hunting turkeys in the Texas Panhandle and made a video, pictures, and plenty more memories. I love turkey season...

Russell Gravesnoreply@blogger.com