Race and Walk Event to Raise Money for Cancer Research and more...Buddys Race

These dogs were friendly walkers at the Buddy's Race Against Cancer in 2012. 

 Two nice dogs walking with their caretakers.

 A few of the lead runners who have just finished the 5k race in 2012

The bridge near the Sunsphere tower from the 1982 Worlds Fair was the staging area for walkers in the 2012 Buddy's Race Against Cancer.  Speedy runners were placed at the front of the pack, to the left and out of view of this photograph. We will be participants again this year.

Ladies in the restroom line at the on-site Holiday Inn of Worlds Fair Park and location of Buddy's Race Against Cancer in 2023. In comparison, men had little if any wait.

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Why Do We Do Buddy's Race Every Year..The story below shows why we started.  Now the event is an expected part of our lives every fall.  



We have been part of the fall event since a brother went through treatment and was finally healed by God of metastasized melanoma several years ago.  He was treated at one of the best facilities in the USA, M.D Anderson in Houston.  In the end, after the final surgery,the doctors came to the waiting room and essentially said, "We are sorry he had to go through this surgery. We  were in there and there absolutely was no cancer there, regardless of what the testing a few days before had shown". We consider it a miracle from God, prayers and anointing a few days prior combined with the brother feeling that he was going to pass on and what he really wanted was a clean soul when he met his Creator.  A miracle it was in the final event.  Melanoma internalized is a definite killer but was not the winner in this case.  After that, we have been part of the Buddy's Race Against Cancer every year.

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If my feet cooperate, I will be in the race with my wife.  If not, I will be an independent event photographer for my point of view of the happenings and the people.

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With so many similar events including the emphasis on 

breast cancer research,  events like Buddy's Race should not be neglected. The turnout is in the thousands and just being there raises the spirits of the hurting and touches the warm hearts of the others present. The link at the top sentence in this blog provides a link to official race information.

See us in Craigslist here: Knoxville Craigslist

Tell Us..Do You Want Pet and Animal Photography? Please Comment or Email

DO YOU WANT PET AND ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY

 to be a larger part of Thomas Haynes Photography?

We are thinking seriously of going more into the pet and animal direction but in this economy, change is risky even if seen as needed...and advertising is costly. PLEASE EMAIL OR COMMENT TO THIS POST AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. If you comment and want it private, say so and it will stay private, guaranteed from our end.  Sure, if you want to talk over doing some really nice photos of your animals with you or your family, get with us by email and we will get right back. We work out of Clinton in the greater Knoxville, Tennessee area.

As with that and other business photography work, we will move the business content of our work to the commercial sister site of Thomas Haynes Photography:  Thomas Haynes Photoshoot

The following images are from personal shots, not purchased or sold.These are not portfilio images and are here to get you attention..and we think they do deserve a look. Photos for clients are discussed beforehand so we get  photos closest to everyday life in the relationships with your animals or pets.

 Dogs ready for a 5k at Buddy's Race Against Cancer, fall 2012,Thomas Haynes Photography

 Two high class mules at blue grass festival,thomas haynes photo. They won at mule showings.

 Bernnie, local male cat, Thoms Haynes photo

Molly, wonderful  girl kittie, passed at age 4, too, too young. Thoms Haynes photo

We have done family and pet photography in natural settings of animals with the people, life for them as it is and not staged.  This has been well received but do we need to advertise this part of the business?  Not everyone is willing to have professional photos done of their animals...and the animals interacting with them as a family activity, which it is.   This is photography for the person who truly wants more than they can photograph with the cell phone or point and shoot camera. And, these clients love their animals, whether cats, dogs, horses or more exotic creations.

More often than these sample photos show, the critters are in action doing what they love to do.  It is not easy photography but is a part of this work we love doing.

We need feedback on this one.  Please EMAIL OR COMMENT!    We will move this as with other business interest to the sister blog, ThomasHaynesPhotoshoot but published these thoughts here first for you to consider and let us know.  

Thanks so much for what you might have to say.

Gettysburg...reenactment of an horrendous Civil War Battle:Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863 Introduction..more to come.

Reenactment of the final event called Pickett's Charge

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 To see even in reeactment the horrendous slaughter in the infamous Pickett's Charge

was heart rending. Overall, the reenactment can bring the spirit closer to 

those events of July, 1863.  It was for us an educational and emotional, heart

tugging event...because 150 years ago it all was real and men were

 becoming calualties in huge numbers. Actually, perhaps
 not so ill planned as some believe, many factors
 contributed to the defeat of
 Lee's army in the battle.

It is estimated between 46,000 and 53,000 were casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Played out on the farmland and low hills surrounding Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the actual battle could not possibly be replayed for the sake of history on those hallowed grounds.  The actual battlefield areas provide a memorable driving tour with many markers in memory of soldiers from several states.  During the reenactment dates is not a good time to tour the battlefield simply because it is too, too crowded and parking at the visitors center is best skipped and a shuttle taken from town.  A few days after the reenactment, parking is easy.

The large fields provided better scale to the Gettysburg 150th reenactment.

If not on the battlefield, where is the reenactment done?  Local farms have provided the land, room enough for several thousand reenactors, somewhere betweeen 12,000 and 16,000 are numbers posted here and there.  A definite number will be found and this blog post revised as need be for accuracy. We stayed from Tuesday through Monday morning, July 2-8.   The reenactment played out July 4-7, one day added so an additional battle could be played out with the climatic conclusion of the long and devestating Confederate charge now known as Pickett's Charge.  

 We counted over 100 cannon at the  Gettysburg battle event

As more time is given to writing and editing of a multitude of photographs, this post will expand and will eventually become a page so all will be kept in order, not the last to first pattern of blog posts. (A blog page is an article with a permanent link just below the header of the blog site. You will see tabs for pages at the top.)

The days were quite hot and all ended as it did in 1863...the rains came down right after the last shot.

More to come...check back.  Comments appreciated. Guest blogger will be considered.

Close Up Pictures: Titmice, Chickadees, Finches, Red Bellied Woodpecker

My opinion changed radically when I actually knew what I was talking about.  Humm..ever happened to you?  Years ago I appreciated bird photos but felt like “bird feeder photography” was like cheating.   I espoused photos of nature taken in the wild…yes, that was the real stuff.

Titmouse Dancing With the Stars...

Then I got good cameras and lenses and found that taking good in the field bird shots meant patience, good weather, good lighting and a truly cumbersome combination of circumstances coming together at the right time while I was there and alert  in a place harboring wildlife.  In other words, if you want to do that, get used to what it takes and treasure the fine “in the wild” photos you actually have.  Taking bird photos while they were closer at hand and yes, eating, was gaining appeal.  What is  good about these photos? First of all, it is a good way to fill photo time when going some miles to find the critters is not feasible.  Next,  these are fun to shoot and do provide a good look at the local birds.  These tiny creatures are definitely not easy to photograph and to have good close-ups is worth it.  Take a look and see what you think.

Seeing more than I would if I was a believer in Naturalism...

Instead of believing nature is nature and that is all there is, no supernatural, no creator, I choose to believe in Creator, the God who did bring all this into being.  Should I be one to care for the earth and its contents, living and otherwise?  Should I honestly believe when that God said this through David in the Psalms, that He meant it? 

Psalms 8, a psalm of David
³ When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Certainly other bible verses tell of mankind having dominion on the earth and over its creatures and a responsibility given with that position. It tells me,  even if we might not be able to catch them, the least we can do is care for them  and should not catch them in the first place, not without a truly valid reason...do not destroy them or our planet and its living things! Doesn't it make sense that a person who believes in this Creator God should respect and care for the earth.  Oh my, that is much responsibility and where to act and when not to act are tough questions to answer.  However, one who does destroy the earth and practices poor, wasteful and destructive stewardship is in my understanding clearly violating what Creator wants from mankind regarding our home.  Much begins with caring for each other, all created in the image of the Creator.

Now, on with the birds and their favorite and dependable place to find black oil sunflower seed...

A male Purple Finch with a mouthful of seed to shell.

Notice the low stance of the Red Bellied Woodpecker.  This is close to the surrface, just as if on a tree standing very close with tail as a support.  This is a female. The male has more red over the top of the head in the bright cap.

That is it for now...more birds from the photo files will be posted next unless something more pressing to publish comes up . Thanks for looking. Comment or contact as you wish. Contact with the text box and then we can email directly should you have a bird photo you would like to send to see here. (It must be your photo, not the © work of someone else.) God Bless.

Festival Photos in Surreal Edge Enhanced Style

Topaz Labs makes fine plug-ins for Photoshop and other photo editing software.The software used with easy discretion will help produce very nice photography which is realistic, pleasing to the eye and a joy to view. Of course, you must begin with a good photo in the first place.

Going into the more extreme end of the adjustment sliders are results like these, all readily controlled in several aspects of detail, color, clarity, etc. in global or local adjustments.  These images are playthings, surreal views. Considered overdone for normal photo editing, such digital manipulation takes images into a different realm.  As is, the photos enter a form of art and are not expected to be photos as such, more so posters and exaggerated detail, fun for the eye. 

Larger view is much better with these. Click image.

This was a a festival celebrating herbs, emphasis on lavender and everything made from and with it from lavender ice cream to more common but refreshing lavender soaps and lotions, oils and decorative craft work. The amount of foods cooked with lavender is surprising and most certainly taste is dependent on the strength of the herb in the mix...otherwise, it is like eating perfume and that is strange to my taste.   Aromas abounded at the festival in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the crowd was very good for a small city event. 

 Barbeque truck..no lavender in that.