My 21 best photos of 2012

Hattie

It's a tough statement to make when you take photographs every single day, but these are the 21 favorite photos (as of this moment) I shot in the year that just ended. I participated in the 365 project on Flickr as well, and these photos were probably all in this larger, daily-photo set.

Hattie was my favorite portrait of the year (see my 100 Strangers project here). She is 88, cares for her blind husband in Granger, Texas, and was dressed up for an outing to the HEB grocery in Taylor when I asked to take her photo.

Newly-hatched cardinals

I had just seen a cardinal mother outside my window leave her nest with a chunk of eggshell in her mouth and knew I had to take this shot of the fresh baby birds. The third, unhatched egg? It's not a cardinal. See the full story in photos of the birds developing here.

My wife and I went to see Tom Petty perform in Austin, Texas, but found ourselves instead mesmerized by the woman interpreting the show for the hearing impaired. Her name is Barbie and she is now my friend on Facebook.

I was looking to shoot some sort of daily photo at sunset when my son took off across this field behind our house. The light was perfect and reminded me of an Andrew Wyeth painting and/or a shot from a recent Terrence Malick film.

Sign language

My Wyeth painting

See my full set of top photos from 2012 here. Happy New Year!

Taylor, Texas, grows up

A friend sent me a photo of Taylor, Texas, taken at some point in the 1950s during the Christmas season. I went downtown and took my own photo of the same block. It's not such a bustling place anymore, the Howard Theater moved across the street, the parking alignment changed and the Christmas decorations are a bit more low key. Otherwise the similarity is striking.

TNT picks up 'Dallas'; to give sneak peek Monday

As predicted, TNT has picked up Dallas to series for a 10-episode shoot to premiere in summer 2012. No confirmation yet of a Dallas shoot in Dallas, but after the city of Dallas' grant to upgrade a warehouse for the show, it looks more than probable.

TNT will give viewers a sneak peek of the show Monday during the season premieres of The Closer at 8 p.m. and Rizzoli & Isles at 9 p.m.

Also a web site is up with more info on the show.


Here's what they said in a press release:

TNT has given the greenlight to Dallas, an all-new series based upon one of the most popular television dramas of all time, about the bitter rivalries and family power struggles within a Texas oil and cattle-ranching dynasty. Famous for its ratings-grabbing cliffhangers, the original series was known for its wealth, seduction, scandal and intrigues. Set in the big state of Texas, TNT’s new Dallas — from Warner Horizon Television — also lives life large and in the fast lane and brings a new generation of stars together with cast members from the original drama series.

The new Dallas stars Josh Henderson (90210), Jesse Metcalfe (John Tucker Must Die), Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious), Julie Gonzalo (Veronica Mars) and Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives), and they will be joined by iconic stars Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing.

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of DALLAS, which is slated to premiere in summer 2012.