Top Photos Of 2012 (July)

Over the next few days I will be featuring my top Instagram photos of 2012.

Here are my top picks for July.

I posted this during Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.   This fake stuffed shark was on the wall in a gift shop at a water park. When I posted this I included some fun facts about the movie Jaws. See Below...


~Man Eater~ In the movie Jaws: The mechanical shark spent most of the movie broken-down, and was unavailable for certain shots. This led Steven Spielberg to use the camera as the "shark", and film from the shark's point of view. Many think this added to the "chilling/haunting" quality in the final release saying that it would have made it too "cheesy" had they shown the shark as much as originally planned.When composer John Williams originally played the score for Steven Spielberg, Spielberg laughed and said, "That's funny, John, really. But what did you really have in mind for the theme of "Jaws"?" Spielberg later stated that without Williams's score, the movie would only have been half as successful.According to writer Carl Gottlieb, the line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was not scripted but improvised by Roy Scheider.This was the first time that Martha's Vineyard was used as a location for a feature film.

Top Photos Of 2012 (June)

Over the next few days I will be featuring my top Instagram photos of 2012.

Here are my top picks for June.

This isn't an award winning collage of photos but this represents some of the great fun we had going to Six Flags this summer.  On this particular night, my wife and I had a night out alone with out the kiddos. This way we could actually ride coasters together. It was a blast. 

CLICK HERE to see my entire Instagram feed.

Top Photos Of 2012 (May)

Over the next few days I will be featuring my top Instagram photos of 2012.

Here are my top picks for May.

While growing up, there was an elderly man and woman I'd see driving slowly around town in their dark green 60's model car. In the back seat sat their middle aged daughter who had down-syndrome. She'd look at us kids with a blank emotionless glare as the car passed by. The family of three lived in this house that sat just a stones throw from my childhood home. I always wondered what it must have looked like inside those walls. What the daughter did all day, where she sat to watch tv.... I've known that the house has set empty for a couple of decades now, but because of my recent interest in abandoned structures, I remembered it. While in my hometown today, I parked my truck and slowly made my way along the overgrown sidewalk and into the front door, or what remained of it anyway. Typically when we're touring an abandoned home, we don't know anything about the history. The most eerie feeling came over me while standing inside the home because of the mental snapshot in my head. An image of the mysterious family who once lived in this now dilapidated, lifeless, wooden skeleton.

• candice_payneWooooowwow! If it ever happens and by chance we all hook up for an urbex venture... This place would be lovely 😍32w
• jaketxphotog@traviszatopek @runnergirlpix@brandibug6 yea I normally don't go into much detail but I wanted to tell yall this #backstory. @candicepayne32w
• brandibug6I like detail.32w
• dusty_saddleGreat story to go with your pic!!👏🌟🌟🌟32w
• trishlovesquiltsSad and good all at the same time :()32w
• txsharonaGreat story Jake. Thanks for sharing32w
• patrickdevineAmazing. Glad you had this opportunity32w
• mzninjaThanks for sharing!32w
• omarfloresNice!! Gave me chills!32w
• jaketxphotog@omarflores @patrickdevine@txsharona @trishlovesquilts@dusty_saddle I can still see her face. As a young child things like that really stick with you.32w
• kellirhOh wow! That's crazy! Any idea where the family is now?32w
• raggedyanyaWow. Love the pic and the words that accompany it.32w
• itisjoyCreeeppppy32w
• jaketxphotog@kellirh I don't. The patents were very old when I was young. So I imagine they've passed32w
• chattiepattieFantastic shot and backstory, Jake.32w
• minnerphotographyAmazing and thanks for the background32w
• mkp1107crazy weird! interesting!32w
• mimiwingsGreat shot & so cool to know a bit of the history. I can just imagine the eerie feeling of being inside after so many years. Love it!32w
• brandistowersAwesome!!! I always wonder what happened to these families that would make them just up and leave their house and their stuff inside! Thanks for sharing!32w
• doc_s_mediaWow.. Great shot and the history shared. Thank you32w
• troynickGreat story, keep them coming!32w
• robertx_txCool story.32w
• kellciblakeAmazing.32w
• spoospaWhat a story!32w
• jerry1011Wow crazy man...32w
• raeraebabyOh wow, what a story. Thank you for adding the backstory. Made me love this that much more.32w
• pixtlyour eyes and heart reach so far😍32w
• marmylaydeLove the backstory jake! Gave me goosebumps!32w
• sb1lainyWow, interesting! I too am interested in abandoned buildings but haven't ventured in one yet! Keep hoping I will find another photographer with similar interest so I won't have to go alone. I love to look at these places and wonder what the history is behind it. Great shot!28w
• jaketxphotog@sb1lainy so glad you enjoy this also. Good luck.28w

CLICK HERE to see my entire Instagram feed.

Top Photos Of 2012 (April)

Over the next few days I will be featuring my top Instagram photos of 2012.

Here are my top picks for April.

While leaving a senior session north of Aledo, Texas, I spotted this amazing tree in the distance. To date, it's my all time favorite image I've taken. 

I'm proud to know this great group of photographers. In May of 2011 a friend and I organized a photo walk where we invited other enthusiastic photographers to show up and take photos. This particular walk was unique because we toured The Ballpark. Over 40 instagramers showed up to shoot this great place. You can view all the photos from that photo walk through Instagram by using hash tag #FWPW9

This was an amazing find in an abandoned school in North Texas.  Obviously the music room....

This is an abandoned school we found in Dennis, Texas. We were in awe of this beautiful place.

While on a road trips with my friends, we would stop and meddle around old abandoned houses. Most of these houses still had remnants of the lives that once occupied them.