A few words and photos from time to time on my life as it unfolds.

See more of my photography at http://royhoveyphotography.com--Click on any photo below to open it...

Friday, April 26, 2013


I only rode a horse once, on a slow walk through the woods in North Shore Lake Tahoe as a teenager on one of those pay-to-ride journeys with a group of folks.  I loved drawing horses when I was a kid, and couldn't wait to move to California from New England so I could work on a ranch.  Back then, we thought California was Hollywood and otherwise millions of miles of ranches - or vineyards.   Ironically, when I arrived in California in 1965, and ever since, horses have mostly been beautiful animals I've admired in far off fields as I drove by them, and little else.  I've rarely even stood next to a horse, nor petted or ever fed one.  

But then I did this photo shoot, on a ranch just a half mile down the street from my house.  I talked to the horses, petted them, fed one grass over the barbed wire fence, and marveled at the young newborn who was so playful but would not get too close.  Perhaps a missed opportunity in life, not having been involved at all with these lovely animals.  Nevertheless, I always loved them in movies, photos, paintings, TV shows, and now have a recent memory of engaging them a bit, albeit with my Nikon J1 camera.  The harsh afternoon light was challenging, but in some ways, rendered my friends in an angelic light.  See also my YouTube four-minute video from my brief shoot-out at this little ranch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPULCXVahj4

the papaROYzzi








Tuesday, April 9, 2013


Some favorite shots from my 3rd shoot over the last few years at the Cantor Museum on Stanford Campus in Palo Alto, CA.  Much Rodin there:   two dedicated rooms within, the life-sized Burghers of Calais in the middle of the campus, and the famous sculpture garden, but oh, so much more art to see there.  I've been to a few museums over the years, and this one remains one of my favorites -- it's free, and it's amazing!

Yes, sculpture is my favorite form of art, and there's plenty of that at Cantor, but there are great rotating photo and painting exhibits to enjoy too.  With a cafeteria within to grab a bite, or the many great restaurants in nearby downtown, this is one of the best day-time outings one can have in the greater San Francisco Bay Area (for non-residents, Palo Alto is halfway between San Francisco and San Jose - a half hour from each, and a charming small city, but with one of the biggest and most noted colleges in the country in Stanford University).

Roy Hovey, the papaROYzzi