Art by Wade

Shady visions raced through my head These nightmares of ancient forests flooded my thoughts I gaze upon a solitary weathered soul, but my vision is blurred Is he reaching for me, calling me forward Or guiding the way deeper into the dream forest - Dream Forest, Wade Brooks Something a little different to send you off to bed this evening. Cheers, Wade

One thing that has helped me become a better artist (with my camera) is the Photography Scavenger Hunt . This group of wonderful photographers gets together online every couple of months to share their creations from a list of given Hunt words. The Hunt is currently on round 34 and I have participated since round 2 (It’s hard to stop!). I have met many of these scavengers in person, first local folks then later by going to their yearly meetup. Everyone in the group is passionate about photography and willing to share and help newcomers as well as veterans. A very welcoming group and tons of fun! If you are a photographer of any level you can play along. We use all kinds of cameras from our phone shots to pro cameras. All photographers are welcome! This is the sweetest, goofiest, most helpful group of people around. So don't be shy, you know you want to join us. The Famous "Photography Scavenger Hunt" sign-up will be here before you know it! To never miss a thing - click t

I haven't taken any toy car pictures for a while, so here is one of my latest purchases, a Hot Wheels Car Culture 1998 Honda Prelude. I actually remember when I first saw one of these cars in real life, I thought it was a really cool car (at the time). I find it very enjoyable to collect these little gems and relive the past. Cheers, Wade #TheToyCarProject

I was in that quiet place today, you know the place where time doesn't matter. You just feel and see everything around you, but yet are so focused that distractions aren't a distraction. One of the reason I like photography is it allows me to get into that place. I also prefer to shoot photographs alone, because of this need to be in that quiet place (I just realized this). I will, however, join groups of photographers for an outing, but I mostly like to watch and ask questions. I was in this special place twice today, once at work while working on a programming challenge, and then in the garden while I photographed a few flowers (OK, maybe more than a few). The photography walk was interesting as the gardens were busier than normal, but I hardly noticed any of the people. I was so intent on looking for shapes and colors (and light) that I barely noticed. Have you done anything, like photography, that has allowed you to get into the zone where time just flows? Cheers, Wade

For the past 12 years I have taken over 100 photographs at the NC Museum of Art, here in Raleigh, NC. Below is a sampling of a few of my favorite images for this wonderful Museum. You can look at all of my images on Flickr with this link . Cheers, Wade

I've photographed well over 330 toy cars for a project I call The Toy Car Project. I take the images at home with a macro lens and a few small lights. I've started adding figures and other props into the shots. All of my Toy Car images can be found on Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wadebrooks/albums/72157641241477033 I also have some prints for sale on my site here: https://wade-brooks.pixels.com/collections/the+toy+car+project Here are a few of my favorites, but I love a bunch of them, so take a look at the links above.

I have worked at Cree, Inc (makers of LEDs and SiC devices) for the past 24 years. Over that time, I had many roles, mostly software and database development but also IT Manager, Web Master, and Materials Coordinator to name a few. I truly enjoy solving problems and helping people with their data needs. I was laid off from Cree on May 13, 2019 and was given a very generous severance package. Recently, I have started to become restless and have started looking for a new adventure. I'm not in a hurry to land a new career, so I'll be taking my time to find the right place. Cheers, Wade