It's His Birthday!

A year ago. Where has it gone?

That morning my daughter called,

saying "This is That Phone Call, Mom."

Mark and I started getting packed and headed out the door.

We made the 5 hour drive to Illinois to the hospital,

in time to be there when Garrett was born.

I can not put into words what it was really like, but 

this photo, taken the morning after, is filled with the light we felt in our hearts.

I took this at my brother's home where we stayed a couple days,

waiting for Garrett's homecoming, and so enjoying the gracious 

hospitality of Todd and Marcia.

 Being good is boring. 

I don't think I need the bib to tell me that.

I think his daddy is teaching him that already...surely his

Grandma Deb would never tell him such a thing.

Just look at those eyes!

Happy Birthday, Garrett!

 

Color and surprise

Friday afternoon, after a rain, the sun came out and I noticed how beautiful the sedum

is in our yard. 

Close to the sedum I notice rain drips clinging to a spider web, not noticing the spider right away. I kept snapping away, getting a little closer. Then Mr. Spider decided to move in my direction very quickly... I should have saved that blurred image. You would have a better sense of how fast I moved. 

Have a fabulous Monday!

Changes

       Fall is here. It's a gray, rainy, chilly day here, but I did not want to share images of gray, rainy, or chilly. I chose this image...and it does contain water, just not rain. We were able to share this beautiful sunset with dear friends up at Lakeside in August. I like the texture of the churning, wind tossed water beneath the glow of the sun and the colors reflected on the clouds.

       Today we greet the fall and say goodbye to summer. That day we were saying goodbye to a sunny summer day and greeting the evening, and the moonlight and stars. There is that constant cycle of change, day by day, season after season, even one breath coming in and going out.

       For me the more important part of taking this photo that evening was that we were with friends. The richest blessings in life come from the relationships we have with those we love. No matter the changes that come, we can count on friends to see us through.  

       Recently a couple of my online friends have said this in such beautiful ways and I want to share their words with you.  Georgia speaks deeply about friendship on her blog "It's Just How I See Things", and you can read her post by clicking here.   Jennifer writes on her blog "Giggling In The Rain" about "Connecting", which you can find by clicking here. 

       What about you? I know that some of you who stop by here have been through many different kinds of change, challenges, good times and tough times. Whoever those people are who you have turned to, or have shared the good and bad with, celebrate those relationships. And if you are so inclined maybe share a bit of that story with us here.

        Have a great weekend!

The Cats - An Update

Rossfeld visited the vet yesterday.

He's a healthy little dude, about 6 months old, 

according to the vet. Had his shots and 

some tests and was given an overall 

good report. 

He is adapting very well to life at the Tisch's.

This look on his face says it all.

"Please get this pose, I think it shows my best side."

Yeller is adjusting.

Being aloof, more mature, level headed, but kind of ticked,

all at the same time.

He has to share his domain now.

There have been some funny moments of

Rossfeld trying to jump onto the back of Yeller, and

then that sideways - hair raised - arched back

kind of "oh, let's play!" romping around. 

I have not yet been able to catch that on my camera.

The good news? The cats have agreed to let us stay.

Parade

At the beginning of the Allen County Fair

there is a parade through downtown. 

We stopped to watch a bit of it last month.

I took a few images with my LG phone camera.

I have experimented with some post processing this evening,

and quite like the results. 

When this band marched by I was impressed that their 

band uniforms really look a lot like what I wore...back in the day.

People were watching from store fronts, and 

sitting along the curb. 

  This little girl was holding two balloons

and watching the parade. I edited this one quite a bit,

making it look like an oil painting. 

 The colors of these old buildings are enhanced by more post processing.

These were near where we watched the parade.

My preference is for photos that are straight out of the camera (SOOC), but this

was fun, trying different ways to enhance these images.  They kind of have 

a surreal look to them, don't you think?

Hope you are all having a great start to your week!

 

Pulling It All Together

After four weeks in this photography course I know that something has changed in me. I can't say if I have truly "found my eye" yet because I can't put it into words.  What I can do is tell you the highlights of what I have learned, what I have noticed.


Photography has become my art form. No longer do I just shoot lots of images at events or family gatherings just because I own a camera. The "why" of taking photos is changed. I do this for me. 


Slowing down, looking at a subject carefully, letting it "speak" to me in it's own way. That is what I have learned that has impacted me most. This may sound silly but it is as though I needed someone to give me permission to do that. (Thanks, Kat.)  Exploring a subject thoughtfully and intentionally has lead to some really fun moments with the camera.


A couple of days ago I went to the park and studied this old picnic shelter with its great stone columns and arches.  After taking at least 50 images of this shelter I saw the sun light on the floor. The shadow created by the arch and the stone structure in front of me just really got my attention. But it's through that open arch...that doorway to another place...that my eye was drawn. Leading me beyond.


And I think that says volumes about what I have gained from this class. Moving out of my comfort zone, doing new things, thinking critically about the whole process, then writing it down and sharing it through intuitive photo journaling are just a few of the highlights of what I have learned. I'm still standing there in that shelter, but through my lens I can see that there is so much more to explore.


There will be another part to this course starting in mid October. Meanwhile I'll keep sharing my little bit of the world with you here.  Thanks for stopping by!


(To learn more about these photography courses click this.)

Change of Season

Just saying hello to all of you this morning.

And sharing a photo from my morning walk in the park.

The colorful leaves, heralding the coming of fall and the close of summer,

reflected in this pond at our city park.

Have a beautiful day!

 

What About Trends?

How do trends influence my photography? I found this to be one of the toughest questions/assignments in the Find Your Eye Course. After about three days of thinking and searching, some insight has finally come.   

I take note of trends in lots of areas of life, but I'm usually the "last one on the block" to try them.  Wait a while, sit back and observe, see where this trend goes...that's usually what I do. Examples abound in my personal life that support this.  Once upon a time I thought layered hair cuts would never do for me.  Now my hair is cut in layers.  Flat panel televisions that could be mounted on the wall seemed like something I could live without, but last year we acquired one. Cell phones with  cameras were definitely not something I could imagine using a few years ago, but now not only do I take an occasional photo on my LG phone ... I also text.  


Books on photography appeal to me more than websites by professional photographers. One publication I have is "Digital Photography Master Class" by Tom Ang. A classic coffee table kind of book that we have is "Images of The World" by National Geographic.  I looked at these a lot over the last few days, and did some searching on the web, so that I could define some photographic trends.  

Camera phone or iPhone photography is huge these days. I have done some with my phone but it is not my camera of choice, and purchasing any apps to make it better does not appeal to me. I enjoy seeing what others do with this, but for now I'm still observing.
 
Textures are lovely when applied correctly to the image that can be enhanced by them. My preference is for images of real textures, like the rust on a chain, or peeling paint on a wall. 

Drastically adjusting the colors in an image to make it look surreal seems to be a trend, especially among those who create modern art with their images. I have used a little of this, but nothing drastic. I may increase the saturation of color just a bit or convert an image to black and white. There are a couple other settings that I use occasionally, but rarely do I post those changed images here.  

My preference is for that classic, timeless look. Not fussed with too much. I really like images that look good straight out of the camera.  That's why I chose the image (at the top of this post) from a walk in the woods the other day with my dear friends. Leaves on the path, signaling that change from summer to fall. 

As I did this exercise, thinking about it for a few days, I came to realize that what I reflect in my photography is a mirror of my life. My home, the way I dress, the choices I make...sometimes colorful, sometimes kind of monotone, but authentic. What you see is what you get.

Trends do have influence.  As I continue on this path to learn my own style, I'll continue to observe the trends that are out there and choose what suits my taste....just as everyone else does.

(Written for the Find Your Eye Course by Kat Sloma. Click this to learn more.)
 

Where I Stand

This is where I stand.

On my own front yard,

in a peaceful place, 

surrounded by wonderful neighbors,

friends, acquaintances.

I stand here 

knowing that I am free

to speak my mind,

to assemble without fear of persecution,

to vote however I want to vote.

And my ability to do this

is influenced by so many who

have gone before me,

so many who defend that freedom

even today. 

Yes, I'm free to remember,

and also free to celebrate that life continues to go on.

How are you celebrating your freedom today?

 

One of the dangers of photography....

All I have to say is.....

They didn't teach me this in any of my online photography classes.

Here is what I have learned this week:

If you photograph a cute kitten, 

especially a kitten at the Rossfeld's that really needs a home,

and loves to cuddle and purr and be held...

once you have that image on your 

computer screen it's like that little face keeps looking at you.  

Makes eye contact with you.

Wraps it's little paws around your heart and says,

"Can I please come home with you?

Pretty please?

Yeller will get over it, you'll see.

Please?"

Guess who lives at our house now?

The name will either be Moo or Rossfeld. 

Dents and Imperfections

This old row boat fascinated me.

The dents, the old piece of wood holding the back together, 

the many different colors and scratches of paint on the side.

And the foot prints in the sand from someone who pulled it 

up onto the sand. 

 This crop of the same photo shows the footprint up close.

 The other side of the boat lets you see the wood 

that seems to be holding it together in the back. I wonder why 

it is there, what happened and how long ago?

 This close crop of that other side shows details up close.

I love how the sand is clinging to the side. That is a detail I 

did not see in the initial image or when taking the photo.

It's the dents and imperfections of this old boat that make it beautiful to me. 

We don't have dents like these, but we all have imperfections, things about ourselves that we would just as soon the world did not know about. But isn't all of that part of who we are? Don't the stories behind those bumps in life make us better individuals?  

Linking up with Exploring With A Camera today.

 

A Time for Every Season

For several years as I was growing up our family went camping on weekends in the summer. There are so many fabulous memories from that time - the packing and unloading of camping gear, sleeping in the tent, meals cooked outdoors and tasting better than they ever did at home. Family time, hiking, swimming, fishing, canoeing. I realize more and more just what a gift that time was. 

Many Labor Day weekends were spent at a camp ground, and sometimes that was the last camp out for that season, although there were a few fall camp outs, too. But Labor Day seemed to signal the end of summer and the beginning of fall... just as it does to so many of us even now.

Yesterday we spent several hours at our church picnic, hosted by a wonderful couple at their farm in the country.  I noticed that as the people began to leave, the young children were just hanging on to every moment, not wanting to tear away from the sand, the water, the campfire and the s'mores, the carefree fun of summer. 

I so remember doing that very thing myself.


I took several photos at the picnic, but this one keeps calling to me. Yesterday evening I kept hearing in my mind the words to a song from Fiddler on the Roof, "Sunrise, Sunset". The phrase I heard was "one season following another, laden with happiness and tears..." It's a song sung by the parents of the bride, seeing her with the groom as they exchange vows, and wondering how these children could have grown. Where did the time go?

Where did the summer go?

The seasons move, we live and have our being within those seasons, we change, we grow, we age. We see our children grow into adults, putting away the toys of their youth in exchange for more 'grown up' things.  Yet deep within us all is that little kid that wants to be carefree, playful, not have a care in the world.  How do we honor that need to re-create in this day and age?

I see this canoe pulled to shore, the many footprints created by little and not-so-little feet, the cute blue plastic shovel that created numerous castles in that sand...and I want to remember. I want to recall that for a few hours, seemingly suspended in time, we played on that shore, and paddled in that canoe on still waters. We refreshed our souls with the fellowship of people we have known for years, creating memories, building relationships.


We have ended one season filled with fun and happiness, greeting a new one filled with promise.


(This post is part of the Find Your Eye Course assignment called "Intuitive Photojournaling". We were asked to choose an image and write what comes to mind. This was challenging, but it is also something I really enjoy doing.)

New Light Photo Shoot

The best part of Kat Sloma's online photography course is that she invites you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Most recently she challenged us to take images in a different kind of light than what we normally do. I chose to go with low light images since I often shoot in day light.  To make it more challenging for myself I chose to go to the basement and use only the small amount of available light coming in the windows.  Here are my favorite images showing what I have learned.

My subject became the broom in the basement. (This is where you cue the music from Fantasia with Mickey Mouse playing Merlin, the brooms, and all that water... only my basement is dry.) It was really dim and I use the tripod, trying several different settings.

This little statue is a favorite of mine. I placed it on a stand, in the basement, and used a flashlight to create the light. Once again I used the tripod and took several images, and I like this one best.  

Both of these photos were taken in color and converted to black and white. I have also adjusted the contrast where needed. I don't do a lot of "post processing", but when I do I use Picasa.

Here is what I have learned from this exercise. 

1. I need the tripod. Being able to shoot a clear image in low light (for me) depends on using one.
2. If I take the ISO any higher than 200 or 400 there is too much noise in the images. (Think graininess in paper printed images.) My best shots were with an ISO of 100.
3. While setting the camera in aperture priority mode works well most of the time I think manual mode may work even better.  Sometimes in aperture priority mode my images did not look at all like low light images... and what is the point of that? If the light is low I want my images to look like it at least somewhat.
4. Focusing in low light can be difficult even in auto focus depending on how low the light really is. At times I was able to use manual focus to ensure a good crisp image.
5. I came away from this feeling much more confident about low light photography, whether it be night time or any situation calling for longer exposure time.