Blog Archives
Merry Christmas!
May your blessings be many this Christmas and throughout the new year.
Merry Christmas!
The Best Camera
They say the best camera is the one you have with you. For me, that is my iPhone camera. I’ve gotten some amazing shots with it, and I’ve also produced some real duds. But without it, I’d have not captured one of those shots. For that reason, I always want to have the best camera app and know how best to get a good shot. I like Camera+, but there are many other worthy camera apps, and the one that comes with the phone is fine, too.
This video was produced by B&H Photo and includes some very good and practical tips for those of you who want to do more than take a picture of where you parked your car so you can find it after Christmas shopping.
Thanksgiving Day, 2013
I’ve read that on this Thanksgiving, we ought to be thankful for our many blessings. This, of course, is true. Our blessings are many, and today we should be thankful.
Harder to remember is that those same blessings exist every day of the year.
I don’t plan to post each day, those things I’m thankful for, although that is an excellent exercise. It does keep gratitude in mind when a busy and stressful day tends to beat it down. But this day I will spend considering my many blessings and how I will work to keep them foremost in my heart and mind all year.
A few things for which I’m thankful—
- Family that I love, without whom I really would be nothing.
- Friends who are my life’s family. They keep me centered, entertained, included, and loved. And I love them.
- My pups who make me laugh, cry, fall, cuss, and be responsible when I might otherwise not be. I love them so much.
- Education that has awakened my mind to its strength and piqued my imagination to possibilities still available.
- A job that I love that allows me to be creative and continue to learn.
- Interests that keep me entertained and creative.
- Humor and lots of belly laughs!
- Health that allows me to enjoy and be thankful for ALL my blessings.
What things are you thankful for today? Every day?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Thankful for Beauty in My Life
First Snow
Since going on that Monument hike, I’ve wanted more opportunities to play with what I learned about night photography. Last night, the opportunity finally presented itself when I wasn’t busy with something else.
Here’s one of the first pictures I took. There’s lots of light in the neighborhood but I still needed to leave that shutter open for a while. Most of my shots were from three to six minutes. Three minutes was the least amount of time I needed to produce something usable; six worked best.
Snowy Night, November 22, 2013
I love how the lights turn into stars. I also enjoyed how light played on the snow and fence below. It’s also cool how soft light shines out of the house on the far right. Except for the light on the snow by the fence, the rest I didn’t see until I brought the picture into Lightroom.
Snowy Night, November 22, 2013
When I crawled out at 4am, it was still snowing. There were fewer lights then, but it was already brighter than the night before. In this picture, a streak of light running up the road, is barely visible. It extends from the white garage on the left to just past the house on the right with the star light—and it cuts through the car in the driveway. During the time the shutter was open, a snow plow drove up the road and through the shot. In this long exposure, the light on the vehicle was captured as it went past, but the snow plow doesn’t show up. What fun is that?!
Still Morning, November 23, 2013
At about 5am, I grabbed the camera and wandered out in UGG boots and bathrobe to take a picture of the road in front that winds up the hill. Again, the lights look like stars on sticks and I love that look. It’s clear from the ruts in the snow, traffic wasn’t much slowed last night by the weather and the paper hadn’t yet arrived this morning. It also became clear that I need to get something to protect my lenses while I’m standing in active weather.
Still Morning, November 23, 2013
This was fun. I enjoyed the opportunity for a creative way to end yesterday and begin today. I’m not fond of being cold, but I do love changing seasons and weather. I especially love waking up to the first big snow of the season.
This is a such beautiful place to call home.
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