Social Distancing and Backyard Mini Sessions

What a joy it has been to see my kids during this crazy time of social distancing.  Cap and Gown Photos of my sweet Seniors!  I am so proud of you guys!  Hats off to the class of 2020!


The Not So Nice People at Photobucket

I once loved this company called Photobucket.  I have thousands of images stored there and for many years they were my favorite place to shop for photo gifts, but sometime this past year they decided to ask us to pay $500 per year to have our photos appear on our blogs (third party hosting).  No warnings…they just literally killed so many blogs with one decision.  Now my corner of the world is pretty small but this blog pretty much has recorded my children’s lives for years.  Yet now you see all the horrible squares with Xs on them because of one company’s greed.  There are folks who have travelled all over the world blogging whose blogs now sit in the desert of third party hosting hell.

This amazing shot was from a dance shoot on the beach a few nights ago.

Aren’t they stunning?

Dancers on the Beach


Food Photography

Today in our Digital Photography Class we photographed all kinds of food, goodies and treats.  I had a blast with my class!!

I wanted a place to share with my parents what we did today so here is a small sampling of photos I took!

Master Chef Zach made us all types of pancakes.  I saw skittles, chocolate chips, and an array of strange things being cooked inside pancakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love these guys!!!  They are my extended children!


Winding up for Summer!

Life has been full of end of the year activities.

A football game that ended in a concussion for one of my boys.

A very hurt toe for baby girl.

And several weddings for me.

Today I took my camera out armed with a plastic bag over the lens just to have fun.  I left a small opening in the middle for focusing.  Here’s my setup:

 

asetup1

 

asetup2

Classy, huh?

And here are the fun photos this produced:

The top of a mushroom…

amushroomWM

Our “very fast” guinea pig’s curious nose…

anoseWM

The perch coming out of our bird feeder…

amacrobirdfeederWM

and a closeup of one of those garden balls in my neighbor’s yard…

aballWM

After a busy month is was nice to take a few minutes to play.  Speaking of which, I think I hear the pool calling!  Have a great day!


Therapy Tuesday – San Marco, Florida

Today after dropping the kids off at school I needed to find something to do with myself for an hour or so before an appointment so I grabbed my camera as we headed out the door for school thinking I would go and explore San Marco a bit.  I have shot there a few times for clients but wanted to explore a little more.

I had no idea I was walking into a rest and a peace God had waiting for me.  There was something so serene about shooting for my own pleasure.  I think as photographers we sometimes forget how important that is.  I know I do.  We strive for the perfect shot, great composition and something that will please others.  But today it was all about me.

So here’s a trip to San Marco, Florida for you non-Floridians…

I love this house.   It has quite the story behind it as told to me by a neighbor today.  But seeing how I don’t know if it’s true, nor do I know who lives there, let’s leave it at VERY IN-TER-ES-TING!!! (insert Sesame Street Vampire voice)

Here is a close up.

Hmmmmm.  The texture!  I especially love the entryway.  This is one of the few houses that has fallen into disrepair.  Good bones though.  Good bones.  And from the front stoop you have this view-

Driving a few blocks down the street brought me to this beauty- (I love shooting here).

There is a well in the middle of the park across the street from this house with the most scrumptious brick sidewalk.  I’m still trying to decide if this is one last name or an initial and a last name –

Around the well I found a lone flower with it’s face raised towards Heaven.  Me and that flower, we were on the same page today!!

I drover further down the block, turned a corner and found this beauty.  I’m definitely knocking on this door for my next photo session.  I wanted to park the car and swing for a bit, but I settled on snapping a couple of shots instead.

I love everything about this house, especially the shutters.  LOVE!!!

San Marco is a wonderful place to dream –

And in doing so I discovered another well…..

Here is that same well from across the street –

I watched squirrels play and chase one another over acorns which are still green here!  EVERYTHING is green in Florida.  Can you find the squirrel?

I stopped for a bit of history…

And I found this sweet “fortress” for sale for a cool five million boasting 12,000 sq ft and 8 full baths!

Next was this sweet one car bridge over the canal.  I could just imagine the clomping of horses hooves as I walked across it…

This was my view from the bridge and between the concrete pillars.  While down on the ground trying to remain inconspicuous I found a bit of spanish moss beginning to grow.  It’s everywhere here, especially near the water.

Oh the colors!!!

I ended up here:

Which was really the oddest little spot.  One circle around this giant acorn (ICE AGE) and three parking spaces in a semi-cul-de-sac!  Yet, it is called Celebration Park.  Not quite a park.

However, this made me giggle.  I wish I had gotten the entire shark fin on top.  It was really cute and situated right by the river.

This was the sewer cover near the “park”.  Quite historical looking I thought.

As I looked out over the water I wondered what this woman was reading and what life is like living on the river.  A client told me that manatees often migrate through here.  I want to pet a manatee.  There is a serenity about San Marco because you can see the hustle and bustle of the city that is right across the bridge yet San Marco itself is remarkably quiet and quaint.

I loved all the textures and sounds.  I watched the mailman walking door to door delivering mail like we once had when we lived in Hopkinsville, KY.  I remember how I loved hearing the slot open and the mail drop onto the hardwood floors of our house.  I stood by one of the wells as grandparents left from visiting grandkids and listened as the recycle truck drove through dumping rectangular blue bins of paper and plastic.  I saw a man sitting on a bench.  I wanted to take his photo (like HONY – Facebook:  Humans of New York:  just a side note, if you do not follow them on Facebook it’s a FB must!  I think he’s my hero.  If you find his story and how HONY began it’s a good ‘un), but I digress.  I chickened out.  Several men were fishing.  The lady walking her dog told me about the first house you saw and it’s strange criminal history that made me want to knock on the door.  Maybe I will one of these days.

I got to experience life today just a little removed from it, as if I had taken one step back.  I observed other people’s lives in a remarkable hour of worship, thankfulness and quiet.  I had no idea my soul had been so restless until I felt the Hand of God usher me into this rest today.  I shot until my battery died.  No worries about smiles or closed eyes or blinks.  Just me, God and a cool Florida morning with shorts and a sweatshirt.

I was a happy and better person after being here today.

Thanks San Marco!  I will visit you again soon!

 

 

 


Fall and Holiday Photos

Holiday FlyerWEB


Stopping in…

…to say hello! (notice anything wrong here?   Hint:  the four in the back were once ALL different heights!)

Life has been crazy since summer break began.  The day my second born got out of school we high-tailed it to Atlantic Beach, NC to vacation with my family.  We were escorted all the way up the east coast by Tropical Storm Andrea.  Literally, we were in the middle of the storm the entire 10 hour ride from Florida to North Carolina.

I packed the car in between bands of rain and wind as Rocketman worked hard to get out of the office early so we could begin our journey.  With our car top carrier firmly in place and my excellent duct tape job (so rain would not penetrate our belongings) we headed 10 hours north to be at the beach (which we live 10 minutes away from in FL).  Yea, it’s a little crazy, but I grew up going to the beach at Atlantic Beach, NC.  It’s home as far as vacation is concerned.

Saturday we awakened to a sea churning from the storm and a Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament waiting to get underway.  I love it when our trip coincides with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.  There was some rocky fishing all week at the wind churned the ocean like toilet water.

What a perfect time for Boys vs Ocean!

While dad takes baby girl out into the sea!

Finally on Friday, out last day, the we had a land breeze which made for excellent swells. It was the most perfect day.  The weather, the ocean, the playing, the sky…all beautifully made for us that day.

Arriving home found us dealing with an unpredictable bike accident and 7 hours in the ER on Saturday afternoon.  My sweet hubbie had quite the collision with a car door on his bicycle.  After multiple CAT scans and X-rays we were released with lots of “feel-good” meds and sent home.  He has recovered remarkably well and is working in Omaha this week.  Men!  They are like the Energizer bunny!

Then came the arrival of my good friend, Kathy, from SC.  She’s here with me now.  We’ve slept, cooked, shopped a little, slept some more and had a grand ole time doing nothing.  Friday we leave for the IMG Acadamy 7 on 7 Tournament with teams from all over the US.  My oldest is playing in the tournament and I’m photographing the event.  I can’t wait!!

I’m staring down the barrel of JULY and then another school year.  I vote for 5 months of summer instead of 2 and a half.

Who agrees?

If you are interested in a tear-jerker head on over to Scooper’s blog for her amazing 40th Birthday story…..She’s just the best!  I love you girl!

Until after Tampa and lots of football photos…….here’s my precious baby girl turning into a woman right before my eyes.  Sigh…….


Look what I just got!

By this spectacular artist:


Burrowing Owls

When I have on my photography hat I stalk the pages of UglyHedgehog.com

It’s an amazing site where you can learn more about photography, ask questions, have your photography critiqued among other cool things.

I ran across these photos while perusing their site one day and thought them remarkable.  They were taken by Bill Grabinski.  He was kind enough to give me permission to use them here to show you guys!

I have a fondness for owls.  I find them to be amazing and curious creatures.  I’ve only seen a few in my 47 years so having photos someone actually took, meaning the sweet little owls were still enough for a photo shoot is just inspiring to me.

Burrowing owls by Bill Grabinski

They look so wise!  And in this photo look so mad especially the one on the bottom.

Burrowing owls by Bill Grabinski

I like the way the one on the right looks a bit curious now.  “Hey dude, what are you doing with that black thing in your hand?”

And the one on the left is still just mad at the world!!!  They seriously crack me up!

Thanks for indulging me this morning!  Go Owls!!  (and thanks Bill Grabinski for the beautiful shots)


Copper River Bags Giveaway

Pure Photoshop Actions is giving away one of Copper River Bags mostest wonderfulest (yes, I meant to say that) bag!  If you have gear and you need a bag these are wonderful!  Click on over and check them out!!  I tried to get you a photo of the bag but it didn’t work.  Happy looking!


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