Day 38: Moose Crossing

I like these guys! They're nice and predictable. Manual mode, ISO 200; wb sunny; 18-135 mm lens at 20 mm; f/11; exp 1/60. The conversion is with Photo Blast demo from EZActions, through Jessica Sprague's Now We're Rockin' class.

Another Layout from our 5 hours together in Minneapolis

ATeets Modern Twist patterned paper; KPertiet Fairy Dreamer paper; K Pertiet On the Edge Flourish; J Sprague Red Solid paper; K Pertiet Snap Frames, Quotes; MWise a la mode brush; Jack & Me alpha blank lines; KPertiet Brown Stiches; Jason Gaylor Valentine brush; Mom's typewriter font

Sadly, it could be years before all five of us manage any time together again! (I really don't want to think about that!)

Day 37 FiestWare

Shot in manual mode with my trusty 18-135mm lens at 20 mm; f/8; exp 1"; ISO 800; wb: shade. Thank you so much for all the intelligent analysis of the color differences in yesterday's photos. (You're wonderful!) Once life settles down a little, I'm going to repeat the experiment, but switch the wb, and ISO and see how it turns out! This photo was with an aperture of f/8, which is sometimes described as a "so what" setting, but for this photo, I actually really liked it!

36 Fiesta Ware

This one was shot in manual mode, using my 18-135 mm lens at f/8; exp 1/3; wb shade; ISO 800.



This one was shot with a 35 mm 2.0 lens at f/2. The wb was Tungsten; exp 1/60; ISO 400; manual mode.

As you can see, the two shots turned out dramatically different from one another. How much do you think the differences are from the white balance, and how much from the lens used? I want to get to the point where I know what to expect from the settings I use rather than using a "shot-gun" method. Thanks!

Day 35--Dianna's feet!

It's a mom thing, but I love my daughter's feet! Rather than put up several photos at various aperture settings, I thought I'd just make sure that I was very aware of different aperture possibilities this week, and then use the one I liked best. This photo was taken using my 35mm 2.0 lens, which I feel that I don't really understand it's capabilities well. I do like that it seems to be very useful in low light situations. This was shot in manual mode, f/3.5; exp 1/4; using a tripod, ISO 400; wb incandescent light. I removed the color cast because it looked too blue. I also ran an urban acid action on it, added a low opacity vignette and a frame.

With this lens, I have to focus manually, and am not sure if that means that if the process is the same as using autofocus. That is, if I focus on, say, my daughter's feet, can I then recompose and take the picture, with her feet having the sharpest focus?

Again, thank you to everyone who commented yesterday on my photos! Your comments made me feel much better about it!

Day 34: POTD Vertical and Horizontal Windows

Well, I don't really like these photos. The biggest thing I dislike is the reflection of the office from the inside of the window (all the way down to the plants growing across my ceiling, which is another story in itself!) But this is all I got for today. . . .I ran Ren's B&W bite on it, hoping for a little less glare, but it didn't really work.

Manual mode, 20 mm with my 18-135 mm lens; f/18; exp 1/60; ISO 200; wb sunny.

Also manual mode, 18-135 mm lens at 20 mm; f/18; exp 1/60; ISO 200, wb sunny.

Well, since you looked at these really boring pictures, here's an extremely funny video my daughter pointed out to me. Wouldn't you love to have been there and gotten some photos?

Lasik Eye Surgery

Weeds & Wildflowers A better me papers; KMize Tortuga Template # 70; Trish Jones date stamp;

Day 33 POTD: Jade Plant

Vertical: Shot in manual mode, ISO 200; wb sunny; 18-135 mm lens at 18 mm; exp 1/15; f/10.


Horizontal: Shot in manual mode, ISO 200; sunny; with 18-135 mm lens at 22 mm; f/4.5; exp 1/160. Both hand-held.

This is my all-time favorite plant in the world. One year, during the very cold days of winter, it looked sick. I wrapped it in a sleeping bag to carry it to a nursery to find out what was wrong. Worried bystanders in the elevator at work inquired whether I had a baby all wrapped up (probably thinking I was smothering it!) I had to put the jade plant in "intensive care" in my bathtub for 3 days to let it soak up water. In its "youth", this same plant tried to "commit suicide" in my office by leaping off a window shelf. It had grown large enough that its branches had stretched out to "push" it off the window ledge. Another time, it also decided to abruptly "burst" its pot, and I had to rush to the store to get it another pot. It seems to be much more stable these days, although perhaps it's trying to lull me into complacency before another temperamental outburst.

Day 32-Necklace

Both of these necklaces were photographed in Macro Mode (but I want a macro lens and I'm aiming for mother's day!), with flash and tripod, ISO 200; 35mm lens; f/5.6; exp 1/125.

My sister-in-law made this necklace for me and I just love it. She mixes various things together, like fabric, glass, metal, and then heats it in a kiln. I'm so amazed, and totally delighted to get to be the recipient of these works of art! Thank you, Barb!

If your only two lenses were a 35mm 2.0 or an 18-135mm, which would you choose to photograph this?

Thank you everyone, who steered me toward the macro yesterday. I really do want to get one and my dear, dear husband said to get one. (but I'll wait till mother's day/birthday or I'd feel too guilty!)

Day 31 L.O.A.D.--St. Olaf

ARieff Template; SMJ Old Letters Kit

I am so happy that my daughter made the decision to change schools! I felt I needed to support her earlier decision to be 1400 miles away from home, but it was so very hard to accept. Just the logistics of getting from Washington, DC to Grand Forks were torturous. But the worst of it was how unhappy she was there. Now, she really enjoys her school, is around music again, and has much more respect for the math and science offerings. I'm impressed that she was willing to take the risk of turning her life upside down again to make this change. It's so wonderful when you see your children grow up before your eyes, and know that they are people that you truly have a great deal of admiration for! Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!