Still Life

Aahhh....something that doesn't move.

 

 

f/1.8, 50mm, 1/40 sec, natural lighting, ISO-200

Fiesta or Siesta

A beautiful Monarch butterfly - after emerging from a long siesta, released to head southwest, possibly Mexico where I bet it can find a fiesta somewhere.

 

 

f/1.8, 1/50 sec, ISO 200, 50 mm, natural lighting

Green

 

f/3.5, 1/1250 sec, 50mm, ISO-200, natural lighting

Things That Grow

 

f/3.5, 1/400 sec, ISO 200, natural lighting

Sacrifice

Becoming a parent means surrendering life as you know it - but getting a bundle like this in return makes it so worth it.

Foolin' Around

 

Today we went to the playground and had fun, just foolin' around.

 

 

f/2.5, 1/640 sec, ISO 200, 50mm, natural lighting

Details

I am so far behind on this challenge - but hope to catch up. 

 

The monarch caterpillar that we kept recently - it has such a cool pattern of black / white / yellow.  Or I guess you could say gold, and say it is a Steelers caterpillar - details, details.

 

f/2.8, 1/50 sec, ISO 200, natural lighting 

Hunger

Celebrating Juliana's first birthday which is coming up....

f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO-200 Built-in flash, desaturated 80% in Photoshop

Next week: Details

The Eyes of March

Aahhh - both of my girls have the most gorgeous blue eyes....but since Hope has been the subject more recently for other themes, I decided to show off Juliana's baby blues.

f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO 200, natural lighting

Next Week: Hunger

Be Still

I wasn't up for trying to capture either of my girls being still - it just isn't normal for them.  So I headed outside to one of my favorite trees in our yard.

f/4.5, 1/800 sec, ISO 200 late afternoon natural lighting

A Great Leap

I knew what I wanted to do for this theme - Hope loves to jump.  We headed outside yesterday - unfortunately it was close to sundown, so the lighting wasn't the best for taking a shot with a fast shutter speed. 

f/4.5, 1/100 sec, 38mm, natural lighting - just before sundown

Next week: Be Still

Cabin Fever

I had an issue with my computer last weekend, so I got a little behind with the challenge.  Luckily Dear Hubby got me back up and working this week.

After spending some time outside with Hope and my camera this weekend, I changed my mind about what to post anyway.  Now that Spring is just around the corner, Hope gets so excited when the weather is warm enough to go outside and play for a little bit.  Like yesterday - when she got to play lawnmower, with the poop scooper. 

f/5, 1/50 sec, ISO-200

natural lighting - just before the sun went down



True Love

I am cheating a little this week - I didn't take this photo specifically for this assignment.  In fact, I took it a couple of weeks ago.  I left the roses I was planning to use as a subject at work.  Then the heart candies I was going to use as a back-up ended up in the trash. 

So instead of finding a plan C, I am just using this photo, taken two weeks ago, which is reflective of True, Sisterly, Love.

f/2 1/60 sec, terrible indoor lighting

 and harsh built-in flash

Next week: Cabin Fever

Drink Up!

My sweet Juliana, drinking her bottle, gazing at me with her baby blues.

 50mm f/1.8 1/125 sec ISO-200 natural lighting

Next week's theme: True Love

Shadows

Frustration.  This isn't exactly the silhouette shot I was looking for, but it is the best I was able to get.  Not exactly a shadow, but I thought it fit the theme close enough.  Juliana is now just as challenging as Hope when it comes to trying to have her sit (or stand) still.

40mm, f/4.5 1/40 sec ISO-200 natural lighting

Next week: Drink up!

Self Portrait

I wasn't looking forward to this one, but it was actually pretty fun.  I googled "self-portraits" and got all kinds of ideas - sitting in a corner, reading a book in bed, extremely close-up shot of eyes, and a few others that I liked.  So then I started thinking about when I should take this self portrait.  When would be a good time?  When could I not have Hope running between me and the camera right at the precise moment that the shutter opens.  When would I be able to keep a now mobile Juliana from being more interested in this tripod thing than any of her dozens of other toys?

Then I realized that I am really only by my "self" first thing in the morning when I am getting ready for the day.  So I felt a little silly setting up the tripod in the bathroom.  I really didn't have many options as far as angle - the tripod had two legs in the bath tub and one outside of it - that didn't leave much room for adjustments.  I did a lot of going back and forth between the back and the front of the camera.  I tried to use my remote to save some of that, but I probably should have done a least a little homework on that first because I couldn't get it to work. 

I had all kinds of shots with all kinds of different facial expressions (I took 51 total) - maybe I will post more of them on my regular blog eventually.  But for the photo challenge, I picked just one.

F/4.2 1/13 sec ISO 200 Indoor lighting, no flash

Next Week: Shadows

I Dreamed a Dream

All week, I was planning to take a photo of Hope in the morning.  She is at the point where she remembers her dreams and will tell me about them.  Sometimes at 3 in the morning like she did this week when she told me about her friend Jayda having a new baby at her house (which will be true in a couple of months).  But since the lighting isn't the best at 3 a.m., I was going to go for the morning shot of Hope in her PJs and her hair its typical morning mess. 

But then I watched Hope take a nap yesterday, and I went for her dreamy eyelashes while she was actually in dreamland instead.  The only thing I did in Photoshop was take the color out (leaving a little sepia tone in), just to put a little more emphasis on how dark her lashes really are.

f/1.8 1/10 sec ISO-200 natural lighting

Next Week:  Self Portrait (UGH!)

Made With Love

Made With Love - that is certainly crying out for a photo of my girls.  But I opted not to go that route, and save them as subjects for other weeks.

So, instead, I chose the daughters of two of my friends, Alison and Mike.  I received this birth announcement in the mail this week.  Meet Baby Ella, born December 20th, and her Big Sister Ava.  When I associated this with the theme, I actually wasn't thinking directly of the girls, but more of the card itself.   I loved it, just as much as I loved the announcements I sent out for Juliana eight months ago.  I have a hunch Mike designed it - and I bet he made it with love.

Next week's theme: I Dreamed a Dream

Project 52

I joined a couple of friends in committing to a 52 week photography challenge.  It is pretty simple really - I need to post one photo per week that fits a given theme.

I set up a separate blog so that I do not mix in who knows what photos with what might eventually be my children's baby books, if I ever get around to having my "normal" blog printed as I plan to.  Particularly since I haven't been great about keeping up with Hope's baby book, and I haven't even purchased one for Juliana yet.

I am not exactly sure what my goal is.  I think I would like to get back to thinking about photography again.  I would like to say that my goal is to take the absolute best photos that I think I can, but I don't think that is realistic.  I do want to do that challenge one year, but don't think this is the one.  So I guess at this point it is just to take photos regularly.  Maybe they will be of my kids.  Maybe they won't.  Maybe they will be great shots.  Maybe they won't.  Maybe I will put a lot of thought into them.  Maybe I won't.  But I hope I make it to the end of the year and can say I completed all 52 themes.   

We missed the first week - "Resolution."  At some point I plan on going back and making it up, so it really is Project 52 instead just Project 51.

Here we go......First assignment - "Made With Love"