PHOTO CHALLENGES & ASSIGNMENTS

"Lions 'n Tigers 'n Bears...Oh my!"

2009-06-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Finally! Pat and I were well enough to go on our first photo outing in weeks 'n weeks. We chose the zoo because we could sit in the shade as often as we needed. So, the lions were sleeping out of sight, but I did get the "Tigers 'n Bears" and the "oh my"s:

"Hey...you wouldn't be following me, now would you?":
"I don't care how sappy I look; I love this water on a hot day!": (This bear was behind smudgy glass)

"Ahhhhh!":

"Boy, did hat feel good!":

This baby gorilla was behind glass - phooey. He looks like he is reaching for help, but oh no! He could scamper like a pro clear to the top:

I call this, "Happy Anniversary!":

ICE PATTERNS ALL AROUND

2009-01-04T20:34:00.001-08:00

During our recent quick-freeze, which included a White Christmas - yay! - the Old Mill Pond road was open for only a brief time, and I lucked out. This is my favorite reflection perspective, but ice was there instead. Not an exciting photo, but it was an exciting outing.

The refraction in this ice drop (the size of an infant's fingernail) is of some trees in our front yard and the mountain in the background:

This refraction shows our porch trellis and a spray of this same daphne bud. These are melting ice drops:

For this I wanted to use my macro lens, but didn't dare switch out because of the bitter cold and the floating ice chrystals. Do spiders stop construction when it freezes?

The ice was melting from a branch, but hadn't quite lost its grip:

This ice drop shows a tree still flocked in frozen snow and a little bit of our first blue sky; no macro lens here either:

During the most frigid of the winds, snow was blasted against our windows and stayed for days:

Snow enhances the design on a patio table:

A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-23T23:40:00.002-08:00

All snuggled warmly below our Christmas tree:

Snoqualmie Falls, just 2 miles from home, after the first frigid blast. The Falls are reduced to 1/3rd the width while miniature ice falls have formed on the borders. This was taken early in the morning with the sun barely sweeping across the top of the Falls:

Flanking the Falls, all things get an special coating from the icy mist:

I was there long enough that the atmosphere changed. Did the temperature dip even lower? An ice cloud form? I dunno', but everything turned a magical cold blue. I was not using a polarizer nor did I enhance the photos, this was the real (though other-wordly) color:

Feeling cold was well worth the experience!

THE LAST OF THE 'ANGLES' ASSIGNMENT

2008-11-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

I think I have found most of my Angles by looking up!

Yep, because here I was standing inside the skeleton of a de-skinned teepee:

A very close angle on a bridge:

Looking up yet again; a campus library ceiling:

The ribs of an umbrella; I love the angles-on-angles:

POTD CHALLENGE: ANGLES

2008-11-09T16:50:00.001-08:00

I guess this will be the last of my Angle shots because the week is over. I have had fun looking for angles! Here is a playground climbing rope:

Study in starkness with this bridge support overhead:

Another bridge overhead support, my favorite:

I love bridges! Here are angles in more detail on an old railroad bridge:

Looking up:

POTD CHALLENGE: ANGLES

2008-11-07T05:55:00.001-08:00

I am having way too much fun with this category! I know I have used my piano for other categories, but this perspective highlights some angles:

Another interior shot; almost too many angles:

This features the new structure of our local ski area's snow/foot bridge:

Simplicity:

NEW CHALLENGE: ANGLES

2008-11-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Look what a doctor's appointment turned up! These were taken at the hospital parking lot today.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

2008-11-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

As I explained below, I am way behind in posting. So, here are a couple for the Photo of the Day category "Paths". The season is well gone now, so thought I would give tribute to summer with this pathway to the surf, here on our coast:

And a trespasser ( actually, we are the trespassers!) on the path to the cottage:

(noting below, I really do know how to spell "catch"!)

PLAYING CATCH-UP

2008-11-01T09:46:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted on Photo of the Day for ages and ages. I love the topics, but I am really far behind. So, I pick "Paths" to cach-up, and then I will move on to be current!

I think Pat posted one like this recently - we were on a "leafing" outing. Don't you just love to crunch and kick your way through a path like this? The wind certainly does!

My dh and I use this bike path every Saturday morning:

I love Nature's natural arches and pathways:

With any new snowfall, I take myself across the street to check out the mood of this pasture:

A local path after the first snowfall:

POTD CHALLENGE: REFLECTIONS

2008-08-17T20:41:00.001-07:00

This submerged log doubles its shape through such a clear reflection:

Caught sight of this reflection in the mirror while browsing a gift shop:
Only the reflected part of a boat shown here; the real thing is moored at the pier:

POTD CHALLENGE: REFLECTIONS

2008-08-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

I have missed the opportunity to post for this theme all week, so here I am on the very last day. Therefore, I have a variety of reflected objects, all straight out of the camera, and hand-held. The first one is ancient architecture reflected in modern:

This is a local scene; Mt. Si reflected in the old mill pond on a blah-weather day:
Piers look twice as long as they really are:
The last 2 are Cranes! I love that they are the same color and position. This is actually a blue heron:
And this, a construction crane on a sunny day:

POTD CHALLENGE: SUNFLARE

2008-08-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

This first one is taken at sunset from the beach house back porch:

This one is taken at sunrise from the beach house front porch:

POTD CHALLENGE - NATURE: CAN BE WHIMSICAL!

2008-07-26T19:05:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, there is nothing near to this shore pine to show its size relative to its environment in this old-growth forest. So, imagine that my SUV could be cradled between the two lowest limbs, quiet easily, with room to spare. It reaches probably 150' skyward, but it is the limb growth that looks so outrageously indecisive! Yes, this is all one tree:

POTD CHALLENGE: NATURE

2008-07-25T22:28:00.001-07:00

This is Nature at work. The coastal seastar, below was relaxing in the outgoing tide. This photo was taken with it underwater in a shallow tidepool:
Here, it begins attaching itself to a rock covered with mussels. Such rocks are exposed only on an extremely low, or minus tide:
This is a close-up of the same thing: the seastar will "capture" a mussel and make a meal of it. The time it takes to do that could be clear until the next low tide:

POTD CHALLENGE: NATURE

2008-07-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Nature amazed me the other night with a sun that wouldn't set in the prescribed way. There was no color stretched across the sky; instead it seemed to all be contained within the perfect orb of the sun. Even after complete darkness, the sun hung above the horizon. This, and the ones below are all sooc:

POTD CHALLENGE: NATURE

2008-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

I am still here on the southern Oregon coast. This sunset photo was taken from the front porch of my sister's home. I have never seen a sunset like this before, where all the usual colors were gathered in the orb itself and not stretched out across the horizon. The sun looks like it is a cut-out, just pinned up on a backboard. It was amazing. This is one of several in a series; the last one I took during pitch darkness, but the sun looked the same. I will post it next time.
My sister's home is settled in an old-growth forest:
I am still (and ever will be!) learning my Nikon D300. I was amazed that what I saw in the viewfinder was darkness, yet because of certain settings, the photo turned out showing the real post-dusk glow:

POTD CHALLENGE: LANDSCAPES

2008-07-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

I am far, far from my PC with its collection of my landscapes; I have brought a new laptop to the southern Oregon coast to my sister's summer home. So, mostly I will have "sea"/landscapes for the rest of this week for the challenge.
These were both taken at sunrise this morning from the bluff on my sister's property, in front of their house.

It was a minus low tide:

POTD CHALLENGE: PATRIOTIC

2008-07-04T15:55:00.001-07:00

This was easy, because I have been watching these plants grow and knew that soon the flags would join them. This is an entrance to a small business in our little town:

POTD CHALLENGE: SUMMER

2008-06-28T19:40:00.003-07:00

This is going to be interesting, because I haven't seen Pat's post yet; I bet we are putting up the very same things! Yesterday - great summer day! - I took her up to my old stomping grounds for a short hike. We lived in the mountains for many years, and our home is located behind the trees in this pic, where the red mark is.
You can see what a fabulous day we had for our summer hike!

What to our surprise, but the trail was lost under snow! So, my subject for this POTD is
"Is it really summer?" This is Pat; my token photo of proof! The trail is "somewhere out there":
With our trusty hiking sticks, we ventured toward Franklin Falls anyway. We could not get beyond this point because the horrendous water was sending too much spray for our camera lenses and the trail dips steeply - still snow-covered. The pool at the bottom was a roiling pot where, as I told Pat, I took grandchildren to swim in the summer (!) because it is usually a calm, deep pool with great jumping-off rocks all 'round:

But we were so excited to look down and all around at the very late-blooming things on the forest floor. The first things to show in the wake of a snow melt are the wood violets, above; and of course, then comes the trillium - what I always think of as a magical bloom. We rejoiced that we hadn't missed what would usually have shown up 6 weeks ago! Didn't pack my macro lens, so this is the best I could get:

2008-06-28T19:40:00.001-07:00

POTD CHALLENGE: SUMMER

2008-06-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Summer in the Northwest, to some of us, means hitting those trail-heads!

POTD CHALLENGE: SUMMER

2008-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Summertime..."and the livin' is easy..."

All this toad needs is a barefoot boy with quick hands! Big hands; this guy was about 5 " across:

POTD CHALLENGE: SUMMER

2008-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am happy for this particular theme, but the season hasn't really come to us yet. Anxious to be back, I am posting just a couple of ho-hums; no great photography. But at least we had one day to be in the sun this week! Note the actual shadows - something we haven't seen all year!
Here is dgr.gr.son, helping out:
Sometimes ya' just gotta' get the job done:

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-21T22:11:00.001-07:00

"Windows to the soul":

"Windows to the world":
"Giggly windows":

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

The following sets of posts are for catching-up with the current challenge. I have been out of town this week, and unable to post, OR take photos.
I have made this set the category of "alley-way" windows:
One could never guess how much fun it is to walk down alleys; what looks SO uninviting and even scary sometimes, can be so rewarding for the photographer.
For instance, who would imagine that such a soft-looking place was actually in a muddy alley:

This is obviously an alley, but what fun to work with the darkness for a natural sooc B&W:
Yes, this one is ancient:
And here is the heart of old Pioneer Seattle, which has character-enough to spare, but even more by poking down an alley!
What alley would be complete without broken windows?
Next time you have the opportunity, poke down some alleyways for the fun of it!

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-20T19:17:00.001-07:00

The only way to display some of my window collection is to put them in categories - then I won't get too carried-away! So, here, sooc, hand-held, are some "shuttered" windows:

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have collected so many windows! So many moods! So much history and culture is shown by windows. Here, I add a sample of what I call "pampered" windows; i.e. decorated and well-tended.

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

Another category: round windows!
All are sooc, hand-held. Some from the outside; some from the inside:

I call this one "Sleeping Beauty":

POTD CHALLENGE: WINDOWS

2008-06-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

I love windows! There are so many personalities in windows: the ones that make me curious, like the one below:This one is seen only by its shadow:
Window to the wide blue yonder:
This one is more for display than for looking in or out:
Such style!:

CHALLENGE: MEN I ADMIRE

2008-06-14T23:23:00.001-07:00

This is the last day for being on topic. I could have been posting photos of my dh and other family members, but I chose to keep them private. This photo of a bust of Washington was taken a couple of years ago in Mt. Vernon. The bust was in a shadowy room, so I was happy to be able to see it at all.
What I liked about the bust was written on a plaque nearby: that his family chose this one as the "best likeness" of the real man.

SINGLE BLOOMS

2008-06-12T22:37:00.001-07:00

After a morning of errands, Pat and I saw our very first sunshine in forever! Of course, cameras are always on hand, so we stopped on the way home at a fun nursery called the Grey Barn. We had only moments, but we went crazy!
Clematis centers:
I was experimenting (at last) with my camera's different focus techniques, and I was pleased with the results. Of course, some went into the trash bin, but for the most part, things turned out. I am happy with myself for finally taking the time to try to learn about my Nikon D300 instead of just using the"P" mode.
These 1st 4 are clematis centers. They are also sooc; I was so thrilled with the natural color and the focus - why didn't I try this 2 months ago?! 1st and 4th were cropped only slightly; the others were not. All hand-held.
Maybe this one is a little hard to look at, being all-white?
And, a miniature gerbera. These colors are sooc; I love the way they look like brush-work.
There will be more from the Grey Barn, but tomorrow is a planned outing (based on a positive weather report!) to the Univ. of Wash. campus. Wheeeeeeeee!

ANOTHER FLORAL ARRANGEMENT

2008-06-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

"Nice pedestal" remarked my DD! This is actually right after I finished the arrangement and it is on a very old garage stool. Someone who came to our DgrS's Eagle Court pointed to the huge arrangement I had done and asked if I could make a similar one "in that vase" for a certain senior graduation program. So, the event was last night, and this is the arrangement, about 3 1/2 feet tall.

Do you see the difference in the two? Unfortunately, after a week of pounding rain, it was still coming down when I had to cut the flowers on Saturday. I feared for the life of each flower - they were so soggy and lifeless! (And so was I, after being in fields and forest to prune!) So, by the time the flowers got to the event, about 1/3rd of them had shrivveled up.
Here, the large one is actually quite a bit in the background, not on the pulpit as it appears:

POTD CHALLENGE: WITH FLASH

2008-06-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

I found 2 more where I used flash deep in the woods on the Twin Falls hike a week ago. These little fern tips are about the size of a dime. I didn't have my macro lens; this was with my 18-200mm, hand-held, sooc.

In fact, this is the same fern tip, taken from the other side.

POTD CHALLENGE: FLASH

2008-06-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am still using photos from my Twin Falls hike. The weather has been November-like, making it impossible to even get out for photography. I don't "do" people-pics where flash would be used a lot. This little fungus was taken with my 18-200mm lens. It was on the dark side of the tree; I didn't want to point and flash head-on, so I tried this from the side and, amazingly, the results were as I had hoped! Sooc, hand-held.

Yikes! MORE from Twin Falls hike

2008-06-02T18:33:00.001-07:00

It really was a jungle in there! SO typical of NW woods: green and lush and shadowy. These pics are right out of the camera; no color-enhancement; no cropping.

This is much too blown-out, but metering was just beyond me. Just showing here the ferns growing on 80-foot + trees, clear to the top.
Then there are the moss-covered limbs too:
My favorite fern and I don't even know the name!
The river below Twin Falls; again, blown out.

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

From my hike to Twin Falls on Saturday. This shot was an after-thought, almost not taken just because this is an every-day scene in a NW forest. This is sooc. Tall trees above and ferns below, and old-growth everywhere.
Ferns growing on the side of an old-growth tree: Also sooc.
Another "just forest" shot, sooc, with the kind of "remains" that woodpeckers love:

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-05-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

Most of today I was in one of my favorite places: on a local trail at last! It has been too long since I have done some bona fide hiking...just ask my body tonight! I have some fun pictures, but these are for staying on theme: flowers; wild ones.
Shooting was a challenge as, in the forest, there were bright spots and sunny spots.
These two are SOOC; didn't pack my macro lens. This is with my Nikkor 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 lens, hand-held.
A wild bleeding heart. They never do have a vivid color, and this one was fading fast. They are so very fragile in an old-growth forest.

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-05-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is a different type of "flower" today. Rather than photograph "in the wild", I thought I would post the arrangements I did for our gr.son's Eagle Court of Honor. I spent most of yesterday on our patio doing 5 arrangements. Pictured first is the largest - 3 1/2 feet tall, and very, very heavy! I had spent the previous day cutting fresh flowers and they were all free! Thanks to local farmers who let me be on the loose in their fields!
This one is done in my own very large Polish urn-type thing

This medium one is in my mother's deep red Venetian glass:
I didn't have any measurements for the pulpit, but it fit perfectly. Whew!

A more restful moment of practicing focal points, into the center of a full arrangement:

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-05-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

I seem to have a color scheme going here today! I love rhododendrons when they first pop their bud shells. That first color is often quite different than the final color of the mature rhodie in full bloom. This pale sherbet-y color will later be a solid, deeper pink.

This shot may have been better if I had focused on the entire gathering of snapdragon rather than the one on the right...I am not sure how I like this. But I do love the calm summer colors.
Another cream sherbet! Maybe I took these shots because I needed the calm, dreamy colors after cutting, then spending more than half a day arranging vibrant red, white and blue flowers for a d gr son's Eagle Court of Honor.

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-05-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Lucky me! I have been scouting the near-by fields 'n farmhouse yards for red, white, and blue flowers so that I can ask the "owners" if I could prune some stems from the backside of the shrubs. I am arranging the flowers for a gr.son's Eagle Court of Honor and I so prefer garden flowers to store-bought. Well, there was huge patch of these Siberian iris in a pasture and sure enough, I got permission to cut!
Of course, my camera was the first tool I used, before the pruners!
A little abstract work here:
These are all SOOC - I was lucky to have the rich green background.
The wild grass was waist-high and dew-y. Can you guess how much I LOVED being out there?

POTD CHALLENGE: FLOWERS

2008-05-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

There are 2 things I like about this flower: 1 - that it is a California poppy, but not the the common bright orange of most; and 2 - that this one is still hanging onto its bud shell, yet it is in full blossom! KInd of a poppy sucky blankie?

Also, this week's challenge is a personal one for me. My files are FULL of my favorite subject: flowers! So I am trying to get a new one each day rather than rely on my plethora of photos.

POTD CHALLENGE, CATCH LIGHTS

2008-05-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

I still miss Pea-ing so much! I am still in my heavy committment until school is out, but I did take a grD to the zoo last week (we were babysitting her all week while dd was out of town), and I showed Pat this pics. She said "you must" post them because there are some catchlights there. Not great ones, but at least the pics are new ones and I can pop in here for a moment. These are both sooc. I can't resist the multiple expressions of orangs...they never disappoint!

Oh, whatever are you thinking, Babe?

POTD: Water

2008-04-30T18:16:00.001-07:00

This morning during a non-snowing hour, Pat kidnapped me to "get out" and visit the woods of a mutual friend. We were invited to photograph her waterfall; yes, a private waterfall! So, the 2 of us experimented with shutter speeds, metering, etc. I am sure Pat will post her pics from the same place - but what fun we had! These are sooc.

Now, I could retreat to this vantage point any time!
I have a new, serious committment from now until the middle of June which is taking me away from having time to go on photo outings. My postings may be very infrequent.

POTD CHALLENGE: CHILDREN

2008-04-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Pat and I spent a wonderful day at the Skagit Valley tulip fields today. On the way through farm country, we stopped so Pat could capture that funny sign she posted. It was at a fresh foods stand, and I thought the crab to be picturesque. I know I am off subject, but they were little crablettes once!

POTD CHALLENGE: CHILDREN

2008-04-21T20:39:00.001-07:00

Just like Pat, I do NOT do people-pics; I have much to learn about doing that. The one here is of our youngest dgrd (in those fashion-statement yellow goggles) and her friend at swim class. They both love the water and yet my dgrd always shakes uncontrolably from the cold. Here, she shakes and the atmosphere was also very steamy.

POTD: What is it?

2008-04-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Now I know how many of you not only enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, but who also over-heat it too much in the microwave so it ends up like this! Kudos to many of you for guessing this right off!
I can't post a new one because we are leaving town for a long weekend and I wouldn't be here to solve the puzzle. Thanks for being there! ML

POTD Challenge: WHAT'S THIS?

2008-04-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Kudos to a few of you who thought this had something to do with a mountainside! Indeed, it is a series of ridges with a dusting of fresh snow. I was on my way home (this hill is behind our house) when I saw what the combination of snow and sky color (none!) had done to outline the ridges and present an almost abstract view. I didn't have my camera! I hurried to get it and returned to the vantage point before anything had changed. This is SOOC.
And here is the new one for today. It is also sooc; without effects and just exactly as it looked.

POTD Challenge: GUESS THIS

2008-04-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is not an abstract; it is what it is.

POTD Challenge: Natural light

2008-04-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

I know we are at the end of this particular challenge subject, but since our trip, I am running behind in everything! Here are 2 photos taken at different times, showing how the walkways of Cal State U, Longbeach are protected from the direct sun. I thought these canvas "kites" looked abstract, and I loved the sun 'n shadow-play. This time I tried really hard to keep from using a botanical shot - always my favorite!

The light in the eyes of my 5-yr-old grand nephew's expression
Okay. I couldn't help it. I had to go botanical in the end. This is in the rose garden at dawn's early light.

POTD Challenge: Light

2008-04-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the laugh's on me! We just got back from 11 days in So. Calif (had a wonderful time!). Stayed with my S-in-law, who has a fabulous garden. One AM I got up early to get into the garden at sunrise with my camera. I forgot my glasses in the house, but I didn't want to go back in and disturb anyone, so I carried on. BUT, what I thought I was setting at f4.0, sans glasses, was actually 40.0! That's right; it IS possible. When 1/3rd of my pics downloaded totally black, I did one thing: clicked the "exposure auto focus" in my editing program. In changing a verrrry dark photo to lighter, the effect is what is seen in the pink rose pic. I sent my black pics to a professional who ran an analysis and told me that in fact the setting was f40.0! My question is: does it look just plain noisy, or does it look like special effects? I usually keep my pics sooc, and don't know much about dooding up a photo. Personally, I think like this effect.
Settings: f40.0; ISO 320; focal length 105 mm
After not being able to see anything in the LCD while shooting, I took a closer look and changed my settings to what I really wanted. Below, a rose backlit by the very first light of the day:
f 9.0 ISO 200; 105mm spot metering
And just a few minutes later, I buried my camera in a patch of sweet peas - still getting the morning sun, high enough now to make shadows:

Weekly challenge: Faith

2008-03-27T21:56:00.001-07:00

I really like that Pat used the interiors of tulips for an example of God's creative details in His handiwork. So, I am posting a tulip from a different, more common view. Except I loved capturing it at sunrise. The way it is illuminated, as if from the inside, and the way it is open to the early light reminds me that we can always get nourishment if we face the light from above.

POTD CHALLENGE: GREEN

2008-03-19T20:46:00.001-07:00

Ooops, I forgot that we are going to be gone for a couple of days - R&R, so I am adding a few more on this fun asssignment.
This first one is one of our favorite sights: new growth on the tip of every single limb on a fir tree. The color is always so vibrant, plus it is as soft as a feather to the touch.
Northwest again: the ever-present wild fern.
Drop in sedum leaf. There was nothing to reflect except itself, so I tried for an abstract jewel.
When I think of "green", this is the first shot that comes to my mind: a grape arbor of a friend who lives in the next little town.

POTD CHALLENGE: GREEN

2008-03-19T20:18:00.001-07:00

This was taken 2 evenings ago, from our front porch. Boy, was I in a hurry to switch out lenses. Two unique things about this rainbow: it is so very low; and I really like that there is still snow, above the rainbow! sooc

POTD CHALLENGE: GREEN

2008-03-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

These are more botanicals. The first is a backlit palm leaf. I see I made a little mistake by putting a fuzzy green border on it - kinda' makes the rest look soft too, but it really wasn't!
This one is still-wet seaweed on the sand, verrrrry close-up. So close, my knees were in squishy stuff. Both are sooc,

POTD CHALLENGE: GREEN

2008-03-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yay - I love green things; usually so refreshing!

Since this is the change-of-theme- day and I was unable to post only a couple animals last week, am adding this elephant seal for today. This was taken on the southern Oregon coast.

POTD CHALLENGE: ANIMALS

2008-03-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

There are no exciting animals loose in our neighborhood today! So, these are from my files. While walking on a very remote beach in southern Oregon, my sister nearly stepped onto this newborn seal because his camoflage, from above, looked like just another rock. I was below by several feet, so was able to get two quick pics off before we moved hurridly away. We did not want to upset the natural way of things before the mother got back from feeding. What a sweetie, huh?

CHALLENGE: ANIMALS

2008-03-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

Our sweet, sweet cat has not left my bed all this time I have been quarrantined! So, my first photos must honor her. Plus, she is the only thing available for a shut-in to photograph! ML

POTD CHALLENGE: SHAPES

2008-02-23T17:02:00.001-08:00

While out and about yesterday, I visited a gift shop to "see what I could see". Here is one of the compositions that I caught for "shapes". Makes me think of a too-far distant season! ML

POTD CHALLENGE: SHAPES

2008-02-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

This image was taken inside a nearby garden/gift shop. I chose it for "shapes" because of the rectangles and because I loved the burnished metal colors. But - tah-dah! - shapes on top of those shapes!

POTD CHALLENGE: SHAPES

2008-02-21T22:14:00.001-08:00

I didn't get out today, so I did what I haven't done for quite a while: I went to my file Living in Hungary. These were both taken from inside an ancient cathedral on Castle Hill in Budapest. Hand-held, no flash, and sooc.

Shapes within shapes:
Shapes upon shapes:

CHALLENGE: SHAPES

2008-02-20T15:49:00.001-08:00

The obvious: playgroung rings = triangles. The not-so-obvious: our 3rd spring-like day

in a row!

POTD CHALLENGE: LOVE

2008-02-15T16:33:00.001-08:00

One day this last week I was at the middle school where I assist the choir director. What a fun surprise for me to learn it would not be class as usual, but an all-school assembly. The school had helped sponser a youth choir from Uganda. As we know, children in Uganda do not have many reasons to hope, but these young people were all-out celebrating life with unbelievable energy. I had to hurry home to get my camera and try to capture their LOVE of LIFE! The gym was dark - no light from above or anywhere. I still don't know my camera, so this was as good as it got for me. ML

POTD CHALLENGE: LOVE

2008-02-12T18:15:00.001-08:00

Okay, so this pic is nothing to look twice at. However, you need to know that this was taken on the edge of a frozen lake and whatever caused this indentation in the cold pebbles ended up leaving a heart-shaped depression. This then is a frozen heart-shaped hunk of ice about the size of your palm.

POTD CHALLENGE: LOVE

2008-02-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

For almost 10 years, until recently, we lived high in the mountains where we were under snow (burying our house) from October to, sometimes as late as May. My DH never failed to bring me a bouquet of fresh tulips or daffodils every Friday. Now THAT is love! Well, here in the valley below our wonderful mountians the winter is still drab and gray, and he continues the gesture.

These tulips are special to me because they are my first subject for my new Nikon D300 camera which is not even a week old yet. I am dying to get out and about with it, but alas, our weather is too, too wet. So my DH's love bouquet goes on... as I practice.

POTD CHALLENGE: HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL

2008-02-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

This very morning, Saturday, was the first sunny dawn we have had probably 2 weeks. Fresh snow has fallen daily in the mountains around our valley, and even locally at times. What a gorgeous dawn we had! I took these photos from our front porch, and because I did was not dressed for the ocassion, I must add that I took them quickly! Talk about "point-'n-shoot"! So here are the two angles taken just seconds apart and without changing my position.
In the seconds between shots, you can see the sun was changing positions even when I didn't.

These are SOOC and hand-held.

POTD CHALLENGE: VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL

2008-01-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

After the latest freeze a couple of days ago, of course I headed for THE Falls to find hoarfrost. There was none; only a tad of barely-discernable frost. But it was a good time to try the assignment because the Falls are always photographed vertically. They are huge and long and, well - vertical, after all! This time I wanted to keep the Falls totally in the background, so I focused on the red berries touched with frost.

Now to force myself to do the horizontal from the same place. I guess with the Falls out of focus, it doesn't really make any difference.

POTD CHALLENGE: WORDS

2008-01-27T22:56:00.001-08:00

I apologize in advance if this newest post wastes valuable space on this board. I have no idea what I am doing to try to put photos in a row. Before the fact, I see that they may be way too miniscule to even read. My purpose in this post is to pay tribute to my photo buddy and friend, Pat, of patspix. Sometime last year we challenged ourselves to collect letters of the alphabet from nature. You have already seen Pat's blog with the explanation that we must not - will not - "stage" a letter. We must shoot it exactly as we see it, nor will we use any enhancement tool. We each have all our letters, but there is so much fun in the hunt that I may decide to include more than one example of each in my "book". The letters here spell "FRIEND" if they are too small to read. I need to learn how to make a storyboard! Thanks to all of your for your encouragement; I am still rather slow in posting. ML

POTD CHALLENGE: WORDS

2008-01-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

I had to make a hurried post this evening, on subject. It is from my Living in Hungary files. Not a good photo, art-wise, but very meaningful otherwise. While there, we visited the apartment of some college-age Americans and I was touched by their July 4th "decorations." "God Bless America" in any language are great words! ML

POTD Challenge

2008-01-20T13:14:00.001-08:00

Fresh snow and a near-by mill pond - yay! And Pat to go with me - Yay again. We had a wonderful morning, leaving as soon as it got light, to go out and about and see what we could see after the fresh, dry, cold snowfall. At the edge of the mill pond, I tried for a shot of stark white snow background to these cattails, stuck in ice. So, here are 3 varieties, which is pretty cocky of me since I don't know if even the original is worth keeping! ML

SOOC; no enhancements or crops:Below, I added some degrees of color saturation. What I really wanted in the first place is a stark snow (and nothing else) background with just two colors: the brown tops and parchment stems. I am not sure if I got it right.
Then, to try just BW conversion:

FOCUS INTO 2008

2008-01-09T21:31:00.001-08:00

Oh my, this is so weird! I just saw Pat's post and she has the same idea; we didn't even mention it to each other! One of the things on which I want to focus this year is to improve my people-picture-taking skills. I don't have any, so this will be a great learning experience for me. My history to this point (and will be for the little while ahead) as a Pea-er has been with my Olympus point-'n-shoot. I am starting research even now into the big next step of getting a dSLR. Anyway, my hope is that I will be more active in taking (and enjoying doing so, which I don't right now) photos of our grandchildren.

I am happy with this photo of DGD A., age 3, simply because of the sappy expression on her face. You see, she is fondling a rock and she thinks she is alone. I am a rock hound, and I just wanted to hug her when I saw her pensive feelings here!
I tried to get too close, so there is too much noise here, but I am glad that her face shows the dirt from her rock-rubbing! I really, really, am anxious to learn to "do" people this year!

POTD

2008-01-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

I am new at this. I could post a few from this same outing I took yesterday, but since this is called PHOTO OTD, I guess it is one at a time... I took a hike around nearby Rattlesnake Lake after a fresh snowfall. This photo is SOOC; no color enhancement. Yes, it was a very cold, and grey 'n white day. But so refreshing! ML

HATS OFF !

2008-01-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is my first try at setting up this blog. I'm ready to go! This is not exactly newly-shot, as you can tell from the sun shadows! But it IS hats, and they ARE off. ML