From Nancy Merrill Photography: IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF WATER.
(Can you spot the baby gator?)
Monthly Archives: July 2014
Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge: Street Photography
4th Monday on Lens and Pens by Sally is Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Animals, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Objects, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel). I picked Street Photography. I’ve never really tried doing any street photography, per se, where I would be photographing specific people except for this one time. We were at the car show in downtown Winter Garden. It was so very hot and I think that’s why these ladies caught my attention. Especially, the one lady with the sweater and the scarf. I don’t know how she could stand the heat. I think they saw me photographing — at least in their general direction — but then paid me no mind. I haven’t built up enough nerve yet to actually approach strangers to ask about photographing them. So I played with the photo a bit with a couple of apps. The original photo (slightly cropped) is posted last. This was taken with my iPhone5.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Earth or The Harvest Season
Another challenge from Cee: We are now into our Five Elements/Seasons series and today our topic is Earth or the Harvest Season. Okay, so I’m taking some liberties! Hope you enjoy! 😀 Pictures were taken with my iPhone5.
DO NOT DISTURB
THE GRASS IS SLEEPING
Harvesting Chicks!
For further information on participating in this challenge and/or view additional entries, please click on the logo!
A Word a Week Challenge – Red
Once a week Sue dips into her old English Oxford dictionary and picks a word on the page that it falls open at. The challenge is to post a photograph, poem, story – whatever the genre you like best to describe of what that word means to you. This week the challenge is RED.
Michelle’s Weekly Pet Challenge – Week 46
My little Zuzu! She was such a little comic!
One Word Photo Challenge: Aqua
From Jennifer Nichole Wells: This week’s One Word Photo Challenge is Aqua! As with all of the colors we’ve had, aqua is one of those that seems to be able to be widely interpreted. All shades of blue-green will be appropriate for this week’s challenge.
Bok Tower
Silver Springs
Union School
Ft. Christmas
Head of “Civitas”
Bronze with Patina, 1993
Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College
For information on participating in this challenge and/or to view additional entries, please click on the logo!
Virtual Blog Tour
A couple of weeks ago I received an unexpected invitation from Iris Greenwald of Wandering Iris asking me if I would like to participate in the Virtual Blog Tour. I accepted her invitation feeling very honored and flattered that she thought of me. I can tell from her blog that Iris has got to be one of those fun-loving free spirits who enjoys her photography and loves finding those little out-of-the-way places and the treasures they hold! If you haven’t yet run across her blog, it’s one you should really check out!
The Virtual Blog Tour is a relatively new project for bloggers. The rules are fairly simple:
Compose a one-time post which is posted on a Monday. Answer four questions about our creative process which lets other bloggers and visitors know what inspires us to do what we do. Then pass the tour on to up to four other bloggers.
The four questions with my answers are:
What am I working on?
Staying sane… Staying alive… Oh, wait, you mean for my blog!
When I first started blogging about a year and a half ago, my intent was to focus on my genealogy and to share the ancestry stories I have. The funny thing is, after a few posts I realized I don’t really have many stories of my ancestors. It seems I come from a long line of non-recorders! At least that’s how it seems so far. I’ve never found any diaries or journals. My parents didn’t talk much about their childhood or families. And the photographs ended with my grandparents. So, I was either going to have to (1) make family stuff up, which I didn’t want to do; (2) post only dates and locations of ancestors (dry, dry dry), which I certainly didn’t want to do; (3) not post anything unless I found something interesting, which meant posting maybe once a year if that, which I didn’t want to do; (4) or try branching out and experimenting with new ideas. I chose #4! So, my blog became about photography, family history and life in general. Yep, I think that might just about cover anything and everything! Last year, I ran across a photo challenge at Lens and Pens by Sally. Her challenge is only for non-DSLR cameras. I thought, I have an iPhone, I should try taking some pictures and posting them. The rest, as they say, is history. I have found a new creative outlet and I am having so much fun with it. I haven’t abandoned the genealogy angle; it’s just slower in coming together!
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I’m not so sure my work differs from other non-DSLR photographers. There are so many talented photographers on WordPress, both professional and amateur. I think most of the photography blogs that I follow, the photos are taken mostly with some form of a DSLR camera. Some are professional photographers, some are serious hobbyists, and some are just in it for the fun of it and documenting their surroundings like me. As I’ve continued, I find myself thinking more and more of different types of cameras. I call myself a lazy photographer! I don’t really care to carry around a heavy camera and lots of lenses and equipment. I do drool over the photos from those who do. But that’s not me (at this point in time!). I like to think of myself as a spontaneous photographer. I always have my phone with me so I always have my camera available to point and shoot.
Why do I write/create what I do?
I do this because it’s just plain fun. I was looking for something that would help me regain some creativity in my life. For almost 40 years I worked in jobs that didn’t require much creativity (legal secretary/paralegal) and I was afraid I had lost it — the creativity angle, I mean! Back when everything photographic was on film, I had to be selective in what I photographed because, once I filled a roll of 12 or 24 pictures, then came the cost of having it developed. Once I discovered the digital camera on my phone and that I could take hundreds of pictures at no extra cost, I was hooked! I wish I had thought of this years ago! I must admit, though, that the one thing that really keeps me going and loving this blogging are all of the wonderful people out there who have taken the time to visit and comment on my efforts. I feel I have made so many new friends. Even if the day may never come that I can meet you face-to-face, I know you’re there and feel your acceptance. And the talent that I see through blogging, well, that is sheer motivation!
How does your writing/creating process work?
As mentioned above, it’s more of a spontaneous thing with me. If I like what I’ve photographed or written, I’ll share it. If others like what I’ve done, then that’s icing on the cake! I love catching my animals in play, nature photos in my yard and neighborhood, and just whatever strikes my fancy wherever I am! I have in the past year and will continue in the future to plan little day trips to different places specifically to take photographs. But my spontaneity comes with the fact that I have no plans about what I’m going to photograph. I just keep the camera out and if something catches my eye, I snap it. If it turns out decent, I’m excited. If it’s not that good in my eyes, well, I still have documentation of my trip!
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Genealogy: Collecting dead relatives and sometimes a live cousin!
-Unknown
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”
-Ansel Adams
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Pass the tour onto up to four other bloggers. If I thought answering the four questions above was difficult, well, it doesn’t compare with trying to narrow down the number of blogs I absolutely wanted to include in this Virtual Tour. Here are three absolutely fabulous and fun blogs that I hope you’ll take the time to check out! Just click on their blog title and it will open in a new page for you.
1. Mum…How Much Longer? From Joanne’s About page: This blog has come about through our travels as a family and the need to document these moments for not only family or friends, but as a keepsake for ourselves. Life seems to go by so quickly these days I feel it’s important to capture these moments in time.
I love her sense of humor, her stories and her photos and I think you will, too!
2. “There was a time” -the runes of the gatekeeper’s daughter and other tales – From Cybele’s About page: I am a rather simple soul, somewhat introverted (but passionate), living on the west coast of Canada. Though college educated with a major in English Lit, way back when, I remain an enthusiast without credentials. However, I am a traveler in many realms, where I still seek old bones and philosopher’s stones,- and other such treasures.
When I read that Cybele had only been doing photography for two years, I was floored! She does the most amazing things with her photos! And her stories are fascinating. Don’t miss out!
3. The Day After – From Dawn’s About page: I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. Every experience is a story to be told and or to be photographed. It is my story, or my vision; you might even say it’s Visions by Dawn. I like to travel but have limited resources so I don’t go far. I am usually with a friend or on my way to visit family but I am not afraid to go alone. I always, always have my camera by my side.
She is not just into photography but she writes, too! She has a fun and fascinating blog. She hosts a couple of photography challenges that I hope you all will check out and, if you’re into photography, will participate!
[Pictures sourced from Google]
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
EMMY
(08/28/2000 – 07/18/2014)
My new home! I’m nervous and excited all at the same time. I was adopted from the FLORIDA POODLE RESCUE. I know I’m not a Poodle but don’t tell them! I a full-blooded Maltese! And the way things came together for the adoption and brought me to my new mommy and daddy, well, let’s just say it was meant to be!
I’m getting so used to my new home! I have a companion named Bobby (a Boston Terrier). These WERE his toys! A few more days and he’ll come to terms with who’s really the boss around here! Play time!
Nap time!
Play time!
Sometimes mommy wants me to pose for pictures. It’s not my thing, this sitting still…
Me and my best buddies, Bobby (Boston Terrier) and Pippin (Poodle).
How’d you find me?
I may be getting old but it does not take away my beauty!
For us it was sudden and way too soon. For her it must have been coming on slowly but progressively. We just did not see the signs and she never complained — until the very end. This past month, she had begun to have trouble walking with her back legs. We thought it was probably arthritis setting in due to her age. So we put her on some liquid ArthriSoothe Gold by NaturVet. I only put the name in here because I believe it was helping her so I consider it a good product. Even though she was walking and getting around better, she was still moving slow. But Thursday night she just collapsed in the back yard. I thought she had experienced a stroke or something. All day Friday was spent at the vet’s office undergoing blood tests, x-rays, ultrasound, etc. That’s when we learned the truth. This little girl had not given us a clue. Her blood work was off the charts. This was the first time we had ever heard her moan. The vet said it wasn’t good. She suspected cancer (a mass in the liver showed in the x-ray). Our option would have been to subject her to a very long treatment period of hospitalization, surgery, etc. Even the doctor told us what she would do if it were one of her pets. We knew what had to be done. We weren’t ready but that was not what mattered now. We could not put this precious creature through that. Her eyes told us she was ready to cross that Rainbow Bridge and meet up with Bobby and her cat friends who had gone before to prepare the way. For her it was quick and painless and she was in the arms of both her mommy and daddy when she slipped away. For us, the pain will subside in time but the memories never will.
The Rainbow Bridge
Source: Google
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Wood or Season of Spring
From Cee:
Wood or the Season of Spring. In the description of of the Wood Element you can maybe get some ideas for your entry.
People who have strong energy of the Wood element have a clear vision and goals, and know how to bring them into being. They excel at planning and decision making. Their piercing, penetrating eyes may attract you. Color for wood is green.
An old wooden pier on Lake Apopka
Basswood, 2011
Joshua Almond
Call the Darkness
Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College
Part of an old oak tree root, cut out to try to keep it from doing anymore damage to our driveway!
I have no idea what this little flowering plant is called. I also have no idea if it it was taken on THE spring day we might have had a few months ago here in Central Florida! 😉
For more information on participating in this challenge and/or to see more entries, please click on the logo.
Wordless Wednesday – Determination
At the core of life is a hard purposefulness,
a determination to live.
Howard Thurman
LIVING WITH MY ANCESTORS 