Thursday, July 28, 2011
Crazy week, clearly, since I can't seem to keep up here. But I'm still making photographs. It's the one thing that keeps me sane. Okay, that may not be the right word...oh hell, I don't have a word for not bat sh*t crazy. All I know is...
Photography feeds my soul.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
209/365 - Cactus bloom
208/365 - Run or stop
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
One scary little elevator that only travels two floors.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
206/365 - No Internet, no phones, no worky
Monday, July 25, 2011
Enough said. Eveerything was down for over a day and a half. It was crazy and we are still trying to recover. Back up plan? They don't need no stinking back up plan.
iPhone edited with Camera+ and uploaded with/to Instagram
205/365 - Sunday dinner done
Sunday, July 24, 2011
We had ALL the kids home for dinner this Sunday. I wasn't feeling to good but I snapped out of it to enjoy their company. Having all my kids together is almost always a celebration. They are smart, funny, crazy and FUN. We dined on fresh seasoned and grilled venison, grilled corn on the cob, fried potaotes and watermelon. Oh and cocktails too. For desert it was Ice Cream sundaes and/or drumbsticks and a game of Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
I would like to do this every Sunday.
iPhone edited with Camera+
204/365 - Hey, GOOD MORNING!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Doodles in the morning. My grandson likes to come in on weekend mornings and cuddle. Or play with my phone. Sometimes he watches cartoons while I play with my phone. He wasn't feeling too good this day. Which meant he was somewhat calm all day and that is not at all like him.
iPhone, edited with Camera+
Saturday, July 23, 2011
203/365 - Rocket ship
Friday, July 22, 2011
My three year old grandson, Doodles, saw this photo and said it was a rocket ship. it's actually our local theater sign. I've photographed it before but not from this angle.
Hubs and I went to dinner and the movies. Kind of a rare thing for us these days. We saw "Horrible Bosses" and laughed our butts off AND it was FUN. Hubs was the one that suggested I capture the sign from right underneath. Thanks Hubs!
SOOCP (Straight out of camera phone) iPhone, no editing.
Friday, July 22, 2011
202/365 - Grid
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Lines are always good, grids are even better.
I was at an offsite, all day meeting for work at the local Embassy Suites. There is always something to photograph in hotels and yes, I tend to focus on the architecture. I barely got this one in before we left. Let’s just say, the meeting was a bit too long, we were done and wanted out.
iPhone, edited and uploaded via Instagram
201/365 - 1962
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Excellent year, 1962. At t least that is what year I think this Porsche is by the body style. This one is parked in the garage every so ofter where I work. I haven’t run into the owner yet to confirm my guess but I did have fun looking up images of Porsches via Google , starting in the 50’s. Hubs saw the pictures I took and said it was 1960’s, I thought it was older. It is interesting that through the early years they look very much the same but the subtle differences are in the tail light shape and quantity, the vents under the headlights going from four to three slots, the bumpers, and the way the back hood became more curved with the body. I believe the fact that the vents on the back hood were one or two depended on the model or extras, judging by the photos I found. Clearly I am not an expert here but I did find it interesting, trying to figure out what year this car was made by comparing photos.
I CAN tell the difference between a 1967, 1968 and 1969 Camaro and muscle cars are my favorite. This could have something do with growing up in the 60’s and 70’s and possibly the fact that my husband is a hard core American Made car man. Our mid life crisis cars will be a new Chevrolet Camaro for him and a new Dodge Challenger for me.
Excellent year, 1962. At t least that is what year I think this Porsche is by the body style. This one is parked in the garage every so ofter where I work. I haven’t run into the owner yet to confirm my guess but I did have fun looking up images of Porsches via Google , starting in the 50’s. Hubs saw the pictures I took and said it was 1960’s, I thought it was older. It is interesting that through the early years they look very much the same but the subtle differences are in the tail light shape and quantity, the vents under the headlights going from four to three slots, the bumpers, and the way the back hood became more curved with the body. I believe the fact that the vents on the back hood were one or two depended on the model or extras, judging by the photos I found. Clearly I am not an expert here but I did find it interesting, trying to figure out what year this car was made by comparing photos.
I CAN tell the difference between a 1967, 1968 and 1969 Camaro and muscle cars are my favorite. This could have something do with growing up in the 60’s and 70’s and possibly the fact that my husband is a hard core American Made car man. Our mid life crisis cars will be a new Chevrolet Camaro for him and a new Dodge Challenger for me.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
200/365 - Gnarly tree
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
And so it begins. My first 6 am walk, as I jump start my training for the Warrior Dash at the end of October. This year.
Whoa! WHAT? Yep, me, I’m going to do the Warrior Dash. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you Google it.
I’m excited. Really, I am but mostly about the training. I now have a goal other than just trying to get in shape. A shape other than the one I’m in currently. I’ve been working with Helga (aka my trainer and Sister) for a year now on stretching out my unused (atrophied) muscles, strengthening my core, etc. Now we are going to kick it up several notches. Helga and The Duchess (my middle child) talked me into this because they are doing the Dash as well. The three of us will be training together whenever possible.
I KNOW, I’m crazy but hey; I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane from TEN-THOUSAND feet up in the sky. I CAN do THIS too.
So, about this photo: On my mile walk there are these trees that have all this gnarly bark. It’s interesting. I think this one here is the biggest one along the creek. I’ve photographed it before but the light just wasn’t right. This morning I caught the sun as it was coming up on this trippy tree, with my iPhone. I look forward to finding images on my walks at least three mornings a week, for now. I want to work up to six days a week and three miles each. And then…I’ll go conquer the world!
And so it begins. My first 6 am walk, as I jump start my training for the Warrior Dash at the end of October. This year.
Whoa! WHAT? Yep, me, I’m going to do the Warrior Dash. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you Google it.
I’m excited. Really, I am but mostly about the training. I now have a goal other than just trying to get in shape. A shape other than the one I’m in currently. I’ve been working with Helga (aka my trainer and Sister) for a year now on stretching out my unused (atrophied) muscles, strengthening my core, etc. Now we are going to kick it up several notches. Helga and The Duchess (my middle child) talked me into this because they are doing the Dash as well. The three of us will be training together whenever possible.
I KNOW, I’m crazy but hey; I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane from TEN-THOUSAND feet up in the sky. I CAN do THIS too.
So, about this photo: On my mile walk there are these trees that have all this gnarly bark. It’s interesting. I think this one here is the biggest one along the creek. I’ve photographed it before but the light just wasn’t right. This morning I caught the sun as it was coming up on this trippy tree, with my iPhone. I look forward to finding images on my walks at least three mornings a week, for now. I want to work up to six days a week and three miles each. And then…I’ll go conquer the world!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
199/365 - Morning in the Cube
Monday, July 18, 2011
This is where I spend my weekdays. Yeah, I have so much more to say about this here photo, this topic of what I do for living or rather what my hopes and dreams are but…WOW that train sure ran off the track quickly. Let’s just say that this is not the forum. I ramble on and on enough, we certainly don’ t need to go there. Yet.
Taken with my iPhone and edited in Camera¬+
Monday, July 18, 2011
198/365 - Pond
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Have I mentioned here how much I LOVE my iPhone? Oh and all these little amazing apps? Maybe once or twice? I must admit that this project of mine probably would have been done for (again) early on had I not had my wonderful iPhone. Life is just crazy and while I would like nothing more than to lug my DSLR around on my shoulder, ready to shoot at all times…stuff just doesn’t work out that way. Not in my world, at least for now.
I am picking up the pace, kicking my exercise up a notch and will be walking a lot more so I’m looking for a decent case or holder for walking because I cannot leave the house without my iPhone. I NEED it in case I have to call for help, or listen to music or…take a picture. I also will be installing a pedometer app as soon as I figure out which is the best one.
I took this photo while on a walk with Hubs Sunday morning. We were done with the “power walk” part and wanted to see if the Kingfisher was hanging out at the pond again. We were too late; he was gone for the day. Edited in Camera+ and uploaded via Instagram.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
197/365 - Silver chair
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Really, this is a chair. Well, the seat of a chair. One at the car wash that is quite slippery to sit in while in anything but workout pants. Thankfully that is how I was dressed this morning because I was on my way to walk with my sister and my daughter. Warrior Dash training has begun. (More on that later or in a new blog about yet another crazy thing I’m doing.) I HAD to get my filthy car washed before.
Captured with my iPhone, edited in Camera+ for clarity, black & white filter and Tiny Planet for the abstract. Fun stuff!!
Really, this is a chair. Well, the seat of a chair. One at the car wash that is quite slippery to sit in while in anything but workout pants. Thankfully that is how I was dressed this morning because I was on my way to walk with my sister and my daughter. Warrior Dash training has begun. (More on that later or in a new blog about yet another crazy thing I’m doing.) I HAD to get my filthy car washed before.
Captured with my iPhone, edited in Camera+ for clarity, black & white filter and Tiny Planet for the abstract. Fun stuff!!
196/365 - Theater lights
Friday, July 15, 2011
Yes, another red light night photo. This is the only time I want red lights to be a long as possible. The rest of the time they just slow me down. Well, I mean, I do stop at them but I would prefer to get from point A to point B with all green lights.
This is on my way home after an evening out with my sister. We had Sushi and Sake for dinner, discussed our training plans for the Warrior Dash, walked around for a bit and then lost ourselves in the local used bookstore; me in the Photography/Art section, her in the Fitness section. Yep, we each left with a book.
I captured this with my iPhone out my car window, straightened it in PS Express and edited it in Camera+ to add the film sprockets. You know, for the movie theater theme. Too cheesy? I know, I like it.
Friday, July 15, 2011
195/365 - Dos
Thursday, July 14,2011
My Husband, daughter, grandson and I are pulling out of the driveway to go somewhere for dinner. We don't know where yet. So we ask our three year old grandson where he would like to go. He says, or rather, shouts "RED ROBIN." We are debating this for a moment when Hubs says “okay, let’s go to Red Robin.” That kid got SO excited, as if we told him he was going to Disneyland. He was cheering and singing and then couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. He loves the place because he gets a giant bowl of mac & cheese and he can be just about as loud as he wants. I have a like/hate for the place; I like that HE can be loud but it is too loud in there and oh, those damn endless steak fries.
These trees are in the parking lot of the mall where Red Robin is located. There are several yet these two caught my eye as we were walking back to the car. Captured with my iPhone and edited in Camera+
194/365 - Eat your veggies
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
I love this produce display. This is how you sell stuff or entice certain people to make photographs. It makes me want to buy one (or more) of each item. Right now, it also makes me hungry. I’m sure I could have spent more time hanging out and shooting but the produce people were looking at me like I was crazy. Well, I am but that is a story for another day.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
193/365 - Looking back B & W
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Ugh, I had a hard time making up my mind between this one and the color version. I’m still indecisive. Story of my life!! I liked them both but as much as I love lots of color, sometimes I need to go black and white. I think this one is more moody. I know there are no people in this photo but I love the following quote…“When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!” ~Ted Grant
I find it interesting (or maybe sad?) that I went up to this hill overlooking our valley, took several photos with my 30D and then a few with my iPhone and chose one from my phone to post to this project. Yes, I need to get out more with my DSLR and clearly learn more editing skills in PS.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
192/365 - Ivy
Monday, July 11, 2011
Mondays are long days and not just because it’s Monday or that the day before was Sunday and the weekend is over. They are just long.
After dinner, I grabbed my iPhone as the last of the sun was setting on the other side of the trees and headed out to the backyard looking for some inspiration. This backyard of ours could use some inspiration of its own but that is another day. I found this ivy on the side yard. This reminds me of when my Grandmother lived in a craftsman style house on Lake Avenue in Pasadena. The ivy would grow in through the windows and walls in her sewing room and climb up through all her spools of thread. It was so pretty and I can see it still it vividly.
Monday, July 11, 2011
191/365 - Local honey
Sunday, July 10, 2011
When I was moving this honey from a large jar that needed to be returned to it's owner to these smaller jars, my daughter asked if it was okay to have some or if they were off limits because I was going to take pictures of them. Well of course she could have some and YES I was going to take pictures of them.
I'm thinking I am going to clear out all the items I have displayed in my kitchen garden window. It has the most beautiful light in the mornings and the upper shelf is at the perfect height for me to use as a mini natural light studio.
190/365 - Artist at work
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The whole family went to my husbands company picnic. When we all go to these functions it makes it so much more fun and two weekends in a row we all spent at least one day, all together. The picnic turned out to be a lot of fun. Good food, lots of activities and it was nice to see people I only see once, maybe twice, a year. This year they added a couple more artists and other activities. I think we all participated in every one of them. And I made this photo. It's always a good day when I make at least one decent photograph. I do have more from this day, to be posted on Flickr soon.
This one, watching an artist create, is my favorite. I want to watch as it's happening. I want to create beautiful art too. I'm working on this want, no, NEED that I have to create. Every day
I’m so glad I brought my 30D with me this day. I have been shooting mostly with my iPhone lately and I like a lot of what I get out of it but it just cannot replace my DSLR. I got to capture this, which I may have been able to with my iPhone but that light was tricky. I needed to edit it in LR to lighten it up a bit without losing information. Now I have three different monitors to edit/view this photo and I think I have it right but when I view it on my work monitor, it looks too dark. How is the exposure on your monitor?
Sunday, July 10, 2011
189/365 - Red light
Friday, July 8, 2011
Here at the end of another busy week.
I love capturing moving lights at night and now I have an app on my iPhone that slows down the shutter called, of all things, SlowShutter. What better place to catch some lights than at a stop light.
Friday, July 8, 2011
188/365 - A flower
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hubs gave me this bouquet of flowers for my birthday and I had been meaning to shoot them since that morning. I see flowers, I think photo op.
These are lucky they made it into water that morning as we were in a rush to get out of the house to go SKYDIVING. Of course I had no idea what we were actually doing that day, I just knew we had to get going. So I just stuck the bouquet, still rubber banded and with the American Flag themed paper wrap still attached into a vase of water and that is how they have been unitl I took this. Amazingly they are still looking pretty fresh.
187/365 - Barking?
Wedneday, July 6, 2011
This is an edit of a photo I took this past weekend. I did take some photos today but did NOT like them. In fact I had posted one as my photo of the day on Flickr but decided it just wasn't doing it for me.
I guess they don't want you barking near this wall but parking was okay.
I just love this wall! And this abandoned building is amazing. I must go back at sunrise or sunset. Hopefully with a little fog. We were there on a rare, for this area, sunny and clear day.
186/365 - Blue
Tuesday, July 5, 20111
Little blue flowers growing right up out of the ground in the middle of a patio. So pretty. Wish the weeds that grow up on my patio looked this good.
iPhone photo, edited in Camera+ on my iPhone.
185/365 - Happy Birthday America!
Monday, July 4, 2011
This day was basically another day of rest. We had such a busy and FUN (EPIC!) weekend that I was fine not going to parades or parties or picnics. We did manage to get to the grocery store, bbq some hot dogs and see a little bit of the fireworks. All is well. Peace.
This day was basically another day of rest. We had such a busy and FUN (EPIC!) weekend that I was fine not going to parades or parties or picnics. We did manage to get to the grocery store, bbq some hot dogs and see a little bit of the fireworks. All is well. Peace.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
184/365 - My EPIC Birthday!!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
I remember telling my family that I wanted to go to the beach for my birthday and boy, did they make THAT happen.
Cue the song that is now my default ring tone on my phone because it is stuck in my head, permanently;
"I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar..." R. Kelly
When I look at this photo and when I think about that door to the plane opening, dangling my feet off the edge and pushing out of the plane, my stomach gets that jolt, that excited feeling that I also get when I'm on a roller coaster but SO MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER. Just writing this post has got my heart rate up AND I want to go again!
I wasn't even nervous until I heard the words "thirty seconds." THIRTY SECONDS before we jumped from 10,000 feet in the sky, over the ocean, OH MY GOODNESS! "Now I'm free, free fallin'. Yeah, I'm free, free fallin..." Can't. Even. Describe. The. RUSH. The sound of the wind, me screaming out of pure excitement and then when the parachute opens...quiet. We are floating above the ocean, floating above the EARTH and "I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles..." Then we are to the part I was most afraid of: landing on the ground and breaking an ankle or hip. But no, it was smooth, on my butt and on the beach! . And there I was, being unhooked from a harness to a parachute (and my instructor Eric - who was AWESOME by the way). Yes it was over that fast, darn it. Let’s go again and again.
Words people used when commenting on my Facebook status that "I. JUST. JUMPED. OUT. OF AN. AIRPLANE!" - Metal, Rockstar, Brave, awesomesauce, OMG... but the funniest came from a phone call from our favorite Uncle in Texas "Y'all don't have a lick a sense."
Yes, I do feel stronger. Like I can do anything I set my mind to. I mean really, I FLEW!
THANK YOU!!! I want to thank my family and my sister's family and anyone else who knew this was what I was getting for my birthday and kept it a surprise. Not that I would have chickened out had I known ahead of time. Oh HELL no! I just probably wouldn't have been able to sleep the night before and would have worked myself up into a frenzy. THANK YOU all for making this happen! This really was the best birthday EVER. Thank you to my oldest child for the idea and getting this event rolling. Thank you to my husband, my middle child and my sister for jumping too! Thank you to EVERYONE for getting up early on a Sunday, driving (Hubs, Son & BIL) two hours, waiting for us to get up in the sky and LAND on the ground and schlepping all the stuff down to (and up from) the beach where we spent the rest of the afternoon munching, lounging, watching the dolphins swim by and getting sun burned. Thank you for the wonderful dinner too. So glad you could spend the day with me. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
I remember telling my family that I wanted to go to the beach for my birthday and boy, did they make THAT happen.
Cue the song that is now my default ring tone on my phone because it is stuck in my head, permanently;
"I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar..." R. Kelly
When I look at this photo and when I think about that door to the plane opening, dangling my feet off the edge and pushing out of the plane, my stomach gets that jolt, that excited feeling that I also get when I'm on a roller coaster but SO MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER. Just writing this post has got my heart rate up AND I want to go again!
I wasn't even nervous until I heard the words "thirty seconds." THIRTY SECONDS before we jumped from 10,000 feet in the sky, over the ocean, OH MY GOODNESS! "Now I'm free, free fallin'. Yeah, I'm free, free fallin..." Can't. Even. Describe. The. RUSH. The sound of the wind, me screaming out of pure excitement and then when the parachute opens...quiet. We are floating above the ocean, floating above the EARTH and "I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles..." Then we are to the part I was most afraid of: landing on the ground and breaking an ankle or hip. But no, it was smooth, on my butt and on the beach! . And there I was, being unhooked from a harness to a parachute (and my instructor Eric - who was AWESOME by the way). Yes it was over that fast, darn it. Let’s go again and again.
Words people used when commenting on my Facebook status that "I. JUST. JUMPED. OUT. OF AN. AIRPLANE!" - Metal, Rockstar, Brave, awesomesauce, OMG... but the funniest came from a phone call from our favorite Uncle in Texas "Y'all don't have a lick a sense."
Yes, I do feel stronger. Like I can do anything I set my mind to. I mean really, I FLEW!
THANK YOU!!! I want to thank my family and my sister's family and anyone else who knew this was what I was getting for my birthday and kept it a surprise. Not that I would have chickened out had I known ahead of time. Oh HELL no! I just probably wouldn't have been able to sleep the night before and would have worked myself up into a frenzy. THANK YOU all for making this happen! This really was the best birthday EVER. Thank you to my oldest child for the idea and getting this event rolling. Thank you to my husband, my middle child and my sister for jumping too! Thank you to EVERYONE for getting up early on a Sunday, driving (Hubs, Son & BIL) two hours, waiting for us to get up in the sky and LAND on the ground and schlepping all the stuff down to (and up from) the beach where we spent the rest of the afternoon munching, lounging, watching the dolphins swim by and getting sun burned. Thank you for the wonderful dinner too. So glad you could spend the day with me. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
183/365 - Reach for the sky
Saturday, July 2, 2011
A day of rest for me. I was toast from the day (and weeks, months) before, needed to stay out of the heat and just not have to go anywhere. I did make it to the farmers market in the morning but that was pretty much it for this day. I tried to catch up on some photo editing, did a little laundry, hung out with my grandson and I think I even watched a movie. I can't remember which one and that probably means I have seen it before or it wasn't very good.
This Cactus was a gift from my sister.
Recently my daughter split it up between her and I as it was getting overgrown. A few days later I noticed this shoot coming up. Clearly it is much happier now. Thank you daughter.
182/365 - The light is on
Friday, July 1, 2011
Here at the edge of the world! This is how I feel when I am on the coast. Being out here at the Pt Reyes Lighthouse is the farthest west we can get in this part of California.
It was a beautiful day and very windy as expected but clear which is not always expected. The last time we tried to visit this spot the fog was so thick we had to turn around before we had gotten half way from the park entrance. It's a long drive, through historic dairy farms, a climb up the hill and then 302 steps down to the lighthouse which isn't bad but the 302 steps back up is quite the workout. That light that is on, that is peeking out at us behind the curtain, is for display only. The lighthouse , which was built in 1870, was retired from service in 1975. The actual automated light and fog horn are on the other side, much smaller and far less romantic.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
June 2011 Mosaic
I love doing these mosaics!
Another busy month. At least three photos are with my neglected 30D. One of them was chosen as the 365 photo of the day by Shutter Sisters http://shuttersisters.com/365/2011/6/27/365-by-diane-meade-tibbetts.html
What an honor that is! And exciting too!
I have hit the half way point for the year and I don't want to stop, that's for sure.
181/365 - Time AWAY, Olema CA
Thrusday,June 30, 2011
Looking west from the Inn at Roundstone Farm, Olema, CA
Hubs and I left Thursday evening for a MUCH needed 24 hours AWAY from home and hospitals and kids and work and... It took me the whole hour plus drive out to the coast and at least one cocktail before I could feel the stress starting to leave my body. My brain, well, that's a different story. I had to keep reminding myself to be present, just breathe, enjoy what is and relax. It was so nice to get away and (try to) not talk about all that has been going on, just hang out, eat good food, not be interrupted, think thoughts all the way through and just be with each other. It was the best twenty-four hours the two of us have had in a long time. Thank you very much.
180/365 - Colors, yes! Quality, meh
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Okay, I'll admit it; I bought these because they are so pretty. And I really do need some decent knives. I have a couple really good ones and the rest are...just cheap. These have to be better. For a while? What I do need are self sharpening knives. I keep thinking I need to learn how to sharpen my knives myself and then I think about how clumsy I can be.
Aren't these pretty?!
Okay, I'll admit it; I bought these because they are so pretty. And I really do need some decent knives. I have a couple really good ones and the rest are...just cheap. These have to be better. For a while? What I do need are self sharpening knives. I keep thinking I need to learn how to sharpen my knives myself and then I think about how clumsy I can be.
Aren't these pretty?!
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