The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other… but to be with each other. – Christopher McDougall

FOCUS:  Digital Art

Half Marathon #4 in the bag!  This time, instead of running, I walked the 1/2 marathon with two friends of mine as a benefit for the charity Action for Healthy Kids, whose mission is to promote healthy lifestyles in school-age children.  The great thing about walking the route was that the focus was less on the finish line, and more on enjoying the company of my friends while helping out a great charity.

A change of ‘pace’ can be a wonderful thing.

Make a little birdhouse in your soul.  ― Linnell Flansburgh

 

FOCUS:  Wildlife

Many years ago, my son built several birdhouses that we proudly displayed in our backyard.  They have hung on our backyard fence for years as little reminders of his first construction projects using a ‘real’ hammer and nails.  I really didn’t mind that the birdhouses never had any occupants, although I do think my son was secretly disappointed.

Just last week I decided to move his birdhouses from their years-long location on our backyard fence, to a more sheltered location under the eaves of our garden shed.  This ended up being a wise move as, much to my surprise, when I walked outside this morning I saw two little chickadees building a nest in one of the birdhouses.  I was so ridiculously excited about this that I had to stop myself from rushing back inside to wake up my son to tell him the news (now that he’s almost 16 years-old, I don’t think he would have appreciated the early morning wake up call…)  Instead, I grabbed my camera, plopped down on my back steps and started clicking away.

I must say that I have a new found appreciation for any wildlife photographers out there.  This area of photography takes a lot of patience and a lot of skill and it is definitely an area where I have very little experience (you could even say none.)  Therefore, I was quite pleased when I uploaded my photos and found I had managed to capture one of the birds just as he was coming in for a landing – beak full of fluffy nesting material.  Discovering this little treasure was my second thrill of the day!  By the way, when my son did roll out of bed (around noon…) I told him the good news, and he was just as excited as I was that his birdhouses finally have residents.   I guess good things do come to those who wait.

And now for a little walk down memory lane… the two pictures below are of my son and his friend proudly displaying some of their bird house building skills all those years ago.  So, so sweet.

Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter. – Sharon Salzberg

 

FOCUS:  Digital Art

Today was my daughter’s last day of high school.  A milestone day indeed.  To commemorate this special day, I have created a little digital art tribute.  I took some photos of purple and yellow flowers (her school colors) and arranged these in a kaleidoscope pattern with an overly of the year 2013.  I chose a kaleidoscope as a representation of how we each are in control of our own future, and the slightest shift in perception can change everything.

To learn the magic of light, get up before sunrise… and watch.  – Ted Grant

 

FOCUS:  Lighting

I am not really a morning person, but I must admit that the light that time of day is truly a gift to photographers.  Today I used three different techniques to capture the morning light.  Even though these photos were taken just minutes apart (and within 5 feet of each other), the results differ dramatically due to the way I positioned myself to capture the light.

In the photo above, I defiantly broke the ‘Avoid Lens Flare!’ rule and purposely aimed my camera to collect the flare.  There are countless articles out there claiming that lens flare can ‘ruin an otherwise perfect photograph.’  Really?  I beg to differ.  When used creatively, lens flare can have a wonderful effect.  Just look at what the flare did for my image of this tiny leaf unfurling in the morning sun.

In the first photo below, I chose a more traditional lighting approach.  The soft back lighting and slight underexposure compliment the shallow DOF to give this image an intimate feel.  It is almost as if you are peeking in on the flowers as they are waking up.

Finally, in the last photo I embraced the harsh shadows created by the angled sunlight as it struck my backyard fence.  Another commonly touted rule of photography is ‘Avoid Harsh Shadows!’  While I agree with that statement in many instances, the high contrast tones created by bright light/dark shadows are the perfect ingredients for striking black & white photography.

So there you have it – three photos, three different lighting techniques.  All before 9:00 in the morning.  Not bad for someone who doesn’t consider herself much of a morning person.

I believe in the photographer’s magic — the ability to stir the soul with light and shape and color. To create grand visual moments out of small and simple things, and to infuse big and complicated subjects with unpretentious elegance. – Amyn Nasser

 

Focus:  Lighting

So, I’m really beginning to think that a swing arm desk lamp is an incredible tool in a photographer’s arsenal.  I am finding that such a simple, everyday device makes for a flexible (and affordable) singular light source.  I have used my desk lamp several times this year to create dramatic lighting in my photos, and these lilies are another example.  You have to love when frugality meets art – this lighting is something anyone can do.

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.  – Margaret Atwood

Focus:  Macro

It’s hard to believe that the temperatures have been in the high 80′s the past few days when just two short weeks ago we were sitting in 6 inches of heavy, wet snow.  It looks like spring is here to stay, which is a good thing since I have definitely made the leap into planting all of my flowers outside.  Sunny skies and hot temps combined with hauling around bags of soil and fertilizer have certainly ensured that I smell like dirt by the end of the day (as well as other ‘natural’ odors).  Spring is in the air!

I grow plants for many reasons:
to please my eye to please my soul,
to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience,
for novelty or for nostalgia,

but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.  – David Hobson

Focus:  Still Life

Despite all the pictures I’ve been taking lately of my ‘garden’, I really don’t consider myself a true gardener.  In fact, my green thumb is really more of a funny shade of hazel – somewhere between lush garden green and crispy dead brown.  But I do like plants, and I especially love flowers.  Each spring I spend several days ‘doing my pots’ and filling them with abundant amounts of colorful annuals.  From what I gather, ‘true’ gardeners turn their noses up at annuals – considering them a bit of a cop-out.  But, like a said, I’m not a ‘real’ gardener…

Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.  – Alan D. Wolfelt

FOCUS:  Food

Every Mother’s Day my husband asks me what I’d like to have for dinner.  Every Mother’s Day I reply, “Surprise me.”  This had led to some pretty incredible meals.  On the menu for this Mother’s Day:  Seared Scallops with Citrus, Arugula and Pomegranate Salad served with a warm crusty baguette and a crisp white wine.

… yes, it was delicious…

A warm breeze blew through my window like a gentle wave lapping the sandy shore in summer at low tide, and as I took in a breath of air that blanketed my body like tall grass in a field I felt for just that moment in time, like I did when I was a child. I felt that I had not one worry, not one burden, nothing was on my mind except that breeze that made the curtains swell like balloons. – Christina Pagliarulo

Focus:  Still Life

Today was the first time this year that I had the windows open all day long.  Perfect weather, perfect breezes.  Ahhh – spring is here!

The sun was as flirty as Scarlett O’Hara with the Tarleton twins, breaking through the clouds in spectacular bursts that seemed like personal favors and then retreating for hours, days, and making us all ache for just a glimpse. – Lorna Landvik

FOCUS:  Cloudscape

It has been a rainy week, but I’m certainly not complaining.  First of all, it isn’t snow – and that is a very good thing indeed.  Secondly, despite our incredibly snowy March and April, we are in a drought year.  This means Denver residents are restricted to watering our lawns only two days per week.  As such, any drop of water that Mother Nature wants to provide for free is just fine with me.