Dancing Lens

2008-02-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

OK I am pretty sure that I have some links to this blog out there in cyber land so this is to inform anyone who might be visiting through one of those links that I have ceased blogging here. I am tired of the garbage related to this site, the inability to load pictures on a regular basis etc so I have started a new blog at vox which I am finding I like much more then blogger/blogspot whatever its called now.

I can be found now and hopefully forever more at wyldreams.vox.com

Please visit me there and say hi!

Good bye blogger pffft.

2007-06-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

Now isnt this a gorgeous animal? Not the handler! The bird, though the handler is pretty easy on the eyeballs too.
Medieval Times. Great place to go for dinner and entertainment. As I previously mentioned, we spent some time, recently in Florida. My son was married then my husband, youngest daughter and myself wandereded on over to Orlando to make some trouble and do the tourist thing there. We decided to go to Medieval Times for dinner one night and of course we were not disappointed. This gorgeous things (and the bird) were part of the nights entertainment.
Dont you just hate it when you have a really fabu shot and someone just decides to step in a nano second before you trip the shutter..grrrrrr.

2007-06-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Much too long, much much too long it has been. Been busy, well not that busy, well yeah maybe - sheesh I dunno. One thing I think I have discovered is that I need more self-discipline! Gotta make myself sit down on my arse ( something I do more then I care to admit, anyway) and keep this blog up.

Ok my son and his lovely fiance were finally married on the 26th of May. Of the 1200+ pictures I took, this one really grabs me by the heart and lets me know that this is a good place to be, here in earth in the vicinity of young innocent love such as this dipicts. More pictures will be forthcoming as I set to the task of post editing and reducing down the ridiculus number of pictures I took hehe. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

2006-12-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

I am well on my way to the end of winter break. A week from now I will be back to work :sigh: the time seems to go so fast. The above is a picture of the sand dunes in Imperial, California that I shot about 2 weeks ago....yeah yeah I know, lens flare, sunspots....but I find that I like the distortions. It gives the illusion of the dunes as they really are. A hot desolate place, baked by the sun...though if truth be told, it was only about 75 degrees that day. During the summer this is a harsh unforgiving place with temps reaching upwards of 115 degrees. Now the rest of the story: Mike ( my wonderful husband) and I got stuck in the sand moments after this picture was taken! We were rescued by some very nice (CUTE!) Border Patrol agents who were in the area chasing down illegal border crossers lol.

2006-11-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

2006-11-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Recently attended the annual balloon festival in our small local yocal city. The colours are amazing.

2006-10-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

My colourguard

WE had a good preformance at Friday nights football game. Much better then anticipated, or much better then they had preformed at the mornings pep assembly. Our season is winding down now. Next week we play cross town rival high school. incidentally the high school I used to teach colourguard at. I am sure I will see a few old boosters and I know the new band director there. I keep hearing bad things about this high schools band now. Messy, loud, rude, arrogant. Anyway I feel I have a few things to prove this coming Friday and my one hope is the guard preforms the way they did at NAU.

2006-10-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

I am almost embarrassed to post this picture, not because of what I took a pic of, but the quality of it. I am usually more of a perfectionist then this and normally would have tossed this one without much thought BUT and this is a big but....I have to explain what happened. I was plain and simply shaking with excitement....telephoto lens - zoomed almost 100% and hand shake DO NOT work well together.

This is the only picture I have of my daughter, who is captain of my colourguard, her co-captain and the 2 drum majors for our band accepting awards this past saturday night.

This picture was made all the more sweeter and special to me because just moments after it was taken, my guard was awarded outstanding auxilliary for their division. So you think this piccie is bad, you should see what I tried to shoot when they announced their award!! Can't even tell what it is.

I am very proud of my colourguard team this year...they worked so very hard, put up with a new instructor (me) changes, upheavel, drama you name it. This team was mediocre at best last year and when I accepted the job as their instructor I made up my mind that I would not tolerate mediocre any longer, we were going to step it up and bring it all forward...indeed they did just that. I have rarely seen a guard cleaner, brighter, smile more, project amazing attitude,preform nearly flawlessly in my time as a guard instructor ( been doing this a long time) I would pit this group against any college instructed guard any day. I have had a ball working with these girls and was so moved to see the tears on their faces Saturday night. Especially on my seniors faces. These girls have spent the entirity of their high school career in colourguard and have been yet to win this award, they have been pushed back as almost an embarrassment to the band due to their mediocrity. They had a lot to prove and I had a lot of noses that needed to be rubbed in things that have been said about them....Congratulations Cibola High School Colourguard....truely an award winned colourguard.

2006-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sand Dunes, Imperial California

Oh my where has the time gone? You know when I started this blog I didn't want to be one of those people who just blogged once in a while, once a month or a few times a year...I really did have good intentions. People who set up blogs and then rarely post to them really bug me...and here I have become one of them. Appologies to me and to you. I really need to do better and I hope that I do...this is my effort to try.

Things have been speeding along in my life. Emmersed completely with the colourguard. We are off to Northern Arizona University tomorrow for our first competition. The girls are preforming beautifully and I am very proud of them. No matter what our score, they will always deserve the highest honour in my heart. We have faced some upheavels, changes, and shakeups since we started back in mid July and they have handled it wonderfully, rarely complaining and rising to the occassion. I am excited for tomorrow for them. They look amazing in their uniforms and makeup and they give lots of attitude when I prod them a bit. The routine is flawless in most places and a little shakey in just a few, but all in all they should give a good solid show. The band is a little shakey in its music, much more confident in their showmanship and some of the little things they have added to dress it up are very effective. I have many reasons I want this band and guard to do well tomorrow, mostly for the kids and a little for a few eyes that will be watching us.

I am off to Florida on the 22nd of Oct to photograph a wedding...I am nervous and thrilled to do this...could be a step in the direction I ultimately want to take with my life. Wish me luck

2006-09-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

I Remember
Jan Maciejewski
New York

I have become involved in the "2996 Project", a very worthwhile attempt to keep the victims of 911 in our hearts and minds. Let us never forget...

Precious little personal information can be found on Jan Maciejewski, but what I have found indicates Jan was a stong, self-reliant man, who valued God, family and friends, not afraid to give his 110% in all he did. He was 37 years old.

Jan was an immigrant from Israel in 1990. He worked at Windows on the World restaurant which was located on the 107th floor of the WTC. He also worked as an IT consultant at Julien J. Studley Inc. Some have said that Jan had an unbelievable knack of being in the right place at the right times. All accounts are that Jan took the shift that fateful morning of a co-worker who could not make it. Sadly he was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Jan loved his job as waiter at Windows and he succeeded in obtaining jobs for 3-4 of his good friends over the course of a few years at the same restaurant. They were all very greatful for this.

Jan is survived by a wife.

To his wife:
I am a widow as well. My husband did not die in 911, he passed in 2004 of a heart attack. I don't think that there is an emotion or feeling you are or have gone through that I cannot relate to. My heart goes out to you...

2006-08-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what the hell is going on here, but I am unable to upload any pictures....Is this going to be fixed anytime soon!!!!???

2006-08-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

OK what a week!... First of all the above picture. I can't remember the name of the plant, Mexican Fire or something like that?? Anyway they are all over here in the desert, used extensively for landscaping as they are heat loving plants which produce these vivid orange flowers with spider like stamen. I took this picture last weekend. The humdiity had disappeared for a few days and with it the clouds, so I thought this plant with the background of a bright blue sky would be nice and I think it is.

School started this week, Tues. So I am back to the grindstone. Its been a good beginning to the year. The colourguard are really pulling things together this year. I have a reputation to fight this year, due to the poor leadership and instruction they have recieved over the course of about 5 years. But I think so far we are going above and beyond anything they are used to in skills and abilities. Their tossing has improved drastically, syncronicity is improving as well and they really seem to care as well as respond to my perfectionism. I have high hopes for them in competition. Of course we have the usual one or two who just arnt living up to expectations, but I am hopeing that the distinct improvement of the squad in totality will help hide those who are lagging behind. I am optimistic at this point but we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

Mike and I are driving to Phx on Friday. We have our AOS interview with immigration. He recieved his right to work permit as well as his provisional SS number so he has been searching for work this week. The interview has us both nervous as well as excited. I hope that whomever is interviewing can see we are truely in love and this is not some sort of hoax. Mike is one amazing man and I am very happy and blessed to have him in my life.

Heat is at the extreme right now so picture taking opportunities are at a minimum. Taking the above picture was hard as it was about 109 outside and I felt like I was melting. I also do not like to use the camera in that sort of heat. So I take a few here and there and hope that cooler weather is not too far away. will be at least 2 months or so ugh. I am going to get some pictures of the guard and their flags when I get a chance. I have a few ideas how I want to set things up, but we need time and better weather. Right now all time is invested in the show.

2006-08-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a bugger of a hot summer this year, either that or I am just getting old and intolerant of anything other then a degree spread range of say 60-90 degrees.

The above picture gives silent sentiment to the fact that the desert heat, and I mean in the dead of summer is harsh and unforgiving if not down-right dangerous.

I was on a trip home to Yuma from Tucson. This stretch of travel is one of the most barren, desolate stretches of road one can imagine. Mike and I were driving back in the mid afternoon sun, of course the worst time to drive and of course we picked one of the hottest days on record to do it. This was the sort of day that mirages appear from the heat. Off in the distance we could see various water mirages, when in reality it was only the incredible heat radiating off the black pavement. The AC was full on and I was still hot. Anyway after counting numerous cacti and desert scrub brush and, incidentally, rarely a car in sight ( smart people) we came across this poor old abused and broken down building. I believe it might have once been a gas station. Out in the middle of nowhere nearly begging for someone to notice it and validate it. I am sure at one time or another it was a brightly coloured stop over for travelers, to cool off, gas up, maybe get a soda or lemonade. I couldn't resist it. So we stopped. The temp on the car thermometer blinked a bright 118 degrees. Opening the car doors and feeling the heat slap you in the face took your breath away. It was so hot my lungs didn't want to breath didn't want to feel the heat soaked air. I snapped picture after picture. There was even a basement in this old structure, but it looked to rickety and fragile to risk going down into it. After a few minutes and a pee near a large bush, Mike gave up and went and sat in the car - AC on , but not before he spooked up a roadrunner, who went dashing off into the desert. I finshed my picture taking and was happy I had done it. I loved what I got out of it. The above is just a taste.

2006-07-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sisters

Sisters. What an incredible bond they share. I never had a sister myself, just big dumb and much older brothers. I was more or less raised as an only child since they were so much older then me. These are my daughters. Chelsea is the oldest (22, on the chair) and Ariceli is younger (16, on the floor). I have an older son as well as shown below with his fiance.

I have always marveled and adored ( and been jealous alittle) of the bond that these sisters have. It is amazing and quite the study in sibling dynamics. When they were younger they developed this whole "language" that only the two of them could really understand. While Chels was visiting we laughed loud and hard remembering these bizarre words they shared. This picture of them is as true to life and captures them in their normal lives very completely. After we took Chelsea back home to Tucson, Mike remarked at the fact he never has heard to females laugh as long, hard and sincerely as they did while she was here. I am so glad that Chelsea came. I think it helped the bond between the two. I hope they treasure and cherish it as it should be for all of their lives.

2006-07-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Introducing Chelsea

Forgive me, I have not been a good blogger. I will admit that work has taken first place to nearly all other things in my life, but after this week, that should back down just a bit and I will be back more regularly afterwards.

Anyway, I would like to introduce my middle child and first daughter...my wayward soul ...Chelsea. I love her fiercly and forgive her many "interesting" choices in life. She reminds me of me when I was her age - 22. She has chosen to do things that I shyly and embarrassingly thought about doing 25 years ago myself, so I suppose on some level I admire her for actually doing them.

She came to visit me for a week and we had a great time. I think you will agree she is gorgeous.

2006-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I was going to use this post today to grip and moan about my children, but I am not going to. They are who they are and it is my responsability to do whatever I can to accept whatever choices they make in their ADULT lives. but daaaaayyyuuuummmm is it hard.

Anyway I talked to my middle daughter today. It was her birthday, she is at the ripe old age of 22. I will leave this post without a picture in honour of her. She will be visiting me next week for several days and I am going to do my best to get some pictures of her. She really is quite pretty

On another note, I finally FINALLY finished post processing the pictures of my son and his fiance' WOW they turned out so nice...I am rather proud of myself. Feel free to browse them at www.wyldreamz.com follow the link to Tyler and Janines photos.

2006-07-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Love is grand isn't it?

Had a marvelous weekend this past one. Took my son and his fiance' to San Diego to take some engagement pictures. I was quite happy with some that I got. Frustrated with others, but overall it was a trip well worth it. Had a motel right on the harbor which makes me long for a home there now. SIGH.

Anyway these are just a few of many many I took.

Enjoy

2006-06-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Found this cool little gizmo to make a slide show...

2006-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

A little twist to a photo set I did of my 16 year old and her phone....

2006-06-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

It has been just too bleeding hot here to do much in the way of photography and it is driving me up a wall. I can see that I am going to have to work my tail off this school year in order to have the money that will allow me to travel to cooler places during the next summer!

Actually this weekend will be another good weekend - a weekend spent away and in a cooler place. My son and his fiance' are driving over from Tucson tomorrow, then we are all going to drive to San Diego Sunday, spend the night and come back Monday. San Diego is where he proposed to Janine. I told them a few weeks ago I would like to take them back to San Diego to get some engagement pics of them...sort of my gift to them, to recreate it all. It will also give me some experience in formal portraitures. I have asked them to decide on a few places they want to go ...I suspect I will be taking 100's of pictures of them, good thing I got my 2nd memory card. I was thinking of perhaps shooting in RAW this go round, but I dunno....I still have this thing in my head that says, use your camera to its fullest extent. Shooting in RAW isn't really doing that, or is it? So many different opinions on it all. Anyway I am keeping my fingers crossed that some of these pictures will turn out nice and if so I will post a few here and on my website.

My middle daughter is going to come down the 16th of July and spend a week with me. I am excited. Will be nice to see her again ( havn't seen her since January) Anyway, Chelsea is a model type. Tall, thin, gorgeous. So I am going to impose on her and take some pictures of her - she has such long graceful lines. He neck is long and sculptured, I have several ideas of what I would like to do with her...hope it comes out as well.

I have been having a great time playing with CS2 and elements...it boggles the mind what you can do with pictures with that software.

ok I will post more after the trip, keep your fingers crossed that I get off some good shots this weekend. Who knows it might lead to others.

Ta for now

2006-06-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. I hate birthdays. Actually I hate June. Lots of bad things have happened to me in the month of June.

Thats all I am going to say about that.

2006-06-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was in a reflective sort of mood last night so started playing around with lights, glass, water etc.

I came up with this and was pretty happy about it. Notice the flare effects off some of the lights. I acheived that by setting my apperture to a smaller size (f/29 was this photos setting) I have a few more that I took that need retouching then I will post them on the website.

The weather here is looking a bit threatening. I doubt if we will get any rain etc, but we are coming up on our monsoon season and right now is the dry thunderstorm season. I have been reading up on lightning and ways to photography it. I am going to try my hand at it when I have the opportunity.

I will be returning to work next month. It has been a nice long extended vacation for me. With the death of my husband two years ago I took a very long leave of absence. Now I feel strong enough and in the mental frame of mind to actually attempt going back. I will be doing a job I did several years ago, though it is not what I thought I wanted to do anymore, it has me excited. I will be working with a young man who was a student of mine several years ago. He has been a music teacher at one of the junior highs here for a couple of years and has just taken a job as band director at a local high school here. He has asked me to be his assistant director and colour guard instructor. I thought long and hard about it, and in the end loyalty won out. He is starting behind the eight ball a bit, as the last director ran the program into the ground . So I welcome the opportunity to help him build it back up. It will also give me the chance to do some photography concerning the band and colour guard.

So there you go. It should prove to be a fun, busy end of summer and fall for me.

I am happy.

2006-06-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well I suppose I am official now.

I have a website. Though I still have to make my galleries, at least the silly thing is live and can be viewed.

If you would, please visit me there and let me know what you think.

My husband is the web designer and for a beginner I think he did an admirable job..

please come visit at www.wyldreamz.com

2006-06-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Moody Celi

I found out yesterday that my two photos that were submitted as an assignment for a class I am taking were choosen as photos of the week. I was thrilled. Then I get the lesson and assignment for this week...yikes. Difficult and I am wracking my brain trying to come up with something original and representative of the lesson.

Photo sets will be the bain of my existance. First I need to get the instructor to clarify what needs to be the commen theme of these pictures. Shape? colour? object? all or none? I am assuming that it will be colour since the class is specifically for colour in photography.

Its just too bloody hot here to do much picture taking. Unless I do staged shots indoors and I don't have a lot of the equipment I would need to take decent indoor shots such as additional flash units, proper lighting, backdrops etc. I tried to take some photos of my lovely 16 year old yesterday, all I got was attitude - 16 year olds are frustrating....but above is one of them...this is Ariceli. Anyone want to raise her for the next 2 years of her life LOL.....

2006-06-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Butterfly

I have slowly, EVER so slowly been learning PhotoShop, I got my software about 5 days ago and man is it ever intimidating. For every day pictures, pictures that I want to capture the moment and the scene laid out before me, then I don't want to rely on CS2 so much. I think I prefer to let the camera, settins, light, me etc do the work, but there will be times that I want to stretch abit beyond into imaginations boundries and play a little. The butterfly above is the first efforts into that. I love it.

I have been going through a tutorial today on how to make skin tones and complexions creamy and blemish free and it is amazing what you can do! Might even make my old wrinkly, dark spotted skin look half-way descent lol

2006-06-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

OOOOO I am getting so excited.

I have my husband working on a website for me and my photography addiction and it is starting to really come together. I gave him some of my photos this morning so he can start naming my galleries and putting them up.

I still have to decide on a name and buy the domain, but I have a few rolling around in my head.

I got my 2nd lesson and assignment today and am eager to get started on it, though much of what we are learning this week I played with and experimented with this past weekend on my out of town shoot: ISO, Av, and exposure compensation. So I guess I will be learning a bit more about it all.

Ok back to the camera!

2006-06-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Come to ME!!

Walking along the beach as an adult sure is different then when I was a kid. I saw these cuties this past weekend and couldn't help but wax poetically at the innocent fun they were having, the fun I used to have as a kid. When THE most important thing was not letting the water hit your feet as you run up the beach from the incoming wave. I sighed a few times taking this pictures wishing I could be back in such an innocent time. Then I realized something astounding. I have just captured that moment in time and at any time or place of my choosing I can now go back and relive innocent times once again.

2006-06-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

San Diego downtown skyline

I love this picture, makes me want to crawl through the picture and be there again.

2006-06-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Man in red.

This young feller, I caught window shopping in a harbor side shopping village. I wish I could have got his shoes, they were the sharpest pair of red and white spats I have ever seen.. He was happy as could be just strolling around with his walkman, or Ipod in his ear, blissfully ignorant to all the people wrenching their necks for a 2nd glance at his retina burning red suit. I loved him immediately.

2006-06-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Lilypad at Balboa park, San Diego, Ca.

Just returned from a great weekend in a much cooler part of the world. I went there in search of some pictures ( street scenes) to feature one or two colours for a class I am taking in colour in photograghy. Since Down here in the desert right now about the only two colous I can feature in anything is brown and browner, I decided to seek out a more colourful area. SD is about 2 hours drive and about 35 degrees colour this time of year, so it encourages people to be out and about on a lovely 75 degree Sunday afternoon. Got some great pics. I will post a few more later.

Bob thanks for the earlier comments on the vase and my "over used" silken water effect lol. I am going to try your other suggestions out this week on the vase. I still love those photos, I want to perfect them as much as I can and with your suggestions, they have certainly been perfected, and I will visit your blog as well!!

2006-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ok ok I know that there are some photogs out there who are just plain sick of the "silken waterfall" images that have become so popular, but you have to indulge me...I have just discovered the art of the silken waterfall and I love it. Maybe in time I will be sick of it as well....but for now I reserve the right to add them to my portfolio hehe....enjoy please and if you like my photos, all comments are welcome....

Namaste

2006-06-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

2006-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Bob for his suggestion at backlighting!! Here I have tried as you suggested, I like the effects it has on this and the one above. This one was with WB on auto and the cool blue one is with the wb on incandescent just to see the change in colours with the blue cast I love them both

Again thanks for the advice...if you have any other.....feel free to offer, I am all about critique and advice to become better.

PS Bob I am still searching for your blog sight? can't seem to find one? Do you have one?

2006-06-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Whooo You???

Caught this little guy on a little road trip that Mike and I took yesterday. I was feeling restless and its getting to the point that when I am feeling restless one of the only things that can sooth me is a photo session.. so that is what we did. Arizona broke out with some VERY unusual June summer weather yesterday, so I set out to see if I could find any of it. We drove about 2 hours down the interstate towards Phx. Pretty soon we happened on a very insignificant looking turn off called "Painted Rock Road" and in tiny little letters underneath it on the sign it said "Indian Petroglyph Sight" I swear up until yesterday I never noticed it. Just blink and the turn off is gone, just another inconspicuous road to no where - or so I thought.

Well we looked at each other and decided why not, we will drive a ways and see where it takes us. Its about 5pm with clouds swirling all around us and lightning off in the distance. We drove another 10-12 miles on this little road without another sign indicating we were on the right track. Finally we found it. A very remote, but well tended to and interesting sight. We parked and began our walk, obeying the signes along the way indicating in a very no-nonsense way to STAY ON THE PATHWAY!!

We found many many petroglyphs and even a key to be able to decipher what it is you are reading. Very surreal, all the way out there in the middle of the desert, hardly anything to remind you that you are in the 21st century, looking at pictures and drawings in rocks that were made by a civilization gone by some 12000 years ago..

It was amazing.

When we were done we began the drive back to the interstate and noticed lots of little eyes watching our progress down the 2 lane, otherwise deserted road. and so I caught one of them as shown above. I suppose there are lots of mice and other little critters for these guys to eat, so they seemed to be in abundance.

Good day and helped me get my head on straight. So today I started my lessons and class and know what my assignment it. I have already had to post to the class board some questions, more then likely indicating my lack of knowledge in DSLR photography, but like I told Mike, I paid good money for this class and it was advertised as beginner to advanced, so damnit, he better accomodate beginners as well as the advanced.

umph.

2006-06-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

White balance was off...I ordered a new polorizing and UV filter for each of my lenses, that might help with the washed out apperance...

2006-06-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

My morning turned out spectacular.

I think these came out rather well, though I need to use a bit more of the white balance setting to difuse some of the bright sunlight that has this one and the other one so washed out. All in all though for someone who has had this camera just a bit over a week, I am pleased....

EEEK just 2 more days until class starts!!! I have already mapped out my first assignement. I have to do some candid colourful street scenes, not much of those around Yuma in the middle of summer so I have decided its off to San Diego we go. One of three places, either Horton plaza - very colourful and the geometric architecture there is amazing, Balboa Park, lots of activity usually there, or the boardwalk at Mission Beach. Now hopefully the weather will cooperate with me.

2006-06-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Disapating contrail taken at sunset...

I finally got my log in and "how to" for the class I begin next week. I am very anxious to start and also feel a bit out of my league. There is a list at the campus site of the people in the class with me, some are in the US, many are from around the world and nearly all have links to their online galleries.

Ugh, I have NO idea why some of these people are taking this course. The seemed to have mastered the art of colour in photography already and I will be sadly outclassed.

The instructor will be giving us assignments each week and we must submit them for critique and he will feature some of the good ones. I better get my learning head on as I am sure there will be LOTS of critique of mine ;(

I hate being a newbie, at anything, but with something so near and dear to my heart as colour, art, photography, well I have a feeling I am going to get my feelings trampled on a bit for the next four weeks.

Oh well we all have to start somewhere right? I just have to get in the mindset that all critique is good and useful and what I need to better myself.

So I am going to spend the weekend cleaning up my computer files ( have tons of pictures in them that are slowing the processor down) fidling with the camera a bit more, fidling with the tripod ( which Mike fixed for me yesterday - bless him) since I will need it for a couple of the assignements, and just generally getting into student mode.

Wish me luck ( I think I am gonna need lots)

OH! I had a great inspiration come to me last night while I was tossing and turning, have a great idea for a 3 shot sequence involving Ariceli as my model. I need to get the Adobe Photoshop software that I ordered before I can actually do it, but I think it will be amazing.....

2006-05-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

cool view

Mike looked at this picture and told me that it makes him feel cooler. I guess here when temps are approaching 110 degress we will take anything to help out with feeling cooler.

Another experiment with still life, still using the 70-300 zoom, I just love this lens.

2006-05-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Doves in love

I have discovered a great little corner of the web for photographers. Its called Betterphoto.com. They seem to have some great online classes. I am still flipping through them to see which ones I might one to take. The beginner, beginner classes won't start until the first part of July, but there seems to be a small 4 week module beginning in about a week which address colour in photography - how to make the most of it, ISO settings for optimum colour, how to think outside the box for colour etc. The description of the course says it is for beginners to advanced so maybe I can get something out of it while I wait for the 8 week classes to begin in July.

2006-05-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Sunsets here in the desert are pretty gorgeous as you can see.

still fiddling around with the lenses, again this one was taken with the Tamron zoom. It is a great little lens great investment

2006-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dove in flight in backyard

I am still trying to get used to my camera. All pictures have been taken either with a nikon 17-55 or for zoom and macro shots a tameron 70-300. So far my better shots are with auto focus, I have attempted some manual focus and just do not have the hang of it yet. Lots to learn

2006-05-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

flower in my atrium

Oh boy am I addicted. Mike calls me "mamarazzi" I am in love. With Mike of course, but also with my new addiction and just life itself!! more pics to follow

2006-05-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

Crystal cut

I got it!! Oh boy I got it, and I have a long weekend just to work on it. I am thrilled so far. This is my 3rd shot, the others are of my doggies and will post them later. But this one I am thrilled with!!!

2006-05-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Taken at Scripps Pier in San Diego California

2006-05-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

2006-05-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

I think the photography bug has bit into Mike a little bit too.

I walked into the office today and caught him looking at macro lenses lol. He SHOULD be working on some of the flash pictures that I want to put up on our new website. OH website you say? Mike and I have come up with, what I think is a pretty brilliant idea for a website and products to sell. But no letting the cat out of the bag at this early juncture. The website is still in development as well as arranging for the merchant account for it.

I am one day closer to receiving my camera, got the tracking number for it last night. OOOOOO I can't wait. I have been studying some online galleries to get some ideas - wedding photography seems to be so lovely and the play of the light on the skin or the fabrics in the dress or veil has be intrigued - the loving look in the happy couples eyes. Wow. Some of the photos leave me speachless - maybe I should think about doing that.

Ok back to work on the website.

9.08 pm
Ohhh I am even more excited, I checked the tracking number for the camera and it is due to arrive her tomorrow!!! For some reason they shipped it 2-day air. OOOOOOO so happy now.

2006-05-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Taken in Sedona Arizona

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Or so I am counting on anyway. I have discovered a love of photography. Actually I discovered it a few years ago, but circumstances being what they were at the time - it was not feasable to pursue any new directions, and photography would have been a completely different direction to which I was used to. It would have meant putting aside the things I thought I SHOULD do in favour of something I would LOVE to do. When working on a difficult marriage, trying to pay the bills, raise children and take care of an elderly mother - well you just don't do that; woman don't do that. Men do.

So I have spent the last 3-4 months soul searching and photography is something I REALLY want to pursue.

So today I took the plunge. I ordered a camera and I am scared, exhillerated, excited and giddy all at once.

After many many days of research (many hours during those days devoted to it) I have decided on my first little camera.
A Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera w/Nikon 18-55mm DX Lens
Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 1:2 Macro Lens
Transcend 1GB 80x SecureDigital (SD) Card
Spare EN-EL3 Battery for Nikon
Nikon SLR System Case - Gadget Bag

My little puppy will be here sometime the beginning of next week and then, as the saying goes, look out world!!

This blog will be my travels on this road, I hope that if anyone reads any of this they will enjoy the road along with me, and remember to smile!