Weekly Photo Challenge: Containers

Sorry for the absence. I went out of town (Beaver Island, MI) and then have been either playing or playing catchup since I have been back. All 3 of those things, have been going well. But, my poor little blog has been neglected. I owe it 3 photo challenges (and more!), and Containers is the first. I am using this photo for Containers because it used to be part of someone’s body, the container for them. I am not really sure what it was. A fish, I suppose. As it lays there, decomposing and twisted, it is hard to tell. It is quite small. The pebbles are the size of a quarter at the large end. I was looking for rocks to bring home and ran into all different kinds of things. Crayfish being eaten by ants was by far the popular life transformation occurring upon the beach. But I liked this one too. This from the beach of our vacation home (that we rented) on Beaver Island, a very magical place.

Ice Follies

This winter has been so lovely; I will hate to see it leave. Here are some of the really cool ice formations we saw at Alum Creek the other night! It was beautiful. It was muddy in spots, but no one lost a shoe. 😉

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

There is nothing cooler than being inside a cave! Here are some of my snapshots from the Ohio Caverns. And, yes, a cave is literally and figuratively cool!

The stalactite above is 5 feet long!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus

When I explain what a SLR/DSLR camera does regarding aperture and shutter speed, I try to liken it to a see-saw. If one is up the other is down; There always has to be a point of balance. For myself I always decide what is the most important thing concerning the subject at hand. There are lots of variables, but speed, light, and depth of field are the biggies for me. I tend to shoot in shutter priority, because I am lazy and don’t enjoy lugging my tripod around. Shooting in shutter priority I know will give me a fast enough shutter speed to keep the image from being blurry. I also am lucky enough to have an auto ISO (“Film” speed) so my camera can adjust the ISO according to the available light. I don’t have a flash, don’t like the tripod (which would give me better photos but a neck and shoulder ache), so in low light my photos are a bit grainier (noisier in digital land). But for now, that is ok by me, because I am trying to have FUN! Sometimes it is fun to play with the aperture. Notice how one image is more in all over focus? That is the small little opening (22 or so). The depth of field is a long range compared to the very short range of depth when using a wide-open aperture. When shooting little flowers and things (or a portrait), I like a short depth of field, otherwise it just looks like a reference photo. “Here is my plant”. “Here are my rocks”. When a large aperture (small number) is used, those photos become artistic and interesting. The eye sees details in a different way and focuses on the inherent beauty of the subject, the flow of the image as a whole. All that and they are just some things on my deck using a large aperture, creating an interesting focal point.

Shhhh…

Heaven on earth

Weekly Photo Challenge: LOVE (part 2, proof!)

I get a lot of reminders, pings, whatever you want to call them, that LOVE is all around me. I am loved. Here is some proof that love is everywhere. I take photos of them when I can. These are from 2012. Go LOVE!

 

rocks ROCK

I love rocks! Here is my printer’s drawer display of some of my rocks. Some bought, some gifts, some brought back from places I’ve been. I even polished some of those in my tumbler. I would say, the best finds were in Alaska. I drove back with lots of rocks from there. Just gorgeous. I have lots of rocks around my house, in my car, on my desk, in plants, in my garden, everywhere. My kids love showing me the cool rocks they find, too. If I HAD to choose a favorite rock, I would say the magnificent agate. They are like little works of art. (Which makes me think… ooh, enlarged closeups of agates= coolness!) So many colors and patterns. I do like colored diamonds and fine gemstones too, but those are much more high maintenance (not to mention $$). Even though I have a fairly good collection of nice gems as well, I would say I’d be happier with a really cool agate than a giant Liz Taylor diamond. In fact, below is my favorite ring I made with an agate I got while I lived in Minnesota from a really cool shop that specialized in agates from Lake Superior. It’s nickname is an eye agate. Also below is a cool ring I bought for $20 (in a cheap, adjustable setting), but the stone is just awesome! I will have to make that into something else someday. Did I mention that I love rocks?