For the Love of Sledding

A year ago I joined a group of photographers for a blog circle.  It has been fun to be a part of all year.  This is our last “For the Love” blog circle.  Follow this link to Melissa’s post to start your way around our blog circle.

We have done more sledding this year than any other year I can remember.  

Knowing that I’ll get some fun photos inspires me to round up all the boots, hats and mittens needed for a trip to the sledding hill.

Woo Hoo! 

Next up, Melissa’s For the Love post…

251 : 365 Snow Day

Photographing winter is helping me enjoy this very wintery winter.

Today, I saw it snowing like this and the kids had a two hour delay.  I had time to go out and get a few pictures.  When I got back to the house, school was cancelled.

Today’s photo count: 29

How to Freeze a Bubble

Or, how to enjoy temperatures in the single digits.

I saw the weather forecast for tonight, a low of 10, and got excited for one reason – frozen bubbles.

When our first wave of frigid weather arrived last month, I saw a post on Facebook with photos of frozen bubbles.  The thought of freezing bubbles had never occurred to me before.  I wanted to try it.  My first few attempts resulted in a lot of popped bubbles and cold fingers.  But, the weather persisted and so did I.

Even if you don’t plan to take any photos, give it a try.  

I found that the best bubble recipe was one half bubble mix and one half corn syrup.  Yes, it’s a sticky mess.

(I also tried it with glycerin but the corn syrup works better. )

It’s fun to blow the bubbles into the air, watch them burst and fall like lace to the ground.  

I prefer watching the crystals grow. To do this, let the bubble hang off the wand or blow the bubbles onto a surface.  When there is a little build up of bubble mix on the surface, the bubbles are more likely to stay intact.  Wind is the enemy.  I looked for protected places or made a wind block with the kids’ sleds.

Also, this.

After I’d been out for a little while, the bubble solution turned to slush.  This resulted in bubbles like the one at the top of the post  with the ice swirling around and growing.  

Enjoy! 

229 : 365 Clean

I haven’t felt this way in awhile.  Waffling between color and black and white.  But this one.  I haven’t decided.

I have a soft spot for black and white.  For years it’s all I did.  Developing color film in a darkroom is more complicated.  The chemicals have to be an exact temperature. I did it a few times, didn’t love my results and thought, “Who needs color anyway?” 

Are you of an age that you can remember when Charlie Brown’s Christmas special was on live TV and that was the only chance to watch it all year?  I am.  My kids cannot imagine such a limited TV experience.  “Four channels?” they say in disbelief.  

Maybe you have always used a digital camera and the choice has always been yours.  Color? Black and white?  Both?  

I wonder how my experience learning photography has shaped my work.  I wasn’t overwhelmed with choices.  The only mode to shoot in was manual.  The only lens I had was a 50mm.  The only choices were about film – what speed? color or black and white? 

 That’s the question today. Color or black and white?

Today’s photo count: 28