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…
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
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!
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
Some favorites from a snowy weekend.
One of my friends, Mary Beth, started a 365 Project on January 1st. Mary Beth has a goal of getting herself into a photo every week.
I get into photos with my kids periodically. I am always happy that I did. Mary Beth challenged me do one of just me.
I took the photo in my bedroom. It’s the room in our house that has the best light in the afternoon. Also, I can easily move stuff to get an uncluttered background. I have taken many photos of my kids in this very spot. I thought it would be the best place to turn the camera on myself.
I’m not gonna lie – I felt silly smiling at a camera on a tripod. This resulted in the first twenty-five photos being serious.
Today’s photo count: 58
He’s been asking, “What is a gem?” Gems have a lot of significance a video game he plays, Temple Run. But Atticus doesn’t know what they are. I told him I have one in my ring that Dad gave me. He asks to see it every day. He still asks, “But what are gems, really?”
I love an answerable question. And I knew just the place. I took him to the Carnegie Museum’s Hall of Gems. We walked in and immediately he said, “This is not what I thought it would be like. Let’s go.” Maybe he thought there would be sand and wooden chests full of gems?
I insisted we walk through the hall, at least to see the big rubies and emeralds which the most similar to what he sees on his game.
He didn’t change his mind about the Hall of Gems.
I know, my boy. I know. It’s hard to see beauty when it’s not what you had in mind.
Today’s photo count: 23
I got to the end of the day with no photos.
At first, I asked him to jump on the bed which he loves and does very well. He did a few jumps. He was only doing it so I would read to him. (Witness the madness of a 365.) I was wanted to get a shot of me reading to him. The above photo was taken while I was setting up the camera on a tripod for a photo with me in it.
We did some jumping and a few with me but this was my favorite – because – look how he’s holding the book!
Today’s photo count: 56
At the start of the new year, a wonderful thing happened. Some friends of mine started a year of daily photos – 365 Projects.
I started mine in June of last year. I’m a little over halfway through.
I have times when I feel like my 365 project is the best thing I do all day. Once I get a photo done – it stays done. (Unlike the laundry.)
I enjoy looking back at a week or month of photos and see what we’ve done. (Other than laundry.)
There are other times my project is like laundry – so easy to fall behind and no way to get ahead.
People have different expectations themselves when they undertake a 365 project.
For this, my second 365 Project, I am much, much gentler with myself than during my first 365 a in 2010. This time, I take Sundays off. I make sure to get a photo every day but if I don’t get it posted right away, or post out of order, I don’t worry too much. That said, there is a little voice I hear sometimes that says, “Doesn’t seem like a real project then…” I ignore that voice. I remind myself, or am reminded by others, that it is my project after all.
I recently started noting how many photos I take every day. I have been surprised at how constant the number is.
Another thing about doing a photo every day – not every photo will be great. See above photo.
I was fooling around with using my flash off camera triggered by my 7D’s pop up flash. I didn’t anything I liked even though I took a bunch of photos. Then, it was time for bed and I realized I needed a photo for the day. So I did long exposure of me getting ready for bed.
This is January’s For the Love blog circle. Please follow this link to Melissa’s blog and then go all the way around the circle until you find yourself right back here.
