August was...

Oh so special.

The August Break 2016

Evening light

The August Break 2016

Favorite mug

The August Break 2016

I am...

Blessed!

The August Break 2016

Little

The August Break 2016

Oranges

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Peaceful

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Three

Grandchildren ❤️

1. The August Break 2016

My face

The August Break 2016

Squares

 

The August Break 2016

Today is...

All about the two-year-old.

The August Break 2016

Clouds

The August Break 2016

My hands

Holding my newest grandson.

The August Break 2016

5 Years Ago

The August Break 2016

Bedroom window

The Augusr Break 2016

Breathe

The August Break 2016

Unicorn

The August Break 2016

Love is...

The August Break 2016

6 O'Clock

The August Break 2016

A secret

The August Break 2016

Green

The August Break 2016

Yellow

The August Break 2016

Red

The August Break 2016

Favorite taste

The August Break 2016

Beneath my feet

The August Break 2016

I'm reading...

The August Break 2016

Midday

I was stuck in the laundromat midday today due to a broken drain pump on my washer.

The August Break 2016

Sweetness

The August Break 2016

Handwriting

The August Break 2016

Leaf

The August Break 2016

Day 1 of a 31 day project

I'm participating in the August Break 2016 while I get a handle on a few things like...

understanding the technical side of this blog, image resolution, starting a class, 

and oh so much more. 

I may follow the prompts, I may not. I will share an image here, 

on Facebook, Flickr, and Instagram each day this month.  

Should be easy enough to keep up, once I get a flow going. 

Yes! Fewer words, more Photography.

#morninglight : #augustbreak2016

Overthinking the crap out of everything since 1962

"You think too much."

~ My Husband

~ My Sister

Yep and I can't make up my mind to save my life.

What I'm thinking about right now:
Which sewing project should I start next?
My health.
I haven't really taken many photos since my grandkids left.
What am I going to wear to my 'new' nieces wedding?
Watercolor painting.
It's hot in here.
A photo paper test print project.
Making prints for my hallway project and my sister's studio.
Am I really hungry again?
My photo card project.
Studying newborn photography.
Should we just have salmon and salad for dinner or should we have rice too?
Editing photos.
Going back to school, again.
Overthinking.

These are just some of the topics rolling around in my head, all at the same time. If I were to drill down on any one of them here, I could go on for days and it would break the internet. Aint nobody got time for that.

When I came back to this blog months ago, I stated my goal was to post and share about my journey learning more about my camera and photography. I'm still trying to do this.  I also wrote about how I wanted to post daily. HA! Well, here I am, all over the map. I'm lucky I can decide on a topic and organize my thoughts enough (sort of) to post once a week.

My whole indecision and overthinking issues peak when I'm editing my photos. This keeps me from actually getting to work on them. I know that when I sit dow to edit, I will be there for far too long unable to decide what looks best; brighter, darker, more saturation, color, or black and white. And so, so much more. Make my butt hurt from sitting too long.

I've discovered that I am doing it wrong and it's okay. I need to stop letting other people's opinions commiserate with my inner critic and just do this and all the other things I want to do. I also really need to learn and practice meditation.

I'm going to wrap up this post with a photo of my granddaughter that I've edited in color and black and white. Here, there is no question, I love both edits.

Finally feeling some flow

Creativity is contagious, pass it on. 

~ Albert Einstein 

 I’ve been practicing being in the moment. This is something I struggle with due to having the attention span of a goldfish. I’m working on it. My daughter and grandkids were in town for two weeks which brings all our adult kids home to our small house. It is wonderful and I love it! It is also over-stimulating. There is no time to stop and think when I have my whole family around me and this is why I didn't post anything last week. It is all about enjoying my time together with my noisy, crazy, busy, loved ones. Everyone is gone now and the house is quiet. A little too quiet. Yes, I’m conflicted, always. I so enjoy a quiet and tidy house and I enjoy the fabulous chaos that is my family all together. 

While in the shower yesterday, I was wondering why I suddenly feel creatively energetic and focused on a few new ideas. Then I realized that sewing is why. Basically creating something completely different is what I needed to do. I busted through my creative block with my sewing machine. Okay, really, I think it was due to my oldest child coaxing me to dig my machine out of the garage and see if it even works after oh, fifteen years or so. My thirty-two-year-old Kenmore still works like a charm. It was on then; we were off to the fabric store(s) for projects to sew.

Spending time with my exceptionally creative daughter, watching her enjoyment and passion for making beautiful dresses while growing her business makes me so proud. I can’t help feeling the need to get creating so I can be a part of something of my own like that. See, contagious!

So, projects: I’m in the middle of a few sewing projects. Making easy items to get back into it since I myself have not sewn in twenty-three years. I also bought myself a new printer for my birthday. In addition to learning how to print my photos, I have been working on a photo card project. Not sure where it will go and in the words of Seth Godin “it might not work” and yes, I may fail but I gotta try it. I feel the need.

Inspiration.
Oh yes she did bring her sewing machine with her on vacation. She had orders to fill.

Protecting my images

"You don't take a photograph. You ask quietly to borrow it." 

~ Unknown

Recently I was reminded why I need to get back to watermarking my images. It's not like I didn't know people could take and use my images as they wish, even with a watermark and EXIF data. Seeing photos I have posted on Facebook, printed out and displayed by someone I barely know, who did not ask for permission, was a little wake-up call. I realize some people really don't understand copyright. Hell, I don't totally understand it. I also am pretty sure (maybe) that this person will not be using my photos to make money. It's just the point. I don't want just anyone using my photos.

So yes, I'm back to watermarking my images again. I know, it isn't foolproof, but it is another layer of protection that could slow down some people. One of my next projects, moved up to the top of my list, is to create a graphic watermark.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my daughter and grandkids are in town.  These particular beings are my favorite subjects and are much easier to photograph first thing in the morning when they haven't woken up completely. I generally have to stay on my toes and keep the camera on burst mode to capture those fleeting, unblurry moments.

A monkey with giraffe legs.

Princess Batman, of course.

Kerfuffle

"Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your unguarded thoughts." 

~ Buddha

Ker-fuf-fle = a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.

My thoughts are in an almost constant state of commotion and it's a bad habit. This time, before I realized it, I was beating myself up for not shooting much, or enough. Thank goodness I remembered I actually have been shooting "enough' this past week.

I photographed our beloved Camaro that is getting some much need attention. We have even took it out twice over this past weekend.

1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 RS 

I captured the amazing clouds we have had recently. I have many, many cloud photos. It's hard to pick just one to share. I really do love clouds and partly cloudy skies are the best!

It's all about the clouds

I even participated in the CreativeLive Photography challenge #4 - Water droplets. I've always wanted to try this so I did. Yes, I actually captured the droplets but they are out of focus. So, I will try again, on a cooler day (it was 90° on my back patio), with dropper that holds more water and a different container. Still, it was a fun challenge and I like the colors I got from the fake sea glass I added to the pot.

Water Droplets - first attempt

I did miss a phenomenal Sunset because I was reading. I was so absorbed in the book, "Original" by Adam Grant, that I didn't even see the sky turning red from my chair - which was right next to the window. I realized I missed it later when I saw the beautiful photo my sister posted on Instagram. Then, that same night, I missed the First Solstice full moon (or Strawberry moon) in over 50 years! I did see it peaking through the trees but just couldn't stay awake long enough to capture its rise. I'm kicking myself now that I see all the sunset and moon photos that people have shared from Monday night.  

Super Moon - September 2014

Being my own worst critic, I didn't even realize this was my photo when it showed up in my Facebook 'Memories' feed yesterday. I thought it was something Dale Earnhardt Jr shared. Hours later, when I figured out that it was my photo, I was amazed. I even made a Flickr album after that race. I took those photos? I do this far too often. I download photos I have taken and on first look I'm not impressed. So I take a day or two (sometimes months and obviously years) to go back and look at them. Sometimes I find some I like and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Dale Earnhardt Jr - Sonoma Raceway

Documenting life

"The significance of the portrait you take today may not reveal itself for years and the portraits we really care about get better with time." ~ Thomas Boyd

I picked up the latest issue of Digital Photo Magazine at the airport while waiting for our flight to Phoenix. It just happened to be their Portraits and Weddings issue. Perfect timing for our trip to see Mom.  The above quote says it all.

I tend to hesitate when wanting to take photos of people. I prefer candid photos over posed and I am drawn to photos of people doing their thing but I feel as if I'm intruding when I pull out my camera and start shooting. I must work through this because when I look back at the photos I've taken over my many years, whether they are good or bad, I'm glad I took them and have those memories to look back on.

It became even more clear to me why I am drawn to this photography thing while looking through Mom's photo albums, as I do almost every time I visit her. She is an amazing documentarian. She has been all over the world and has amassed an extensive, fascinating photo collection to prove it. She captures her family, friends, the people, the scenery and the essence of it all. She keeps telling me I should be a photojournalist.  I don't think I have the stamina or the courage to take that on but as I keep practicing this craft I may (hope) compile a portfolio to be considered a documentary photographer.

I know this photo will mean more than we can ever imagine to my family as the years pass.

Group selfie as my sister and I were leaving at the end of our visit.

Always bring your camera

"Our pictures are our footprints. It's the best way to tell people we were here." ~ Joe McNally

I’m not even done with the laundry, mostly bedding, from our camping trip and now I’m getting ready to go on another mini-adventure with my sister.

Girls trip!

We are flying to Phoenix and then driving two hours up to the high desert for our mom’s 80th birthday. Wow! Eighty years young and she is still kicking ass and taking names. We leave tomorrow and we are very excited to see mom, step-dad, uncle, and all their friends. I'm looking forward to spending time with my sister too.

Going through my usual pre-trip dilemma, in addition to deciding what clothes, I always think a lot about what camera and/or lenses to bring. I actually thought about not bringing a camera this time. Then I thought maybe I should bring my Fuji X100s instead of my Canon 7D. Then I came to my senses. What the heck? I am a photographer. This is what I do. This is my jam – as they say. Of course, I’m going to bring my Canon aka my right arm. What was I thinking? And then I reminded myself why we are going in the first place and why I MUST bring my big camera; Our mother is turning EIGHTY.

Also, I am a documentarian. If that is what you call someone who takes a lot of pictures and refers back to them often to remember where and/or what we did when. Yeah, that’s what I am too.

I know, I say I’m a photographer but, I haven’t picked up my Canon in a week except to take out the CF card to download photos. I took a few photos with my phone but nothing I want to share. Looking through my archives, I did come across the photo below I took five years ago with my iPhone 4. Then I edited it on my iPhone 6.

I call this one Luck. I got lucky when I saw the scene happening as I was driving down the road. I love this photo. So glad I stopped and captured it before the man walked all the way past the building.

I'll have new photos to share next week I'm sure. See ya then!

Unplugged on the edge of the continent

We, fourteen people and four dogs, spent the long Memorial Day weekend on the Northern California coast at Ocean Cove Campground. A place we’ve been going to since our youngest was in diapers. So, yes, a long time.

We had stunning views of the Pacific Ocean all weekend long. The sun was shining every day which is rare up there. We usually get fog in the morning and sometimes the afternoon. We didn’t see any fog until Monday when we were packing up to leave. It really wasn’t windy much either.

It was a fun weekend! There was cooking, great food, cocktails, beer, conversation, lots of laughter, music, meeting new people and new dogs, dominoes, horseshoes, bubbles, reading, campfires, smores, roasted banana boats, star gazing, flashlight wars, bike rides, walks, fishing, afternoon naps, gorgeous sunsets, rock climbing, looking for shells and rocks and crabs, watching the waves, the birds, a seal in the cove, and the ocean as far as the eye could see.

Due to no cell service and no Wi-Fi that far out on the edge, smartphones could only be used for music, taking pictures, and maybe reading a book. Just the way it should be. 

I think it's safe to say, we all had a good time.

Click this link to see more photos from our weekend.

Learning how to do this Blog thing

I just figured out how to adjust the width of the main content area here so I can post larger photos without them covering information in the sidebar. Thank you, Google and Blogger.

I like this and I'd like to do this every day.  I have been wanting to get back here since I finished my 365 Photography Project back in 2011. I tried but really wasn't sure what to blog about other than posting my photos. Now I believe I have narrowed down a topic or purpose, sort of.

My goal is to master my camera and the "rules" so that when I want to photograph something I know instinctively what settings and setups I need.  Then I can focus on being more creative and breaking the rules. I'll try to post most weekdays about what I'm working and share photos, of course.  I'm super exited to see where this leads

Obviously as I learn more about blogging, my photography, and improving my writing, the look and layout may change here. Hopefully for the better.

In the meantime, I'll be 'off the grid' for the next four days. Literally. No cell signal. No wifi. Unplugged. I'll be back here next week.

But wait, there's more...

Since this is mostly a photography blog; here is Miss Peaches stalking a squirrel.  I think the squirrels here are pretty blind in that they don't see Peaches until she is practically on top of them. Thankfully they are faster than her.  No Squirrels, or cats, were harmed in the making of this photo.