Snow!!

I could have also titled this "The Day I Discovered I Cannot Handhold My Macro Lens at 1/80", but I figured more people would be interested in "Snow!"...

Last Thursday morning, I was very pleasantly surprised that it snowed for a little while. And when I say snowed, I mean the big, beautiful fat flakes that just make you happy!! So I decided to try to capture a few of these wonderful snowflakes with my macro lens and see what I could get.

I discovered that 90% of the shots I thought were OK... really weren't. Here is one of the best ones I got that day... unfortunately, it is not an award winner by any means. So let's chalk it up to experience and just say "wow, beautiful snowflake" because it sure was!!! I really didn't notice the texture on this fabric until after I took the photo... next time I will look for something a little smoother to showcase the snowflakes more...

So, what is the moral of the story? I now have a new item to add to my wish list: a new tripod, because the flimsy one I have really doesn't support my camera and any heavier lens well at all, and I obviously am WAAAAY too shaky to handhold! Lesson learned!!

FUN February... Photo 22!

Still behind, but at least I'm not falling even further back. Here's a fun one... next time I want to try to get bigger bubbles :)

FUN February... Photo 21!

I had this idea in my head earlier in the month, but the lighting has never been quite right to do what I had in mind. So today, I helped a friend with some photos for a product he has developed and is going to be selling online, and once we were done I took advantage of the lighting setup and the white backdrop to try it out!

I think it's kinda fun :)

FUN February... Day 20!

Or to be more accurate, PHOTO 20 :) I may have fallen behind, but I'm determined to get all 28 photos for February up here, one way or another!!

My kids helped me pick out a bouquet of flowers yesterday... they serve a dual purpose: making the kitchen look cheerful AND providing me with a willing subject!!

FUN February... Day 16!

I've been a bit behind this week... spent WAAAY too many hours at the doctor's office and the hospital getting tests done for my sick daughter. Luckily, she seems to have kicked this recurrent strep and is back to school this afternoon :)

So I'm playing catch-up for the last 4 days...

First, a photo of the IL state quarter. My daughter has been learning her states and capitals, which made me think of the quarters she received from my grandfather for Christmas.

FUN February... Day 14!

Forgot again yesterday... luckily, I was distracted from my day of boredom when our neighbor was able to come over and watch the kids so hubby and I could go for a Valentine's Day date :) Amazingly enough... this was the 19th anniversary of our first date. Wow, does that make me sound old!! I'm just so lucky to have found someone so wonderful to spend my life with...

Here is a sweet photo in honor of Valentine's Day and my three sweeties... one kiss for each!!

FUN February... Day 11!

Technically, this isn't a Day 11 photo, but it is my 11th photo that I'm posting for the month! I actually took this a couple days ago (same day I did the other abstract) but didn't post it yet. Things have been hectic lately and I didn't get a chance to shoot anything yesterday. So, it is a new photo, just taken a couple days ago!

I don't think this one will be as hard to guess as the other one... any takers? :)

FUN February... Day 8!

OK, once again I missed a post yesterday (oops!) so I'm making two today to catch up.

Here is a colorful abstract macro... this was very fun to create!!

I'm wondering if anyone can figure out what this is? Please feel free to post your guesses in the comments and I'll let you know if anyone gets it right!

FUN February... Day 7!

I just adore eyelashes :) These beauties belong to my daughter... identifiable by her sweet little freckled cheeks!

I shot this one using my 100mm macro, set to manual focus. It was interesting trying to nail the focus b/c Emma would sway just the slightest little bit, and move right out of the plane of focus. More fun experimenting with my macro lens though :)

FUN February... Day 2!

I think I'm going to enjoy the challenge I set for myself with a photo every day. Today I found inspiration in something that I see every day, and hear nearly every day as my daughter practices...

FUN February!!!

Well, I have decided that my blogging history has been rather dismal, and it's time to do something about it!! I have seen some do 365 days of photos, or a theme like "Macro Monday", etc. Well, it's too late in 2010 to start the 365 theme, but I thought it would be fun to come up with something else.

SO... FUN February was born :) I decided that I need to just pick up the camera and shoot for myself more often. I'm going to try to post a new photo every day of something that I find fun... whether it be fun pics of my pets or kids, a funny client photo, or just random items that I find fun to shoot (be prepared for some macros, as I really want to learn my macro lens better)!

With that said, here is my first photo... nothing says fun to me like a pile of brightly colored skittles!

Come back tomorrow for more fun photos!!

I finally shot some "me" photos!

No, not photos OF me, but FOR me!! I haven't really shot anything for myself in a while, so last week a friend and I took our kids to this AWESOME Children's Garden near us. I'm so glad D introduced me to this place!! The kids had so much fun playing, and I had some fun playing too! I just took these with my (cheapo) zoom lens set to the "macro" setting, which isn't truly macro, but I had fun anyway. Can't wait till my new macro gets here and I can try a whole new bunch of ideas out!!

Pretty red flower that just pops against the sea of green...

Butterfly that loved these purple flowers. I didn't even realize I got the bee in the photo until I loaded it on the computer... I was so focused on the butterfly I wasn't paying attention to anything else!!

My very own "Toothless Wonder"... always willing to flash me that gap-toothed smile. Just love him to pieces! He still eats corn on the cob, if you can believe that!

And his friend, Sweet T... just love her too! She had the toothless grin going on in the spring :)

And all the little kids up on top of a BIG hill... love this one!

So don't forget to take time for fun... for the kids, for yourself, and everyone will be happier :)