Buddies

While on the beach in Milford on Monday, I was walking, camera in hand snapping photos and looking for sea glass. Kelsie from New Mexico had just come out of her house on the beach for her mid-morning stroll. She was so pretty and friendly and begged for me to take her picture with her buddy Max. I snapped several of her alone, as she tried out many poses she had seen recently on America's Next Top Super Model. Max was not interested. She somehow distracted him for a moment by saying "Max look, a pirate ship!", as she pointed her nose at the horizon. Max is intrigued by pirate ships and the dangers of living close to the water. It frightens him yet thrills him daily as he scans the waters for ominous ships. He stopped trying to wrestle her, and she slipped her arm around his neck. I quickly snapped the picture. "Psych!", she yelled and ran away. I got her email and sent her these pictures. She is very happy and Max never even knew I took his photo. Wait until he sees it framed on their credenza, won't he be surprised.

Bouquet

The Bluest Eye

None of my offspring have blue eyes, they are mostly brown or that brownish green hazel when wearing a green shirt. Since I love to photograph eyes I am often fascinated by the many shades of blue. This is my nephew's eye. Both his parents have that hazel color. Some how he ended up with this unique shade of darker blue.

Mosaic Monday

I am having so much fun with this mosaic making that here I am again along with Mary and friends from Little Red House. These are a few of my favorite photos I took last week. We had gorgeous weather last week in the Northeast. Just perfectly warm and sunny, yet not too hot. I figure I have to take the flower photos while I can. Right now you can find sunflowers and cosmos in full bloom, along with hydrangeas and a few aging cone flowers that are just as interesting as they pass as when in full bloom. The weather was ideal for playing outside after school and hanging out on the hammock in our backyard; and for your brother and neighbor to launch you airborne off the hammock. No injuries occured in the photographing of those pictures.

Airborne!

I am so proud of these action shots I took this week. The hammock in our backyard has always been a favorite hang out spot for the boys. But it doesn't take long for boys to get bored and turn a harmless past time like lounging on a hammock on a beautiful warm Fall afternoon into a thrill seeking good time. These photos are a bit deceiving. The two bigger boys on the ground are actually launching the little one through the air and off the hammock. No injuries occured as a result of this past time. Yet me being the adult witnessing this should have probably put an end to the event. But, I had my camera in hand and just had to try and capture the thrill of the ride. I think I did!

Fall Landscape Challenge

I am attempting the Fall Landscape Challenge from Miz Booshay over at The Pioneer Woman. I can honestly say: I don't think I know what I am doing. How come my ISO is set at 100 and my apperature will only go down to 5.6. It's my lense, right? Why does my flash pop up when I put the aperature at 5.6 and it's not even that dark out. That's so annoying. I like my pictures, but I am in many ways clueless. I need help, and hope. Help.

Sky Watch, Suburbia USA

This is my first week participating in Sky Watch. When I stumbled upon it I thought how appropriate for me, I am either literally or figuratively with my head in the clouds,. Either I have way too much running around in my head, or I am distracted by some lovely show the clouds are putting on. One of my proudest legacies I will pass on to my children is that they notice the beauty in the sky. Recently my boys were outside playing and suddenly began screaming for me. I was expecting either an injury or to have to referee a fight. "Mom, come quick! The sky looks so beautiful!! Quick!" I was so proud.
This picture I took not long ago as I was pumping gas. Such and American suburban scene. I am pumping gas at one station and staring at another station across the main street in our town. If you look closely you can see the advertisements for Marlboros and Coke blowing in the breeze along with the American flag. "Ain't that America."

You Capture Happiness

This is my entry in the You Capture challenge at http://ishouldbefoldinglaundry.blogspot.com. Needless to say I captured happiness. I love this picture of my little nephew! He was rolling around on the floor with my boys having a ball and just being silly. The photo was a little too blurry because he was moving all over and I was trying to stick with natural light. I was able to boost the color and clarity a little and I really like the result.

Sunflower Close-ups

I work at a greenhouse. Lucky me! The perfect spot to photograph flowers. These sunflowers are in perfect bloom. I started out taking pictures of their faces and realized how interesting the backs are. The greenery surrounding the blooms is fascinating and exquisite. I photographed as macro as possible and then did an abstact crop. I then sharpened a little and the little fuzzy hairs really stood out. It's my own way of pretending I'm doing HDR photomatrix stuff, which I do want to try. I stumbled on this blog and now I'm so distracted I can't stop visiting. Check it out: ScottyGraham.blogspot.com.

I Heart Faces Candid

I had some difficulty finding a "candid" photograph. This challenge has made me realize I need to snap more photos with out really thinking about it. It's difficult to catch candid moments when you have your lens stuck in everyone's faces. I know, I need a telephoto lens. That settles it. I'm going shopping!

Summer Tribute

Today is the last day of Summer, hard to believe. Here in the northeast it was here and gone too quickly. I would feel cheated if we had not decided to take two vacations and a long weekend with friends. As soon as school was out we spent a week in Florida, just us, and then a week in July with my brother and family in Maryland, and then in August a few days in upstate New York with good friends. They were great vacations with memories I will cherish and that will hopefully resonate with my kids for years to come. With two of my children in highschool the years are beginning to whip by. If I could only slow the ride down. I want my eight year old to stay eight for awhile. Add in the fact that I attended my 25th highschool reunion this weekend and you feel like your life is at times on fast forward. It was surreal to feel as if those highschool days were only yesterday, but knowing that my children were now in that era of their lives. Weird. Life is in some ways easier, but busier, more challenging and fleeting. Where have my babies gone? And where has Summer gone? Thanks Mary at Little Red House for your mosaic inspirations.

Beautiful Boys and The Beatles

When I took these photos today of my son I found myself singing the song "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon; in part because I thought he looked just beautiful as he lay on the couch twirling his hair with the sun streaming down on his face. I told him that John Lennon had two sons and he had written this song for his son Sean. I had learned of the song several years ago when my first born son was only a baby, it would often run through my mind as I was rocking him and holding him close. I have been talking about John Lennon lately to my kids because I am reading a biography by Philip North. 800+ pages but I am determined to finish it. It is really engrossing. You can't help but feel transported back to Liverpool many years ago. But the truth is that lately I am obsessed, not only with John, but with all The Beatles. It started when I spotted the biography in the library when I was picking up required Summer reading for my teens. I am also now half way through The Beatle Anthologies on VH1, and then to my delight found the movie/musical Across the Universe on HBO. I heart it! Everyone and anyone should watch if they are able, or even just listen. The music and lyrics literally come to life. Such a clever work of art. I am now trying to decide which remastered Beatles album I will purchase first. I find myself rediscovering their songs and really appreciating the incredible musicians they were and what they accomplished in such a short span of time. Last week I cut all my boys hair and it wasn't until I finished that I realized I had given my 14 year old a Beatles hair cut! Not a complete mop top, but a modern version. He looks a little like Paul in late 1965. This little guy got more of a traditional boy cut which suits him. I think he looks just beautiful. "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful; beautiful boy".

Macro You Capture

When I saw the challenge this week was macro I was thrilled. Macro is so much fun to do in either your auto flower mode, or manually by focusing in as close as your lense allows and then moving your body until your subject comes in focus. I love how you can make a realistic picture look so abstract. This is a sooc(straight out of the camera) shot of the inside of a tulip. Cool. I couldn't resist adding a repost shot of a bumble bee. These are so fun to take and edit, not to mention the thrill of the danger of not knowing if you will be stung. By the way, I should be folding laundry too. Really.

Mosaic Monday, Eye think I've Got It

Eye am liking this mosaic maker that Mary from The Little Red House introduced me to. Thanks Mary! Eye almost have this thing figured out, sort of. Does anyone know if you can shuffle the photos to try different combinations?

Macro Cone Flower

Mosaic Monday

My first attempt! I had to upload my photos from facebook, luckily I have so many albums on there. I think I like the result, though I wish I could have played around with the layout a little. It did turn out pretty though, with my pink rainbow shot in the middle. Cool.

In the past week my oldest son has turned 14 and started highschool. Highschool! How did that happen? My original baby boy is leaving. I can sense it the way I can feel Summer slipping away. It's like kindergarten all over again, except he doesn't cry before he gets on the bus.

Souvenirs of Summer

Summer goes too darn fast in New England these days; these years. Is it the global warming or just the passing of time? It doesn't even seem like a season anymore, more like a fleeting vacation. You finally unwind and really begin to relax and then it's time to start packing up again. " I need to go where the weather suits my clothes. " One day. One day I'll where flip-flops everyday.