Project 2012 -- Week 4

Project 2012

Week 4 -- January 22-28

1.  Take pictures
2.  Share at least one--and up to seven!
(Click on the graphic above if you're interested in joining us!)

I was holed up at home for most of the week, so I got Ellie out to take some photos of food I was preparing.  Since I cooked a lot last week, I ended up photographing tons of food!  So this will be Food Week for most of my featured photos.  Drooling is allowed.  ;)


My favorite photos

I finally picked up my camera mid-week, wondering what in the world to take pictures of.  I'm tired of being cold and didn't want to go outside at all (I'm not a winter girl!).  It's not even that cold out, either!  I started making dinner, then realized I should "document" my recipes.  I'm planning on putting all the recipes and photos on my family blog.

[22] Potato leek soup and pumpernickel croutons

[23] Salad with pumpernickel croutons

[24] Whole nutmeg

One morning, instead of making my usual oatmeal, I found some brown rice in the fridge and experimented with rice "pudding" recipes.  I don't know if this is a true rice pudding, but it was yummy.  I wrote everything down and will share the recipe soon!

[25] Brown rice pudding

This cake was a special request by Jacob, who turned 21 on Friday.  The image is not composed very well, but at least it's yummy looking.

[26] Cookie cake

I captured Joe reading by the fire at our friends' home.

[27] Winter reading

Saturday night was Fernando's company awards banquet.  I got dressed up in my only black dress, and actually styled my hair.  It took only 15 minutes or so, and it turned out decently enough that I was super-tickled pink to have done it myself!  This is as fancy as I get--I usually stick a barrette in my hair and Fernando says, "Oooh!  You did your hair today!"  *lol*  In addition to my front, I took some "back" pictures, too.  My 18yo Danny pressed the shutter, but I set everything up.

[28] Fancy

I promise to post recipes on my family blog; I'll update this post with links as I post the recipes.


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 52 -- Self Portrait

I'm linking up with Darcy for Project 52!

Click her Project 52 button above to see what it's all about!

This week's challenge:  Self portrait


My photo:

My thoughts:

I checked out this week's theme; ironically, my photo from last week's P-52 Challenge was also a self-portrait.  :)

I had wanted to take a walk in these woods near my home since last Friday when it started snowing.  How cool to get some pics of these snow-covered trees; I had gotten some nice pics in this same location this past autumn.  I brought my 17-85mm lens and my 100mm macro lens along, because you never know what you're going to find.  For my macro photography, I love a very low ISO and sometimes a smaller aperture--depth of field can be tricky with a macro--so I brought my tripod along because I wasn't sure what the light would be like and shutter speed might be low.

Toward the end of my walk--and nearing sundown--I thought to myself, "Self portrait!"  (I even said it aloud--nothing like talking to yourself when you're all alone in the middle of the woods!)


The setup:

I bumped up the ISO for my self portrait so that I could get a decent shutter speed.  I set up my camera and tripod, and found a small tree I could stand next to for focus.  I set my aperture to f6.3 to make sure my face would be in focus in case I was not quite even with the tree.  I set the timer for a 10-second delay and ran back and forth a few times to test out my settings.  I ended up zooming in for more focus on my face.  I felt a little goofy smiling at the camera, all alone in the woods!


Camera Settings:

• Canon 40D
• ISO 500
• Manual mode
• 17-85mm lens at 68mm
• f6.3
• 1/80 sec. shutter speed

Here is the series of photos I ended up keeping:

Nice composition, but the focus is a little off; maybe a closer shot...

 Blah composition, plus where am I looking and what am I smiling at??

 Nice, but my head is tilted the same way as the tree; could I be falling?

 The shot I chose.

I'm feeling really goofy doing this in the middle of the woods!!

 

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Forgotten Autumn

I looked back in my online photo albums and realized I had never blogged about this!  I've used several of the photos in various posts, and some even ended up getting some published in the local section of the Chicago Tribune!  Woo-hoo!  So here's the story as I look back at this autumn walk...

After I came back home from Lake Bonaparte, I longed for nature and the outdoors.  I love autumn with all its colors, the crisp air, the oh-so-blue sky.  One busy Monday, I was able to snag about an hour and head out to explore this little section of woods for the first time.

Just a couple miles from home, the woods beckoned me to come and walk.

A brand new footbridge spans a little ravine.

Of course I brought along my macro lens, just in case.  Good thing.

Interesting tree shapes.

I had my back to the trail ahead while I took some shots.  When I turned, this young buck was standing there, still as a statue.  I thought he was fake (really!) until I saw his ear twitch.  He even let me stoop down to change lenses so I could get some better shots!

At one point, he looked off into the distance.  I also turned, and spotted his "girlfriend" on the other side of the bushes.

See the nubs that will be antlers some day?

Bye, buck!

Deer prints on the trail

Back on the trail, I used my macro to shoot various weeds.

Looking back along the little trail.

It's amazing that one hour spent in God's creation can restore a soul!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 2012 -- Week 3

Project 2012

Week 3 -- January 15-21

1.  Take pictures
2.  Share at least one--and up to seven!
(Click on the graphic if you're interested in joining us!)

My favorite photos

I was a little desperate to use my camera the beginning of this past week!  I walked around the house taking pictures of everyday household items.  I ended up in front of my flute music stand, experimenting with music, notes, angles, aperture...  In post edit, I tried for an antique look, and added some grain to the photo to achieve a look I was satisfied with.

[15] Favorite music

I guess I'm a true Northerner; I sat on my front porch without a coat and with slippers on while I took some shots of my flowers trying to survive winter.

[16] Coral bells in snow

Then it was back inside, and I ended up in the kitchen.  These fortune cookies were bright and cheerful to photograph.

 [17] Fortune cookie

I drove out to a little trail in the woods near my home for a short, snowy nature walk.  I took my kit lens along, which I used to take this shot.  I wasn't awed with the image when I saw it in the camera viewfinder, but after downloading it and really studying it, I fell in love with it--the way the sun is shining on the leaf, the angle of the sun so low to the right, the sparkles and shadows in the snow, the brightness of the leaf.  I just really like it.

[18] Leaf on snow

I love shooting the sun through the trees.  I'm not so great at sun flare, but I do like to try.

 [19] Winter sun

I found a great perspective leaning against a tree, looking up into the sky.  I love the contrast in color, and in the shadow and the sky.

[20] Up through winter trees

As the sun descended, I hung around the capture the sunset, always a calm and peaceful time.

[21] Winter woods sunset

I'll post the whole of my little snowy nature walk soon!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 52 -- I Dreamed A Dream

I'm linking up with Darcy--(click her Project 52 button above to see what it's all about!


This week's challenge:  I dreamed a dream


My photo:

Reason I chose this photo:

This week's challenge was a...well, it was a challenge!  I'm not a dreamer by nature, though I sure do have dreams.  But to take a picture of one of my dreams--to travel to France, for example--would be impossible because I haven't done it yet.  (That's why it's a dream!)  My 18yo son has done some neat stuff with my camera, but that's his fun, not mine.

Finally, the colder weather inspired me when I saw the empty fireplace and knew that that would be the shot.  Most of what's burning is paper (our wood was wet!), but the scene reflects a typical fireplace scene in my home.  I do love sitting and staring at the flames and letting my mind wander and ponder.  It's one of the few times I actually sit and just be still.  When I dream/think/ponder, it's usually about things I want to do or purchase when/if we can afford it (a trip or even a camera lens!), and I dream for my boys--their futures, wives and families, and such.  Our oldest has autism, and I dream a lot for him.  He's still home with us but we hope and dream that someday he will have a steady job and a fulfilling life.  I feel that my image reflects well my state of mind as I sit and dream.

The setup:

It was dark in our home, which is good because that reflects the feeling I wanted to portray of dreaming.  I used my tripod, since I knew it would be a slow shutter speed.  After several miserable attempts at a shot, I moved the tripod right behind me so I could reach the remote shutter without using the timer.  I also set the ISO high (1600), since I knew I wouldn't mind noise (again, the feeling of dreaming).  The above shot was in the first set of my second attempts.  It ended up being a matter of choosing one with a nice fire--though it is a little bright!  In post edit, I adjusted the white balance, did some other minor tweaking, and vignetted the image more than I usually do--again, to reflect the theme.

Camera Settings:

• Canon 40D
• ISO 1600
• Manual mode
• 17-85mm lens at 24mm
• f4.5
• 1/13 sec. shutter speed

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Frosted Fun

A few days before The Big Snow--which is what I'm calling it because it has been our only snow thus far--I went out in the early morning light to capture some frost.  I shot only a few shots since the sun kept sliding behind the clouds, and I really wanted that elusive light.  Nonetheless, frost is beautiful in almost any light.  It reminds me of the Lord's creativity, weaving each individual crystal with precision and uniqueness.

The below is one of my favorites of last week, featured on my Project 2012 "Week 2" post.  It doesn't have quite the focus I wanted.  I needed a smaller aperture, but my ISO was already high enough and I wouldn't be able to hand-hold Ellie for that shot.  I still like the photo, and there will be plenty more opportunities to play with frost this winter.  :)

In case Job had forgotten, the Lord asks him:

From whose womb has come the ice?

And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth?

Job 38:27 NASB

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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