Ellipsis 07-12-09 Black and Blue

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to explore BLACK AND BLUE. I didn't think I'd have an entry for this one until I downloaded this photo from last night - a friend at a party holding Liza, after she wore herself out socializing.

Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Stars

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to explore STARS, anywhere we can find them.

So I went out to the garden and found this pale purple star shaped flower.


And then I dipped into my archives for last year's stargazer lily, which isn't quite blooming yet this year.


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Ellipsis Photo Shoot 06-19-09 Waterplay

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to explore WATER PLAY. So when my partner filled up the tub outside yesterday for the toddlers to play in, I grabbed my camera.

L loves making waves!



M fills up a little container...


...and takes it to the sandbox to make mud...


...it's a tedious task, but he's persistent, even when the little container is empty by the time he gets it to the sandbox.


He opts for a larger container and brings the sand to the water instead.

L discovers a spider on the table.


He thinks it would like to go swimming.

Looking at the Sky on Friday and Ellipsis: 06-12-09

hosted by Tisha


and:









This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to discover CLOUDS

So I decided to combine the two memes.

Last week I drove from Olympia to Portland, about 110 miles. For almost the entire trip, this bank of clouds hung out to the southeast. (Point of interest: Taking photos while driving is probably as unsafe as using a cell phone while driving.)


This shot shows a faint waxing moon above the cloud bank.

Ellipsis 06-07-09 Rainbows

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to discover rainbows. I started seeing them in the oddest places. I wonder if you can guess where this was taken.

Ellipsis Photo Shoot and Nature Notes: Earth Day

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to celebrate Earth Day by showing something in the natural world that we particularly appreciate. I love living in a place where we can see sights like this on clear days; or be on a beach at the Pacific Ocean in a little over an hour. Forests, mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, ocean beaches - we have it all here in a small circumference. I love Oregon.


Mt. Hood. Taken from Mt. Tabor - a Portland park near our house - yesterday, Tuesday April 21st.

Combining this with Michelle's Nature Notes for this week.

Ellipsis Photo Shoot: Up Close

This week Carly from Ellipsis wants us to get UP CLOSE.

I spotted these raindrops on the lily leaves after the sun came out. I couldn't decide which I liked best, so I'm posting them all. Do you have a favorite?

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I love that there are shadows and reflections of the drops.

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Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Pink flowers

This week Carly from Ellipsis suggests that (as an alternative to Easter or Passover photos) we photograph FLOWERS and preferably PINK ones.

We seem to have a lot of white blossoms in the yard right now, but these apple blossoms are tinged with pink.

Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Footprints

This week Carly from Ellipsis suggests we photograph FOOTPRINTS. Here's my take on the theme:

Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Things that float

This week Carly from Ellipsis suggests we photograph THINGS THAT FLOAT. I immediately thought of bubbles. And then I discovered, bubbles? Not so easy to photograph! when they're floating. I was more successful after they landed.



I'll have to practice with floating bubbles


and report back later. When it's not windy and rainy.

Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Black and White

This week Carly from Ellipsis says:

EMPS #28: BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY.
Ok everybody, grab your camera, fire up your imagination, and show me some BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY. The subject matter is completely up to you. Do something a little Silly, Fascinating, Spooky, Gothic, or Artsy Noir... it's completely up to you! Just make it BLACK & WHITE

Well, as far as I can tell my camera doesn't take B&W shots. I can edit them to B&W or sepia in the camera after I've taken the shot, but that's a little dicey.

I worked with this photo in PSP a lot today. The original color version had a busy and distracting background, so I cropped a lot out and converted to B&W.

Now, my question for you: which version do you like better? The full length is very long and narrow. The cropped version really focuses on the faces, but the cradling hands are missing.


The story of the photo: Laurie is comforting L after he bumped his head; Ms. P is helping with the comforting. The light is all natural - sun shining in the kitchen windows.

Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: Best Shot

This week Carly from Ellipsis says:

EMPS #26: HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT! Ok, now it is your time to shine! We photographers might tackle a lot of subjects, but we all have one type of photography that is our very favorite. Landscapes, Still Life, Night photography, Portraits, Pet photography, Seascapes, Sunsets, Macro photography... it's all good. For this assignment you are welcome to look in your archives and post your best photo, or you can set the scene sometime within this week, and show off the type of photography you feel you excel at. If you do go with a shot from your archive, try to make it one you haven't posted before, I am really interested in seeing something new if possible. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!

Extra Credit: Write a little about your personal style as a photographer. Why do you like a particular subject? What is the most challenging aspect of photography for you?

I still wanna know what we get for extra credit!

This is one of my all-time favorite photos. I took this late last summer after the artichokes had gone to bloom. One day there were honeybees almost swarming around the plants. They were so intent on getting the good stuff from the blossoms, they didn't care how close I got.

Clicking on the photo will enlarge it a bit more.



I love this photo for a couple of things - the detail on the bee, of course, but also the vibrant almost neon colors of the artichoke flower.

And for my extra credit (what? Carly's giving me an all expense paid trip to Paris?!): I'm very new to photography, so don't know that I have a style yet. I love macro photography because I get to see things in the photo that I didn't even see in real time, like the pattern in the bee's wings. I'm beginning to see art and beauty in places I never expected. I love playing with light and shadow, and I love taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary in the way I photograph it.

Right now the most challenging aspect is learning my camera. There are settings on it I haven't even tried yet; and I want to learn more about the manual settings. Some photog classes in the near future will help answer some of those questions.
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Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: For the Birds

Carly from Ellipsis chose BIRDS as our theme this week.

So, I've overdone ducks and geese and robins over the last couple of months and I had this great idea to go to the zoo today and shoot some exotic birds. I figured, Friday morning, there shouldn't be too many people there, I'd probably have the place all to myself, right? Apparently today was the day every hyperactive-sugar-high-loud whiny child came to the zoo. The parking lot was full, the line was long. So rather than torture myself, I decided to go down to the river instead. I had a lovely, quiet time in the sun. And the seagulls cooperated with some nice poses.




They loved these pylons. There was a gull on just about every one.





This one is contemplating the fast traffic on the freeway.


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Ellipsis - Monday Photo Shoot: RED

Carly from Ellipsis chose RED as our theme this week. I can't seem to stay out of the second hand stores around town. Such interesting stuff, and often displayed in creative and fun ways. I found lots of red at this one. I avoided the obvious hearts and flowers for the most part.









Oooo la la.


Kermit, cross dressing?