Monday, December 31, 2012

See you next year

I got a chance to take some photos today... and to edit them. I'm definitely enjoying this holiday time with so little obligation or outside-the-house events. I think you can see the relaxed feeling that we all have in these photos of the boys.


Pritz with Nico BW WM

Enzo iPod BW WM
 
Nico is not feeling well, so I think that made the activity level what it was to a certain extent, but we've definitely been taking it easy this break.

So nice.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!


Sunday, December 30, 2012

P52/Week 52: "Celebration"

Did you catch that? Week 52 of 52. Done and done. Well, sorta. As a I start this post, I'm not really sure what I'm going to choose for my 'Celebration' theme. Which only means there's lots of room for improvement and I should start all over again next week, right?

..... (talk amongst yourselves, while I look)....

I'm back.
I went instinctively to my folder labeled 'Christmas' but, found nothing worthy there. (More room for improvement. ahem.) Then thought about the fun the boys had out in the snow yesterday.


P52/Week 52: "Celebration"

And, whoop, there it is. That boy knows how to celebrate the small gifts in life.

Onward to 2013 and another P52....

Sunday, December 23, 2012

P52/Week 51: "Red or Gold"

Well, I'm almost there. Week 51 of 52. So excited.

I've already decided I'll be doing it again in the new year, along with some other new challenges.

This week's theme is Red or Gold. Mine is mostly gold, but thanks to Nico... a touch of red made it's way into the photo.


Merry Christmas! Looking forward to big chunks of family time.  Wishing the same for you.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Daydreamer

I decided this Christmas to try to use my photography in as many gifts as I could think of. I'm here to say I managed better than I imagined and feeling a bit like when I close my eyes I'm going to see the Photoshop menu etched on the inside of my eyelids.

I'm so happy with the gifts I managed to create, but when you add to it the Christmas card "Idea and execution gap," as I call it; the many calls and emails I received for "Can you send me the _______ photo you took at _________" for other photo-gift givers; and the general feeling of "What have I forgotten?" I'm a little bleary-eyed.

But.... what do I do when I get a few moments of free-time me-time? You guessed it... I come looking at the photos I've taken recently hoping to find something that intrigues me.


Daydreamer 

And this was the one. Maybe because he looks like he hasn't a care in the world that looks so appealing. LOL  Or maybe, as always, it's just his cuteness.  You decide.





Monday, December 10, 2012

P52 Catch Up

Ok, I didn't come this far into my Project 52 to let it all go to pot. So here are my catch up posts, including a tremendously early one for this week, on each week's theme:

Week 46 was all about "Out and About." I took this photo while the boys were involved in a "class" about creek health, where they'll take samples of the water and do various chemical tests each month to provide an accurate and on-going picture of this creek's water health to a PA university.

P52/Week 46: "Out and About" 

This photo looks a bit different than those I took in the summer of the boys at the stream, but it is December after all. He couldn't resist the urge to at least feel the water, if he couldn't de-shoe and wade in.

The next theme in our way-back machine is "Thankful" for Week 47.  I don't find it cliche to say that family tops my thankful list every time. 

P52/Week 47: "Thankful"

I'm thankful that I've got so much of it, that when we get together, we can't fit in one room, nor one table and not even one frame (sorry Jt and Nico). I'm also thankful that regardless of the mistakes I make, they still allow me to be official photographer.

On to "Tradition" (Sung in the most Fiddler on the Roof voice I can muster) for Week 48.


This one speaks for itself, I 'spose, with the hidden tradition of me being disappointed in the photos I take for the tree-decorating event. Ah, what would year end be without a burgeoning set of resolutions.

(I do like this photo, but it and the one of the dog are the only ones I care for of the many I took.)

And... last, but not last, Week 49 brings me to "Indoors" which puts to use these photos I grabbed of the boys one night last week. Just doin' what they do.


P52/Week 49: "Indoors"

Only 3 weeks left! Wowza. I think I might pull it off.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Nose to Nose, these cute foes

Just playing around with the new flash this weekend, while everyone in the house tried to go about their business and not notice. Hoping I'll tire out soon. But, when I'm rewarded with images like this and I can't be expected to stop.

Nose to Nose photo

The Moment

The boys had their first in a monthly Creek Biology class today. It was quite a treat when, as soon as we walked over to the creek, the teacher noticed this guy:


Great Blue Heron

I was very glad to have my camera with me. He stood still for a great swath of time, seemingly waiting for his prey to pass by.  But, then he made a few motions and plucked something from the water. 

I came home with a whole lotta frames full of this guy, but this stands out, not only because of his gesture, but, for the observant among us, there's a wee bit o' humor there too. Happy hunting.



Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley

Friday, November 30, 2012

For Christine....He's a Natural

Well, Christine, here they are. I know I told you I'd have these done by the end of the weekend, but, well, I couldn't wait. So, I went through them in between Spelling and Anatomy. During Math, but before Argument and after Writing.
I'll feel justified in only having one eye on the boys' work today if you love them as much as I do.

Here are the Headshots:



Headshot Red Sweater
Holy cuteness, Batman!









I know there are six photos there and you only need five, but, you'll have to narrow it down, because I couldn't. I'd have to agree in exponents on your "photogenic" description of him. As long as 'photogenic' includes the words 'really, really cute' in it's definition.

On to the Full Body Shots:









Full Body stool
Love the way he's holding his fingers in this.
... And now for some "Personality!" (Boy's got it)








Personality Rock Climb wave
So perfect


Personality eyebrow raised
Ha Ha! Now that's talent!




Personality banister scream
Nico and Enzo wanted to know how he did this!




...and what's sure to be his favorite:


 So, there they are. Let me know what you think!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

P52/Week 46: "Something Old Something New"

I've committed myself to participating in a photography project called Project 52, where each week there's a challenge to take a photo with a particular theme and enter it on the group Flickr site.


I seem to have interpreted the theme of "Something Old, Something New" to mean "Before and After." But, whatever.

I've been wanting to do this for a while. I took the photo on the left of the boys last year, early in 2011. I thought it was pretty good (shaking head), but as soon as it was printed, I could see it wasn't. The biggest crime is that the banjo heads are brighter than their faces. I won't bother to list all of the other problems with it. I trust you to see the crap that it is.

So, I've been wanting to try this again just to prove that I could. And so I did.


P52/Week 46: "Something Old Something New"I had lots of problems, not the least of which is that the boys are so much bigger now, I had trouble getting them far back enough in our confined space and still fit them in the frame. They're sitting on the coffee table and I was perched on the couch head pushed back against the window as far as it would go. But, that may have helped to not allow the banjos to seem so bright and to keep focus more on their faces.

There's lots more that's better about it, but, again, I'll trust you to compare so that I don't have to call myself names in public. :-)  Let's just say I'm happy I managed to redeem myself, however marginally.




Wednesday, November 14, 2012

... Another Nail Biter

So sorry for all the drama. I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to know whether I'd manage to make our "Leaf Pictures" tradition happen this year.  Ahhh, welcome, relief, we got 'em in.

Sure the thermometer read 40 degrees. Sure the only color left on the trees was yellow from the Norway Maples and maybe a hint of red from I-don't-know-whats because Kate St. John hasn't done a blog post on that. Sure, we should have been making the food for the boys' Spanish class party tomorrow....

But, daggumit, a woman needs peace of mind knowing she's done what she must and I tonight I will rest easily knowing I have these to document what my children looked like in front of a bunch of colorful trees in 2012:











Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Forgive My Prolific Posts

I just can't help but swoon over the photos I've been getting out of this camera, so feel free to tune me out if I'm getting annoying. Making up for lost time, yes, but just in awe of the photos.

Here's a few from the show the Banjo Club had today.


Look at them!!




Never get tired of photographing her.


What did you, sleep with that thing?

In an early morning try out of my new lenses, I managed to get some great lifestyle shots of the boys eating their breakfasts. (Poor things... nothing's off the record. )

I thought I'd post one for Sweet Shot Tuesday:


Love the way he's looking at me.  Good thing he loves me so much. ha ha



Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley