I’m feeling a bit like Target putting out Valentine’s Day merchandise with that title since the holiday season hasn’t even passed. However, we are seven days from the winter solstice and that means the shortest day of the year. It also means we start to add daylight to the day. It’s all downhill from there to spring!
I love the holidays and I’m not one to wish time away. However, spring and summer are my favorite seasons of the year.
Sunshine is one of my favorite things. At the moment, I’m looking forward to when there is more of it. Even if that means I’m putting cherry blossoms up in the middle of evergreen season.
How does the phrase go? “We’ve come a long way, baby!” Gone are the days when grainy postage stamp photos were provided by phones. We now live in an era where anyone can take a clear, creative photo showing depth of field and accurate colors. They still don’t replace a camera and a good lens, but I will always say, “The best camera is the one you carry.” If that’s your phone, you might consider the following tips.
Focus on different details of the same scene. Sometimes, we focus on the people in front of us and forget to capture the details happening either in the foreground or behind. Shift the phone a little, and a different picture will appear. Or turn it upside down, and the perspective of the photo changes.
Don’t stand in one place. Stepping to the left or the right can sometimes create a photo we wouldn’t have seen if we stayed standing in one spot.
Tap the screen on the phone and shift the focus to a different subject. This can create a different story entirely.
It can take a little practice, but as you try the things mentioned above, you’ll begin to see how you can use them to tell your story.
When your niece, from Georgia, will be driving through the area from New York on her way home and plans to stop at the Lincoln Memorial to sing with the group you find a way (you hope) to go see her. Given that I have been sick for most of the month with a cold and (pick a thing), we weren’t sure until the day before that we would be able to get there.
Of course, it also decided to rain. However, the quality of light and colors change in rain. A few other walkers or runners also taking advantage of the calm lapped us as we slowly walked around the paths. Something about being around all of the memorials on Thanksgiving was particularly moving.
The rain meant my niece didn’t get to sing, but I loved that I was able to see her for a moment before they drove down the road towards home.
It’s not unusual to think about gifts this time of year. We consider the gifts we plan to give family and friends or possibly receive. We may also consider other ways to give: donate to our favorite charity, pull a heart off a gift tree, or buy a present for someone who might not be able to buy one. There’s even “Giving Tuesday,” when many donations are matched or doubled, depending on the organization.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of my favorite ways to give involves Lego. Each year, Lego holds its #buildtogive campaign. Build a heart. It can be small and simple or complex and elaborate. Take a photo. Then, post that photo on social media with the #buildtogive. Every time someone does that, they donate a Lego building kit to a child in need of play. They recently shared a video of a couple of guys taking a van full of Lego to a children’s hospital. I can get behind that.
We love animals in our family. Since the beginning, we have had one cat, two African dwarf frogs, several fish (I can’t remember how many), and five dogs. We once had three labs at the same time and lived to tell the tale. However, at the moment, we have one dog, and his name is Cisco.
We adopted Cisco a little over a year and a half ago from Fredericksburg SPCA. It had been almost two years since our last lab had passed away. The husband returned home to find that I had been looking at dog photos on their site and found one that “needed” me. So, we went to look.
Our yard has become a cartoon factory. We always know when something is there. AooooooooOOOOO! He loves the sunshine and will lay in it whenever he can. He won’t climb onto your lap or get on the furniture. However, he loves to cuddle ninety percent of the time and wants to be in his bed right beside you. He seems to know when we need to cuddle, too.
It wasn’t always easy. It has taken work. But he is a great dog.
One of our favorite museums in Washington, DC, is the National Museum of Natural History. Our children, especially our daughter, have always been dinosaur fans. The last time we visited was before the pandemic. We loved seeing all of the changes they had made.
A big favorite was the Fossil Lab. They opened it and created a space where visitors could walk by windows and watch the paleontologists working. This exposed the behind-the-scenes in an exciting way.
We also enjoyed the rock and mineral exhibit. The earth comes in so many colors and textures. Sometimes, it’s difficult to imagine how many until you see them in one place.
In the plant arboretum on the top floor, you can also look out the windows and see the US Capitol building.
If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to visit it.
Do you remember your camera journey? I remember using Kodak cameras as a teenager. The kind that you needed to remember to wind the film. They were great for getting double exposures.
Jump forward several years and past several cameras, and in February of 2011, I purchased the Canon T3i when it was first released. I quickly upgraded to a 50 mm lens. Then, shortly after, I added a Tamron 24-70. This became my favorite lens. This camera still works great for me.
I’ve been really intrigued by mirrorless cameras lately, though I tend to keep that to myself around her. The thought of carrying a lighter camera is so appealing! Plus, the advancements in ISO capability are remarkable, especially when you think about how long it’s been since the T3i first came out—almost 14 years.
As I contemplate getting a new camera, I’ve considered whether to use a full-frame or an APS-C model again. Both options have wonderful advantages.
Using full-frame lenses on my APS-C camera gives me the wonderful benefit of an in-camera crop with every lens I select. I’ve grown really comfortable shooting with this setup, and often, it provides me with a greater range than I’d get with a full-frame camera. Any new camera I get is bound to have impressive low-light capabilities. While having a full-frame camera with its wider ISO range would be amazing, I don’t feel that’s a leap I absolutely need to take right now.
Regardless of which direction I choose, getting a new camera is always an exciting thing to think about.
What direction would you choose and why? Also, what is your favorite brand? Leave me a note in the comments, and we can chat about it.
I mentioned in a previous post [here] some reasons why I build with Lego and take photos with them. One of those reasons is mental health. I have been dealing with sciatica for several years and trying to understand what I needed to do to fix it. If you’ve ever dealt with it, I’m so sorry. In my case, the pain has been, at times, intense. I’ve worked on many things to correct it.
I’ve walked, and I’m going to the gym. However, some days, I have to convince myself to go inside. I ride the stationary bike once I do and when I do I picture myself other places like…
And ride like the wind. But it hasn’t been working.
This week, I visited the chiropractor between working on homework, and my new website (which is on the way)r.
Sometimes, you find moments of incredible beauty during errands, doctor appointments, homework, and other day-to-day tasks. This week was one of those moments for me. Not every moment was amazing. Some moments were challenging and painful. Then, in the middle of some of the worst of it, an extreme solar storm bombarded Earth.
On the night of October 10th, visibility of the Northern Lights extended to New Mexico. We stepped out on the deck behind our home in Virginia and saw them by using the cameras on our phones to magnify the different light spectrums.
Then, I went on social media and saw the experiences of others worldwide. In this instance, seeing the event through countless different perspectives magnified its beauty.
After, I returned to working on homework, but I was smiling.
This past week, my thoughts have been with those affected by Hurricane Helene. I have personal ties to many of the areas affected. The photo above was taken near the Virginia Creeper Trail in Southwest Virginia just over a year ago.
There are many ways to help. In addition to your church organization, I have researched other ways to help and wanted to share those here. The following is a sampling of what I’ve collected through the week.
There are many ways to help the Red Cross. Direct Donation to Hurricane Helene, Volunteer in needed positions (there is training), or give blood (the need spikes especially after a disaster).
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen works with local chefs to provide meals, water, and assistance when these events happen. They began staging in Florida before the Hurricane and are now in the other areas providing help. The above is only a short list of where meals are available. More information is available on their Facebook page. You can volunteer with the organization or donate through information on their website.
