Parties and Cameras

One of the rules that people find out later is to never challenge a guy with a camera at a party! Sure enough, an embarrassing picture opportunity will present itself at some point and you can bet the camera guy will try to take advantage of it. Here's a young lady that got caught - but actually I don't think she really cared!!

Age

I've posted a number of pictures of kids on my blog - love their expressiveness and their joy in being alive. But yesterday an older couple came by and they just exuded 'caring'. She had problems walking, perhaps from a stroke or something. He's bent over from age and work - he creates beautiful airplanes that sell for quite a bit of $. Anyway, they were walking across the street from us and I tried to capture the emotion around them - hard to do. Wonderful to see folks in love and caring for one another like they were.

Friday Forces

The Pixsylated blog (link on the right) has ongoing "Lessons I didn't learn in Photo School". Here's one from that blog that struck me. I hear so many folks say "I have so much to learn" and they often let that stop them from shooting. Here's Syl Arena's response:
55. No matter how much you know, you’ll never know it all. So don’t let not knowing hold you back.
Don’t let thoughts like “I have so much more to learn” or “I’m not ready yet” hold you back. The truth is that if you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never start. The digital evolution in photography has been a great leveler. No one understands every detail of Photoshop – not even the guys who invented it. No one understands every control option of the latest DSLR – not even the guys who sell them. Get used to the idea that you’ll have to ask others for help. Get used to the idea that you should offer help freely. When it comes to technology, every one of us is ignorant to some degree or anothery. Accept your weaknesses and keep shooting.

I did a book, had to learn InDesign to get it done. I'm going to do a shoot with an aspiring model - something I feel very inadequate about, but ... Push yourself outside your boundaries. Don't let the bird with the red head catch you snoozing!!

Ice Cream

Dessert before dinner was how our neighbor, Julie, described this! What fun, with her kids Ben and Leah bringing us ice cream cones and delighting us with their 'kidness'. Of course, when you are their parents, kidness may not be all that much fun for you, but as pseudo-grandparents (or something like that), it is much fun for Diana and I.

And the kids are great subjects with very expressive faces. Ben had some trauma yesterday but he seemed to have recovered and was as lively as always.

Light and Dark

Moments of beauty constantly surround us and it is often very hard to stop and be present to them. Sunday morning, I was walking out the front door to go up and visit Mom, and I had my camera in my hand. Looking slightly to my right as I stepped off the front porch, the sun was streaming through the ferns and backlighting the dew-drops.

I'm working to frame my shots with more care; e.g., compose and frame as much as possible within the camera (something you really had to do with film). So this one is really pretty much as is, with some slight color/clarity adjustments. I've gotten spoiled with zoom lenses, and am starting to use the 'foot zoom' much more to get the framing/composition that I want. It is a really great challenge and learning experience.

Mother's Day

Hello and Happy Mother's Day to all you that are mothers!
Mom and I and Murphy had bagels this morning and then went out to the wildlife refuge. The birds were everywhere - herons, avocets, stilts, terns, yellow-headed blackbirds, grebes, coots....and on and on! And of course, the ubiquitous Canadian geese perpetually honking.

The Forster's tern is a fascinatingly agile bird - here's a couple of shots as he hovered overhead looking for food!

Lazuli Bunting

If you have never seen a Lazuli Bunting, here you go! They are the most incredibly beautiful birds, only in Salt Lake City for a short time in the spring! Their color is just unbelievable and we sit on the deck with our mouths open in awe when they honor us with their presence!!

Come to South Africa with us!!

My friend, Denny Nakker, who has traveled in South Africa for 20 years and has organized safari's there for 15 years has created a wonderful opportunity to see the wildlife of South Africa and do it in style and for a reasonable price!!!
Check out the tour here - http://safarigolf.com/
Click on the Wildlife Photography Adventure button and check it out!!

You don't need to be a photographer to enjoy seeing the wildlife and scenery of South Africa!

Gerry

Moments of Beauty

Sometimes you are just surrounded by moments of beauty...that's how it was tonight! Partly sunny with a beautiful light as the sun went down yielded beauty all around the yards. Here's one that really got me!

Kensington Kids

Cole, our young neighbor, turned 6 on Friday and had a Star Wars themed birthday party! Later the Jedi knight stalked the neighborhood looking for wrongdoers to tangle with! I feel much safer with Cole on the watch!
These kids are FUN!