Beneath the Garden

I love these style of shots...especially this one by Rosie of leavesnbloom!

 

Friday Abstractions & A Planner Download

Last week I told you that I'd have a handy little download available today.
And here it is!
I debated on the format in which to offer it, but ultimately decided that everyone would be able to use it in a simple .jpg format.

Print it out. Fill it out. Done.

I personally put mine in a 3-ring binder.
But you can scale it to fit your needs.

Go HERE to download this Weekly Photo Challenge Planner.




*****

Yesterday I finally got around to taking some oil and water shots.
Our session did not last long as the best light was outside and it was approximately 200 degrees in the sun.
{umm...some of these oil spots could very well be sweat spots}
But as short a time as I spent on it, I still ended up with a few favorites...



I am really loving oil and how it can create a dividing line as well as such clearly defined orbs.
I'm also totally diggin' the texture towards the top....and the bokeh to the right.

   





The left half of this shot seriously reminds me of the movie "Look Who's Talking"...or at least the very beginning with the sperm and egg. And the right side reminds me of "Finding Nemo"...or at least the very beginning with all the eggs.


     





That streak right through the shot was completely unexpected, but I love it.
In fact, I think it makes the shot.

{PS. go HERE for an easy tut on how to get water and oil shots}

 

Sunflower

This was the one lone sunflower we saw at the farmstead on Thursday.
Being that the sunflower is Kansas' state flower, you'd think there would be more of them.
{thankfully, I've just been told my BIL - who is a farmer - has planted sunflowers again this year as crops. ...enter excited giggles!}

 

And I threw this one in, too.
I absolutely love it, but can not figure out why I love it as much as I do...
Perhaps it's the contrast of the organic shapes from the sunflower against the geometric shapes of the barn??

Coneflowers

These petals remind me so much of Fall and harvest...it just seems odd that they would bloom at the beginning of summer. ;)

  

A Simple Monday

Not much pomp or circumstance going on today. Just a simple, cleanly edited shot of a flower.
:)


  

Violets That Caught My Eye

Normally whenever I spy a violet, that's where it ends...I never pursue a shot or think of giving another glance.
That is, until earlier this week when I saw a beautiful border of them!

Hidden in the Backyard

One of the pretty surprises we had when we moved into our house nearly two years ago was two beautiful clematis plants in the back corner of our yard.









They are two different varieties and these photos are of the one with larger, somewhat lighter purple blooms.

Fruit Medley

Last week I bought some fruit just for the purpose of photographing it...I'm quite certain I'm not alone on this!
The last two shots were taken with my kit lens, as my macro lens stopped auto focusing. Thankfully it was still under warranty...although I have a hard time actually being thankful that it broke within the first year...

Note: I just received my macro lens in the mail today - fixed and ready to go! I must say that I am blown away at the level of customer service and speed of repair from Sigma. They had my lens fixed (free of charge) within a day or two of receiving it and I had it back in my hands 9 days from the date I mailed it in!!

Friday Challenges

These are those tiny little sprinkles from frosted animal crackers.
There were a bunch of colorful little balls remaining in the bag after all crackers had been devoured.

On Tuesday we had a blizzard. Literally. The Kansas City airport closed for the day!
So what did I do?
I bundled up and hiked outside to get some shots!
It was cold and windy, but incredibly peaceful and ironically calming.
...and also a workout as the snow was already over a foot deep by that time!

Biplane

This is a toy plane my son got for Christmas.



I was cleaning the master bedroom one day and noticed this plane sitting on my nightstand.



The reflection and lighting was pretty enough for me to grab my camera.







I love how the light softens the lines of the plane.






And when you get up close, you realize just how much detail and thought has been put into this toy.





And that makes me appreciate the simple things of life just a little more.