Fog, Fog, Go Away...Come Again Another Day

I am linking up with the skywatch team over at  Skywatch Fridays.

Daily Photo-The Remains of Miller’s Mill

Daily Photo - Foggy Morning Drive

Demise of the Sphinz

Part of the fun of spending an entire day building a sand castle is watching the tide come in and wash it away.  We’re really not crazy....our extended family just loves building unique castles and then watching them disappear. This one was of the Sphinz with multiple tombs around it. A total of 10 people worked on it using shovels, a plastic garbage can with the bottom cup out, trowels, watering cans, rakes, children’s buckets...and the list goes on and on.  This year before leaving for the reunion, we actually went to the library and researched different techniques for building these things.  By the time the tide came in on this one, our neighbors up and down the beach were there to watch and celebrate.

I am linking up with Watery Wednesday.

Daily Photo -Creek Leaf

Creek Leaf

9-27-10

Lego Life

I have decided to join a Flickr group for a themed Macro Monday.  Each week we are given a prompt, and it is around that prompt that me must shoot in macro.  Since this was my first time, I had a little difficulty coming up with something which would meet the criterion of  BEING BUSY.  Finally, I decided on one of our student’s silhouette mosaic made up of many small pieces of cut paper all involving Legos. Sadly, I did not have Mr. Rebel with me so I had to use Canon Power Shot Sd 1000  For my first attempt, I hope this first shot met the requirements. The other photos are just to give you a little more insight into this mosaic.

Macro Monday

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Macro Monday has once again rolled around thanks to our sponsor,Lisa,  over at Lisa’s Chaos. Be sure to pay her a visit and look at all of the interesting posts.

I love shooting macro so this meme is especially appealing to me.  Today I chose to focus my lens on one of the few flowers still in bloom.  Autumn has definitely arrived here in western Virginia, and these lovely sights are few and far between. Click on the photograph to enlarge it. With the Blogger templet I am using, I have to use the smaller size setting in order for the photo not to run over into the sidebar. Unfortunately, I do not know how to go into the HTML and move the sidebar farther to the right.

Daily Photo - Wet Lace

How I managed to take this shot I do not know.  I like it so much I am going to actually print it out and hang it in my classroom.  Somehow I got sharpness, blur, light, dark, water droplets from the rain which were coming down lightly, and translucency.  This one is a miracle in my book.  I think it is so pretty with its faded lavender/pink along side the vibrant greens of the leaves. It’s so dainty and feminine.  This happens to be a very invasive bush not too far from the front porch.  It keeps trying to take over my herb garden which does not make Mother happy. I’m constantly cutting it back and wanted it GONE until today!!! Now I have an entirely new opinion of its blooms and think I will keep out of respect for the gift it gave me today.

Sunday Bridges~aka~ The Bridges of Rockbridge County

Swinging Bridge over the Maury River at Goshen Pass

Rockbridge County, Virginia

This bridge is one of our favorite places to go whether it is fall, winter, spring, or summer. It’s such a quiet, beautiful, and serene spot.  Fly fishermen come here to cast for Rainbow Trout; children and adults come here to swim in the waters;  everyone that comes always manages to rock and jump up and down on the old bridge when crossing it.

This is the shoreline under the swinging bridge.

The Maury River flowing under the bridge.

Daily Photo - Autumn in Bloom

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."

~Albert Camus

Daily Photo - Follow the Bouncing Sun

7:00 A.M.- 9-24-2010

Route 60 West on the Way to Work

Daily Photo - Tails of Fall

The Roadside on North Mountain

Rockbridge County, VA

Daily Photo - Pumpkins a la Warhol

The Swisher’s Pumpkin Patch

Fairfield, VA

Watery Wednesday #1

Back Bay National Wildlife Park

Virginia Beach, Virginia

I am linking up with Watery Wednesdays this week.

Be sure to stop by and check out all of the participants’ posts.

Daily Photo - Flying High

Mickey Mouse Antenna Ornament

Daily Photo - Water Lenses

Pad’s Creek
Bubbling Springs
Rockbridge County, Virginia

Daily Photo - Jelly Feet

 

Kerrs Creek in Front of House

Daily Photo - Double Vision

Back Deck Goldfish Pond
Can you find the frog?

Daily Photo - Light Dancing on Water

Waters of Goshen Pass, Lexington, VA.  

Sunrise at the Beach

I have decided to follow Claudia’s lead over at “Through a Lens Daily” and begin posting a picture each day.  It’s been a desire of mine to do something like this for a long time, but I simply lacked the nerve and the self confidence to do it.  Thank you, Claudia, for coming up with the concept. Reading your blog has convinced me I can really do this...one picture, one day at a time. 


Here is a sunrise I experienced near Virginia Beach, VA, when our family was all together for a wonderful reunion just a few weeks ago.  I was the only one who would get up very early each morning to see the sunrises, and this one was my favorite. It was taken on the automatic setting using the EFS 18-55mm lens. The only modification I made was a small crop.

The Story Behind the Story - The Beginning

My obsession with picture taking began back when I gave birth to my first child 47 years ago.  Actually, I have memories of taking photos way back before that with my old Brownie camera when I was in high school...and that was a long time ago. I have always had this fear of forgetting as I aged, so in my mind my pictures would be the way for my children and grandchildren to jog my memory. As my three children grew older they began despising having their photos taken, but I persevered clicking away day after day and visit after visit. NOW, I have box after box of old photos for future use. The children’s father was a photographer during Korea, so he was always taking pictures, too.  From the beginning we had Canons, and to this day we all still have them...actually two of my three adult children have Canon Rebels. I’ve always loved taking pictures, and thought I was through and had passed it on to my son and daughter...but it didn’t work.  My addiction was just too serious after so much time. Loving family, hiking, nature, and in particular, flowers and birds, I have kept on clicking and clicking.

Year before last I was the sponsor of our middle school yearbook and had my first opportunity to use a Canon EOS Rebel XSi. Before that I had only owned Canon point and shoots. Wow! What an experience that was! I always used the automatic setting, but it was wonderful.

Being 71, and the yearbook taking so much time to put together, last year I passed the sponsorship to a younger teacher. Well, I thought it was a great idea and timewise it was, but the bad part was I went through a hugh “camera withdrawal” having to revert back to my old point and shoot Canons. Finally, about 6 months ago and after much deliberation and research, I decided to treat myself to that same Rebel camera I’d had in ’08-’09 which came with a Canon EFS 18-55mm lens. I was happy with it until I started following my daughter’s Flickr Pokety Patch site which sent me over the edge.  I immediately wanted to good telephoto lens and a 50mm lens. I went out on a limb and ordered a refurbished Canon  EFS 55-250mm  and a new Canon 50mm. I am so happy I took the bull by the horns and just went ahead and got what I really wanted.  I have to thank my son, Gene, also a photographer, for pushing to take the big plunge. Sometime you have just got  to listen to your adult children when you get as old as I am!

So here I am beginning a new chapter of my life...learning to be a senior citizen photographer. I’m reading and studying trying to teach myself how to use my camera and its lenses so I can get the most from them. It is going slowly and at times it’s very frustrating because there is so much trial and error, but in time I hope to grow and improve. This blog is my way of documenting my journey from mom just snapping pictures of her children and grandchildren to an older woman photographing life and nature in all of its glory.

Here is the yearbook that started my love affair with the Canon Rebel XSi. This cover shot was taken by my nephew, Jeremy Leadbetter of Andre Studio, a professional photographer who studied under  the one and only Sally Mann of Lexington, VA, from the roof of our school.

Let The Journey Begin!