89/365: On the Way to the Playground

By the time, we got the troops ready and out the door, the sun was hiding behind grey skies. But at least, we got to enjoy the warmer weather that is melting all the snow (again!).

88/365: Macro Effort

I played around with the macro attachment. It's not easy. I'd like to whine about it, actually! LOL  Here's a US $20 bill.

87/365: Fairies in the Afternoon

Sometimes these little creatures invade my living room! Not the best comp ever--and certainly wish I had cleaned up the TV area a bit! LOL But the light got me, again. I did use my Speedlite on this--aimed off to my left side at +1/3 Flash Exp. Compensation just to add a little light to her face since she was angled away from the sun, and I had to step back a bit to get her all in the frame. Settings: 50mm lens, f/2.2, SS 1/200, ISO 160.

Thank you all for the nice comments on my Speedlite use. But I gotta say, I hardly know zip about it. I just read in Neil van Niekerk's book (while perusing it) that aiming the flash at the ceiling or the subject can be unfavorable. He does a lot of bouncing the light from a wall on the side or behind (being careful that it's a light wall and noting any color casts it may give off).  So that's what I've been doing! I will be going to the Flash Bus Tour workshop in a few weeks--and will hopefully have a chance to read Neil's book by then, too.

86/365: Night and the Speedlite

Don't let him scare you. He just looks a bit menacing in the shadows!

85/365: Snow Appeal

My son insisted on going out this afternoon. He enjoyed walking around in our backyard. I caught him tasting the snow. I don't think he could decide whether he liked it or not!

84/365: March Break Cabin Fever

My daughter has been on break for more than a week. And since the weather turned colder a few days ago, we've been staying indoors. I think both my kids had a little cabin fever today. They were at the window checking out the street. When I asked my daughter to look, she did--and stuck her tongue out, too!

83/365: Little Boys and Their Toys

I tried for about half an hour to get a photo of my son. But he dodged me, put toys in his mouth, closed his eyes and looked away over and over!  He's a mama's boy but he's also a little trouble-maker. He's now climbing his furniture, taking the Thomas the Train decor stickers off his walls and getting into the bathtub fully clothed and opening the faucet. Ahhhh, I know it won't be like this for long (love that Darius Rucker song!).

82/365: Spring Inside, Snow Outside

We've gotten more than six inches of snow today. We stayed indoors as a result, and I got to practice with the Speedlite again! My assistant was very cooperative once I offered ice cream!  

Taken with my 85mm lens.

81/365: His Lashes

I've been meaning to capture my hubby's lashes.  I played with my new Speedlite and this is what I got. I'm still struggling with correct skin processing.

80/365: Visit to the Dentist

We took both our kids to the dentist today. My daughter did extremely well. She got a kick out of getting  her dental care goody bag. My son pretty much cried the entire time. Hubby objected to my posting the close-ups, so this is the photo I'm posting (not so great technically speaking).

79/365: The Pizza Sneek

We brought home pizza today. My hubby put the pizza on the table, and went back to get more items out of the car. When I got to the kitchen table, I found my son feasting on the pizza. Guess he was hungry! LOL

Thank you all for the nice comments on my moon!

78/365: Oh, Super Moon!

I'm so pleased that I got this since last year I was unable to capture the Super Harvest Moon. I tried shooting it last year but with my eye condition--keratoconus--I could not manually focus at all (I actually saw two moons!). But several months ago, I got special contact lenses and can now see just fine! YAY!

I used my 7D on a tripod and my 70-300 lens, racked out! Settings: SS 1/250 f/11 ISO 200 - manually focused
I cropped it, bumped up clarity, sharpness and contrast.

77/365: Tasty Goodness

We've just discovered hot cross buns. This Lenten treat comes in several varieties, including chocolate chip (pictured here)!

This second photo was my attempt at macro with my new conversion lens. It was hard to focus so this is not a sharp picture. I'm sure I will eventually get the hang of it. Can you see me in the middle of my cross charm (it's from a bracelet given to me by a dear friend)?

76/365: Daddy and His Girl by the Lake

We were showing my mother-in-law around today since she's in town visiting for the first time. We stopped by a lakeside park where Daddy and Natalie decided to sit by the lake (Lake Ontario) to throw some rocks in the water. The sun was hiding but I was happy for a relatively warm day!

75/365: My New Toys

Thanks to the postman--and my wonderful hubby--I feel like a kid in a candy store! Let my fun begin!

74/365: Not Quite Spring at the Playground

We managed to go the playground today. I also managed to annoy my son trying to get a picture of the day!

73/365: The Girl and Her Ocean

The sun came out today! I didn't have to crank up the ISO!  Plus, we're on the mend.  I wanted to capture Natalie's school project (what she calls her "ocean"), before little hands got the best of it.

And, surprise here's another photo of the kiddo! I do have other models I'm supposed to photograph as soon as the weather warms up! LOL  I am pretty lucky to have lots of windows in our family room (her catchlights are the windows!). 

72/365: Feeling Like a Funky Orb!

I'm going to have a little fun with today's post because I have to laugh at my situation. What 42-year-old gets an earache?! Me. That's who.

71/365: Singing Her Blues Away

She's not feeling her best but she's still rocking her new Princess microphone!

70/365: Goldfish Crackers

My two-year-old is still driving me crazy with his eating habits. His favorite foods right now are goldfish crackers, raisin bread and pepperoni pizza. It doesn't make me happy. He does drink milk, which helps a lot with his nutrition. He is growing so the pediatrician is not worried. Hopefully, before the end of this year, I can report that he's eating a bigger variety of foods.

(This batch of goldfish crackers came with little basketballs.)

69/365: Under the Weather

Well, I'm still not much better. Now, Natalie came home with a mild fever (to go with her cough). We faced quite a bit of rainy weather as we went to a few appointments around town. So all I could muster to photograph were the various medicines that are keeping us going.

68/365: The Birthday Girl

She's been waiting for today for months it seems. At her school's morning assembly, she stood in front of everyone while they sang Happy Birthday to her -- something she's been "practicing" for a while now! Her day included special cupcakes at school, too. So by the time she got home today, she didn't want me making a fuss or taking her picture.

Natalie on her 4th birthday.

67/365: Birds in Flight

Not much going on today! Canada geese flying around is about as exciting as it got today.

66/365: Afternoon Light

At about 4 p.m., I had no idea what I was going to post. I was fretting! But then the golden hour flooded our family room with light, and I got Natalie to pose for me. I think she's finally starting to enjoy posing for me--especially since she is now asking to see the images in the camera's display.

Thank you all for the lovely comments about her in the previous post (my assistant).

65/365: Variations of a Still Life

First, I have got to say it's been a rough day around here. I've not been feeling too well (actually been feeling progressively worse) but at least one of the kids is doing better than last night. The weather here is up and down. First it warms up to 40-something degrees F, which melts all the snow again. Then it goes down to 20 and snows about two inches. When is spring getting here!?!? I actually got a bit excited when the sun came out today for a brief few hours. So here's what I captured: a colorful something. It's not quite a vase, well it might be but it's a squatty one!  Maybe it's a big votive candle holder?!

First one is processed in PSE, second one only in Lightroom.

64/365: My Assistant

My daughter and I had a little fun today while I tried to get some self-portraits done. She got a kick out of helping me by pressing the shutter (I had it on self-timer). Alas, the selfies did not turn out as I'd hoped. I played around more with the camera and had to reset some of its settings. Very frustrating. But I did manage to get a photo of my assistant to post!

Shot with the 85mm and the Lightscoop. WB and noise reduction edits only in Lightroom.

63/365: Late-night Snack

I love popcorn and have had a little too much of it lately!

I think I have to break down and get a poor man's macro!
Note on the House on Ontario Street: It's on a busy street in a blighted neighborhood. The block is pretty sad looking until you come upon this bright house.
*Thank you all for your comments!*

62/365: I Love You Man

Big daddy kissing on little man.

61/365: It's a Whoodle

Today, I tried getting some outdoor shots but it was quite windy and 20 degrees. We could only stand it a few minutes! But just as we were leaving, we came across a Whoodle. This dog, a Poodle and Wheaton Terrier mix, had just come from playing with other dogs at the dog run. That's why she looks all sweaty!  Her name is Maddy.

60/365: The House on Ontario Street

We have driven by this house in Niagara Falls, NY many times. It's a head turner to say the least. Just had to capture it today! According to an article I came across,  the guy that owns the house is a carpenter, known as Prophet Isaiah, who erected the 20-foot-tall cross himself.