Fun in the Sun Flare

I just finished a little photography workshop and it really helped me get used to using aspects of my camera that I didn't use to their fullest potential.  Also, I learned a few tricks for working with harsh light and how fun it is to play with sun flare.  I'm finding it a little addicting. . . or maybe it's just the sun I'm finding addicting, not having seen much of it for the past nine or ten months!

Leaving my worries behind. . .

I have almost two months of life to catch up on, but today I am going to live in the moment.  I put aside my pile of work and spent some time in the yard with my girl, my camera, and a whole lot o' leaves.  I haven't done that in a while.  It felt good.  And I really wanted to enjoy the truly great fall day before the rain sets in tomorrow.  My favorite time of year won't last much longer and I have been letting it slip by uncelebrated.  So here is my mini celebration of autumnal color and faces too cute NOT to photograph.

This kind of fun will ALWAYS attract company!

Happy Autumn

Better Late Than Never. . .

Thank you summer, for FINALLY showing up.

Idyllic Idaho

There is something about going home that always makes you revert a little to the state of your childhood.  For me that means country living and simple pleasures.

The country is full of things that capture the emotions of a way of life I dream of for my girls.

And they make great pictures too.

My sister's barn makes me want to go hunting barn cats and sit in a hay loft on a sunny day watching a mother and her kittens. . .

and the older the barn the more homey it feels.

The countryside spread out behind it makes life seem simpler. . . even though I know farming is a lot a work, it is an honest lifestyle that connects you to the earth in a way that I love.

It brings you outside and invites you to smell the lilacs,

or pick a daisy.

Where a walk in the countryside, or a hard day's work, is done with a loyal and constant companion.

It's the kind of place where children's laughter fills the yard,

where my niece can be heard whispering, "I love you so bad!"  in a kitten's ear. . .

as she cuddles it up next to her face,

and laughs with pure joy when it purs for her.

Where wishes can be made on dandelion fluff. . .

and sisters love each other every day.

I love going home.

Documentation. . . Or maybe Obsession.

Have I ever mentioned that I am the sixth child of eight children.  The youngest girl of three girls.  My mother was very busy.  She sewed us clothing and made fabulous home cooked meals.  She even got up at the crack of dawn to make cookies for our lunches.

I remember lots about growing up, but it isn't because I have loads of pictures to flip through and reminisce over.    

My baby book is essentially empty.  

I was a darn cute baby too--I know because I have at least five pictures of me by the time I turned five.    

I think I might be over compensating a little. . .

  Or maybe my kids are just photogenic. . . 

Or maybe I have a problem. . . 

 I am addicted to taking pictures. . .  

When I watch my kids, every other thought is, "Wait don't move. . .oh, do that again so I can take a picture of it!"

  Needless to say, I have a lot of pictures of them. . .

 . . . and lots of other people's kid for that matter. Like the cute boy next door who is one day younger than my oldest. . . and her first kiss (they were three--I have a picture of it!)

 Which is sort of why I started this blog.   I felt bad that my pictures were just sitting in a file somewhere on my computer. (I am NOT a scrapbooker). 

 And later when the girls are older and dating I can use these pictures as evidence, or threats, or something.  At least a good chuckle occasionally.   And reminisce about how cute they used to be.   

Fun With My New Lens. . .

After at least two years of indecision, I finally narrowed down the list of lenses I wanted to a couple.  First on the list was the Canon 50mm f/1.4.  Luckily, Santa came through for me.  So I immediately set about snapping pictures of everything. The day after Christmas we had lunch out and I whipped out my camera to take advantage of the light streaming in the windows.

The girls are used to posing for me.  Sometimes they even ask for their picture to be taken. . .

Hannah is generally a good sport about it.

Signe, on the other hand, could go either way.  One minute she is asking--begging--me to take her picture. . .

The next minute she has had enough.  This either become a grumpy face, a hidden face, or a silly face. . .

But I can usually talk her into smiling again. . .

But if I can't, I just take pictures of whatever is near by.  Like Hannah's food. . .

. . . or my drink. . .

. . .or the cute 50's diner stools. . . and when I accidently get a picture of a man in the background, I apologize and explain I wasn't taking his picture. . .just the stools. . .

But apparently he wanted his picture taken. . . so I complied.

Too bad the best picture I took was of a man I don't know, rather than of my own child.  Oh well.  Practice is bound to make perfect, right?