5 for 5

I bought this little figurine on a shopping trip with my mom and sisters. A little country store in rural Michigan that reminds me of laughter, shopping trips that last all day, and 3 fingered lawn ornaments that you have to have. I moved away from this little country store, my mom & sisters, and our shopping trips that lasted all day. I have missed spending time with my family, yet I embrace the new things and new adventures that are in store for me. I look at this and smile-- and welcome the brand new day.


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Botanical

I'm a daisy kind of girl. William Wordsworth said in his poem "To the Daisy"...


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Be violets in their secret mews
The flowers the wanton Zephyrs choose;
Proud be the rose, with rains and dew
Her head impearling,
Thou liv'st with less ambitious aim,
Yet hast not gone without thy fame;
Thou art indeed by many a claim
The Poet's darling.

Challenge #5 (after)

So I took my camera to practice tonight, and LOVED the results!! Thank you to the peas for the awesome suggestions (metering off of the floor is genius), they are definitely more sharp than before and the lighting is so much better. YAY!!!

My favorite shots...


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and


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Challenge #5 (before)

Basketball!

Basketball is hard to shoot. I find sports mode to make the majority of pictures blur, and the lighting is difficult to get right. It's hard to capture anything in the fast pace of the game in a regular setting. My son has another game this weekend, where I plan to test out some ideas from other peas on my message board. Hopefully there will be a noticable before and after shot! This is my best shot from last Saturday's game...


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I'm not sure what my settings were, but I'm not happy with the blurring. I love the moment though. The little boy in the glasses had just made a basket, and they were celebrating! Any additional suggestions for basketball shots appreciated!

Dan Frisby:
Basketball is like photography, if you don't focus, all you have is the negative

Challenge #5

Sports!

Sports are a huge part of our family and home. I love watching my son and husband play, and am trying to appreciate the constant hum of espn as the background music to our lives. Two shots of random sports stuff in my son's room for today...


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love the scuff marks on this. taken iso 400 f-stop 5.0 taken indoors


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focus point on the card on the right. the side cards didn't blur like i'd wanted. any suggestions? iso 400 f/stop 4.0 taken indoors

Steve Young:
The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before.

Challenge #4 (more)

FROZEN WATER!!! Snow in Arizona??? In the Phoenix Valley even??? It is a rarity to say the least! I drove up to the Superstition mountains to get these close shots of the beautiful white caps. Gorgeous!!


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Lo. sifted through the winds that blow,
Down comes the soft and silent snow,
White petals from the flowers that grow
In the cold atmosphere.
- George W. Bungay, The Artists of the Air

Challenge #4

Water!!

The Phoenix zoo just opened 'Stingray Bay', an interactive exhibit where you can touch and feel moving stingrays. They were beautiful, but intimidating to put your hand in with!

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We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Challenge #3

My favorite spots around my hometown... Phoenix, AZ

'Hole in the Rock'-- from the base

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'Hole in the Rock'-- view across the valley from the top

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My daughter at the top.

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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Challenge #2

Introduction of myself to the peas...


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Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.
Author: Christopher Morley


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Telling my story, just not using words.

Challenge #1

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Free for all!!

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Poor Richard's Almanac