Lately

Welcome, October!



























So excited for the season!!

Here Comes The Sun

What a difference a week makes.

Embrace The Current Season

Gabrielle Blair said, "Embrace the current season of your life."  OK, Gabrielle, here goes!  It's almost officially Summer on the calendar, and I am pleased to say that so far, Summer has been on her best behavior.  Mild temps, mostly in the 80s, and those have been welcome!  But the local weather man says Summer is about to bust out some mid-to-upper 90s foolishness later this week.

You know what, Summer?  That's ok.  Bring your hotness.  I will embrace it.  I can't say that I won't oftentimes be embracing it inside in the air conditioning, but I will embrace it all the same.

I will live life, savor it, cherish it, and not wish away the precious days that Summer brings.  Even if they are hot and uncomfortable, those days are still important.

So, here's a little photography of life lately.  On the cusp of Summer.



















Just a few shots I took with this:




It's an old Minolta film lens that Brian found in our local Goodwill for $7.07!!  A 50 mm f/1.7 prime.  I have been wanting it, and was going to eventually order it.  For $150!  But instead, I got it for seven bucks!!  This one is in mint condition, with clean glass and just a small bit of cosmetic wear.  We just could not believe our luck.  I shoot Sony.  No, I'm not a Nikon or Canon girl.  I'm a Sony girl.  I have a Sony dSLR, and since Sony bought Minolta back in 2006, I can use all the old Minolta film lenses on my Sony dSLR.  I think this is super-duper cool, because there's just a different quality to film lenses that is really amazing.  The coating on these lenses was optimized for film, which just gives it a different look and feel.  But they're still usable on a digital camera, so it's like the best of both worlds!  Amazing, vibrant color reproduction and sharpness.  I have a Sony 50 mm f/1.8 that performs beautifully, so I am ecstatic to have two amazing "nifty fifties" in my arsenal.  I also have an old Minolta 24 mm prime, which is excellent as well.  Oh, and I'm not a zoom lens girl, either.  I shoot only primes.  I love the lightweight, small size of primes and the wider aperture capabilities.  They are sharp and excellent in low light.

I am looking forward to embracing the rest of this season.

December Daily Wrap-Up

Wow, this month has absolutely flown by! It hardly seemed time for Christmas and then, Christmas was over! December Daily did help me to slow down just a bit and capture some moments that may have otherwise been overlooked or underappreciated during this busy, fast month. Here are the last of my dailies!

December 8. Our latest rescue, Simon.



December 9. Hipstamatic pic of a chalkboard message.



December 10. Brian holding Beatrice.



December 11. Stockings by the fire.



December 12. Restaurant Wanted sign. Just thought it was funny.



December 13. Oliver, too sleepy to open his eyes, but still turning his head toward the camera. :D



December 14. Brian and I made and decorated Christmas sugar cookies! Yum!



December 15. Fuzzy Wuzzy by garland light. Sweet boy.



December 16. Tree light bokeh.



December 17. My sweet husband blowing out his 37th birthday candles.



December 18. Santa sure left a big bag of gifts on the couch for me to wrap!



December 19. Jingle bell wreath on the back door. So cheery!



December 20. Spent most of the day wrapping presents, along with my "helper" who was hoping for some moments alone with the gift wrap supplies. Her Christmas wish did not come true, sadly. :D



December 21. Rainy day. Oliver by the back door.



December 22. Some of the cutest wrapping paper I have ever seen. Got it at Target this year.



December 23. All is calm, all is bright. Wrapped and ready.



I decided to stop my dailies with Christmas Day, so in my next post I will share those, along with Christmas Eve and Day pictures with my family.

The 2011 Georgia National Fair

It's crazy what the love of photography will make you do. I am not known for my love of going to the fair. In past years, it has been hot, crowded, aggravating and just plain unpleasant. So I was surprised by my desire to go this year. Brian and I lead a photowalk group on Facebook, and we try to have two to three photowalks per year. In between the walks, we have photo scavenger hunts, just for fun and to keep everyone in practice.

Anyway, there was some interest in doing a mini walk at the fair, so we planned one. We originally planned for last Thursday, but the weather was awful (high winds, rain, lightning, thunder) so we postponed the walk to Friday. Friday's weather was absolutely gorgeous. Brilliant, blue skies, sun, and temps in the 70s. Lots and lots of wind, though. But that was ok.

We had a small group, unfortunately, due to the weather-related reschedule, so it was just me, Brian and my sister, Ginger. We had a really fun day! My faith in the fair was restored and I actually *enjoyed* myself! The pull of photographing all those colors, the activity, the people, the rides, and especially the night photography--made me do it and I'm glad I did. Here are some of my favorites that I took at the fair.







































































































I may have a slight obsession with Ferris Wheels. And pretty lights. And Ferris Wheels. :D