Day 5-365 Mending

Day 5-365 Mending, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I generally put off this task until there is a small pile and I realize I need something from it. Best to do on a sunny day with good light, the better to prick your fingers with.
BTW, it's hard to focus on a needle when you do a self-portrait. This was the closest I got to all of my tries and even then I had to help it along a bit in photoshop :-(.

Exposure: 0.4 sec (2/5)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

2009: A New Start

For this year, I'm going to start a Photo of the Day. I've been too lax at taking pictures, sometimes going days without shooting anything. I think this will be more interesting than the threesityfive self-portrait series I did last year. That taught me a lot about portrait photography and lighting among other things, but there is still so much to learn! Taking a daily shot also forces you to think about photography in some way everyday. I'm sure there will be a lot of disappointing entries, but that's not the point. It's to work on my skills.

Playing catch-up today :-)!

Day One: "New Year's Day Dinner"

Looks like I need to work on my food photography...

New Year's Day menu:
Individual Beef Wellingtons with Balsamic/Red Wine Sauce
Oven Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
(Two Desserts!)
Creme Brulee
Apple Strudel
Sparkling Wine with St. Germaine

Day 2: "Christmas Ends"

Tomorrow all the decorations come down, so this is a last glimpse of one of the trees.

Day 3: "La Couronne de Roses"

My husband bought me two dozen roses. They look beautiful in the absence of holiday decorations.

Day 4: Paperwhite - "Spring in January"

My paperwhites are blooming! Cheerful little flowers, perfect for after Christmas when the decorations are down. Surely spring can't be far behind (LOL)!
These were a gift from our friends (and parents of my sweet DIL), Shirley and John. Thanks for Spring in January!

Textures

Day 271 threesixtyfive Patina, originally uploaded by saralonde.

As I slowly work my way through Photoshop and how to use layers, I've discovered using textures as a way to give additional definition to my images. I'm sure there are better methods than mine, but so far simple works. I open the image I want to use and then open the texture I've chosen. I drag the texture onto the image and reduce the opacity. Then I use the eraser tool to lighten the areas where the texture seems too heavy.
This self-portrait made it to Explore on flickr.

Black and White or Color?

Black & White Daisies, originally uploaded by saralonde.

If you had to choose one or the other, which would it be?

Personally, I'd have to go with black and white. Why? The drama, the grit, the simplicity that b&w can give you. I love the play of light and shadow, how not having color to distract you lets you see things you didn't know were there. Black and white breaks the composition down to it's basic forms. You have to get the composition right for it to stand there without the color. I also think it's interesting that you can look at a black and white shot and still "see" the color in it. I can almost see the yellow centers on my daisies!

"Why Photography?"

I've always needed a creative outlet in my life. At various times I write, paint (watercolors mostly), decorate, garden, etc. I still do all those things off and on, but photography has pretty much been the only constant. There was a time a few years ago when I wasn't using a camera very much. Lack of time had my film darkroom gathering dust. Digital cameras were becoming more popular, but I didn't like the little point and shoots, I wanted the comfort and familiarity of my larger SLR. One day during a watercolor class, one of the students mentioned he was a pro photgrapher, but was taking the class to see things in a different way. I found I was far more interested in listening to what he was doing with his camera than what I was doing with paint and brushes. That was when I realized how much I missed it. DSLRs were coming down in price, so I bought a Canon XT and haven't looked back.

Day 188 threesixtyfive "Where is Spring?"

Day 188 threesixtyfive "Where is Spring?", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Day 188 threesixtyfive "Where is Spring?"
Ok, we're in the second week of March now. I know I can't expect daffodils yet, but please, I'm done with snow. Let the temperature creep up just a little. Let the sun shine a little more. Show me the face of an early crocus or an early robin. Spring, where are you?

Day 187 threesixtyfive "Toy Box Anarchy"

Day 187 threesixtyfive "Toy Box Anarchy"
Originally uploaded by saralonde

This got a lot of attention on flickr. I don't think it's a technically good shot, but it is an amusing one!