January 17,2009

Mike and I have developed a very fun tradition over the years. We go to the store together during the month before Valentines and we read the cards to each other. That way we get to share all the silly,mushy, and trashy sentiments without buying all the cards.

It's always fun. You should try it. Then, on the way out we bought a bag of pink, red, and white M&M's.

My blonde friend got a job at the M&M factory, and she was so excited because she was going to be a proofreader. She got fired after one week though, because she kept throwing out all the W's.

Have a nice day and tell someone else a favorite silly joke.

January 16, 2009

Reflecting on Life Changes -- and They're All My Kids Now

Exactly ten years and ten days ago we packed up all five of our boys, two cats, and a bazillion uncertainties and moved to Houston and into a rental house that I had never even seen.

We had no idea what kind of life was in store for us here, but we hoped for the best.

Our kids are about grown now and hardly need us anymore. We've had good times and not so good times . . . but I never would have dreamed that in ten VERY SHORT YEARS I'd spend Friday nights watching and photographing other people's kids playing high school sports. How cool is THAT??!?!?!

As far as I'm concerned, they're all my kids. Thought I'd share these two with you today. I just LOVE the intensity in their eyes and faces.

Wonder where they'll be in another ten years and ten days. I hope they follow their dreams into very big things.

January 15, 2009

Fruit Salad Tonight?

Here's wishing I lived closer to Matt so I could put this alongside his Mac and Cheese recovery dinner.

I played a little more with my orange juice picture concept today, and although I came up with some ideas that I need to pursue further, I still never got any images that truly blew me away.

Why is it that I just want so badly to impress myself?

Anyway . . . I gave up on the juicy pics and got out the grapes. The bananas escaped for the time being. Now I owe my family one decently prepared meal at an equally decent hour for a change . . . so I'm done shooting for now. This is straight out of camera, but at least I have a daily!

"For the rest of my life I'm going to trust that God is always at work in all things, and give Him thanks long before my simplest prayers are answered." --Nancy Parker Brummett

January 14, 2009

New lesson. It takes a whole lot of oranges to get a little glass of juice.

They had 15 lb bags of oranges on sale for $5.99 the other day, so I bought them.

A note of thanks to everyone who was concerned about me being "out of commission." Nothing to worry about, and I apologize for any cause for alarm. I simply thought "out of commission" sounded better than "I couldn't get my act together."

"Early morning cheerfulness can be extremely obnoxious."
William Feather -- 1908 - 1976

January 13, 2009

Up or Down

"The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark."
Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Rosebud, 1993

January 12, 2009

And Puppy Makes Three

I've been out of commission so haven't posted in the last week. Today I'm processing a recent engagement session. I hope they'll like this one. I know I do.

"All I can say about life is, 'Oh God, enjoy it." -- Bob Newhart

January 6, 2000

Brooklyn Sunset

I liked the Christmas decorations and the city in the BG -- even the red stoplight . . .

Now that I've been there, I think I'll have to go back and re-read one of my favorite books from childhood, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." I read it again a few years ago and found it just as delightful as I did in fourth grade. It's a lovely story about a little girl growing up with her family in a Brooklyn Tenement around the turn of the century and was a number one best seller among our troops during WWII.

The city has changed, but its history is still intact.

And finally . . . here is my New York gallery -- Just a chronological memory of a fantastic trip.http://spccreative.smugmug.com/gallery/6979887_CZGD5#446719136_5SRCY

January 5, 2009

Art? Really?

Thank goodness the signage crew was working to ensure that we would recognize the works of New York's more obscure artists. I'm afraid I would have missed this masterpiece altogether.

January 3, 2008

New York's Favorite Color Must Be Yellow

A photographer can always count on the yellow taxicabs in NYC to add a punch of color to an otherwise gray cloudy scene.

Since this was our first trip to the city, we took advantage of the double-decker sightseeing buses. It was a hop-on -- hop-off tour, so we would take it into a new area, learn a little trivia along the way, and then get off to explore.

More often than not, the bus seat was very limiting from a photography perspective, but then there were a few jewels we'd have never spotted from the ground.

January 2, 2009
Foggy New York Night Sky

Two versions today of the same photo. This one is color corrected using curves. In the original version, the lights gave the image a golden tone and a warmer feel.

I can't decide which one I like best. Perhaps it will just depend upon my intended application. What's your thought? What feelings do the different tones convey to you?

Here's the link to the original.


http://spccreative.smugmug.com/gallery/6974854_W6tQH#447151943_C3qia