Assignment - Just 1 Picture

This week at 52 Photos Project our 'share' is to find one picture we had taken in the past year that we really loved and give the back story and an explanation of why we chose it. This was not easy for me!! 2011 has been my bucket list year!!

After quitting work, I returned for a fourth time to Arizona, this time in September rather than May and with a newer and better camera. May partner and I unwittingly gave each other new cameras for Christmas last year after discovering that my photos from Antelope Canyon AZ could not be enlarged to the size he wanted for hanging in our living room, because my old camera was only 3.2 mpx. I got him a Canon power shot, he got me a Nikon 3100 DSLR with several lenses and my first camera class! I was thrilled to find that the filters from my 30 year old Nikon still worked on my new camera!

During our stay, we returned to the slot canyons and Antelope Canyon...but we also kayaked Lake Powell, rafted the Colorado in the Grand Canyon, photographed the sunrise over Sedona from a hot air balloon and the sunset from the top of a mesa. We hiked Canyon De Chelly and stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon at Horseshoe Bend. We watched the sun rise over Monument Valley and went paddle boating on Canyon Lake.

Earlier in the year I visited the favourite campground of my childhood and released my brother's spirit to the wind in the waters and sand dunes he loved so very much growing up...

Throughout the year I carried my camera with me, taking photos of anything and everything as practice and in preparation for these two special journeys.

We also got engaged...

My camera is a constant reminder to me to live in the moment and to take the time to stop and enjoy all the beauty in the world around me.
Taking pictures has enlightened me to all I have to be grateful for in the world...

Needless to say I have thousands of photos to choose from!!

So,  I thought to post a few, close my eyes and point to choose the one to share as my 

"Just 1 Picture" 2011 

BREAKING NEWS!:

Having written all that and slept on it for a night I realized I know exactly which picture it is...

The man of my dreams on top of the world at sunset over the Grand Canyon 

(Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon AZ)

"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale"

Assignment - Find a heart

As soon as I saw this prompt I knew exactly what photo I wanted to use! 


Taken two months ago during a trip to Arizona, this "heart" was pointed out by our Native American guide, Roger, in the Antelope Canyon slot canyon.  


It can only be seen looking straight up and when the sunlight is at the right angle coming through the slot openings...

Assignment - Let someone else take the pictures

This is an interesting assignment! Very cool!


I gave the camera to my partner Randy last weekend and he chose to take the camera for our visit with his family to celebrate three birthdays all happening during the week. (His Mom and two sisters-in-law) 


I was glad because I do not feel that I take good photos of people ... He was fortunate because there were a few kids around and they always make good subjects! One, our little niece Lindsey, though only a year and a half, is a ham for the camera! See for yourself....

                          

Assignment - Giving Thanks

This weekend is Thanksgiving in the U.S. so the 52 Photos Project prompt is "Giving Thanks" and the suggestion was to capture a moment of preparation or from your gathering and relays what you are thankful for.  
Those of us living outside the US were invited to choose from the 3 prompts and apply them as we wish *or* to share a photo of our choice. Being Canadian I have already celebrated Thanksgiving this year so I decided to share a photo of my choice.


In some ways this was a tough for me...being such an indecisive person and being so grateful for everything in my life ... sunrises, sunsets, the moon, beauty in nature, my home and garden, my kids, my friends, my travels and adventures ... and the wonderful man in my life, who makes the enjoyment of many of the above possible and who so willingly shares in them with me and without complaint!


So this week I have chosen to honour the man who taught me how to love again and live again, my partner and best friend, with a public display of gratitude for his presence in my life. 

Assignment - Photowalking

 This project's prompt was to take a walk with the intent to take note of what was out there in our world and to take some time to enjoy...and photograph it and, if desired, to share those photos and allow Bella to "see what your world looks like, right now." She had some amazingly beautiful fall shots on her page... 


but our fall appeared to be over as I was looking out at our first snow. I am not a big fan of the cold so I walked around my yard *lol* 

It is true that through going out with intention I noticed my surroundings, or certain aspects of my surroundings that I might not have otherwise ... like birds hiding it little nooks of my hedges, lacy patterns in snow on grass and some strange orb that a squirrel (I presume) has left high up in the small branches of one of the lilac trees.

It wasn't until I had exhausted all 'spots of interest' that I realized how cold I was in my sweater! 


Wasn't sure how to present this walk in a photo and since I am also trying to learn how to use Photoshop, I made a collage as a final product:


The entire 'walk' with full photos can be seen on my photostream here

Assignment - Put your work on display

The assignment was to acknowledge your talent and work by putting some of your favourite photos on display. The task was go though your photos and choose 4 or 5 and display them.


This one was easy for me because I already do so...it is inexpensive decor! *lol*


These are the photos I posted:
(The full set with explanation is at my photostream)

     

Assignment - Do You Duo Tone?

I got carried away with this past assignment called "Do You Duo Tone?" 
I have fallen head over heels in love with Picnik but I am going to have to learn to control myself *lol* 


Here are the first three, with which I had a load of fun, but still looking for the right photo - or maybe the right colours for one of these... 

                                                  

A few more!
Alium...

Day Lily and Water Lily and Sedum Leaves after a rain..

 

Assignment - Lens Baby final attempt (for now...)

Today I went out and actually thought to take my camera with me this time ...
I got a photo that I thought would be good for the Lens Baby prompt!

It has been quite windy this week so I especially liked the way it looks like the other leaves are blowing around the central one! 
So this will be my submission for the Lens Baby prompt and tomorrow I will move on to the next one.


Have I mentioned how much I am loving this???

Assignment - Something Borrowed (jumping ahead)

This week's prompt, at the awesome new site I have discovered, is to share a photo of something borrowed. I am still working on 'lens baby' but am trying to keep up with the current prompts while catching up on previous ones...

It was easy for me to decide what to photograph for this theme! It has been the workplace joke everywhere I have worked in my non-too-short life. If someone couldn't find their pen the standard response was, "check with Janet".  I have always been a workplace 'traveller' and whenever I borrowed a pen to sign something or to make a note to myself, I inevitably walked off with it.  Once, when moving to a new job, my co-workers took up a collection of pens to give me as a gift so I wouldn't get a bad rep in the new place!!
I recently retired and as I started emptying the boxes and bags from my desk and cabinets I found more and more pens!  I should point out that only one of those pens actually "belonged" to me... Truth be known, this is just the few I put in my desk...


with great guilt I am posting a photo of the rest...

Assignment - Lens Baby - faking it ...

Chose my first assignment from 52 Photos Project! It involves using some online software to enhance photos!  I am very excited about learning from the amazing host, Bella!


My task today will be to chose a photo - probably one of my flower pictures - and spend some quality time in picnik with it...results to follow!


First attempt: too little?

Second Attempt: too much?

Lessons Learned:

1. picnik is lots of fun and I could get lost for hours on that site!
2. I want a lens baby for Christmas!!
3. I definitely need to organize my photos....as well as take some new ones
4. A lot of my photos already look like this by accident! *lol*

The Over Protected Camera

I have a nicely padded, sectioned and highly organized camera bag. It is where my camera lives... The camera bag lives in a large cupboard with my camera carefully tucked inside it. The result being that my camera is virtually forgotten and never readily available unless I am on vacation or "plan" to use it.


I, however, am a nicely padded and highly disorganized person...I am spontaneous and very spur of the moment and so is (what I consider to be) my best photography. 


My self imposed assignment for today is to throw caution to the wind and find a new home for my camera that is accessible and a reminder to do one of the assignments on the 52 Photos Project. I recognize it might take a few days to find the right home but I am committed to doing so!!


The other task for my "heART" time today is to design a permanent template for this blog, since the existing one doesn't seem to retain some of the changes I made to the HTML...


Let's see how far I get on today's assignments!


Assignment# 1:

✔ 

Camera removed from cushy bag and placed in visible, accessible place
Lesson Learned: camera sitting in visible, accessible place at home is rather useless when you are out...and witnessing the most incredible rainbow reflected by the sun, dancing on delightfully wispy clouds!! Fail! 


Assignment# 2: 

✔ 

I am becoming happier with how the page looks now but it still needs a bit of tweeking...
Lesson Learned: the old HTML skills are not as rusty as I had thought!! YAY!

The View From Here

I 'created' this blog a very long time ago. So long ago I didn't even remember I had done so until I tried to create it today - again!


It occurs to me that I have several blank blogs out there in cyberspace, including a travel blog someplace where I actually wrote something with the intention of blogging and posting photos while traveling...and then didn't


I also occurs to me that I have:
lots of photos ...  
lots of ideas ...
lots to say ...
and I love to write!


....so what's the hold up?


Like anything else in life I need to make this a priority, make time to post, to be creative enough to be interesting to others....uh oh...inner conversation:
little voice #1: who'd want to read what you write
little voice #2: probably nobody
lv#1: so you would actually be wasting your time writing one...
lv#2: maybe...or, or maybe I would be writing for me. I did that once - I kept a journal on a webpage in the days before blogs existed but I never shared the URL - it was called "The View From Here" a title whose source is worthy of a blog post of its own


That's it! This is for me! Me! ME!
Others can read it, think and say what they like but I am doing this FOR ME!


My creative outlet
My sanctuary
My happy place
My View From Here


I have been inspired by a wonderful site called 52 Photos Project 
It has motivated me to try to develop better photography skills and the habit of blogging at least once a week.


Wish me luck!!