Day 90, Project 365

Does this picture count if technically I didn't take it but I selected all the settings and composed it??  I know I need more pictures that include me; I am so, so bad at getting in front of the camera.  I MUCH prefer being behind the lens NOT in front of it.  But I am my own worst critic so I have every excuse in the book why I shouldn't be in the picture:  I look too old, I weigh too much, hair's a mess, wrong clothes and so on and so on.  I suppose it's the fear of not being good enough (for whom??) or being judged (again, by whom??).  It's irrational I'm sure, but it's absolutely real to me.  So, trying to resolve to not let those things get to me and just enjoy the moment.

Day 89, Project 365

Finally, I think we're back to spring weather!  I love having my husband on walks with me but tonight, twice when I stopped for a picture he scared wildlife.  I'm laughing at this all right now - he was like such a typical boy.  I was trying to take pictures of mallards on a still pond and the threw a stick into the water, rippling the water and scaring the ducks.  Then I spied a woodpecker on a low branch and quietly stopped and he just keeps plowing by and scared the little thing.  ;)  Oh well....this is what I ended up choosing for today instead:

Day 88, Project 365

I tried to sneak up on both cats snuggling together but Kitty must be ashamed and ran away.  ;) Instead I was left with Nala cleaning herself.

Day 87, Project 365

Track and Field season has begun and our baby girl was asked to participate in the long jump as only one of two athletes for this varsity event for her school!  Long jump is a new event for her and I love that she's open to trying new things and that coaches see that in her as well.  It was fun to watch her compete.
I continue to realize that I've got to watch some tutorials or do some reading on focusing on motion.  I am certain I had my focus locked on her yet it still seemed to be off.  Practice makes perfect?

Day 86, Project 365

Tried to capture movement with the dog today, practicing panning.  Yeah...not so much. I've got to start working on my focus when there's movement; I somehow lose it as I go.  Anyway, instead, here's a sweet picture of the youngest with the dog.

Day 85, Project 365

As the last of my uncle Denny's house was packed up and cleaned out and my uncle Greg was moving a stack of flattened boxes he heard something hit the floor.  He stopped to look and found a brass nameplate.  It's like a penny from heaven - truly.  I am convinced my mom, or uncle Denny or my grandma made sure this nameplate fell out and wasn't thrown away.  I can't place where it came from, what it belonged to/on but it feels familiar...but honest to God, as I typed this I think I just remembered:  I think it used to be on baby shoes of mine.  I think the openings on each end were for shoelaces and that there was a set on shoes of mine.  Yesterday I kept envisioning shoe laces with this nameplate but couldn't come up with anything else.  The whole thing gives me chills, it truly does. Out of all of the stuff that was gone through and moved and packed and down to literally the last moments in Denny's house and this essentially comes out of nowhere.  I've got some pretty special people up in heaven watching over me.  :)

Here's the nameplate:

And here are two very special people in my life, my uncle Greg and my great aunt Darlene:

Day 84, Project 365

Okay, seriously - how cool is this?  A wine named after me??  :)  My hubby found this, completely on accident, today.  This HAD to be my picture today.  Of course, I had already taken a couple so I'll still share those, too.

Day 83, Project 365

I was late to work because I stopped for this picture.  :)  It's really nothing special but there's no way a camera could do any justice to how absolutely stunning the sun was this morning.  My location certainly didn't help, but it is what it is.

Day 82, Project 365

Sigh.....winter's still hanging on.  I can't bring myself to say it was pretty, so I'll just say 'interesting'.  ;)

Day 81, Project 365

A couple weeks off from volleyball but back at it today.  I used my new lens - and holy cow does it make a difference.  I did find I need to be really careful with my focus and that I REALLY need to work on focusing in action shots.  We have family in town and were fortunate enough to have my uncle and aunt stop and watch a couple matches today.

Day 80, Project 365

Visited the old stomping grounds today and stopped into Morelli's; best wine prices in town!

Day 79, Project 365

Happy place!  :)

Day 78, Project 365

A lot of nature photos...my preference would be kids and their beautiful eyes but with cooler weather and no little kids in my home anymore, nature it'll have to be.  Just wait until I get my hands on the nieces/nephews/godchildren in warmer weather.  :)

I couldn't decide today...so two pics included.

Saw a couple of Mallards on our walk today (on a thawed pond, no less)- a sure sign of spring!

And I liked the path with the ornamental grass; it looked inviting, like I should follow it somewhere.

Day 77, Project 365

So excited, so excited, SO EXCITED!  I got my first big girl lens today!!  Yay!!  I purchased a prime 50mm f/1.8 and.I.love.it!! I was so geeked up when the box was sitting waiting for me and when I started snapping with it.  In love!  What a tremendous difference it makes over my kit lenses.

I have a few pictures included today:
First is Kitty.  This was taken last night but how cute is she hanging out at the table like she's going to have a meal?

Second is the beautiful sky this morning - and I caught it a minute or two after it peaked.

Third is testing my new lens!  :)

Lastly, my handsome hubby who is usually so patient with me when I'm 'testing' whether it's using him or just waiting.  (And with my new lens!) :)

Day 76, Project 365

A not so purposeful panning pic today.  It just kind of happened as such.  :)

Day 75, Project 365

I liked the window light on the back of the youngest as she sat and did homework after school today. Compositionally (there's a theme running with that, isn't there?) not the greatest but I kind of like the 'story' nonetheless.

Day 74, Project 365

I kind of find it funny (not haha, more like odd) writing here...I feel like when I write I am writing for it to be read and then I wonder, is it really?  Regardless, it's a place to hold myself accountable to this project - on the off chance someone is actually reading!  :)  I should view it more like a journal, that I've left out on the nightstand and could be read but won't necessarily be read.  That was my 'lightbulb' today....   :)

Anyway, pic today is of the college girl we have who is home on spring break.  Life is rough for a nearly 21-year-old.

Day 73, Project 365

Fozzie sunning himself, drying off from his bath.  And proof that dogs and cats can get along.  :)

Day 72, Project 365

Another walk today meant it was another beautiful "sprinter" day.  I loved trying to capture the sun today and even attempted a backlighting pic - bumped up the exposure and think it was pretty successful (although to be honest, I didn't try it without bumping up the exposure and the sun was pretty low so I'm not sure I actually conquered this today...)  I couldn't choose just one today so I guess four it is!

Day 71, Project 365

Today was another beautiful winter/spring day and perfect for a walk.  We saw four deer hanging out in the woods and I'll let you play 'I Spy' for two for two of them.  The other was taken on the way out of the park; something about the lights struck me.

Day 70, Project 365

On my walk today I kept being drawn to the water, or in most instances the thawing ice.  However, nothing I snapped today really quite captured what I was seeing with my eye.  I suppose that's something to work on; composition and being able to draw someone into the photograph.  This isn't anything special today but it was the best of five (yikes!).

Day 69, Project 365

Ha!  My husband and I were on a walk and I stopped to take this picture.  After he graciously, without being asked, stepped out of the picture (I love how he just knows!) he said "You're really going to shoot right at the sun?"  Why, yes Bob, yes I am!  And then I proceeded to show him the starbursts on the sun and I just kind of got a look like 'okay, perhaps you know what you're doing'.  :)

Day 68, Project 365

First 'spring' walk through the nature center!  I'm always on the lookout for wildlife but only heard them today, no sightings.  Loved the flow of water from melting snow down a hill on this 56 degree day and so it becomes the picture for day 68.

Day 67, Project 365

So very much loving what's an early arrival of Spring and really hoping it's here to stay!  I've been waiting to see my first Robin and so today I was really keeping an eye on the backyard.  The only wildlife I came across was this bold squirrel who was sitting on our steps today.  Of course when I grabbed my camera he scurried off into the tree,  Also, today, I had the bedroom window open letting in some fresh air and I caught Nala hanging out in the windowsill sunning herself.  Lastly, there's my go-to Fozzie: nothing really special about the photo other than it shows the snow receding and that at 7:00 at night it's still light outside!  :)

Day 66, Project 365

Three kids, four basketball games = full day!  Got to watch two of my nephews and my Goddaughter all play today and I didn't even have to travel far!

Day 65, Project 365

I feel like this was written for me, the Queen of Comparison:  Overcoming Comparison .  I know what my dream is, but often I'm too scared to follow it. Usually it's because I see another photographer's images and think there's no way in h-e-double hockey sticks I could ever compose an image like that, get that ideal light, capture that 'perfect' look and so on and so forth.  This article is yet another that hit home for me as my greatest moments of self-doubt always come at the heels of perusing social media and seeing phenomenal image after phenomenal image.  Somehow I need to overcome that, truly appreciate the art, applaud and praise these creative people and most of all learn from them.

Today's picture is just proof that I'm done with winter:  Ballet flats and no socks!  I think 36 degrees is cause for that kind of celebration.  :)

Day 64, Project 365

I had to laugh at myself today.  Driving to work the moon was setting and it was massive with a beautiful orange glow.  I was hoping I could get to a spot to stop and take a photo but by the time I did it had dropped below the horizon.  I then stopped at Caribou Coffee and while I waiting in line I noticed the sign and the blue color of it against the sky so I snapped a picture.  Then, as I was driving to work the sun was rising and it was such a beautiful sight; truly like a fireball in the sky.  Since I was on the freeway, it wasn’t really feasible to snap a picture so in my mind’s eye is where today’s moon and sun reside.  As my husband and I drove to lunch I happened to notice four old boats, with the bows all pointed together on some kind of lift in a park and all I could think is with the right composition, that’d make a really cool picture.  I kind of mulled it over at lunch, what would be the best way to capture that.  In fact, I’m still thinking about it and am sooo tempted to head there on lunch tomorrow and try.  J  What’s got me laughing at myself is this seemingly constant analyzing of things I see every day and how I could photograph them.  I’m chalking this up to a lesson learned through Project 365: Since I started the project I’m much more aware of things to photograph to have my picture for the day and carrying my camera with me has proven to be far more beneficial than I would have ever expected.  I’m certain that was one of the goals/benefits of this project; to just be able to think and be aware of subjects and light and composition. 

Pic probably would've been a little better not shot through the car window...  ;)  

Day 63, Project 365

Hoping soon there'll be no more icicles...but I thought this one was kind of cool.  No the sharpest image, taken through the window and screen but you get the idea.  :)

Day 62, Project 365

BASEBALL SEASON!  Even the dog is excited!

Day 61, Project 365

This will probably be one of my last 'Watch 'em Grow' pics; sadly everything has bloomed and is now starting to die.  I decided to use it today to go to the opposite spectrum from last week and use a small aperture rather than a large one as I had been.

Day 60, Project 365

Holy cow!  Day 60!?  This has been quite the project; some days easier than I thought and others, much, much harder.
Today's picture returns to volleyball as that was how my day was spent and I'm not complaining - I love watching this girl play!  :)