Misc. Shots of 2009

Theme Thursday - Home

With winter already at our front steps (we woke up to an inch of snow on the ground), I have been practicing my photography indoors. Thank goodness for windows! That's all I have to say. Although it is still a tricky recipe for me, trying to figure out the shutter and aperture, I am starting to get more comfortable with my manual skills.

This is Ella and I at home. My content little girl....quiet (very rare)...watching some toons....and allowing me to photograph her beautiful little face.







For more Theme Thursday shots, head over to The Land of K.A.

A Little More of That Face I Love

These are a few of the other pictures I got from the same shot I used for yesterdays BSM post. I woke Ella up from her nap (a very rare occasion) because it was getting late and she was sort of out of it (lucky me because she was an easy going subject)....So I had her sit on the couch and watch some cartoons while she woke up. It was a beautiful sunny day out and the light was shining into our living room wonderfully.


She then told me I could take more pictures of her as long as I took a picture of her teddy bear (one of the many she chooses to soothe herself with). Her blankie with a tag is a must have, but she moves from one teddy or baby to the next depending on her mood.




This last one is one of my favorites of Ella. I had a hard time choosing between this one and the one I actually used for BSM this week. I ultimately choose the one I did because I thought it was just a great simple shot of her....Something I dont really think I have already. But with this one, this is her shy sweet little face. When she makes this face, I know it is pure innocence. There's no hidden agenda behind that smile except to say, "Arent I cute, Mommy".

Yes My Little Love, you certainly are.

My Hand At Sunflare

After seeing Stacy's tutorial on sunflares, I thought I would give it a try. I love the tutorials everyone does because it gives me confidence to go out and try it myself. Step by steps make it sound so easy!

It had been raining here for a few days and there was no sun....until this morning. Ella told me to come look at the sunrise and it was so beautiful. We live down a hill from a school and every morning when the sun comes up, it comes from the school and drapes down our road into our yard. With the shadows from the trees, it is very dramatic and a wonderful sight to wake up to.





Coincidentally, this weeks Theme Thursday at Stacy's is sunshine. Head on over to see some more great shots!

Little Perspective Friday

I am beginning to look forward to "Little Perspective Friday's". Ella is enjoying taking pictures (even if it is a just a phase in her ever evolving childhood) and it is so cool when after a few days, I load the pictures on the computer and get to look at them. It just makes me smile. I cant get her to focus properly, but its her perspective that matters.

Ella and I went with my Mom to the Minneapolis Institute of Art the other day. They were having an exhibit on Presidential items called "Hail to the Chief". My Mom is a wicked history buff. I knew I would have to keep Ella occupied and quiet, so I brought my p&s camera for her to play with. Everyone who walked through thought she looked so cute holding the camera and taking pictures.

This painting of George Washington was beautiful. It of course was larger than life but the colors were so rich and beautiful.


Once we got to this point, which isn't very hard because it was just a one room exhibit, one of the security guards came over and told me that the huge flag of the presidential seal was not to be photographed because it belonged to an outside collection. It made me wonder how they can control that if they allow cameras inside the museum? In any case, she had already taken pictures of it so we said ok and moved on to something else.


Its great. I have a whole little library of Ella's pictures now for weeks to come!

Texture on the Mind

Alright ladies....Give it to me and give it to me good! Its the only way I am going to learn. These are the few textures I have played with in the last couple of days. I want criticism...good and bad...what looks right....what looks wrong....?



My mom got these little ivory figures through family members that got them during the war. They are way cool and very intricate. The original pictures I took here and here are fine, but since they are so old, I thought they would be good to try textures on.




So let me have it. No really, I can take it. Let it all out.

I will be out of town starting tomorrow and back on Monday. I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. See ya on Monday!