Day 227

I'm pretty sure I love everything nautical. Maybe I could live on a sailboat, because I love all the details!

Day 227

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160, 230 mm

Day 226

The storm had ended the great sailboat race early. They tethered the boats together, and rescued the sailors. I love the sky behind rapidly swirling, the rain in the far background, and the CHICAGO lettering so bright. 

The heavy rain and crazy winds started seconds after taking this image.

 Day 226

ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/160, 180 mm

Day 225

The Tall Ships Chicago 2011 event was here this weekend. I'm pretty sure every year we've tried to go, my husband is working, and it never works out. I'm infatuated with ships! The lines, the colors, flags and cool details.. just everything! I'm also thankful the skies cooperated. They couldn't have been more perfect.

...until they turned almost black, and the heavens opened up and poured! If that wasn't fun enough? We got hail out at Navy Pier today! I have photos to prove it. 

I took so many photos today. I really should have waited until today to make up for the nine days I was out! I will probably be posting several more of these over the next few days.

Day 225

ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/4000, 18 mm

Day 211

Every day is a beautiful planting day!  Scavenging around for photos, I remembered the seed packets and trowel I was using, grabbed my favorite well worn gloves, and snapped away. 

This is one of my favorite things to do.. anything outdoor, anything planting, anything green!

Day 211

ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/640, 50 mm

Day 205

Wisconsin Dells! The Ducks are very cool. At least I think they are. I've never been on them, but saw them day after day at the tournament. The same old joke at the same old point. I still want to go! They drive on land and in the water. Too cool!

Day 205

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/400, 75 mm

Day 197

More flowers! This is the Rose of Sharon bush/tree that I took a photo of them gone to seed with snowflakes on them. This is them in July/August. Aren't they beautiful? 

I know, more flowers.. I had to. Plus is anyone else feeling a little uninspired? Maybe it's just me. I really need a vacation! Somewhere different. This city living is getting the best of my photo creativity. Downtown is one thing, but living next door to house after house after house.. you get what I mean.

Day 197

ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/3200, 50 mm

Day 190

What a great day today was!! My husband took us to a White Sox game. Those are always so much fun. Bought some box tickets behind the dugout, so we were out of the sun since it was 86-90 degrees today! He gave the kids some money to spend, and their eyes were darting back and forth from the cotton candy man to the Italian ice scoopers. 

Little one (middle tan glove to the very right of the player closest to the dugout) tried desperately to be thrown a ball from the players as they came back to the dugout, but never quite got in that perfect place. It's okay, someday she'll catch one, or be a lucky recipient! 

Our White Sox played the Twins, they were at a 8 or 9 game loss with them, and today... OH YEAH! We won! It didn't come easily as catcher Ramon Castro fractured his hand as pitcher Mark Buehrle (pronounced burly) threw a fastball and it hit his unprotected hand.

This photo shows the excitement of "what if" as players (left to right) Beckham, Konerko, and Buehrle come running in. Konerko was the one that threw the ball each time to the crowd. He and Buehrle are a big deal in our family as my hubby caught one of his home run balls a couple years ago and got it signed, and Buehrle caught the ball on the day hubby actually got to throw out the first pitch at the game! Yeah, we have a story for everything it seems.. 

Day 190

ISO 200, f/4.5, 1/320, 75 mm

Day 183

This pretty much sums up our weekend. We had lots of fun with our cousins wave running and tubing out at the lake. Did you all have a good weekend? Happy 4th to all of you! 

Oh, guess what? My friend is now starting a 365. Check out her work!  Rose's 365 please stop by and send some comments her way. She'll love it!

Day 183

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/640, 60 mm

Day 176

My green peppers are growing! I've always wanted a garden. I remember my mom working long hours on our huge garden while I was little. I know, a lot of work, but rewarding, right? Living in the city, I am not really going to trust the soil already present, so I am working in some containers. I'm starting off slowly, til I get the hang of it, then see how I can progress from year to year.

Day 176

ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/40, 50 mm

Day 169

I love these orange roses on the other street. I have stopped a couple times to take photos, but the sun has always been too bright. I added a texture and just had fun with it. I kinda like how it turned out!

 Day 169

 ISO 200, f/2.2, 1/4000, 50 mm

(added texture)

Day 162

All in a day's play. The kids were out with the neighbors today. The chalk came out, and the end result.. the sidewalk looks beautiful. Gotta have this one in my collection, too! This was our neighbor's work. Cute, huh? 

Day 162

Settings:

ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/500, 50 mm

(evening)

Day 155

There's crickets and tadpoles
Turtles and frogs

Down by the creek bank
By the old holler log

There's spiders and fireflies
Earthworms that crawl

Down by the creek bank
By the old holler log 

 

- excerpt from "Down by the Creek Bank" 

by Dottie Rambo

 

I just can't keep singing this little song when I see this little pond. It's a fun little song I learned when I was little. We were at the baseball tournament today by that old pond with so much life! Got some awesome photos. I wish I lived there!

Day 155

Settings:

ISO 200, f/5.6, ss 1/1000, 250 mm

 

 

Day 148

The time had come! I was FINALLY at a MeRa Koh workshop! 

I'm back! I had THE best weekend! I was mentored by the one and only, MeRa Koh and her husband, Brian at an all weekend workshop here in Chicago. I've been waiting for her to come here, and she finally did! Let me just recommend this weekend highly! I think if you want to be a photographer in any way, shape, or form, go to her workshop! It will liberate, challenge, inspire, excite and educate you! Most of all, I feel like I was given permission to go out there, and get my business going!  

Day one, the workshop featured baby models. A family came, and I couldn't get past the dad and his son's shoes. I am more determined to look at details that ever before, and I also can attribute that to our 365 challenge! This was a step one for me, and I am so happy that I just dove in and kept it up!

Day 148

Settings: SOOC

ISO 400, f/1.4, ss 1/30, 85 mm 

(yes, I said, EIGHTY FIVE mm! Finally something different. I got to use MeRa's!)

Day 141

Little Provider

I watch these little birds all season long building, rebuilding... so busy with their nests. They never seem to stop. Don't you feel like that sometimes? Racing around to get things done all day long. I saw this little one outside my window, didn't even take time to figure out my settings, or opening a window was certainly out of the question because it would fly away. It was cute trying to peer over the big "find" that was taking over it's vision, and figuring out the best and easiest route back to safety. 

Day 141

Settings: 200, f/5.6, ss 1/500, 300 mm

Day 134

We won! Today's game was so much better, although the rain was a continuous mist like someone was spraying you with a spray bottle the entire time. So subtle, yet you get up and are drenched.

I took a ton of photos today, too. I hope my camera turns out okay as I didn't notice how wet everything was getting. Finally, I put it away, and my kid made some amazing plays. Did I capture those? Hm.. sadly, no. I did catch him running in to home. At least I got some.  I do love the action shots. I love all the reactions on the faces, it's fun looking back at the photos as everything happens so fast, you still can capture a moment!

Day 134

Settings: 

ISO 200, f/4.5, ss 1/500, 75 mm

Day 127

Another double, double header day! Oldest one direction, and the middle one another. It's okay! We had a great day.. 

My chairs were all in my husband's car from us leaving a game early the other night due to one needing to finish homework. Therefore, I sat on the ground, as I hate the cold metal bleachers. This was pretty much my view the whole game, so I snapped a couple. 

For the record, the girls won both their games, and the guys tied one (ok because it was a tournament and qualifying or something?) the next one they lost by 1. Bad calls! Poor them. :(

Day 127

Settings:

ISO 200, f/4.5, ss 1/200, 75 mm

Day 120

It is so interesting to me as I now look deeper into the detail of everything. Last spring I couldn't have told you what the hostas looked like when they first came out of the ground. I may have replied that they look like little sticks as I hurriedly run by. This year, I've found that they really resemble a raging fire, and that they are absolutely beautiful if you stop to look. 

Today I knelt down in my flower bed in front of the house, and took a picture of the peonies coming out of the ground. I saw them a while back, but didn't realize how quickly they've formed their leaves and round buds for the gorgeous flowers that will be coming soon. Taking a photo, I still didn't see the little ants diligently working on their part in this whole symbiotic system that helps the buds to open. They were that small! 

I think I can honestly say, photography has helped me look at the the details in not only our new spring growth, but it changes your mind. It changes how you look at everything. I am thankful to look at the world, God's amazing creation, with a little more detailed mindset and more appreciate the things I would have just flippantly passed by!

Day 120

Settings:

ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/400, 50 mm

Day 113

Today I was walking around the backyard, and I couldn't find the bunnies! Finally off in a corner against the brick was a brave one, I caught his little eye peeking out. It was almost like those crafty books with the geometric shapes where you have to adjust your eyes to see the 3D figure..you know what I'm talking about? Anyway, once I knew what my eyes should focus on, I found 3 more hiding! 

I fell in love with this photo. I had another one from today, and even though I've posted bunnies, I had to post one of his peeking out from the grass. 

Day 113

Settings:

ISO 200, f/1.8, ss 1/800, 50 mm

Day 106

Okay, after looking back at some of my photos, I thought.. a little more color, girl! Stepping right outside my house are hostas. They are coming in strong, but I never really looked at how pretty they are up close. It looks like a raging fire, only with green and purple flames. 

So there. Spring photos, more color. I made myself happy.

Day 106

Settings:

ISO 400, f/2, ss 1/1250, 50 mm

Day 99

A worms eye view of the backyard! A little rock, dirt, grass root, and view of the playset...looks very far off indeed. I feel sorry for the little guys!

Hey, guess what? We broke 70 degrees again today! This must mean something.. tomorrow even warmer. Does this mean I don't need my sweatshirt anymore? 

Tomorrow is 100 day! I'm trying to think of what my celebration might be...

Day 99

Settings: 100, f/2, ss 1/1250, 50 mm