Family Portraits on the fly

This weekend was my nephew's highschool graduation. Such a proud moment for us. Of course I had my camera and was planning to take pictures but the gym was pretty crowded and we all just wanted to get out of there. So these photos were taken without much planning or posing. We also did some short and fun sessions at Stacy's house on Sunday ... 

     

This was the nice one for Mom -- love that smile :D 

with the proud parents 

with his girlfriend Jasmine 

with G-ma

with Aunt Stacy 

with Uncle Robert

You'll notice that a lot of the poses/ composition is the same, but as I said it was a crowded place and we had to do them quickly-- and with him being so much taller that everyone it was challenging but I'm pretty pleased with how they came out. 

I always love to play and practice with my camera. My sister got a new kitten and he's cute as a button. His name is Pretzel. I also used him as a practice subject and the twins wanted pictures so..

sitting in the window -- so cute and you can see how tiny he is -- 8 weeks old 

Pretzel loves sitting in this chair - it has Dora printed on it -- you can't really tell that -- I loved how well he stands out against the bright green and pinks

and this one is the most cute -- he was curled up sleeping on one of the kitche chairs and I could not resist taking the picture -- just makes you want to say AWWW 

And since I had the camera of course the kids wanted some pictures -- but they are at such a fun age how could I resist ...

The three amigos -- Alyssa, Alexandria and Curtis :D

Curtis looks so relaxed in the sun 

I loved how Curtis was just watching the girls be them silly selves 

and of course I had to get the girls alone :D I really love all the greens behind the swing set 

And Alyssa showing what a beautiful girl she is

We had to get some silly poses of course -- love that Lexi 

Alyssa wanted to be up on the side looking down -- "it will be funny and creepy Aunt Aim " 

And Lexi had had to show off her acrobatic skills .. 

And last but not least some more formal portraits -- taken in the evening as the light was fading and definitely on the fly -- saw the bench on Stacy's back deck and just used it.. 

Jasmine and the twins 

Jasmine and Lexi 

Jasmine and Alyssa 

Jasmine all by herself 

Jasmine and Ryan 

Jasmine and Ryan 

and Ryan all by himself. 

It was such a fun weekend and I love practicing with my camera. the quick sessions can be so much fun and just reaffirms for me how much I have learned over the past few years. 

Thanks as always for sharing my photos.

Where the light and my eyes lead me

Most of you who follow my blog and my photography know that I love to just walk around with my camera and take photos of whatever I am drawn to. A lot of those photos happen because there is really nice or interesting light or I find the subject matter interesting or both. The photos in this post are from my walks around campus on two days -- starting on  a Tuesday afternoon/ evening after work until  dusk, continuing on Wednesday morning and lunch time and then again in the evening.

 My journey starts walking out of the library and heading towards downtown ...

This photo is a tree on campus that I walk past all the time, but I never really noticed the shape of it until I decided to get up close to it. I loved the light in the leaves and the fact that it also silhouettes the trunk and branches -- and add to that the shape -- to me it looks like a lady standing there with her hands on her hips

This photo is one of the views from the middle of campus looking down town . I really love the way the branches and leaves meet over head and form an arch and the light was beautiful. It is all about perspective -- standing in the right spot to get the leaves to mesh like that but still its awesome

And I had to turn around and look the other way. This is the front of the library. Again I loved the light in the trees and I stood so that it was peeking through the leaves 

Next my journey took me towards Old Main (which is also in the center of campus but closer to downtown ) I loved the way the light was shining on the brass bell and though I walk by it all the time I hardly ever take a picture of it. I was inspired that day 

Old Main when the sun was high in the sky -- it was so bright that I did not know how this would turn out and I had to walk way down the hill to get this angle but I really love how it turned out -- like many of the photos I share this is straight out of the camera .  The light on the American Flag and the color of the sky was awesome and then I love how the bell tower is silhouetted. Any Penn Stater should recognize it :D 

One of the awesome elms on campus. I just loved how the light was falling through the leaves and making them glow. I also love the shadows of the ground 

And walking around through the middle of campus of course you see tons of squirrels -- and they are definitely spoiled. This one stood right up as I was walking by so I had to take its picture

The obelisk -- I passed it as I was walking back from Old Main to the pond by the Alumni Center (one of my favorite spots on campus). I make a lot of circles as I walk through campus and put lots of miles on my shoes. Its so beautiful I love to walk around.  I really liked how blue the sky was that day and how green the trees were. I moved around so that the shadow was pointing toward the trees

And this is one of the lilac bushes above a bench at the duck pond. I really liked the way the branch ran through the blossoms and the way the light was making the shadows -- and it smelled wonderful

So after I sat and enjoyed the lilacs for a while, I strolled around the pond. In the spring/ summer time when it is warmer there are always ducks around swimming or resting like these. I love finding the male ducks like this -- the water was so still and the sky was so blue that you can see the color reflected and the duck as well. Love getting photos like this 

And another reflection photo from across the pond. I love how the green is reflected in the water and you can see a little of the evening light on the right 

More life at the pond. I love the turtles and they love to bask in the light. This one was in one of the shallower spots on a rock and the light just highlighting its head was awesome

And one more view of the pond -- one of the many side paths . I love how the light hits the rocks and leaves the path in shadows

Some of the many beautiful plants around the pond. The light was so nice on this bunch that it makes them look so thin and delicate and so pretty. I couldn't pass up that shot. 

There is also a gazebo by the pond (sometimes I even sit there and just enjoy the beauty of the place) I liked how the gass in the front and the white flowering tree behind frames it and then the duck was walking in front 

This is the last photo from Tuesday. It was getting darker and there were lots of shadows. Then the birds were flying over head. I was lucky to catch it as it was close to the roof. 

And now to Wednesday morning. Leaving home and walking to work. During the summer this is usually lots of construction on campus so I left a little earlier than usual and took some different paths

Again this was all about the light, though this time it is morning light (around 7:30 am).  I love how the light makes the leaves glow and  how everything the grass and the tree are reflected in the glass. 

There is a lot more animal life around in the mornings -- the way these squirrels are matching reminded me of book ends -- so again I had to take the shot. 

For lunch I often go to the duck pond, I see the turtles swimming and basking in the sun, but had never seen one actually take a drink before -- so you know I had to get it. 

On Wednesday night after work, I had to walk out to the stadium. This is also one of my first pictures of the new statue. I really love how reflective it is. You can see the trees and the Catabus ... 

Very close to the stadium are some lovely rose bushes. I love how the light really made this one stand out. Saw it from across the street and new I had to get it. 

On my way back home from the stadium I decided to stop by the Arboretum -- this is the evening view looking out towards the mountains. I loved all the colors of the fields and the haze. 

The sun was starting to set and was coming through the tree. I loved the brightness and the dusky color of the sky. 

The sunset that night was really pinky and pretty. There are a couple of pools in the arboretum and I happened to be there at the time and angle to get the reflection. If the light would have lasted, I could have stayed there a long time. It was already approaching  9 by the time I took this picture ...

And one last shot . This one is taken from near Curtin Road looking back at the Arboretum. Loved the lighted fountain and the colors of the sky . One of the last ones I had taken that day . By that point I had walked over 20, 000 steps for the day. 

So as you can see I walk all over with my camera and always find something fun and different to take pictures of.  I love exploring my world and taking pictures of the awesome things I see. 

Thanks as always for sharing my photos with me ... the journey will continue .. 

How'd you get that

 Its been a while since I did a blog post because I have been busy with an Altrusa Conference and the end of the spring semester at Penn State. I have been out taking photos when we had some sunshine and warmer days in between the rain drops. I had promised to talk a little bit about how I get the some of the photos that I do. First, I do mostly nature photography and use the natural light that is available. I also have my camera with me when I am walking around and generally am looking around for new and interesting things. I am always prepared.

The first section is some of the awesome wildlife that we have here. Part of how I am able to capture all of these is that I have my camera with me. Second is I am very patient and quiet. I move slowly and wait -- and then of course I am sending out good vibes and telling them that I won't hurt them and thank them. Its all about the Karma and energy sometimes.

For this lovely bunny, part of how I was able to get this attentive shot was 1: I generally walk in the same areas through campus so I know where the bunnies hang out. When I walked by this guy, it was the second day I saw bunnies there so had my camera at the ready. Then of course I snuck up quietly and watched it for a few minutes. I moved slowly into positon and waited for it to notice me and perk up its ears and snapped this one before it hopped away. 

                                     
This shot also came from being prepared and knowing where the animals hang out on campus. There was a  nest of baby bunnies close to the library. This little guy had jumped out and was hiding under a bush near by. I crept slowly up to him and got this . It also helps to have a zoom lens so I can get close shots without having to be too close ...

This one was captured because of patience and just looking around. There are lots of trees and lots of squirrels around the duck pond. I sit a lot on one of the benches there and just take it all in. I love the shape this branch makes and I noticed this squirrel running around the tree. Luckily for me it stopped right there to eat. 

I love this cardinal. It was visiting me at the duck pond for a few weeks. I took a lot of photos of it -- some good, some not so good because there are usually people and a lot of animal activity at the pond. Once again my patience was rewarded. On the day I got this, I was sitting on the bench having my lunch. My camera was on the bench beside me. I was the only one sitting there. This cardinal was flying around looking at me and for a place to just hang out. Luckily for me he landed on this branch which was very close to my bench. I slowly and calmly picked up my camera -- made sure my settings were dark enough (I underexpose just a little bit from what the camera meter says so that the colors are more vibrant and stand out. A little trick I learned from one of my professors ) 

I was lucky enough to come across this robin during the early evening when the sun was giving that nice glow. It happened to be under a bush and froze when it saw me. I was using my 200 zoom and slowly slowly crept up to it. I could tell the poor thing was scared but as I said I moved slowly and spoke softly and calmly. The other nice thing is that I have most of the sounds on my camera turned off so its pretty quiet when I take a picture. I was of  crouched down in the grass near it to be on the level with it also. 

I love the baby ducks, but they move so fast sometimes that it can be really difficult to get a good shot of them. I took this one standing across the pond. They were still moving a tiny bit but the distance makes it less noticeable. Also having the green from the moss against the yellow of their fuzz makes a nice contrast. A big part of what I get is really all about watching and waiting for the right moments or at least good ones. 

                                      

It can be extremely challenging to get a baby duck swimming in the pond. They don't glide across the water like the adults, they sprint and scurry and turn around quickly. My best luck getting a good shot plus a reflection thrown in seems to be getting a wide shot from a distance. It also helps that this day was a little overcast so the colors were more even. Also I watched it for a while and they have a tendency to dip their beaks into the water and then look up.  I really like photo because I captured some of the petals and the ripples from it dipping its beak

I love getting reflections in the pond. The adults do a lot of sitting in the water. A lot of getting  a good reflection comes from being at the right angle. I usually walk around the pond looking for interesting scenes. Once I spot a reflection that I like, I move so that I can see it in my viewfinder the way I see it in the real world. This is where it can be dangerous for me because I get so caught up in taking the picture in front of me that I am not as aware of where I am. I bump into things or misstep but its totally worth it. This one has especially cool because the pool she is standing in is shallow so you can see the pebbles on the bottom in the reflection. 

                                   

This photo is the result of a combination of techniques and of course timing. There is always a lot of life and activity at the pond at this time of year and I love to watch it. I think the same ducks  often return. There seem to be a bunch of families around anyway. The males tend to pal around together. I don't know if this was a meet and greet or what exactly but I was watching from the shore and saw them coming together. I waited for them to get close together and then zoomed in. The fact that it was slightly overcast, and I was at the right angle so I could see the reflections and their beaks  

And since I am featuring all this life at the pond, I had to include a turtle. Again part of my success comes from spending a lot of time at the pond and getting to know the patterns and habits. This was also an overcast day. I don't know if this turtle is used to me or just people in general. He always seems to preen when I have my camera out . The glassy color of the water comes from it being overcast, and being a little distance away and using my zoom helps get the natural moments.

Now we'll shift gears to the amazing flowers and plant life that is all over campus. A large part of getting these is being aware of the light. Good lighting makes all the difference to the photos. In many cases my eyes are drawn to the plants from a distance and then I figure out how I want to capture it. Please understand that it takes a few shots (and I do tend to overshoot ) to get the one that I really like and I am not afraid to play with angles either. As I am walking around I spot something  I like and then use my camera to focus in on it. I do not have a macro lens (which lets you get the really really close ups of things) I just use my 200 zoom. I have gotten pretty good at determining the distance I need to be away from my subject  to get a good focus point. Then depending on the light, I will use a higher aperture setting ( letting less light in and allowing for a greater area of focus) What also helps is knowing what is in the distance behind your flower and moving so the background is pleasing 

This is the perfect time of year to get bumble bee shots. There are all kinds of little pollinator gardens on campus.  I really like these little purple puff flowers.  I have some shots of just the flower and had already moved to get the right background and spacing. Then I noticed the bee buzzing around. I watched and waited stepping slowly in to the flower hoping it would land there and move to the side I was watching.  Luckily for me it did and the light was just perfect on its wings too. For purples I do underexpose just a bit because otherwise they don't turn out right. So part of my success is knowing my subject, knowing my equipment and waiting ... 

I was really pleased to get this shot. The wonderful landscaping on campus helps a lot  because there is always lots of nice subject material. This is part of a field of tulips which is why I was able to get the line of petals across the shot. My continued walks with my camera have helped trained my eye to pick out lines, patterns and colors that are pleasing. I do it so much that it is ingrained and I just can't see things the same way. I find myself stopping because something registered in the corner of my eye. These petals are nice because the shape and color pulls your eye across the flame. The lighting was also beautiful and makes the petals seem like velvet. I did underexpose but just a tad..  

                                      

Again its all about the lighting and the angles. I was looking down on this one but only slightly. I do a lot of shooting after work between 5 and 8 pm -- part of it the sun is high in the sky, part of it as the sun is setting -- what is commonly known as the Golden Hour because the light tends to be soft and very pretty -- not harsh like around noon. I watch for shadows and highlights and then take the photo.

These flowers are tiny but so pretty. I was drawn to the color, but then noticed all the little buds in a line. I moved to make sure I was getting that line. I stood above them and pointed my lens down. Because they were small, the focus point was the flower and helped to create the nice out of focus blur (or boca) behind them - the fact that the background is dark also makes them pop out. So yes it is a little luck but there is also little camera tricks to make them happen 

                                     

So again part of what helps me get a good picture is looking for the shapes and patterns in the world around me. I loved the yellows and the greens in this plant -- because of the way the light was hitting them, they almost looked like they were glowing. I also found in interesting the way they form layers of rings, the yellow buds are in a ring and then the clusters of them are also in a ring. To get the dark bacground, I moved so that the dirt beneath the plant was seen. 

                                                

More finding shapes and patterns and then being at the right angle. There was a whole group of bleeding hearts in this area ( you can see a few in the background. I have taken shots from other angles so that they are straight across and the hearts hang down in a line. I took this one from a bove and in front so that it looks like the hearts cascade like a water fall. So just a simple change of perspective made this happen.

For these lilacs I shot up into the tree so that I could get the blue sky behind. Since I am short, shooting up tends to be pretty easy for me to do. I just moved around the tree until I found the right bunch and the gap in the branches, zoomed in and voila 

I loved the shadows on this one. The shadows were created natuarally by some of the other leaves on the plant. This was on a lower branch almost to the ground so I was on the ground also so that I was on eye level with it and then just take a careful look to see that the leaves around it are nice and zoom in to get the petals (again I am just using my 200 zoom lens for this) 

Mother nature did the lighting work on this one, love how the light just touches the edge of the petals. What helps create this shot is that the bloom itself is big and I got close enough to it that I could make it fill the frame and still stay in focus.  I was shooting from a little bit above it also 

The leaves/ petals on this little poof are so delcate -- almost look like a spider web. The background behind them is actually concrete and I like how it gave it the nice blue grey. I really had to make sure I was in focus and that my settings were dark enough to see (so yes its a little underesposed) 

For this one I was on the ground shooting up at the flower so I could get the center hanging down. And again looking for leaves behind it so I could get the green blur and make it stand out even more. 

And one last plant. This is part of a pine tree, just getting its new spring needles too. I had to take this one because I love the shape of the branches. It reminds me of a crazy haired muppet  So again I made sure I was at the right angle. It was above me so I was shooting from below, moved to get the right colors in the back ground and took the shot. 

And this concludes my blog post. I had a lot to say. Hope you all found it helpful and interesting. It actually took me 3 days to finish it because I worked on it a little at a time and was really thinking about the photos. It was a lot of fun looking and remembering how I got the shot. Can't say when my next post will be or what it will be about, but know that I will keep taking pictures and try to share as I learn and grow. Thanks as always for sharing my photos with me.