July 13

Weekly Photo: The Golden Hour ⁸

Gratitude, photography, Snapshot Saturday • Tags: Java Sparrow, Mother Nature, PHOTO CHALLENGE, postaday, postaweek, Red-crested Cardinal, Zen Garden

Creating a calm environment for sunrise.

Brings a smile to my face.

Just after a morning rain.

This week’s photo challenge by Cheri Lucas Rowlands asks that we share photos of the golden hour just after sunrise and just before sunset. I took the first three pictures during the golden hour.

However, the gallery photos are examples of playing with my manual camera settings utilizing the most recent advice offered by Wenjie Zhang for Photography 101 this week along with advice offered by Ming Thein in his two prior posts. These are not exactly during the golden hour, but with the cloudy afternoon the lighting was similar.

Mahalo to Wenjie and Ming for helping me to explore the manual settings on my camera. I even tried the live-view setting to help me with lighting. This made it easier to delete some of my bad photos before I loaded them on my computer.

I still have a long way to go before I perfect my settings, but at least I am no longer afraid to try experimenting with lighting.

Experimenting with manuel settings.

The sound of flapping wings.

Playing with camera settings and macro lenses.

How many can it hold?

“Whoa!”

July 5

Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgic for Younger Days ⁵

Famous Quotes, Gratitude, photography • Tags: A. A. Milne, PHOTO CHALLENGE, Pooh, postaday, postaweek, Tigger

This week Cheri Lucas Rowlands asks that we share a photo that makes us nostalgic.

It was a time when I fully understood Tigger’s, “I’m so happy I feel like bouncing.”

This sprinkler definitely make me nostalgic for simpler times in my children’s life. It invokes memories of a cute little Winnie the Pooh swimsuit and Hot Wheels swimming trunks. I can hear the giggles and squeals in my backyard as they run in and out of the water. Such happy times!

Still I know A. A. Milne’s Pooh is also correct: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”

June 29

Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable Object or Friend ³

Animals, Gratitude, photography • Tags: Golden Retriever, PHOTO CHALLENGE, postaday, postaweek

This week’s photo challenge is brought to us by Michelle W. who asks that we share a picture of a companion and explain why we chose that picture. You can read more about it and check out others’ posts by clicking on the link.

Two of my favorite companions are my dogs and I’m grateful for both of them. I did a prior post about my Corgi, so today I’m focusing on my Golden and his favorite companion and no, it’s not me although I know he loves all of his human family and his pet siblings too.

“I’m Just Waiting for a Friend.”

“Ready When You Are.”

Gotcha

All Mine.

Wanna Play?

Fun Fun Fun!

June 21

Weekly Photo Challenge: The World Through Your Eyes or Actually Mine ⁷

Gratitude, photography • Tags: PHOTO CHALLENGE, postaday, postaweek

This week Cheri Lucas Rowlands asks us to share a picture through our eyes observing the scene first and looking for natural lines and frames by trying the skill Ming Thein talks about in this week’s Photography 101 post.

I’m not under any illusion that I have that skill, but I do appreciate the tips offered by Ming to help us improve our photography, so here are my attempts.