DailyPhotos > Shelly  > Other > Shelly's Photo Blog 2008
This gallery is a melange of my photographic styles as well as a look into my daily life. I try to capture something new every day or else to find something that fits the day. It's a great excuse to carry my camera with me more often than not, and it allows me to stop and take those pictures that need to be taken.

To see what 2007 looked like, click on this link: http://spccreative.smugmug.com/gallery/2958746_n6VBs#238075802
Gallery pages:  <<  <  12  13  14  15  16  17  >  
< Prev 181 of 255 Next >
Shelly > March 26, 2008

Not an heirloom but it plays one on the battlefield.

This is Mike's pocket watch.  Just a plain old inexpensive one, but he picked it out just to take with him when he does his Civil War re-enactments.  Cold nights can be very long when you have no clue whether it's closer to 10:00 pm or 4:00 am.  

This is the second installment for my online photography class, and I thank everyone for your kind comments about my typewriter shot as well as your suggestions for a moving target.  Rick, you were right . . . I didn't hypnotize myself shooting this, but scrolling through the pictures in photoshop nearly did it.  

The class is one of the Picture Perfect School of Photography classes  www.PPSOP.com  This  class is an 8 week course entitled Understanding Exposure.  I'm taking it so that I can make better calls in difficult lighting situations and spend less time in PP.
Shelly > March 25, 2008

Meemaw's Typewriter

Oh the tales this machine could tell.  My grandmother used it at work. I know because it has the initals TLS painted on the side with yellow paint.  She worked for the Austin Chamber of Commerce back in the late 1920's and 30's, and later helped her boss, Mr. Long, start the Texas Legislative Service (TLS).  It's an organization that still reports on all state legislative activities.   I'll bet the folks who run that operation now would have to shut things down if they had to rely on this to get their work done.    

I'm taking an online photography class, and this was part of my first assignment . . . the classic exercise with a stationary shot and correct metering at various apertures.  While the image is technically what the instructors are asking for it just doesn't have the sizzle I'd like to have in my first submission.  I think I'll look for something else before I settle on this one.   Also we're supposed to do the same exercise with a moving target, and I'm having a devil of a time trying to come up with something for that.  Everything I can think of that moves doesn't come back around for subsequent shots. Suggestions anyone?
Shelly > March 24, 2008

Grapes . . . fantastic in any state!  Fresh, frozen, dried, fermented, Texas,  Alabama, Confusion, Denial . . .
Shelly > March 23, 2008

I found an empty Easter egg this morning.  Not a literal Easter egg, but something happened that disappointed me. Yeah . . . right . . . get over it, I told myself.  We all have disappointments, and this was not that big of a deal.   Today is Easter.  It’s a day that brings the promise of new beginnings out of empty darkness.  

Have you ever had a dream crushed before your eyes?  Perhaps there was something that you’d been working toward for a very long time.  Whatever the dream, it was certain to change your life . . . or at least make it much better.  

What was your dream?  Was it a new job?  Perhaps a renewed relationship?  Was it the dream of becoming a parent?  A long-awaited vacation?  Seeing your grown child return from military service? What was your dream?

You did all the right things.   You made plans, worked hard, and paid attention to every detail.  The paperwork was complete, and the bills already paid.  Common sense and past experience said there was nothing left to do but to reach out and enjoy your very sweet dream.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.   

Then . . . just as you reached out to hold that dream in the palm of your hand . . .    CRASH.  The world fell apart, and your dream lay shattered and empty with nothing to show but a tattered wrapper.  It's never been easy, but every time this has happened to me I have been able to look back later and see that a bigger and better plan was in the works for me.  I am finally beginning to learn that the tighter we hold on to shattered dreams, the more they cut into us and hurt us.  I’m trying to learn how to hold my dreams with a looser grip and to keep my eyes on the big picture.  

So today, in the spirit of Easter and in honor of the empty tomb where a very big dream was crushed into darkness but then turned to the ultimate joy . . . I hope you found at least one empty plastic egg today.  If you did, save it.  Put it someplace and look at it when you need to be reminded that some dreams and promises are just too big to be contained in the plans we write for ourselves.   

 “And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.”  Romans 8:28
Shelly > March 22, 2008

I wait for the Lord.  My soul waits, and in His word I put  my hope.  
Psalm 130:5
Shelly > March 20, 2008

The Good China – For Holidays and Special Occasions.  
We Should Use it More Often.


Once a young man celebrated the most important holiday of the year with his closest friends.   He had always been an unusual but very intriguing person, and recently he had started causing a stir in every town he visited because he said and did things that went against customary thought.  Still, the things he said and did were always – ALWAYS - good.  

That night as he gathered with his friends, he said and did some things that must have sounded absolutely crazy.  He broke a piece of bread, said a blessing, and shared it with them. Then, when He told them to eat it, He said it was his body.  Then he poured some wine and he told them all to drink it.  That, he said, was his blood.  

And they ate it, and they drank it.  

He told them to do this often and to remember him when they did.

As gory as this sounded, he explained that it was the next chapter of a story written centuries before, and that it was actually the reason they were celebrating together in the first place.  See, one night their ancestors who had been held as slaves marked their homes with lamb’s blood.  They did this so the angel of death would pass over them on its mission to break down their oppressor.  That night they were celebrating Passover together, honoring God’s promise of protection, deliverance, and blessings for His people – forever.  

Later that night, the young man went outdoors to find a quiet place, and He was finally arrested for all of his crazy talk.  The next morning He was brutally executed – but that’s not the end of the story.  

I believe we should all gather with those we love and celebrate what is important to us more often than we do.  We should use the good china, say I love you, and watch for the signs that guide us along our journey.
Shelly > March 19, 2008

Applause!

A new musical called "The Gold" is about to debut in Houston, and I personally believe it will touch many many lives.  It's a heart-wrenching tale of a Holocaust survivor whose dreams of competing in the Olympics were crushed by the Nazis. The music is phenomenal and spellbinding.  

Last night I got to photograph the preview party where the cast performed some of the music. I cannot wait for the performances to begin. If you're in or near Houston, it is a must-see!

Check it out . . . www.thegoldthemusical.com

And here's the link to photos from the evening: http://spccreative.smugmug.com/gallery/4546183_HTwqK#267843869
Shelly > March 19, 2008

Meet my new best friend.

This young lady was in the theatrical cast at the event I shot last night.  What a natural, with beauty  and sparkle.  Plus,  she was so much fun in front of the camera too.  

An aside: Her hair looked more blonde than it appears in this photo, but I love this tone beause my hair was about that color when I was her age.  Even though grown ups told me how pretty it was, I never believed them until long after I grew up.
Shelly > March 18, 2008

I was so naive as a kid, I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing.

     --Johnny Carson
Shelly > March 17, 2008

Thirsty Boys

Even though this was the visiting team and one of our arch-rivals, I  LOVED the red uniforms with the Coca Cola sign.  This was right after the Freshman/Sophomore game on Friday afternoon.  Just getting into my pp for the game today.
Shelly > March 16, 2008

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."  
-- George Moore, the wealthy English writer who had no books in his home.
Shelly > March 14, 2008

You make the call.  I think he was out.

Just for John, here's a link to the rest of the play: http://spccreative.smugmug.com/gallery/4511860_iko9K/4/265634611_kKDgz#265633153
Shelly > March 13, 2008

Intense
Shelly > March 12, 2008

You Never Know Who is Watching

It is officially springtime around here.  Yesterday afternoon I saw a cardinal fly out of one of our vines and thought it would be so neat to find a nest and watch for babies.  We've enjoyed  several generations in the past few years but never have seen them until they ventured down to the feeder.

Very carefully I poked my head into the bushes and started looking, trying not to disturb anything I might find.  As I leaned back to move to another area, this is what I saw.  Not one, but three ribbon snakes, and they were about 18 inches above where my head had been. (I still can't believe that I didn't jump and scream.  What WAS I thinking?)

They even had the good manners to sit and wait for me to get the camera, switch to the macro lens, and come back outside.  I took about a dozen photos with different settings before they decided they'd had enough and slipped away.  I'm sure I'll see them again but probably not all at one time like this.   

If there was a bird nest in this area, I'm afraid the outlook for babies is not so good.  Maybe the bird was just resting and will find a better place to raise a family. I certainly hope so.
Shelly > March 11, 2008

The remains of the old Kreische Brewery, carved and built into the bluff at Monument Hill just outside of LaGrange. The structure was three stories high in places and quite intricate.
March 26, 2008

Not an heirloom but it plays one on the battlefield.

This is Mike's pocket watch. Just a plain old inexpensive one, but he picked it out just to take with him when he does his Civil War re-enactments. Cold nights can be very long when you have no clue whether it's closer to 10:00 pm or 4:00 am.

This is the second installment for my online photography class, and I thank everyone for your kind comments about my typewriter shot as well as your suggestions for a moving target. Rick, you were right . . . I didn't hypnotize myself shooting this, but scrolling through the pictures in photoshop nearly did it.

The class is one of the Picture Perfect School of Photography classes http://www.PPSOP.com This class is an 8 week course entitled Understanding Exposure. I'm taking it so that I can make better calls in difficult lighting situations and spend less time in PP.
Shelly > March 26, 2008

Not an heirloom but it plays one on the battlefield.

This is Mike's pocket watch.  Just a plain old inexpensive one, but he picked it out just to take with him when he does his Civil War re-enactments.  Cold nights can be very long when you have no clue whether it's closer to 10:00 pm or 4:00 am.  

This is the second installment for my online photography class, and I thank everyone for your kind comments about my typewriter shot as well as your suggestions for a moving target.  Rick, you were right . . . I didn't hypnotize myself shooting this, but scrolling through the pictures in photoshop nearly did it.  

The class is one of the Picture Perfect School of Photography classes  www.PPSOP.com  This  class is an 8 week course entitled Understanding Exposure.  I'm taking it so that I can make better calls in difficult lighting situations and spend less time in PP.
March 26, 2008

Not an heirloom but it plays one on the battlefield.

This is Mike's pocket watch. Just a plain old inexpensive one, but he picked it out just to take with him when he does his Civil War re-enactments. Cold nights can be very long when you have no clue whether it's closer to 10:00 pm or 4:00 am.

This is the second installment for my online photography class, and I thank everyone for your kind comments about my typewriter shot as well as your suggestions for a moving target. Rick, you were right . . . I didn't hypnotize myself shooting this, but scrolling through the pictures in photoshop nearly did it.

The class is one of the Picture Perfect School of Photography classes http://www.PPSOP.com This class is an 8 week course entitled Understanding Exposure. I'm taking it so that I can make better calls in difficult lighting situations and spend less time in PP.
Camera: Canon (Canon Eos 40d) |
more details: exif |
original size: 3888px x 2592px |
Current: 600px x 400px |
Other sizes: S • Medium • L |
Share photo: links, forums, blogs |
Gallery pages:  <<  <  12  13  14  15  16  17  >  
< Prev 181 of 255 Next >

Comments

| hide gallery comments |

New comment: Requires approval

Name: Email: Link:
Connect  Connect with Facebook


Comment on: | Rating: stars
To foil spammers, enter this code: copy this text in this box: Code unreadable?



News | Browse | Keywords | Communities | Forum | Wiki | ClubSmug | Prints & Gifts | Shopping Cart | Login
Terms | Privacy | About Us | Contact SmugMug | Blogs | API | Affiliates | © 2009 SmugMug, Inc.
Show FeedsAvailable Feeds | What are feeds?
Gallery Photos:
Atom FeedAtom | RSS FeedRSS