a little night photography...

I love shooting at night. The world just looks so different, so magical. My friend, Kat, has some great night time photos you will want to check out. I don't have the lovely, far away places to explore that she does but you can find wonderful night, no matter where you are.

Most of these were taken with my favorite night lens, 35mm 1.4. The only tripod shot is the first one. The tripod gives you so many opportunities but you can still capture things without it, as long as you can up your ISO and not mind the accompanying graininess. Different cameras and lenses handle graininess in different ways. A little grain never bothers me much. You can use a fence post, the top of your car or a ledge as a tripod.
In this shot you can see that the bike is blurry but the rest of the picture is rather sharp. This is due to the movement of the bike rider and a slow enough shutter speed that doesn't stop the action. Don't forget that you can click on any image to make it larger.
This shot uses a technique called panning. As I took the shot, I followed the car so that the car stays in focus while the background blurs. This is often a hit and miss technique with me. The color and style of the car really caught my eye but obviously I didn't have much time to set this up. I was going for the angle but if I had a redo, I probably would have shot it a little bit differently. Sometimes, you get what you get.



What may look dull and dirty in the daylight, can look amazing at night. Give it a try.

and a matching sunset...

You have to love a man who is driving home after a long day at work who calls to tell you the sunset deserves a peek.

this morning's sunrise...

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat a sunrise or hope." (Bern Williams)

it's finally pumpkin time...

Pumpkins make me happy. I don't know if it is because it means the beginning of fall or it is just inborn if one happens to have an October birthday. I have been to Trader Joe's three times to get them and I haven't even spotted the white ones yet. They will make me happy all the way through Thanksgiving weekend. Then we'll roast the seeds and leave the rest for the bunnies to enjoy.

Lovely leaves from my lovely, too-far-away daughter who collected and preserved them for my birthday last year. She knows her mama well.




















Pumpkins make me happy.

sunflowers while waiting for fall...

We are waiting for fall. We had a bit of a glimpse last weekend with some lovely night time temperatures but as usual for us in September, we are waiting and know we must be patient just a little while longer. I found some pumpkins yesterday and as always, they were irresistible to me. I always pick them out based on the shape of the stem. Just putting some on the hearth helped me forget how hot it still is outside. Is it bad that the thing that attracted me most to these plates was the word “solstice”? I like the sunflowers. I like the textures. I like the colors but it was that word that made them impossible for me to resist.






Slowly, I am bringing a little bit of autumn inside – changing the quilts on the beds, filling the lavadera with bits of leaves, gourds and pumpkins and there was even some soup made. So we will try to be patient, though we never are. We will enjoy the sunflowers, look for the changes in the light and hope that the changes in the temperature are not far behind.

Please join Susan and all the other tablescapers here.

simple indulgence...

2009 was a difficult year for me, maybe the most difficult ever. My New Year’s resolutions for 2010 were different than they have been in the past. I only had one - feel free to indulge in the little pleasures of life. I have no idea why I thought denying myself a $6 bouquet seemed like the right thing to do, but it did. No longer. Spending an afternoon reading when there is laundry to be done? That’s okay too. A morning behind the lens, photographing butterflies and hummingbirds, is not a waste of time. It feeds the soul. Many times, this new attitude goes against my pragmatic nature but never once have I regretted following it.

In addition to pining for peonies, I’ve been hoping for hydrangeas. Trader Joe’s came through for me again and here is my little pleasure for this week. Find one for yourself. You will be glad you did.

like fire...

Our summer rains make the desert bloom, again.