Love This Girl

I'm in a family kind of mood lately.  I'm missing home and my nieces and nephews terribly.  I may have to plan a trip soon, but in the mean time, I'm comforting myself by sending them emails and looking at old pictures.  My oldest niece, in particular, is extremely photogenic.  She's going to be a real beauty when she grows up.  I'm in no hurry for those days. 

Missing Grandpa

The Major's grandfather passed away just after Christmas this past year.  He's been gone only a little over a month, but it feels much longer than that.  I loved the relationship I had with him.  He was a kind man.  Strong and funny and faithful.  I learned so much from him and continue to find myself wanting to ask him questions about this or that.  He was a World War II veteran who rarely talked about his time in the war.  I think the horror of war in the South Pacific was more than he cared to remember or share.  He was a simple man.  A frugal man.  A loving man.  And as our life changes yet again, I find myself missing him more than usual.  He would love the direction our life is taking.  He would celebrate with us, and he would have a world of wisdom to share.  I miss grandpa.

 

Project 52 Week 4

I really like taking candid photos of people.  I think you learn so much more about them in a candid photo than you ever could in a posed shot.  People have a tendency to hide their insecurities and faults to the best of their ability when they know a camera is pointed at them.  A candid shot allows you to see the rough edges, the hidden beauty, a more real truth about the subject.

Here's a candid I shot last week.  I like the look of concentration on his face, the intensity you can see in his eyes.  His body language suggests he doesn't necessarily agree with what's being said.  He wants to say something he thinks he shouldn't.  Or he knows more than is being communicated and is literally keeping his mouth shut.  Of course, that's just my take.  What do you think? 

Dreaming of Spring

Four more months of winter to go.  I'm so ready.

Pictures of Strangers II

It was a gorgeous fall day in the park when I spotted this little sweetheart.  She was just full of giggly little girl energy and she made me smile.  She made me smile much.  So I asked her mama if I could photograph her and, miracle of miracles, she said yes!!!

I'd love to spontaneously photograph more kids, but I am always concerned about the creeper factor.  Ya know?  People are very wisely cautious of strangers with cameras and their kids, and it makes me sad that they have to be.

I Hate Being Cold

More than just about anything, I hate being cold.  Chilly, I can handle.  But bone aching, shiver enducing cold, I cannot stand.  And lucky me, it's -20F tonight with a windchill that makes it feel much colder.  As if that wasn't quite enough, our furnace has decided to not work right tonight.  It runs, then stops and we have to manually rest it to get it to run, then it stops again.  We've already had a repairman here once today, and it looks as if he may be making a return visit.  I am so ready to not be cold anymore.  Please, dear Lord, make it warmer.  I'd settle for a nice solid 0 degrees.  5 would be better.  If this keeps up, I may just get in the car (praying the cold hasn't killed the battery) and drive south until I hit water.  Actually, that sounds better and better.  I've never been to Florida.  I think I should go.  Now.

And you know what the irony of the whole situation is?  Just this past week I was admiring the snow and taking pictures upon pictures of it for my Project 52.  The theme this past week was "Shades of Gray" and with the colorless landscape and deep shadows and snow, that's exactly what they were.  They don't have snow in southern Florida.  And I'd miss it, because I really do love snow.  It's the bitter, too cold to snow, subzero temperatures that I can't handle.  Blah.

On a brighter note, the Packers are going to the Super Bowl.  Make of it what you will.

I Need Some Inspiration

The theme for this week's Project 52 is "Shades of Gray".  I'm having a hard time coming up with anything.  I mean, it would be easy enough to take a picture and convert it to black and white and be done with it, but I'm really making an effort to be as creative as possible with these photo assignments, because otherwise, what's the point.

I tried to take some macro shots of snowflakes, but that didn't go very well, mostly because I don't yet have a true macro lens.  I may go for a creepy Alfred Hitchcock-esque kind of thing, with the crows that like to fly into the city at night.  We'll see.  In the mean time, here's a black and white portrait I took a few weeks ago. 

 

I like how on the right side of the picture, the shadows and light make one of those things that looks like a face from both perspectives.  Does that make sense?  What are those things called?