Category Archives: photo challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination

Weekly Photo Challenge: IlluminationDSCN0605-(3sm)

In diving when the judges award scores they are multiplied by the degree of difficulty (D.D.) and then added together for a total score.

Taking this picture was like doing a back dive with two somersaults in the pike position.

It’s just a picture of an icicle, you say.

HA! I say.

First off this was the only icicle within reach that had sunlight hitting it.

Unfortunately the only way to get my camera at the right angle to catch the sunlight was to position it between the icicle and the shed while holding my camera up above my head.

This would have been easier had Jane not been in the amautik thrashing around letting me know that she was done with pictures and ready for dinner.

Then, because the auto focus wouldn’t catch the icicle, I kept with my resolution from last week and on the spot figured out how the manual focus on my camera works.

(Let’s keep in mind that it’s a funny auto zoom in, up and down arrow to focus, zoom back out and take the picture sort of manual focus.)

Meanwhile my fingers are starting to resemble my subject matter and Jane is now yelling in addition to thrashing and in trying to figure out how to focus when I can’t actually see the camera screen I accidentally break the tip of the icicle off.

The tip of the only icicle within reach that is catching the last of the sunset.

So, when you look at my mid-icicle picture, just remember to multiply by a decent D.D. before you comment!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved

Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolvedfog

This week I stepped outside, brand new camera in hand, to take a quick photo of the morning fog. I pulled out my camera went to set it to black and white and had a bit of a panic. While my toes froze and the kids threatened mutiny if breakfast didn’t happen soon I stared at my camera…

How do I use black and white?

Do I use, high contrast monochrome?

High iso monochrome?

Black and white copy?

Do I give up and turn it black and white in Photoshop?

How does this new camera work?!?

So far I’ve no idea, but I’m resolved to figure it all out!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Changing Seasons

Weekly Photo Challenge: Changing SeasonsGEDC7992-(2sm)

Here in Southern Wisconsin, we were in the midst of changing seasons from fall to winter when we landed smack in the middle of the dreaded fifth season of the year. For those of you lucky enough to have no idea what I’m talking about let me fill you in on the mud season.

Mud season has the obnoxious habit of sneaking around twice a year, first it shows up right when you are hoping for spring. It bogs down everything, get everywhere and right when you are just about ready to throttle the next person (clearly one with no dogs/kids/big yards/small farms/ducks/chickens/gravel driveway)  who talks about what lovely weather we are having spring is here for good.

Then again just when we get a snowfall and are dreaming of white Christmases it rears it’s big ole muddy head again. Snow one day, sun the next and we end up with muddy slop everywhere. I love living where the seasons change but sometimes the actual changing of the seasons leaves a bit to be desired – bring on the cold!

It’s true that Trip’s feet are suspiciously clean for a mud season picture. Let me assure you that it was just a fluke and I’ve got the muddy prints all over the floor to prove it!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections

GEDC7924-(sm) Jane and I tested out the baby wearing “coat” I made for our upcoming bird hunting trip to Kansas in the yard today. While we were out I took the opportunity to find a few reflections. It was trickier than I thought, where is a good puddle when you need one?!?

As for the “coat” I have to tell you that I followed these directions: http://walkingwithdancers.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-make-baby-wearing-coat.html and it was super easy.

Really easy.

We are talking one cut easy.

Did I mention I didn’t even have to sew anything?

It should also be mentioned that it’s worth checking out the “coat” from the tutorial just because it is so much cuter than mine.

Possibly it’s because she wasn’t going for the blaze orange look!

Sad to report the only snow we have so far is the stuff falling on my blog!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Renewal

Weekly Photo Challenge: Renewal

During the process of renewal things often gets worse before they get better.

To demonstrate this effect I give you..

Drum roll please!

…a molting chicken!

Earlier in the week she looked awful, today she looks ridiculous and by next week her molt will be complete, her feathers will be renewed and she will be back to normal.

I have included a picture of one of her flock mates below so that:

A) In case you aren’t familiar with chickens you can see what she is supposed to look like (yes they have tails, wing feathers, no bald spots and a general fluffy bottomed look that the above chicken is missing) and that

B) PETA won’t try to come confiscate my animals because they think I’m abusing them.

She’s just molting, it’s a renewal thing.

I Wish I Were…

I wish I were the kind of person that had a morning room. You know, how you see in old movies where husband and wife are enjoying their morning pot of tea and reading the paper when the nanny brings in the fed, cleaned and dressed kids.

One of those morning rooms.

One of those morning rooms where I could sit and drink my tea and wake up before the demands of life hit me.
One of those morning rooms that’s cheerful and sunny – maybe it would improve my general personality at that time of day.
One of those morning rooms that is very, very quiet because of the conspicuous lack of children -they’ll be with the nanny.
One of those morning rooms that I could sit with my husband and talk before the day started so we’d start the day together with a plan.

Yeah – one of those morning rooms.

I’ll even be reasonable. I’ll pass on the rest of the implied life style that would go with such a room (it sounds boring) and I’ll send the nanny on her way by nine (I like to spend time with my kid the other hours of the day). I just oh so very much wish that my mornings were lacking in pee, blood, crying, running late, yelling, cajoling, lost shoes, cold vehicles, puking dogs and general chaos (and that was just this week).

While I suppose the proper thing to do would be to wish I were a kind, gentle, patient, happy morning person, at this point I find it more likely that I’ll win the lottery (which I don’t play) and am able to spend egregious amounts of money on the first two hours of my day than that I suddenly develop an appreciation for life before eight am.

For more” I wish I were…” posts check out Weekly Writing Challenge: I Wish I Were  where you can read many other posts that were actually posted during the week of the challenge. The photos  I took as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette and also failed to posted on time. I get to see the sun rise behind my neighbors cows every morning, I should probably appreciate the picturesque beauty of it more often instead of internally cursing the fact that I am up early enough to see the sun rise!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Big

Weekly Photo Challenge: Big

Our rooster (who goes by the name of “Roosty” ) is the big man of our chicken flock.

Roosty is a White Chantecler who didn’t quite cut it to continue in a friends breeding flock but he’s been a well behaved asset to our laying hens. He finds treats for his ladies, warns them of danger, and walks around looking about as regal as a chicken can look.

I find chickens to be much trickier to photograph than it seems like they should be. They move in quick jerks, have a third eyelid that you don’t notice until you up your shutter speed enough to compensate for their quick movements and then you end up with crazy looking eyes and they either run at me looking for treats or wander off.  Photographing chickens is not for the easily discouraged! This photo was the best of Roosty’s photo shoot. I like the color and how he is posing (it was a photo shoot after all) with the hens mostly minding their own business around them. I was disappointed about the strand of electric fence and would have liked a few of his ladies to present a different side to the camera but my suggestions that they all move a few feet to the left were completely ignored.

Chickens.

You can’t take them anywhere.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I have driven with a chicken in the passenger seat but that’s a different story…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy

These are a few of the things that made me happy this Wednesday.

Clara got an ant farm for her birthday. John thinks I’m obsessed with it. I think looking at the ants makes me happy!
My husband. Not only does he make me happy but I intended that he be featured in the MINE photo challenge. Sadly I didn’t manage to get a picture of him last week.
Decorating cakes
Oh, Diet Coke, how you make me happy. When combined with chocolate and a good book – bliss. On second thought ignore that book, that book is not making me happy!
Kids and Dogs playing outside together
Flowers from John
Beautiful fall days!

Notable absences are:

Trip – Who is with my brother in Montana happily hunting without me.

Ivy  – Sadly I missed the photo of her and Clara collecting eggs together. Kids playing together while doing chores makes me happy, happy, happy!

And the Ducks  -I challenge you to watch a line of duck walk around and not be just a little bit happier. I also challenge you to get within photographing distance of my ducks without panicking them out of there cute little ducky line.

Hope you also had a happy day!

Update:

In terrible mothering moments of the week I forgot to include Jane in my post. Of course she is a part of my daily happiness – she smiles lots, she giggles, she’s easy going, content and oh so easily overlooked in the chaos of the rest of the house.

On a positive note I haven’t forgotten her anywhere – yet – but I do take roll call when we get in the truck!