366 of 2012 - Day 91

366 of 2012 - Day 91. Hello Moon. Not a bad shot for a fancy point and shoot, eh?

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4.5, 1/50 sec., ISO-80, Exposure bias +1 step, 30 mm focal length, max aperture 4.34375, no flash, camera on tripod (though I probably didn't need one). Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop. I also adjusted Exposure slightly as the bright moon gave me a wicked bright halo around itself. And here's the kicker - I didn't use the Automatic setting! On the advise of my husband, I used TV (Shutter Priority) and fiddled with the settings and snapped away.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Reading Histograms (which I haven't, yet).

366 of 2012 - Day 90

366 of 2012 - Day 90. Crab Apple blossoms.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/400 sec., ISO-160, 21 mm focal length, max aperture 4, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

EYELASH OF EVIL

Why?

Why must it torment me so?

Why can't it just stick up top with the other eyelashes?

Stupid eyelash of evil.

366 of 2012 - Day 89

366 of 2012 - Day 89. The Cherry Blossoms are starting!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/200 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 88

366 of 2012 - Day 88. This flower is called GLORY OF THE SNOW (thanks to Cheryl from the Picaboo Events group for letting me know!).

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/100 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 87

366 of 2012 - Day 87. I'm not sure what this is. Tulip? Crocus? Not sure. (Edit to add later: My friend Cathy insists this is a crocus. She's smart, and knows her blooms, so I'm not going to argue with her!)

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/400 sec., ISO-250, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 86

366 of 2012 - Day 86. Heather.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/100 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

I'll admit, I took a week's worth of pictures in one day, this past weekend. I have a busy week coming up and am going to take a step back from the camera and the computer to focus a bit more attention on other things.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 85

366 of 2012 - Day 85. Polly Pocket pals frolicking in the periwinkle.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 84

366 of 2012 - Day 84. Sleeping Beauty / Barbie. Barbie is snoozing in a bed that my father made for me more than 30 years ago. My mother made the bedding and the material work. She saved it, in the hopes that she would one day have a granddaughter to pass it on to. I love watching my daughter play with something that I once played with.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/200 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter on everything except the ivy when I cropped and added text in Photoshop. I had to fix one spot where the blanket was not positioned properly (good luck finding the spot), which I did by copying one spot of ivy and pasting over the offending blanket bit then blending with the background. I also adjusted exposure slightly.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Basics: Cropping Do's and Don'ts.

366 of 2012 - Day 83

366 of 2012 - Day 83. A fuzzy game of Uno. Weeb's little pals borrowed Barbie's car to find a nice spot to play, then had a fabulous game of Uno, then headed home again. I don't know if Weeb realizes that this is the kind of fuzzy shenanigans they get up to while she's not looking.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO-100, 7 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop (details on last photo, only).

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 82

366 of 2012 - Day 82. A Barbie / Monster High camping trip in a Barbie camper from the late 1970's.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO-105, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop (details on first photo, only).

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 81

366 of 2012 - Day 81. Red Maple (Acer Rubrum) Flowers. I don't see any signs of 'whirlybirds'. I don't recall seeing any last year, either. No signs of leaves, yet. I'll take another shot when there is change, be it fruit (whirlybirds) or leaves. It could take several weeks or several months for the whirlybirds to develop, according to Wikipedia. We shall see.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop (details on first photo, only).

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 80

366 of 2012 - Day 80. The nice thing about toys is that they sit very still for photos.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/200 sec., ISO-80, 10 mm focal length, max aperture 3.34375, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 79

366 of 2012 - Day 79. Snowdrop. I'm not sure if my folks have two different varieties in their garden or if this is how they look once they open up. The previous shots were taken in January or February and they looked quite different.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/640 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter, very slightly, when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 78

366 of 2012 - Day 78. I'm not sure what this tree is. It has white blossoms just before the pink cherry trees blossom around here. I think it's some kind of cherry variation.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4.5, 1/640 sec., ISO-160, 30 mm focal length, max aperture 4.34375, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter, very slightly, when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

366 of 2012 - Day 77

366 of 2012 - Day 77. Cherry tree, pre-pink blossoms. I took a few shots of this tree. I wanted to get a shot, looking up the trunk of the tree. I can't decide which of the two I like best. The 'straight' tree is a trick done in Photoshop, as the tree does not grow straight upward.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO-100, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter, very slightly, when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: Understanding Leading Lines.

JUPITER AND VENUS MARCH 2012

Jupiter and Venus are putting on a show, right now. I hadn't paid much attention since it's been pretty cloudy and gloomy here, lately. We went out to run an errand last night and there they were, beaming brightly at us as we walked out the front door so Weeb and I ran to grab our cameras. Here are a couple of shots that I took. It's stunning how bright they both are and how HUGE Jupiter is! My photos don't do them justice.

Here is an article by National Geographic about the cosmic pairing.

366 of 2012 - Day 76

366 of 2012 - Day 76. There are quite a few bald eagles on my route to work. I see them all the time. There is usually two in this tree every morning and again when I head home from work in the afternoon. There is an old nest in this tree. Last year, the city came and hacked up the trees as they grow in ditches and the soil was becoming unstable. One little tree falls on a woman during a windstorm and they hack the place apart! I spent the rest of that season watching the bald eagles who had been in the nest move elsewhere. I'm not sure if these are the same eagles or the offspring. I don't know much about them. They're huge though. The photos don't do this guy/gal justice!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4.5, 1/320 sec., ISO-640, 30 mm focal length, max aperture 4.34375, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter, very slightly, when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 75

366 of 2012 - Day 75. For those of you following the Maple Tree buds and their opening, here is yet another update!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/400 sec., ISO-160, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 74

366 of 2012 - Day 74. For those of you following the Maple Tree buds and their opening, here is another update!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/500 sec., ISO-100, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 73

366 of 2012 - Day 73. For those of you following the Maple Tree buds and their opening, here is an update! I'm not sure if these will become leaves or if they have something to do with pollination.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/50 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 72

366 of 2012 - Day 72. Bubbles and windy days are fun!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/100 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 71

366 of 2012 - Day 71. My daughter Weeb and I were painting nails with some awesome pink, sparkly nail polish.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

FOUR LEAF CLOVER HUNTING

Earlier today, I posted a picture of clover. Weeb and I had been hunting for a 4 leaf clover. She tells me that kids in her class have been hunting for them at recess and lunch (when they're actually in school, despite a teachers' strike and spring break). We didn't find any 4 leaf clovers. We also didn't find any leprechauns, which Weeb tried to convince me were hiding in the trees on the outskirts of the school field. Anyhow, I had an online friend asking if I had any other pictures, and I do, so here they are.

366 of 2012 - Day 70

366 of 2012 - Day 70. My daughter Weeb took me out to show me some clover patches today. We were looking for 4 leaf clovers (and leprechauns).

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO-80, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask, High Pass Filter, Photo Filter and Vibrance when I cropped and added text in Photoshop. Honestly, none of it really made that much difference.

Picaboo's Weekly Challenge is posted here: Photography Composition: The Rule of Thirds.

366 of 2012 - Day 69

366 of 2012 - Day 69. My daughter has been painting rocks. She loves rainbows, and I love the way she's painted this colortastic rainbow rock!

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/60 sec., ISO-250, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and fixed a bit of a glare when I cropped and added text in Photoshop.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 68

366 of 2012 - Day 68. My daughter planted this Grape Hyacinth last weekend. I'm amazed at how quickly it's growing.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/500 sec., ISO-250, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter in Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 67

366 of 2012 - Day 67. Snail. Live in damp-country, get snails.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/100 sec., ISO-80, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask and High Pass Filter in Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 66

366 of 2012 - Day 66. This is what the maple leaf buds look like today. Pretty awesome sky color, eh?

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/400 sec., ISO-80, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera hand held. This shot is SOOC (straight out of the camera) except for resizing and adding text, which I did in Photoshop.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 65

366 of 2012 - Day 65. Weeb is staying a few blocks from home, at a friend's house, during the Teachers' Strike. This is the view from their backyard at the moment.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4.5, 1/640 sec., ISO-80, 30 mm focal length, max aperture 4.34375, no flash, camera hand held. Applied Unsharp Mask Filter and High Pass Filter and adjusted Exposure slightly, using Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 64

366 of 2012 - Day 64. My first panorama shot/s. Not the best scene ever, but it was in walking distance and I didn't actually think it would work. I merged 6 shots with Photoshop.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/400 sec., ISO-125, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera on tripod. Applied Unsharp Mask Filter and High Pass Filter, but only very slightly, using Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

366 of 2012 - Day 63

366 of 2012 - Day 63. The red balloon from Cousin C's birthday party.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/4, 1/640 sec., ISO-80, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera handheld. Applied Unsharp Mask Filter and High Pass Filter, but only very slightly, using Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - How To Choose a Lens / Theme: Shapes.

I HATE THE SNUGGLE BEAR

366 of 2012 - Day 62

366 of 2012 - Day 62. My baby.

Taken with my Canon PowerShot G12, f/2.8, 1/30 sec., ISO-250, 6 mm focal length, max aperture 2.96875, no flash, camera on tripod. Adjusted Exposure and Levels. Adjusted Color Balance to the eyes and applied High Pass Filter to the eyes only, using Photoshop when I cropped and added text.

Picaboo's new Weekly Challenge is up. Photography Basics - Understanding Exposure.