SNOW DROP

We were visiting my folks on the weekend and they have these wonderful little snow drops in their garden. It was sunny, the little flowers were very pretty and I desperately wanted a picture.

However, I had several things going against me. My camera battery was dead so I waited about ten minutes to get a charge before I headed out to the garden. I could not get low enough without actually getting into the garden, which was rather on the damp side, this being BC and all. My ribs were not keen on the position I was trying to get into to get the shot I wanted. The digital macro was not working especially well because my arms were outreached and wobbly, plus there was a breeze that was bobbling the flowers about.

So I dropped the digital macro and went to Auto. My ISO was at 100, at my husband's suggestion.

This is cropped from a much wider shot. It was blurry, but I fiddled with it anyways. A bit of Smart Sharpen and a High Filter Pass seemed to help. It's not nearly the shot I wanted, and I don't especially like it, but it gave me an excuse to play around a bit.

Original photo, below.

MY PEN

I'm still playing with my Cannon PowerShot SD1000 and the Digital Macro setting and Photoshop.

I cropped this photo to 4" x 6" 72ppi, then did a layer with a High Pass Filter, and another layer using the blending option Hard Light and then applied a Smart Sharpen Filter.

I would have liked to have focused more on the tip of the pen when I took the photo, but I was at work and didn't have a lot of time to spare fooling around with my camera. I spent about five minutes editing with Photoshop. Still avoiding the rule of thirds here, but like last time, I really liked the placement of the pen.

As previously, the original is below the edited version.

STRAY STAPLE

In a continued effort to figure out how to best use my little Cannon PowerShot SD1000, I've been practicing with the Digital Macro feature.

This is just a random staple on my desk, at work.

I cropped to 4x6 @ 72ppi and added two layers in Photoshop, using the Multiply and the Linear Light blending modes. I didn't tackle the rule of thirds here, but I think the placement turned out quite well. Not bad for a little point and shoot camera!

Above, is the second edit with a High Pass Filter.

Thanks to Carla S for the suggestion.

Before, below. After, above.

Because I'm sure you couldn't have possibly figured that out all on your own.

TIME FOR TEA

I have some friends who are improving their photography and Photoshopping skills. It is inspiring me to learn more. Though we have a nicer camera, I always carry my Cannon PowerShot SD1000 with me. This picture is all about my mom. It's her teacup, on her coaster, on her kitchen table.

THAT'S WEEBY!

It's a Weeb!

THE FROST BEFORE THE SNOW

It got chilly this week. Before the snow hit, I found a nice frost pattern on my car window. Jack Frost is a crafty type.

And because I like to digitally bastardize my photos so they are almost completely unrecognizable, here is a bit of the same photo, all over-filtered.

Then last night it started to snow. It was pretty. I wish it had started earlier in the evening instead of starting at bedtime. Poor Weeb had been so excited but didn't get to play in it until the following morning when, though there was still a ton left, it was beginning to get heavy, and there was only so much playing she could do before school started. I was glad I'd brought work home as I do not do well driving in the snow. I am just not confident. I'm one of those people who other people are talking about when they comment about wishing 'they' would just stay off the road when it snows. I do. You're welcome.

So pretty. I love watching it snow. Fingers are crossed the next dump comes on a Friday or Saturday night!

YOU PARK LIKE YOU'RE BLIND, TOO

Seriously?

I get that the guy who works next door to us parks like he's visually impaired, I mean, he's been parking badly, next to me, for the past four years.

What amazes me is that everybody else who parks in that spot ALSO parks like they have visual issues.

I have to wonder if there is something gravitational going on in regards to my car. Perhaps it just sucks people and their vehicles into some kind of Toyota Echo-y vortex of closeness?

And it doesn't just happen at work, though it does seem to happen there quite frequently, and as I have a window that looks out on the parking lot, I have the opportunity to catch these terrible parkers more than in other places. I mean, when I park at the mall, I go into the mall, I don't just hang out waiting to take photos of the idiots who park too close to me (though I have pictures from the mall, too).

I don't have a clever closing, other than a rather large number of people appear to be stupid and park too close to me.

YOU PARK LIKE YOU'RE BLIND

Dude in the office next to mine - seriously? How did you get out of your van? If you tried just a little harder, you might actually get closer to my car. Heck, if you tried just a little harder, you might actually get INTO my car.

Your complete lack of ability to park without appearing to be brain damaged continues to fascinate me.

If you stare at the photo, the contents of my desk, reflected in the window, will appear to you. That's just a little bonus from me to you. Enjoy.

WHAT TIME IS IT MISTER WOLF?

I have many clocks and watches available to me at any given moment. None of them tell the time as much as they suggest what it might be.

Sitting at my computer, I can see the time on my computer, the DVR, the cordless phone, my cell phone, my iTouch and my watch, and NONE of them tell the same time. I can lose ten minutes looking from one gadget to the next.

(Photo nabbed from some unsuspecting website, somewhere or other.)

I have the same problem at work. The phone, my computer, the server, the fax machine and the thermostat all tell different times. I can never seem to get out of the office on time - I end up five minutes early or ten minutes late.

I can lose hours just walking from my living room to my kitchen!

With all the fancy shmancy technology that I'm forced to deal with on a daily basis, you'd think something would be able to make all the clocks in my life tell the same time.

I'd be content just to know what gadget is actually telling me the correct time.

Maybe this is what Einstein was really talking about. Time is relevant, indeed!

HIGH WIRE SNEAKERS

I don't know if this happens everywhere, but here, it is not unusual to see sneakers hanging from power lines.

I have no idea how they get up there. I imagine they are tossed up there, but I also imagine you must have a pretty good arm to get them up that high.

So are there groups of shoe thieves out there attacking unsuspecting, large footed people donned in running shoes, snatching said shoes, tying the laces together and then pitching them up on these wires? Do the victims of shoe thievery just walk home in their socks? Do the thieving pitchers get bonus points if they get them up there on the first toss?

Or are people doing this to their own shoes on purpose? Maybe it's like tagging (graffiti)? Maybe it's just a way of saying, "I was here! And my feet are large! And I need new shoes!"

It's no digger in a ditch, yet it still fascinates me and Weeb every time we see them. This particular shoe-y ornament has graced the power lines outside the corner store near our house. They've been there for the better part of a year, maybe more. Every time we drive or walk by, Weeb says, "They're still there." And then I say, "Yup." Yeah, it's not a big conversation starter, but it is still a moment for us.

So thank you, shoe tossing strangers, for this interesting little conversation piece (however brief the conversation may be).

GOODBYE 2010, HELLO 2011

In 2010, we lost some amazing people (and a dear fuzzy), put up with some annoying people, missed some far away people, and were lucky to be surrounded by mostly awesome people!

Goodbye Christmas 2010. Santa was good to us. He was kind enough to leave us part of his beard on the glass of milk we left for him! I guess those extremely marshmallowy Holiday Rice Krispie treats were stickier than we thought!

We rang the new year in with rounds of coughs from most of our family members. Still, we had fun. The yearly tradition of doing puzzles and eating as much turkey, chocolate and potato chips as humanly possibly from Christmas Day through New Year's Eve continued, though I'll admit that the chocolate and potato chip indulgence was mostly just mine.

I hadn't intended to take down the Christmas tree this weekend, but the timing seemed right and with a five year old with more toys than we have space, a five year old who was very eager to spend the next three days playing with these many toys, we decided to try and put Christmas away with as little fuss as possible.

Turns out we got Christmas put away in less time than it takes to speak to in-laws in England and watch Despicable Me for the zillionth time. It seemed to be easier this year somehow. I've been trying to downsize in the past couple of holiday pack ups, and I guess it paid off. But then we don't put out very much Christmas cheer as we spend most of our time with my folks, whose house is a tribute to family and Christmas. It is home. It is joy. It is a winter wonderland, usually minus the snow. My mother spends endless hours decorating. I don't know if she just loves Christmas or just loves that her family loves Christmas. Regardless, she makes the environment, the holiday, magical.

Usually the house looks empty after Christmas decorations have been put away, but not this year, not with a five year old and all her toys all over the house. I used to get depressed after Christmas, but not so much now that I'm a mom.

We'll spend the next couple of days trying to get back to some kind of 'normal' routine before school and work starts again.

Here's to a fantastic year for us all! Happy 2011!