photo challenge #19 - shoes

Ummmm - yeah - about that photo challenge...
I left off with week 18 - "week off"

which, as it turns out - I truly excel at.

- I've done that prompt repeatedly for - oh, I don't know, lots of weeks...

So - in the spirit of keep on keeping on...
my prompt for this week - shoes

- or rather, a giant pile of ski boots

- Okay, so I'm really not much of a "shoe" person...

Driving down the road, this mound of boots,
(which is much larger than this photo suggests)
is one of those things that make me go "hmmmmm"

A friend once told me about visiting the shop next to this pile o' boots,

hoping to have a buckle repaired on her favorite ski boots.
The clerk explained that the newer boots no longer used the same buckle
- about to turn her away when he ran out to this pile -
and voila - a replacement buckle was found.

So - yeah - that is all I know about this mountain of boots,
except that every time I drive by, I kinda, sorta, wanta throw my old ones on top.

next up - Bokeh

Thanks for dropping in - I wish you a wonderful day!

photo challenge #15 - faceless self portrait

Plum Island - Massachusetts

After a couple of false starts,
I finally managed to get into a groove.
The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge covers a large portion of Plum Island.
Popular with bird watchers, I crossed paths with several photographers
carrying cameras sporting what looked like (to me) gazillion millimeter zoom lenses.
Yeah - don't mind me - I'm just here to shoot a selfie...

I was determined to do this challenge outdoors, though
- and was relieved to find a spot away from the other beach-goers
- a spot where I didn't feel completely self-conscious.
The real bonus - as someone who tends to frown at the camera -
shooting a faceless self-portrait is definitely the way to go!

Next up - Path

Have a great day!

Thanks for dropping in!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF24-105mm F/4L IS USM

ISO 400

40 mm 1/2000 sec at f/6.3

photo challenge #13 - reflection

So, I've actually had this one ready to go for a couple of weeks
- and I thought I had set it up to automatically post,
but I didn't, and it didn't
- and so it goes...
Do you ever do that? Have something ready and then...?
Anyway

When I saw this prompt, I thought - huh?
I mean, I'm pretty sure I've had several recent photos with reflections
Yes - well - maybe they weren't intentional
I guess...

So - a bright sunny winter day,
driving along the coast - we stop at Gloucester Harbor
- Greg gazing at the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial

Next up - Sun Flare
(hmmm, pretty sure I've caught a few accidentally - I have a little reading to do...)

Thanks for dropping in!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF24-105mm F/4L IS USM

105mm ISO200 1/60 sec at f/8.0

scene & story - photo challenge #12 - something new

I promise - it's coincidental

- my weekly prompt (for the second time) is also my story for the month

- something new -

Once upon a time,
in the days of yore (some of you may remember),

a baby's gender was a great mystery until it was delivered,
and the doctor proclaimed "It's a ____!!"

- and long months of anticipation gave way to excited announcements,

spreading from hospital to family to friends - by word-of-mouth and telephone

- and this was the "gender reveal" of yesteryear

Skipping forward to modern times,
- January was the month for Jeff and Laura's gender reveal

- months before the baby is due
- and well -

the doctor's office lacks a bit of that old fashioned excitement - so...
a sealed envelope from the doctor was given to a friend
who wrapped a small gift to be opened at a family gathering
and...

It's a girl!!!
 and a few short weeks of anticipation gave way to excited announcements

spreading on social media...

Ummm - yeah, it's a whole new world.

And while I may be a teensy bit amused by this whole new gender reveal thing,
it was actually a lot of fun
- and after Jeff recovered from his shock over the idea of a daughter,
his baby-to-be quickly became "Daddy's little girl"
Needless to say - boy or girl - we're all very excited
- and God willing, in a few short months, we will be holding this little bundle of joy.

I am joining Sarah and Lee
for Scene & Story

Thanks for dropping in!

photo challenge #11 - something old

my childhood teddy bear

ragged from many years of snuggles

this poor old bear - missing both eyes, part of an ear, and a fair amount of stuffing,

has traveled with me from home to home

- and now resides on my bedroom dresser

I knew a couple of weeks ago that my teddy bear would be the subject of this prompt

-  which brought me into the realm of still life photography

- something I know absolutely nothing about

Reading articles about lights, backdrops, reflectors...

I thought to myself - yeah, I'm not doing any of that

So I moved my bear about the house - seeking a setting that felt right

- and when I placed him on this antique chair,

letting the outdoor lighting provide the backdrop,

it all just sort of clicked for me

Next up - Something New

Do you have a cherished childhood item?

I'd love to see it captured in a photo!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF24-105mm f/4 IS USM, 65mm

1/125 sec at f/4.0

photo challenge - week #10 juxtaposition

I'm running behind

- yep, nothing new, here...

Sooooo - juxtaposition...
Anyway - a couple of weeks ago, during a snowstorm in Boston,

I heard on the news of a man in Copley Square, lying in a hammock

Yeah - he was there, I wasn't - but how cool would that have been?

Then, this morning on my commuter train, 

pulling into the station in Boston, a man is wearing a ski helmet

- goggles and all - ???

I was there - but missed that shot too...

So - thank goodness for Copley Square

- my old reliable

where historic and modern comfortably coexist

Next up - something old

which will likely be late - again

I think I know what I want to do, but need daylight - at home

yeah - I'm not home during daylight hours...

Is it summer yet?

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

32mm 1/50 sec at f/9.0

photo challenge - outtakes

I am learning so much more from my photo challenge than I had ever anticipated

- the prompts, themselves, are meaningless

and yet, each one challenges me to focus on something specific
- while trying something new

- take a different approach
- look from another angle...

So this week, I'm sharing some outtakes

(aka camera dump - but I'll keep it to a minimum)

Clouds - still clicking away at the John Hancock tower,

I like the fluffy cloud reflections and bright blue sky

this was a close runner up - but leaves me dissatisfied somehow
although, I can say the same for my chosen photo...

The color red - technically not an outtake

I took this photo a few weeks before starting - and archives are against the rules... (gasp)

The red cups drew my eye - but the photo is about morning in a coffee shop

From a high angle - I was really just playing
- but laughed when I saw this one
penguins and tie-dye - Laura has always loved color - and LOTS of it
- and I do believe I caught her catching up on my blog :-)

Door(s) - this is one of my favorite Boston neighborhoods

I often walk through it on my way to work - stopping one morning,

hoping to capture the early sun and feel of a city morning

- hmmm, maybe if there was a family leaving for work or school

 - but then, I would have felt like a stalker...

From a low angle

There were so many ways to approach this prompt

This photo is a good reminder to me, 

 that while I'm feeling completely conspicuous,
kneeling on the sidewalk with my camera near the ground

- only one person even notices me

He looks kind of grumpy - but I don't think he really cares

Next week - back on track with Close-up
- which is actually ready to go - but it can wait...

Happy Sunday - enjoy your day!

photo challenge week #5 - door(s)

"Library doors are a gateway to anywhere."

Boston Public Library - Copley Square

Yeah - so - this challenge had me stumped

doors - everywhere - mostly nondescript...

Then I happened upon the quote above

- and because - well - I can spend hours in a library - exploring

I knew what I needed to do -

Another lunchtime walk to Copley Square,

watching as people entered this majestic gateway to anywhere...

"I always felt if I can get to a library, I'll be OK." Maya Angelou

Next week - from a low angle

Other than home - what are your favorite door(s) to walk through? -
(real or metaphorically)

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF-S18-55 f3.5-5.6 IS II

35 mm 1/100 sec at f/4.5

Thanks for dropping in!

photo challenge week #4 - from a high angle

morning at Away

my favorite time - relaxed, quiet

enjoying a cup of coffee and reading about lines,

setting my book down and head up to the loft with my camera

time for practice...

Meanwhile - morning sun streams through the living room slider
- Greg, deep in thought - concentrating, learning 

relaxed in his "Vermont comfy clothes"
I'm certain he hears my camera clicking from some far away place - background noise

he'll soon be out puttering in the yard - busy with this or that

but for now, it's that perfect, peaceful slice of time
mornings in Vermont

Next week - Door(s)

I've decided to switch my photo challenge posts from Monday to Sunday
 - blogger's prerogative :-)

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF50mm f/1.8 II

50 mm 1/40 sec at f/3.2

photo challenge week #3 - the color red

One of my mostest favoritest colors!

as it turns out - red is everywhere
and my real challenge wasn't finding something red to take a photo of
but finding something red that spoke to me

So - back in Vermont - out for a country ramble,
I see this guy standing at the train station
- North Bennington, Vermont
and I tell Greg I need to take his photo

Clicking away, with the station as my backdrop,
I hear a train coming down the tracks
I could not have timed this if I had tried...
:-)
- which feels a little bit like cheating - but not really

So, I think this might actually be self-portrait #2
- I mean, like it or not - I am this guy
and all I can think is - look up, buddy - enjoy the moment!
 but there he stands - at the station - waiting...

Next up - From a High Angle
???????

Happy Monday!!

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II (kit lens)

1/60 sec at f/6.3 37mm

photo challenge week #2 - clouds

a girl, a camera, and a lunch break

Copley Square - Boston, Massachusetts

The cue this week is clouds

easy, peasy - right? - I see them almost every day
 - which made me think - hmmm - I see them almost every day
if an interesting cloud formation doesn't present itself,
what can I do that is - well, kinda, sorta different?

about a 15 minute walk from my office, the John Hancock Tower is all mirrored glass

(except it's not called that anymore - but I still do)

why do they keep renaming landmarks? It's confusing...

standing across the street from the tower, I caught the clouds reflecting off the glass
- with my 50mm, which I knew was the wrong lens for tight city spaces,
but stubbornly took it with me anyway - I'm oddly attached to this lens...

Oh, and then I googled the John Hancock tower to find out its new name
- and my computer filled with images of reflected clouds
- some from very cool perspectives, making me wonder - why didn't I think of that?
so much for different...
and, who even cares what the new name is? argh!

anyway - this was such a fun place to take photos
this girl and her camera - will be back!

On deck - the color RED - yippee! one of my favorite colors! hmmmm
Have a great day!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF50mm f/1.8 II

1/200 sec at f/8.0

photo challenge week #1 - self-portrait

When I set up this challenge - I didn't realize that this would be my Halloween post.
BOO!

I've never been much of a "selfie" person
nothing wrong with it - just not my thing
so when I noticed that the first prompt on the photo challenge that I planned to use
was a self-portrait - my instinct was to remove it
because - you know - it's my challenge and I get to choose what I want
- but then -
 what's a challenge without the challenge?

yeah - this was - ummmmmm fun...

It took me a while to get it all figured out -
lighting, focus, pose...

What I originally wanted to do was completely different, 

but for the life of me, I could not figure out the angle.

Maybe I'll try again later - but then - yeah, probably not...

I took this shot as I was beginning to feel a bit frustrated
- and as I rushed to sit down (again), I started to laugh
- which probably explains why the focus could be better

But - this is me - curled up in my living room chair - downtime comfy
My favorite part of the photo - the blurry colors in the window!
I didn't plan it, but I really like the way it looks.

All adjustments were made in Adobe Lightroom

(my very, very, very favorite program - thanks, Greg!)

I like to keep things as real as possible, so do little more than a "clean" edit -
white balance, exposure, contrast, clarity, sharpness...

Whew - week one - check

Next up - clouds... hmmmm....

Your responses about camera lenses were so helpful - thank you!
so now - how about camera bags?
When you're out shooting - what do you carry with you and how?
Backpack? Purse? Tripod? Nothing but a camera?

Happy Halloween - don't eat too much candy - or do, and enjoy it!  :-)
(none of that guilt stuff)

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF50mm f/1.8 II

1/13 sec at f/2.5