photography

Inside looking out

2012-01-08T18:08:00.004-05:00

Oh, my poor babies want to go outside, it is so nice, kind of like spring with no flowers. I guess I have to charge up the Sansa and take them each for a walk. They have been SO good. And yes, they are a little spoiled.

A New Year

2012-01-01T00:08:00.004-05:00

A time for reflection, plans, and hope for the future. And looking back at accomplishments and what still needs to be done....As I sit here listening to the midnight fireworks go off, I realize how blessed we are and am very thankful. Plans for this year? Stay focused, and remember to have fun. This year it is also all about the laughs with my family.....
As I look back I am proud of the fact that I stuck with about 80% of the plan, and I can live with that. And what a difference it has made.

One of the things: To Commitment.

Happy new Year to all and also many blessings.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:20:00.010-05:00

It is always sad for me to put away the christmas decorations, so a few photos before they get packed away for another year.
Christmas Eve at midnight.

Billboards

2011-12-12T19:25:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been almost a year since i put anything on this blog so i guess it is time to get started:

I finally met the West Michigan director of the Parkinsons Organization, Joan, and she is such a sweetie. She wanted a photo of their new billboard that was just installed, and here it is, one during the day and one at night. So proud of Joan, she is an amazing woman. This is an organization that has my heart.

All legs

2011-01-23T21:22:00.005-05:00

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This little guy is ALL legs, and he follows me everywhere. I love the sound of his big gangly paws hitting the floor at a full gallop every time I leave the room...and he is right behind me. And when I sit on the floor he needs to be right on top of me if he can...so sweet!

To get a jump on a creative winter.

2011-01-09T22:54:00.001-05:00

"He's the puppy dog, the golden retriever-type. He loves to play; he loves being with people." Nancy Zaferes

2011-01-09T22:25:00.003-05:00

What I forgot about puppies:
They really do like to chase their tails.
Their feet smell like popcorn.
They are REALLY busy...
They like to hide in small spaces.
Nothing compares to "puppy kisses"
and there is nothing like holding a sleeping puppy, I forgot they make little noises like a baby.

And here he is tackling his teddy bear, pouncing and shaking it with his teeth, growling at it, and then he tries to show his dominance the way only a little boy puppy can....

And here is one of those tiny spaces he likes...

A puppy plays with every pup he meets, but an old dog has few associates” ...Josh Billings

2011-01-09T22:20:00.005-05:00

Oh, it does my heart good to see them bonding, they are getting along so great. Fun to watch them chasing each other around the yard. Dooney has been lonely, I think.

A Magical Christmas, New Years Eve

2011-01-01T17:46:00.003-05:00

and a foggy one at that! No huge resolutions this year, (at least ones that are public), but I will say that I am doing very well so far on my private list! Well, it IS only day one...

and a foggy one at that!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T17:38:00.003-05:00

And a new member to our family, Leo.

Weathered welcome

2010-11-07T11:26:00.002-05:00

Lensbaby photo of an old welcome flag....

Lights Out

2010-08-30T21:51:00.004-04:00

Yesterday a large part of our town lost power (remember it was like 90 degrees)at 3:00 in the afternoon. By late evening, in a very warm house, we lit the candles and our teen just couldn't figure out what to do....everything takes power....SOOOO, we lit more candles, played scrabble and had a WONDERFUL time...we need to lose power more often.

Mackinaw City

2010-08-12T23:32:00.004-04:00

Dawn from our balcony....(Still love the sunsets more)

More later, from the island...

Birthdays

2010-07-18T10:47:00.004-04:00

Feeling lucky and loved by these gifts, charms from my daughters, and a scrapbook room/photography studio re-do from my husband when I was just too busy to do it myself. Photo of paint and a new light fixture and my IKEA cubes....can't wait to start moving in.

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn”

2010-07-06T23:02:00.001-04:00

David Russell quotes

“A home without books is a body without soul.”

2010-07-05T19:40:00.004-04:00

I feel like summer has finally begun....

My Girls

2010-07-05T09:25:00.006-04:00

Love these moments......
Jillian and Abby.

A rainy day trip to Dow Gardens last weekend

2010-05-15T22:33:00.008-04:00

I love this place in May, tulips are everywhere! It is truly beautiful! My favorite part if the day was having my daughter with me and shooting her camera.

Mothers' Day Poem

2010-05-09T23:34:00.004-04:00

A dear friend of mine sent this out a few weeks ago, and it spoke volumns to me...I hope Sondra doesn't mind my sharing it also.

The Mother

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?", she asked. And the guide said: "Yes and the way is hard". You will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams. The sun shone on them and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this." Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark. The children shook with fear and cold and the mother drew them close. She covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid for you are near and no harm can come to us. The morning came and there was a hill ahead. The children climbed and grew weary and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have made it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday, I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength." And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil. The children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather. At last they came to a hill and beyond they could see a shining road and the golden gates flung wide. And the mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates. And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street. She's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks. She's the cool hand on your brow when you are not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. She is crystallized in every tear drop. She is the place you came from, your first home, and she is the map you follow with every step you take. She is your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing can ever separate you. Not time, not space....not even death.

Good Friday, the cross

2010-04-01T22:53:00.003-04:00

this is a picture of two different crosses in my neighborhood....they looked especially beautiful tonight.

Spring!

2010-03-20T00:01:00.004-04:00

I've been loving this weather! So nice to get outside. Here's a few shots from the week using my 70-200 lens, and getting used to it.

And then a little more extreme processing.

And then I saw this little guy swimming....

And then he/she met up with a friend, and all I could think of was the song "Muskrat Love".

John's ghost photo published

2010-03-14T22:40:00.003-04:00

John and Jillian recently took a trip to Gettysberg, and John happened to capture a confederate soldier ghost on film, and Coast to Coast published it! The link is below.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/photo/photo-of-the-day

So cool! Hoping to take a trip out there this summer, but only if I can also find a beach!

2010-02-15T23:10:00.001-05:00

Water drop

2010-02-06T20:38:00.003-05:00

TTV First attempt

2010-02-04T16:37:00.002-05:00

Through the viewfinder, a technique of shooting through an old camera viewfinder (which I am actually going to do this winter) and this is a short-cut, I will call it, taught by Kay at
http://www.rogerskk.typepad.com/.

The look of adoration...

2010-01-24T09:09:00.004-05:00

Roxie just adores my Dad.....Precious.

The wine glass

2010-01-09T07:59:00.001-05:00

My 365 Project

2010-01-02T15:06:00.004-05:00

I joined a 365 group for taking a picture-a-day, there is a link to my site on the right, click on "My 365" to see. The first two days, Friday and Saturday the topic was something about yourself, and starting Sunday the weekly topic will be Resolutions.

01-01-10

2010-01-02T00:10:00.004-05:00

One of my babies.

Resolutions and a New Year

2009-12-30T20:50:00.003-05:00

Well, it's almost 2010, and this year I am really going to try to stick to some of my resolutions. What's important to me? Setting priorities, such as first God, then Family, then work etc..., giving up some habits and making news ones (excersizing, organizing, making more fun family time) really celebrating my Moms' life and trying to be more like the wonderful mother that she was.

Also I am doing the 365 photography thing, a picture a day so I can see at the years end that I have actually done something. And to shoot more purposefully. Will I actually do these things? Who knows....but ya gotta try.

Actually, I have made some progress, I filled my Frankin Planner today for 2010, my favorite job of the year. I feel like I am starting with a clean slate! My Wii Fit Plus came in the mail today, and I already made up a link for my 365 so hey, we will see! Besides, it's a Blue Moon.

Lighting, a few more shots.

2009-12-26T01:07:00.003-05:00

Textures

2009-12-24T09:12:00.004-05:00

I played around a little with some textures and a FREE new applicater from MCP Actions, love it, the site is located in my favorite sites to visit. By the way, isn't Jasmine gorgeous? This is from a photo shoot get-together with some of my photo buddies last Sunday.
Merry Christmas and God Bless You!

Christmas At our House

2009-12-13T23:27:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks have been busy decorating the tree, shopping, Christmas parties and lOTS of family time. This year we brought out the old Christmas ornaments that we used when the girls were younger, mostly the ornaments they made in school and also ones that mark certain important events in our lives. It makes me SO happy to see these up again.
I'm using the blog-it boards from MCP Actions, they are kind of fun and a great way to tell a story.

Abby

2009-12-13T22:23:00.003-05:00

A rare moment to snap a shot before she realized I was going to take a picture of her....Love you, Abby, and thank-you!

My Baby

2009-12-10T23:50:00.003-05:00

A close-up of my sweet Golden....

A Walk In The Woods

2009-12-10T23:45:00.002-05:00

Reunions are great

2009-11-10T20:28:00.002-05:00

Here's to all of us!

Another Senior

2009-11-02T22:30:00.004-05:00

My favorite from Sunday, just a few quick shots for the yearbook.

Re-connecting with dear friends

2009-10-24T23:11:00.004-04:00

Through the miracle of the cell phone camera.
Myself with my two best friends from high school, one of which I haven't seen for about 34 years. How do we let the time go by like that? We met for lunch, visited one of our teachers, went to a pub and before you knew it, 9 hours had gone by.....It was SO good to see them again and reconnect, laugh, cry a little and remember all the good times.

And this would be the wonderful deep fried pickles...WONDERFUL. I never heard of these, but they are great! Maybe the wine helped.

Fall in Michigan

2009-10-15T23:16:00.004-04:00

Parade People Watching

2009-10-14T23:29:00.007-04:00

Fall color was beautiful, and the people were very interesting, especially the students.

CMU Homecoming Parade

2009-10-11T22:17:00.004-04:00

First of all, let me say what a wonderful parade, the school spirit was everywhere. What a way to start a beautiful fall day!

Now, check out the green and yellow circles in the background of this Photograph. That's bokeh, thanks to my new lens!

And this is Jill with the Rage Hip-Hop Competition Dance group and pre-parade fun.

And now the parade....

Jill, there's more on facebook, and more parade photo's to follow.

Homecoming 2009

2009-10-03T23:14:00.011-04:00

Abby's first Homecoming Dance, I can't believe how much she has grown up!

And Jill has a new "do".

Expecting...

2009-09-26T12:08:00.012-04:00

We have a baby coming in our family, my Nephew and his wife, and they were gracious enough to humour me with camera time. She looks absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much guys!

A Few More....

2009-09-12T15:40:00.002-04:00

WOW, A Gorgeous Senior

2009-09-06T00:28:00.011-04:00

This girl was so amazing, she should be a model! That and she was fun to work with! More to follow later.

Granddaughters

2009-09-01T22:57:00.004-04:00

Cross

2009-08-27T23:33:00.004-04:00

I've had my eye on this cross for quite awhile, something about the purple cloth draws me to it.

Mom's Clematis

2009-08-27T23:26:00.004-04:00

Playing around with different processing of this grogeous plant...

African Lion Safari

2009-08-25T23:55:00.008-04:00

We went to a drive-thru African safari, the animals were loose in large fenced in areas, and cars drove through the pens with the animals in it. It was near Toronto, lONG car ride, so this is what a bored teen looks like:

These pictures were taken through the window glass, if you tried to open a window, one of the guards would immediately yell thru a speaker to close the window. We could soon see the reasoning for this, because this is who walked right up to our car to peek in at us:

These baboons would climb on peoples cars, and they liked to try to hitch a ride. I was hoping one would climb on ours, but no such luck!

Sunflowers

2009-08-25T23:22:00.003-04:00

Pow Wow Pride

2009-08-09T00:01:00.004-04:00

Here are a few of my favorite images from the Chippewa Pow wow I attended Friday night. What an experience....amazing! And once again I found a marine.

Sunsets

2009-08-02T20:59:00.001-04:00

rings

2009-07-30T23:19:00.003-04:00

Frankfort Part 2

2009-07-24T08:13:00.004-04:00

My New Lens 70-200 mm 2.8VR

2009-07-21T22:17:00.004-04:00

Love this lens, only had a day or two to play with it, and this is what I got so far. Love the bokeh! This is an awesome lens and with a little more practice I hope to have some better ones soon.

My Mother

2009-07-21T21:53:00.004-04:00

Take time today to hug your family and hold them close..... My mom passed away last weekend and I can't begin to imagine a day without her in my life. Such a sweet and gentle soul....thanking God right now for the precious memories she has given me and my family and for being a lucky daughter to have her for my mother. I Love You Mom...

contest

2009-07-12T20:38:00.002-04:00

Just entered a contest to win a Tamron lens from MCPActions....drawing held tonight. Here is the link! http://mcpactions.com/blog/2009/07/08

Frankfort reflections

2009-07-12T11:44:00.005-04:00

A few from Point Betsie lighthouse...

Sunsets in Michigan

2009-07-10T00:05:00.002-04:00

A Bridge

2009-07-03T11:00:00.008-04:00

One from the other night, too bad it was facing the wrong way for a sunset.

Skateboarders Portraits

2009-07-03T10:49:00.009-04:00

These guys were so awesome!

Skateboarders

2009-06-28T23:34:00.003-04:00

A couple of nights ago my friends Melissa and Kiran and I made a trip out to the skate park. The skateboarders were SO nice about us taking their potraits, we will be back for sure. Kiran had his lights and we were able to get some shots that we might not have been able to otherwise. Thanks Kiran for all of your help! More pics to come later.

2009-06-25T23:34:00.000-04:00

Happiness is:

2009-06-20T21:52:00.003-04:00

Spending the day with grand-daughters!

Classical Music and Dance of India

2009-06-14T15:14:00.006-04:00

I got the chance to attend an Indian Recital, and let me tell you it was beautiful! The classical music was wonderful, you could feel it come from their hearts. And the dance! Gorgeous girls in colorful dress, amazing jewelry and headresses, what a wonderful time.

The Graduation Celebration

2009-06-08T20:38:00.004-04:00

The faces of graduation

2009-06-08T20:24:00.007-04:00

Sisters.

Gabriel

2009-06-04T07:02:00.005-04:00

This is the sweetest little guy...with the most beautiful eyes in the world.

Brent

2009-06-04T06:57:00.004-04:00

What an amazing young man, and he sings beautifully. What a joy to be around!

Blessings

2009-06-02T07:22:00.001-04:00

These are the two greatest kids...I love them dearly

Heather

2009-06-01T22:21:00.003-04:00

MaKenzie

2009-05-29T07:26:00.002-04:00

A little different version of Black and White....She is such a pretty girl, and I think I like this one the best.

MaKenzie

2009-05-27T18:50:00.003-04:00

She's a beautiful young lady whose smile can light up a room....and a very sweet girl!

Dance

2009-05-24T12:14:00.003-04:00

Brianna

2009-05-18T22:45:00.006-04:00

recital

2009-05-18T19:55:00.028-04:00

Here's some of Jill's songs on you tube, from proudpapa.

My busy week....

2009-05-18T16:06:00.005-04:00

Senior Honors assembly:

Voice recital for Grace Marra's students:

And a senior voice recital for Lauren and Jill together, they did an amazing job.

And one of Jill's songs was "At Last" with her boyfriend playing the guitar, they were wonderful!

Gearing up for this weekend's dance recital, busy every day but it will be fun. I need some energy!

Meet Sean

2009-05-17T23:12:00.008-04:00

Sean was so full of energy, he loves his bike, the trampoline, but you should see his eyes light up when he plays with his trains. Such a sweetie!

Patrick

2009-05-16T00:15:00.006-04:00

This guy loves the swing, and the trampoline makes him laugh.

Kim

2009-05-12T22:53:00.002-04:00

A Special Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:39:00.004-04:00

because I got to spend it with a very special mother. They have 9 adopted children besides their own, and these are the sweetest kids. Lots of love in this family!
More pictures to come Sue, keep watching. Thank-you for sharing your family with me today.

Prom Time Again

2009-05-08T00:17:00.006-04:00

It's always so fun to see the kids and of course Dow Gardens was packed, really packed. I think the prom was a big hit this year.

A Wedding

2009-04-26T23:54:00.005-04:00

And here he is:

2009-04-25T08:27:00.003-04:00

A few more expecting

2009-04-25T08:15:00.003-04:00

This dog was so cute, he kept guarding this unborn child, already so protective of him, and placing his paws on her belly, sweetest thing I have ever seen!

From the Farm

2009-04-25T08:07:00.003-04:00

The calf was only 12 hours old, so sweet!

A Few From the Last Week...

2009-04-07T00:12:00.004-04:00

Beautiful parents-to-be and they were a pleasure to photograph. Much more to come.

Gorgeous sisters.

And a little boy's first birthday, very special to me, again many more to come.

Riley

2009-03-22T23:21:00.001-04:00

The Gardens

2009-03-13T23:44:00.002-04:00

18...

2009-03-13T23:39:00.003-04:00

A special birthday, so her sister made her pancakes in the shape of 18...sister love!

Lavender metallic

2009-02-28T19:54:00.005-05:00

How lucky! Found a dress right away and 2 months before Prom...and shoes to match.
So sad it's her last prom, but I'll be homecoming shopping for my youngest next fall.
Forgive the picture, it was taken with a Nikon coolpix.

"Still Standing"...

2009-02-24T23:13:00.010-05:00

is the great band that played at the Elks Club for a Mardi Gras Party and I was lucky enough to get to take a few pictures. Fun party! Hoping to be able to get the chance to do this again soon. Thanks guys!

Redesigning...

2009-02-23T22:43:00.002-05:00

Working on the blog, moving things around and purging some...trying to add categories, wish I had a degree in computer design!

Haunted

2009-02-15T08:52:00.005-05:00

Signs of Spring

2009-02-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

However, these are in my house...can't wait until summer.

Bokeh?

2009-01-19T18:04:00.004-05:00

I was going through some old pictures the other day and discovered that I like the look this old 70-300 lens gives, love the background. I'm going to start using this one again, for certain things.

Some from an old haunted farm

2009-01-07T22:14:00.001-05:00

Happy New year

2008-12-31T15:59:00.004-05:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, and praying for health, peace, and happiness for all.
Check out the music on the right. My Christmas gift from my daughter, Jillian. Click on it to hear the song, and have a safe New Year's Eve. OOps, if it sounds like a chipmonk, we are working on it!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T23:08:00.006-05:00

The best part of Christmas was being with all of my family, plus a Nikon D300! I Love Love Love it! Pictures to follow soon!
Also, working on my calibration.

These dogs were exhausted from christmas, playing with the wrapping paper and fighting over the toys.