Fascinating Flowers

These are a few of the first photos taken with my new macro lens.

I'll be the first to admit that the picture needs help in the lighting department, but I love the way part of the photo is in focus and part not. And I love the little bits of pollen which cling to a couple of the petals.

 I really enjoy photographing flowers because of the varying colors, shapes, textures and configurations. They make my spirit soar.

I hope these please you as much as they do me.

Which is your favorite and why?

Focus, focus, focus

It isn't often that I set out with the express intention of taking photographs. A period set aside for picture-taking. Friday was that day.

Of course in a determined effort to make every moment count, Carol and I included a trip to Fresno. We started off with a car wash at our favorite Chevron station at Blackstone and Minarets (or thereabouts . . .). They do a great pre-wash with soapy water and a brush, and they always do it with a smile. Then a claustrophobic ride through pink suds and hot air, emerging into the sunlight sparkling like the showroom floor.

We continued on to breakfast at Mimi's, figuring we'd be seated right away since it was nearly 10:00 a.m. No such luck. We still had to wait. As we sat, two ladies asked if they could join us.

"Sure, please do" we said, and they pulled up chairs.

They proceeded to introduce themselves and told us they'd just returned from a short vacation to Mt. Shasta. That certainly broke the ice since Mt. Shasta is something Carol saw often during her years of driving to and from her home in Brookings, OR, and I fell in love with the peak during driving trips to Oregon and Washington with Shevy. This trend toward instantaneous friendships seems to be a hallmark of my "new life," boosted by my volunteer time at Yosemite Sierra Visitors' Bureau. This previously-shy individual now doesn't hesitate to talk to people, whether on the trail or in a restaurant. Somehow that must show on my face or in my demeanor, as people approach me, as these ladies did. Bless you, Shevy, for teaching me there are no strangers.

After a quick stop at Cost Plus to barter for a bargain end table, Carol and I headed up the mountain to Shaver and Huntington Lakes. Carol had never been there, and it had been years for me. Carol recently acquired a new camera (a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28S), based on recommendations from Carol's photographer friend Miguel. When Carol told me what she was thinking, I thought of the marvelous photos my friend Kaye Duncan of Portland takes with her Panasonic. Kaye's photos shared via Flickr always inspire me. The Panasonic, considered a high-end member of the point-and-shoot category, takes photos every bit as as detailed and sharp as my DSLR--just doesn't have the removable lenses. If I were going to go for a point-and-shoot, that'd be the one, and if it weren't for Kaye, I'd never have known about it.

My self-stated intent for the photo shoot was to learn to use my camera's focusing apparatus. Farida and Jason, ever my teachers, showed me how to set individual focus points with my Rebel Xs, so I figured I'd try it out. Bingo! Success! A couple of my better results are shown on my photoblog, Nature's Heart entry for September 11.

The composition may not rival Ansel Adams', but you should be able to tell where my focal point is. Probably 90 per cent of the photos taken that day showed that I'd gotten the idea.

The "fisherpeople" picture was taken with friend Kaye in mind. Her photographs capture lines, angles, perspective and colors and always make me want to see ordinary things (like farmers' markets) in the extraordinary manner she manages to memorialize. Check her out. She's known as ohkayeor on Flickr.

Kaye and I met at ECCO's first Artists' Creative Weekend last Thanksgiving, and I've had the pleasure of following her photos ever since.

***

Flushed with triumph, I was thrilled when grandson Hunter actually was willing to pose for me on Saturday. With three photographers in the family (four counting him), he sometimes gets a little tired of being our favorite subject, so when he's willing, I'm there.

My vision of becoming the next Annie Lebowitz went down the drain as soon as I downloaded the first batch. They were all blown-out, out of focus, backlit and miserable. Sometimes all in the same picture.

Back to the drawing board.

By the time the afternoon ended, I'd amassed some semi-acceptable Hunter renderings, a few with focus softer than Farida probably would accept--but I think they show a softer side of Hunter himself. 

One of my favorites is shown here. Others are posted at Nature's Heart. I like the bokay, the colors both in the face and the tee shirt, the pensive expression. It's far from perfect . . . but it makes me happy, as does the subject himself.

The best part of a photography passion is that there's always tomorrow, always a next shoot, changing subjects. It also causes you to look at everything through a photographer's lens, observing life in terms of light, color, texture and flow.

Fun Photography - A First

Today was a milestone.

Today I completed my first-ever "photo shoot."

After I begged several of my friends to be guinea pigs for my newest hobby/avocation/passion, Virginia finally gave in. She said she needs new publicity shots for her website and stills for her new books. She's my hero(ine)--a real, live published author with a bunch of wonderful children's books in print and more in the pipeline. She's what I think I wanna be when I grow up. That or Ansel Adams.

Roommate Carol and I headed up to North Fork this afternoon and spent a delightful several hours experimenting with camera equipment and the new lens that just came in the mail today--a 50mm 1.8 aperture prime that I've coveted ever since my daughter got one several weeks ago. The photos it produces are simply amazing, or would be if the operator of the camera/lens knew what she was doing. But that was the whole idea of the shoot, to figure out if I can learn to take photos of moving objects, er, people. It seems  I can, with a lot more practice. The sum total of the day was something in the neighborhood of 700 images of Virginia, her dogs and her beautiful teenage neighbor, Sierra.

Because I don't have their permission to post any of Virginia's or Sierra's photos, I have to be content with showing you something else. Someone who DID give me the okay to share her pictures. WARNING . . . these could be considered pornographic in some circles.

This gorgeous girl is Freckles, and this is the way she likes to sleep. She paid no attention whatsoever to me or my camera as I snapped pose after pose while she napped on the deck outside the sliding glass door.

Isn't she beautiful?

Thanks, Virginia (and Freckles), for letting me invade your space. Thanks also for the scrumptious dinner, a chance to visit with you, Dick and Muriel, and for giving us the chance to catch up on all the Pilegard news.

Can we do it all again soon--this time at our house?

What Am I Gonna Be When I Grow Up?

First off, if I haven't grown up by now, chances are it's not going to happen any time soon. And truly I don't want to. I want to nurture and foster a look at life through childlike eyes.

But I have been gifted with the opportunity to do some serious thinking on the subject of how I want to live the rest of my life. After the initial shock that ECCO had reduced my work to two (2) days a week (down from three), I picked myself up off the floor and realized that--challenging as the finances are--this is the perfect chance to explore all my options. And before we go any further, let me say that everyone at ECCO took a hit. The belt had to be tightened, and it was absolutely the right thing to do.

Admittedly my brain works a bit slower than the average bear's, but after a few days, I realized I CAN WRITE once again, ergo this blog.

Suddenly I can begin that book about hiking for seniors that I've cogitated for years. It's not possible that I'm the only person who took up hiking for the first time at 61 years of age. Maybe, just maybe, I can convince other seniors that there's a whole new world out there that you can't see unless you get off your duff and off the highway.

The best part of a hiking hobby is that it's relatively cheap (after the initial outlay for the Ten Essentials, hiking boots, topos, walking sticks, fanny packs and backpacks, etc., etc., etc.), requiring a tank of gas and your time. I'm lucky enough to live close to Yosemite National Park and oodles of other great hiking trails just outside the park's boundaries and a love for getting up before dawn, so the world's my oyster. In addition, when you travel to other areas, there are always trails to tred away from typical tourist places.

All that being said, there are at least two immediate and serious problems.

1. Even though my Silver Saturn gets excellent gas mileage, putting fuel in the vehicle now requires some consideration.

2. Even more serious, my ability to hike has been undermined by my putting on #@ pounds over the last few years. No excuses for that. But could someone please, please, please tell me how to get back on track and get that poundage back off? I originally started walking and hiking as a way to get newly-discovered diabetes under control. The hiking is still a part of my life but health control is a big challenge.

Photography. Don't even get me started on THAT passion, or I won't stop for hours. I discovered a renewed love for pictures after my first cataract surgery in November. Imagine! Colors and lines and patterns and textures appeared out of nowhere. They've probably been around all along, but I began to see them for the first time in years. I couldn't believe what I'd been missing. I grabbed my point-and-shoot and shot everything within sight. Never met a flower I didn't love.

Then I got my Canon Rebel XS.

Whoooohooooo!

At right is a photo of Ellery Lake, at the east gate of Yosemite. My friend Pat and I were lucky to be there at the perfect time to catch the light playing on the water and snow on the peaks. If this isn't a miracle, what is? Our whole journey from Coarsegold through Yosemite up Highway 395 to Pat's condo in Lake Tahoe was filled with glorious images. Hundreds of them.

I celebrate the friendship of someone who let me indulge my oohhhs and ahhhhhs--and took quite a few beautiful snaps of her own.

That's enough for tonight. But I hope you, my friends, will pop in to check out this blog from time to time. After all, more important than any material possession is the magnificent collection of friends I've acquired over the last 66+ years. I love you all.