I am getting a new toy

So, my digital SLR has been acting up lately. I have taken it in for cleaning and a check-up. I was going to take it back in to see what, if anything needed to be repaired. Then I remembered that this camera was made in 2002. I have taken probably 20,000 photos with it since then. They are only good for so many photos. Seriously. I started looking into new digital SLR's and decided to go with Nikon because the lenses from my Fuji would fit. I bought the Nikon D 40x. I ordered it from NY and it should be here soon. I can't wait to play with it. I love getting a new camera and learning all there is about it.






I will keep my Fuji for now. I am really bad about getting rid of things. I get really attached. I have recorded so many memories with my Fuji, I can't just get rid of it. I still have every camera that I have ever owned. And I still go back to them. I will always continue to shoot film. A lot of people think that film cameras are passe. Not me. I am nostalgic. I love the smell when you open a new roll of film, and the excitement when you get to see the results after you get the roll developed. I will always shoot black and white and develop it in the darkroom.

I will post when my new toy arrives.

Cathy

Beauty to me is

Here is the zed card that I created for Beauty. I abandoned the cupcake idea. It just wasn't my best work. The tulip photo I did a week ago in my back area. The lighting was perfect. The sun was at the perfect angle. The maternity shot I did over a year ago on Nokomis Beach. The night photo was done in NY about 6 months ago. If you are interested in knowing how I did the night photo, ask me and I will give you the instructions.






Oh, I created my "logo" using Adobe Illustrator. I had never used Illustrator before Friday. I only spent a few minutes creating this logo. I am in LOVE with Illustrator. I can't wait to have some time to play with it more and see what I can create.

Cathy

my little Emperor

So the conversation went a little like this, just moments ago...

Franklin: "Mom, I want to get dressed."
Me: "okay, are you going to wear the new shark shirt that Aunt Kel sent?"
Franklin: "Yeah, and I need you to get me some spiderman underwear and some shorts
and some socks."
Me: "You have to wear pants today."
Franklin: "And don't forget to pack my lunch. I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
a cheese stick, spiderman fruit snack and a juice box."

I haven't even finished my first cup of coffee and I am being ordered around by my little Emperor. The moment he came into this world, I knew that he was a little Emperor. I want to encourage his independence, but I think that this is a bit much.

Why he feels the need to tell me what he wants for lunch everyday, I don't understand. It is the SAME thing EVERYDAY. I swear. No variation. Oh wait, I did add the cheese stick and he LOVES it. He is my kid who doesn't really try new things.

When I turned on the computer today, I had some other ideas in mind for my post today. I don't remember what they were! I will post some pictures later. I am off to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Manic Monday

Went up to MCC today to do my first task as Art Club President-layout a student art book. This was supposed to have been done last year and wasn't. We have the money to produce an art book from the student art show last year and don't want to lose it. So I stepped in. (I know what some of you are thinking) I did not realize how much work goes into laying out an art book or any book for that matter. I was thankful that I only had 22 or 23 peices to work with. I have some art books that have several hundred peices shown. I also had to come up with what the inside flaps would say, etc. I have to say that I got it done. I left it as is for now. I will look at it again on Friday when I am up there for my class, so that I have a fresh perspective. Then I will order it. I look at it this way, I got to "practice" on last year's book before making this years book! The student show is in April and I will be making another book from that show.

Made lasagna for Filic tonight, per Franklin's request. Wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing. I was multitasking, as I always do, when I realized that I forgot to put the cheese between all the layers. I loaded the top up with cheese in hopes that it will melt down into the rest. I was thinking ahead and trying to get dinner in the oven while Grace is sleeping and Franklin was having some quiet time. I guess that is what I get right! I even decided what I am making for dinner tomorrow night. I am really trying to get better about that. I usually decide last minute what I am going to make.

Grace starts gymnastics tomorrow morning. She will be with the sibling of one of Franklin's classmates. We decided to sign them up together in order to give them some time with other kids. Franklin and his classmate (don't want to use her name here, for safety) take gymnastics together on Wednesday afternoons. I bought her a gymnastics leotard, and can't wait to take a picture of her in it. She is really into jumping and doing summersaults so I think that she will enjoy this. I guess I will know tomorrow.

I still haven't shot anything for my photography assignment. I will probably try to go out and shoot later today or maybe tomorrow.

Hope you are all having a great Monday,
Cathy

Something to Inspire you

This is one of my favorite photographs. I took this in 2005 when we took an Alaskan cruise. I love the blues. This glacier was huge - I mean the size of Vermont huge! I zoomed in on a small portion of the glacier that I thought was interesting. I used a 150-500mm lens. This was taken on a small sea plane.





By focusing on such a small portion of this glacier, I was able to show the detail in it. Sometimes it is better to focus in on something and take in the details of it. You should not always try to get everything in. When I photograph babies, I like to take pictures of thier ears, toes, fingers, hands. When I photograph older children, I like to get a shot of just their eyes.

Try doing this the next time you are taking a picture.

Cathy

rambing and a challenge

So for weeks now I was thinking that my hair was really greasy. I just thought it was because of the heat and how much I had been sweating (tmi, I know). I just realized tonight that I have been using my Kerastase conditioner as my before blow drying creme. I had this "aha" moment when I grabbed my new bottle of Kerastase shampoo, I use the pink line. I looked and saw there was not another conditioner. This made me check elsewhere. That is when I picked up the bottle I had been using and read it a bit more carefully this time. It was the conditioner. I then looked for the before blow drying creme and found it. The bottle is a different color, but it is the same size, style, has a pump, etc. My hair is much lighter tonight and looks much better. I can't believe that I did that. Tonight my hair looks like it does when I come home from the salon. It even feels like it. I love the way my hair looks and feels after leaving the salon. Who doesn't.

My first assignment for my photography class is to photograph Beauty. I have been thinking all day about what I find beautiful. For me it is not the clouds, the sunset or nature. I find beauty in newborn babies(the first few weeks) and the female form-the curves, the perfection of it. I am not sure what I am going to photograph. I have a week to do it. I will not let myself photograph my kids (or my friends kids), anything at my house or near it. I make myself go out and shoot. I challenge myself. I have an understanding with my professor - per my instructions- he won't accept these images from me. He knows and I know too that I am more talented than that. I use this to push myself. I want to learn as much as I can and grow as a photographer. This class is more to learn how to promote myself and commercial photography. After our mid-terms we will form corporations and do some mock advertising. Coming up with the concept, photographing the product, etc. This is the part that I am going to hate. When I walked into class on Friday, I looked around to size up the "Competition". They are a bunch of slackers, etc. I am not sure when the last time some of the showered. The girl sitting next to me has a ring through her nose like a bull. I am not going to enjoy working with any of them.

On a happy note. I am going to be the President of the Art Club at MCC. I am going to be organizing monthly art submissions to encourage a healthy competition among the students. I am going to organize field trips to local museums. I have known that I was going to be the President since the middle of December and have been thinking about what I want to do. The Art Club has been dormant for as long as I can remember. We have money from the state that we can use to publish a yearly art book. This is an excellent opportunity to get the students who want to be artists exposure. So from now on you can all call me "Madame President"! I always knew when I was a little girl that I was going to be President one day-so okay it not the President of the USA, but I will take it! ha ha.

So here is my challenge to all of you. Go out this week and photograph Beauty - as you see it. I want to see what you find beautiful. I hope that this inspires you to be creative. I will have a RAK for the person that sends me their Beauty photograph first. So get out there and shoot!

Have a great weekend,
Cathy

I know that it has been awhile and that my faithful blog readers are begging for a new post. I don't have any photos to inspire you with today.

I wanted to talk about my evening last night. Filic went out with the guys. So after I got the kids to bed, I was able to enjoy my nice quiet house. This is something that I love, just listening to nothing. I watched some tv, but wasn't that into it. I surfed the net, yet again was not that into it. I decided to wash my face and exfoliate. I love to use beauty products. I started using Arbonne products at the beginning of December and I am loving them. My skin has never looked so amazing. I have tried other things over the years and they work for a week or so. But it has been a good month now that I have been using the Arbonne and my skin still feels like it did the first time that I used it. Plus I love the packaging. It appeals to me. I will take a picture of it today.

When I put Franklin to bed last night he asked me to read him 'Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel'. He got that book for Christmas. I had never read it. I really liked that story. I thanked Franklin for picking that book. Lately he has been into Richard Scarry books and they take a good half hour to read, if you read all the small comments. I loved the illustrations in the book. I loved the concept of the story. I have been wanting to write a children's book for some time now. I found someone to illustrate it for me. You are probably thinking, "why doesn't she illustrate it herself?", well if any of you have ever drawn a stick figure-that is about my level of drawing skills! ( I am doomed for next semester when I have to take drawing classes) Reading Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel reminded me of the kind of book I want to write. My stories are based on a character that I came up with for Franklin one night. He loved them so much that it became a nightly thing for us.

I am starting my new class today, it is a digital photography class. It is concerned more with commercial work than portaits. I will post the work I do. It is a long class though. Four hours on a Friday-intense. And for those of you who know me well, I am the classic "Lisa Simpson" student. I have to get an A, it has to be the best, etc!! I guess that it will help that the professor and I are friends. I am so excited that I get to study under my mentor. It really is a dream come true. He pushes me to try new things and is constantly teaching me something new. I love that. I love to learn new things. I will let you know how class goes today. I feel like a kid. My stomach is full of butterflies. I am always nervous the first day. Which is crazy at this point in my life and since I know the professor!!

I know that I have rambled on today, but it was good to just "talk" to you all. I will post some pics later today. Have a great Friday.

Cathy