'Heart'y Hands

Bought a frame for our room and have been looking for ideas for the picture to put in it.  Originally got this idea from Pinterest.  We tried using one hand from each of us but without a 3rd person to be the photographer, this turned out to be a bit of a challenge.  Thankfully, Peg graciously agreed to pose for this one.

For the Birds

One thing I really enjoy is watching the birds in our backyard.  Originally, this feeder was on our Flowering Crab Apple tree in the back near the fence.  It seemed to empty out quite quickly.  I decided I'd like to have a feeder closer to the house to get a better view of the birds.  We bought a new feeder and anchored a post to hang it on.  The birds didn't seem to want to have anything to do with it.  We decided to switch the feeders to see if it was the feeder or the location.  Turns out that they really do prefer this feeder. 
Due to the weather we haven't seen many birds this weekend.  After I took this pic I went outside and cleared off the shelf so the birds could access the food easier.  We'll see what happens once the wind dies down.

Snow Fence

We had quite the dumping of snow last night with over 30cm falling. Our perennial garden in front of the house is home to our cedar post fence. Between the accumulated snowfalls and the snow removal crews burying it, this is all we see today. Keep in mind the fence is about 3 feet higher than the road. Hardly even need to close the curtains at this point!

Just a little 'bit'

I was giving an introduction to photography workshop to a Grade 6 class in one of our schools.  While everyone was experimenting, I decided to get in a few shots as well.  I had brought a basket full of ordinary items for them to photograph.  They were to try to capture the objects from various perspectives.  It was a fun activity and the students came up with some interesting shots.  As always, it's more than just a little 'bit' exciting to see the love of photography come alive in others.

Love is Love

After visiting Pinterest for awhile looking for photo ideas I found this one.  I thought it would be a good one for weddings or anniversaries. 

As you can see, I did some post editing - filters, writing etc. Overall, I'm happy with the results but would have liked the rings to be a bigger part of the picture.  I used 8.5 x 11 paper to make the heart.  Perhaps I'll experiment using a smaller piece of paper and see if I can get in closer to the rings without losing a piece of the heart.

Squishy Ball

As a technology consultant I get to work/play with lots of toys such as iPads, computers and SMARTboards.  However, one of the most popular toys I have on my desk has very little to do with technology.  This toy is, for lack of a better label, my squishy ball.  Although I use this ball for various SMARTboard activities when working with teachers, it seems to get used most by my fellow consultants and I as a stress reliever.  It's fun to squish and sometimes it even gets thrown.

Saying it with Words or a Word

To help me with inspiration this year I'm using Katrina Kennedy's "Grab Your 365 Photo Prompt".  I've signed up for her prompts and get a new one for each day.  She also sends out a monthly list.  She has a site with ideas, samples and lessons.  You can even sign up for courses.  If you're looking for inspiration, I highly recommend checking out her site http://captureyour365.com/about/katrina-kennedy/.
Today's prompt is "Photograph with Words". The above picture is a portrait picture I took of little Liam.  As you can tell, I did a little bit of 'Photoshopping'.  He was wearing red socks but his outfit was also red so the socks blended instead of standing out as I wanted them too.  I added a black and white layer and then erased the layer from his socks. I originally got the idea for this photo setup from Pinterest, another great place to look for ideas. 

One Step at a Time

 I was sick with a bad cold for most of the break so it felt great to get outside and enjoy the fresh air today.  Peg and I have a membership to the ski/snowshoe centre here in Charlesbourg.  The land is owned by a group of people who allow members to ski and snowshoe on their land during the winter.  The membership fee we pay goes toward the cost of maintaining the paths.  It's only about a 10 minute drive from our place and it's a beautiful area. 

We managed to complete the 5.8 km loop, hills and all.  I took this picture with my iPhone when we got to the top.  I was surprised to get the shot on the first try considering I was using the back camera.  Lucky I guess. 

We haven't been since last year and are feeling a bit out of shape as we nurse our stiff muscles.  The good news is that with each next step it'll get that much easier.    Here's to getting healthier, one step at a time.

Catching the Photo Bug

When I purchased my new camera last year I gave my old one to Christopher (my stepson).  He has played with it a bit and I believe got the 'Photo Bug'.  We bought him a new zoom lens for Christmas.  One afternoon we were sitting around recovering from the not so pleasant cold bug we both managed to get over the holidays.  We noticed the neighbour's tree out front was filled with Bohemian Waxwings.  We bundled up and took our cameras out to take some pictures.  While it was fun to snap a few shots myself, it was even more fun seeing him enjoy himself so much.  I gave him a few tips and he managed to get some good shots.  He was pretty proud of himself and rightly so. 
During the session I managed to get this guy in action.

Missing Danes

2012 was a difficult year for us and our Danes.  Sadie passed away early in March and Dexter midway through August.  Many tears have been shed and we miss them both dearly.  Our home just isn't the same without a 'DAWG'.  Over the Christmas break we were able to go visit Dantry Danes (Where we got both Sadie and Dexter.) in Ontario.  It was great to see Matt and Danielle and it was wonderful to be in a house full of dogs.  We got lots of petting in (You can see Sophie was pretty happy to snuggle with Christopher) and even went to see a couple of them strut their stuff at a nearby dog show.  Oakley did very well.  The best news is that we put in our order for a new puppy!  We will be getting a pup from Sophie and Oakley's litter. The pups are due to be born sometime in May so we should be able to bring our little one home in July.  Both Sophie and Oakley are beautiful, inside and out, so I'm sure it'll be an amazing litter.  We're hoping for a blue boy and have already started looking at names.  Suggestions are welcome.

Upside Down

Saw the idea of an upside down snowman on Pinterest and just had to try it out.  We'd had a significant snowfall and it was that heavy wet stuff; hard to shovel but perfect for building snowballs and snowmen.  I decided to build the snowman, both for fun and to lighten the shoveling.  We had some technical difficulties with his eyes, they kept falling off, but were finally able to get everything to stick long enough to take the picture with my iPhone.  When Peg's family came to visit her brother made a comment about snowmen not having legs.  Her witty niece responded, "Actually they do, but they're usually buried in the snow." 

Another New Start

After a rather lengthy hiatus, I've decided to return to photo blogging.  As you have probably already figured out the '100 Strangers' project didn't work out.  It's an interesting challenge and one I may go back to but for now I'm putting it on the back burner.
Although I haven't been blogging I've still been taking pictures.  I've had the opportunity to do a number of portraits for friends.  So far I've worked with 'kids' from two months to twenty years.  I've also done a few family sessions as well.  I really enjoy doing portraits.  I think it's because I enjoy being with people in general.  Each age group has it's own charm and sometimes challenges.  I hope to continue doing portraits and that is one of the reasons I've returned to blogging.  I found when I was blogging I naturally took more pictures and was able to improve my skills/knowledge at a more significant rate.
This year I promise to try new things, accept new challenges and hopefully become a better photographer and person with each new day.  I look forward to getting back to following my fellow bloggers as well.  All the best for 2013!