Broken

Broken
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.
~Vincent Van Gogh

Here's Lookin' at You Kid!

Here's Lookin' at You Kid!
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

I finally got around to developing my first roll of film through an Ultronic Panoramic (a junk store cheap camera).
I had wanted to send it off to be developed so I could actually have color, but....something happened at the end of the 12 exposure roll. It kept winding and winding....as if it were an endless roll of film!
Since I figured I must have ruined all or at least part of the roll clicking away like a mad woman, I decided it would be best to just throw it in a batch of diafine (for b&w film) and was shocked to have images after all!
Most of the images look like they are rather dark and contrasty. I have no idea if it's the film, the camera or what.
I may, or may not, post more from this batch later.

This is one of my kids being cute because he knows I'm shooting him AGAIN!

I had good news this week! Some of my photos sold over at Your Ky Photos! That's a start in the right direction.

Macro World

entangled
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

I went camping with our boy scout troop this past weekend. Saturday morning we woke up to a dew covered world. We camped right next to a small lake, the kind that doesn't see many campers or fishermen, so there were lots of grasses, wildflowers and cattails growing near the water's edge. A perfect place to wonder around with a camera and macro filters in the early morning's light. I haven't visited the macro world as much lately, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mini vacation of exploring the things that lay just within reach and sight if we just slow down, sit down, and look closer.
You have to learn to look slowly, and watch where you put your feet, your hands and your lens, you can find so many things in what seems like a small space to us.
I found spiders and their webs, woolly worms, frogs, and water drops on everything! Oh how the water drops glisten like jewels in the first warm rays of light!
In my home world I would never imagine going on such a grand adventure before my first cup of coffee of the day. But when on an adventure, rules are meant to be broken!

Chevy Truck

Chevy Truck
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

I'm getting back to finding new ways to look at my images. Photographing cars and trucks at car shows can be such a challenge, because it's so hard to isolate what I want to be in the shot. There is always a bright colored car parked next to light colored ones, which reflects in the one I'm shooting, plus I try not to capture people who probably don't realize they may be in the shot. I don't always have time to wait for them to move, but I don't want to make them hurry up just for me. Most of the cars and trucks at the shows can only be truly appreciated when you slow down to look at the details inside and out. The owners often put much time and money in these rolling works of art, they enjoy seeing people take pleasure looking at them, and hear what they think about it. Stopping to talk to the owners, even for a minute can be so rewarding. You find out so much more about the car that way. When you hear how much it means to them and what they've done to get it to the condition it is (or keep it the way it was), makes it that much more beautiful and special.
Unfortunately, I don't get to stop and talk to near as many owners as I would like, at any of the shows we go to. I hate it when I can only click the shutter and move on. Summer heat can make it more challenging to get out and chat with the owners. It can really sap my energy and hospitality.
I hope that going back to edit some of these shots can help bring out what is so special about some of these cars and trucks. I never get tired of looking at them! I hope you don't either!

Summer's Last Glow

Summer's Last Glow
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
This year has been a year of seasons of every kind, and it's not over yet!
There are physical seasons we all see as weather, and there are spiritual seasons we each experience, often alone, sometime with others.

Physically, this year began much like many we have here in Kentucky; mild, sometimes cold, but often warm enough to grill something outside. But that normality didn't last long, and by the time the first month came to an end, winter played a cruel hand on us.

When spring finally came I looked for our dogwood trees to bloom. One usually blooms white, while the other blooms pink. This year they didn't bloom. They weren't damaged very badly by the ice storm, so I don't know why they wouldn't bloom. It was a part of spring I had looked forward to, and I missed it very much.

Summer has been mild for us this year. No drought has plagued us this year, which is a relief. But the pendulum swung far the other direction, and for many parts of the state, floods were almost the norm. In my yard, floods did not occur, but the cooler air and extra clouds has effected how the garden has grown this year. The summer mantra everywhere this year has been, "it's been a bad year for tomatoes". Even so, I have an abundant amount of cherry tomatoes being processed in my kitchen this week, as the little red bombs grow like weeds in my yard!

August has just slipped away from us, schools are in session, and the air is changing. When the wind blows, the walnut tree gets more bare, the nights are getting cooler and it feels good to sleep with windows open again. I see squirrels hunting for walnuts, and the starlings are beginning to flock.
In my spirit I feel the windows closing. The days I used to spend surrounded by my children are fading. One more has left home. He hasn't gone far, yet, but I am feeling the emptiness that eventually comes to all mothers when their children leave home to make their own way in the world. I am left to finish raising one more, and look forward to the days when they all come back again. Their voices are sorely missed here, but they will return again!
Who knows what the remaining months will bring us, here, weather wise and other wise. The signs are all around us, the seasons are changing already. There are still plenty of warm days left, but the cool ones are creeping in.
So get out and enjoy the warm days, the cool nights, and each other. For the end of a season is not the end of all things. New things, new people, and new experiences lie just ahead, around the corner where we cannot see them waiting. Take time to enjoy the changing of the seasons too!

Glowing Grill

Glowing Grill
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

The other day while looking through some of my most recent photos, I noticed that I haven't been playing around with post processing very much lately. This is one area of photography that I love to play with.
I took several shots of a few cars and trucks at a cruise in the other night, but they just didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. They were images I really wanted to keep, so I decide to play, and I felt like an artist who hasn't held a brush in a long time! It was fun, even though I was feeling a little rusty!
After a few attempts at different effects I got this one that I liked best. I like how it brings out the reflections in the chrome and polished surfaces, and the contrast. To me, it just seems to bring out the character of a cool old truck!
This one, by the way, was a 1950 GMC. A model we don't see as often at the local car shows and cruise ins. This truck parked next to us, and I had to control my drool over it, I really enjoyed looking at it a lot!

Over 600 Views!

Over that last few months I have been passing out little cards to direct people to this blog, and I have been getting more views. I don't get any comments, so I wonder who is taking the time to stop by and what they think of what they see.
My previous post I described my most recent trip to a local car show. I have uploaded more photos of that event to the YourKyPhotos web site.
I have links on this site directing viewers to that site just to make it easier, as I know typing in a url can be a test of patience, and even a gamble if you are prone to making typos.
That site where I sell selected photos lets me, as a contributor, see how many people are viewing my photos and albums, and I must say I'm quite impressed with the large volume of visits to my recent album. The current count is over 600 and still counting. Why am I impressed? I only passed out 3 business cards during that event, and I seriously doubt there were even half that many people at the event itself!
Now, I'm the first person to admit that math is not one of my strong suits, but that is quite an astounding number for this small town gal.
But I'm not celebrating this simple milestone. Why? Because out of all those views of an album containing only 13 photos, not one single order has been placed! I would like to think if my photos are good enough to be looked at hundreds of times, they are capturing someone's interest in some way, and the photos are also (if I do say so myself) worthy of ordering a print or two!
So if you are one of those fine folks who is taking the time to visit my blog and visit my folders in YourKyPhoto, the best way to share those photos with your friends and family is to get a print or two made! Tell everyone who took the photo, and tell them where you got it so they can get a print of their own! The best thing about photos is sharing them and the memories they capture for you!
While you are here, leave me a comment, or email me one. I would love to hear from my viewers, and I would especially love to hear from some of the folks I've met at the various events. A please don't be shy about ordering a print or two from me, I'd really appreciate and I'm sure you'd enjoy having it!
Thanks for stopping by!