September 30: Day 266

I played with posing and composing a baby with my nifty new chair. This little cutie belongs to a friend of mine. The last time I photographed her intentionally was when she was less than a week old. Now she's 10 months old! By the way, I only have 100 days left in this year long project. Still seems like a long ways out!

More photos from this quick afternoon session can be found on my photography blog.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 29: Day 265

I think I may be obsessed with sunlight and leaves. Must be the season? I shot this in the late afternoon right before my husband called me back inside to stop the children from destroying the house. It was too late for that but at least I scored this photo! I did some cross processing on it and really like how it turned out.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 500
Flash: Off

September 28: Day 264

I took this photo in the middle of the day and got some fun sunflare with glowing autumn leaves.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/18.0
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 640
Flash: Off

September 27: Day 263

I knew you were all missing some ghetto macro shots! I took this tonight after dinner, love the way the setting sun makes the leaves glow. Love it!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/14.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 1600
Flash: Off

September 26: Day 262

I took this photo about ten feet from where we parked the car in Ashland before eating a delicious Hawaiian lunch and enjoying Hamlet.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: Off

September 25: Day 261

I didn't feel like hauling my heavy camera with me while walking around Ashland so I didn't get a photo for the day until we got to our hotel after watching the OSU BSU game at a sports bar. Thus you get hotel curtains.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO: 3200
Flash: Off

September 24: Day 260

I nearly missed taking a photo today! I was actually in bed when I realized I hadn't taken a photo yet and I scrambled for my camera. I didn't even put my glasses on when I shot this. The vase is black and white but it looks way better converted to black and white to get rid of the lovely orange color from the lighting.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 3200
Flash: Off

September 23: Day 259

Today I got together with a few friends to talk photography which was a lot of fun! I like to help other people learn how to use their camera, I know I learn way better by doing then by reading about something. While playing around I shot this photo of one of my friends in the kitchen. It's not exactly a portrait and it's certainly not perfect, but I like it. If I was doing a portrait I would have definitely had a reflector out to lessen the shadow on the dark side of her face.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 800
Flash: Off

September 22: Day 258

Grace and her team mates listening to their coach at soccer practice.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 48 mm
ISO: 320
Flash: Off

September 21: Day 257

I forgot to get a photo before we left for home and I'm afraid that I'm pretty uninspired at the end of a day long drive. I meandered aimlessly through the house before I noticed my favorite cookbook (you can tell it's a favorite because of how much food is caked on the pages!) and thought the spiral coil would be interesting. Plus I like how well worn t he pages are. They feature greasy fingerprints and all.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 3200
Flash: Off

September 20: Day 256

I took this photo on the day of my husband's Opa's funeral. All seven grandsons were the pallbearers and I took this photo of all but one (Rein is missing...he's the youngest!) outside the Elks Club building where we went for a reception after the funeral. The cousins wanted me to take their photo because they thought they looked like the Dutch mafia, and also because they wanted to be cheeseballs. I'm pretty sure Opa would have loved these photos of his grandsons.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO: 250
Flash: Off

And a few more...

One in color and one silly one. In the silly photo below the older brothers are holding their younger brothers. If you're wondering what sort of family I married into all I can say is you just have to love them.

September 19: Day 255

I took this photo of the hydrangea leaves in our front yard in the morning before we started the 8 hour drive to Idaho.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 100
Flash: On

September 18: Day 254

My kids in the tub at bathtime. I did use flash for this one because the lighting in our main bathroom doesn't light up the bathtub at all.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 67 mm
ISO: 800
Flash: On

September 17: Day 253

I've been waiting too long to get my photo of the day lately and when that happens I tend to focus more on patterns and textures because the lighting is terrible. I like the repeating pattern of the drawer pulls in this one.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 3200
Flash: Off

September 16: Day 252

I was taking photos of Grace in her adorable owl outfit yesterday afternoon when she spotted this roly poly bug on our driveway. She loves roly poly bugs so we took a break from photos and watched him meander around the cement. She wanted me to take a picture of him so I obliged (I do that a lot and usually delete it later since I don't need 4000 photos of bugs and leaves taking up space on my hard drive). But as I was editing the photos today this one caught my eye and I decided I liked it enough to make it my photo of the day! I love the texture and color of our dirty sidewalk chalked cement. Love it. Of course once again I'm wishing I had a macro lens. This was taken with the nifty fifty and cropped.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 160
Flash: Off

September 15: Day 251

I couldn't resist playing with my new ability to go up to ISO 3200 with my new camera! This photo was taken after 11pm last night as Boo sat on the windowsill above our bed. The only light was from the lamp by the bed. I used my 50mm with a slow shutter speed and a wide aperture and the photo would have still been dark without switching to the high ISO. I did run some noiseware on this photo but for fun I'm posting the non-smoothed version below. Do you see the difference? Do you like the grainier version below better?



Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/125 sec
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 3200
Flash: Off

September 14: Day 250

I love this photo of a friend's daughter on the sidelines of her older sister's soccer practice. I brought my longest zoom with me to get some photos of Grace playing on the field. My 75-300mm is far from my favorite lens, I tend to get soft and washed out colors with it. I was pleasantly surprised to bring the photos up in Lightroom and see that for the most part the photos were sharp and the color was improved with a handy dandy preset. I'll be posting the photos of Grace playing (or not playing...) on the family blog next.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/500 sec
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 105 mm
ISO: 640
Flash: Off

September 13: Day 249

Just a quick snap of Zoe. She's decided that the new cat isn't so bad and vice versa. Boo is another story!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 500
Flash: Off

September 12: Day 248

David had to stay after church late for a meeting so the kids and I played on the playground and met this cute kitty. He was super affectionate but from his skinny frame and far from soft paws it was obvious he hadn't enjoyed the luxury of living indoors in a long while if at all. So naturally we brought him home with us! He spent most of the afternoon on our bed (shut off away from our other cat and the dog) and wrapped himself around our fingers. Such a sweet kitty!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 500
Flash: Off

September 11: Day 247

Grace's very first soccer game was pretty amusing to watch. She's the most non-aggressive player on her team which means she does her best to run the opposite direction of the ball. She did say she had fun and at least we can say we tried to introduce her to a world that doesn't revolve around princesses!

As a side note, this is the first photo of the day I took with my new 40D camera! From here on out they will all be taken with the 40D.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/800 sec
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 75 mm
ISO: 100
Flash: Off

September 10: Day 246

We bought this pink dahlia at the same time as the Helenenium from the previous post. Grace picked it out and swears it smells beautiful, though I don't think it smells like much.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: Off

September 9: Day 245

Today I bought some Helenium plants off the clearance rack at Rite Aid. Supposedly they love swampy soil and deer aren't attracted to them. Perfect. If they survive until next year I might hunt down more of them!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 8: Day 244

This was taken on Grace's first day of kindergarten! She was so excited and even cooperated to let me do a quick photo shoot before we walked her to school that morning. For more photos check out our family blog.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 7: Day 243

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 66 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 6: Day 242

A folded up Queen Anne's Lace wildflower in the scrub behind our house.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 40 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 5: Day 241

Just a quick photo of one of my surviving pink geraniums. The deer keep munching them!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/200 sec
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 54 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 4: Day 240

I did some lifestyle portraits for a client at Portland's Saturday Market by PSU which was a lot of fun! I just asked the vendors at good lighting locations for permission and then we shot away. This is one of my favorites.

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/320 sec
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 3: Day 239

My friend Susan and I went peach picking with all of our kids this morning. Five kids five and under (the baby isn't pictured) do not make super good peach picking helpers but help they did. Never mind a little peach bruising, we had a good time! After two hours of peach picking we spent the afternoon picking blackberries in the hot sun. Might as well get all the picking done when you're already hot and sticky!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 30 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 2: Day 238

A photo of Grace being her own sweet self. She had just met her kindergarten teacher and seen her new classroom and was so excited for school to start!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/250 sec
Aperture: f/2.5
Focal Length: 44 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: Off

September 1: Day 237

Grace thought it was absolutely hilarious and so much fun to have me snap a photo of her jumping off her swing set. She'd hurry over to look at the photo on my camera screen and then run back and do it again. I have like 20 jump shots all taken in a row!

Photo Stats:
Exposure: 1/800 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: Off