An Assortment of Photos (Sunday Snapshot & 4/52 Project)

 So as I had these grandiose plans of taking my two youngest outside this

week for some photos in the snow.

That obviously didn't happen.

Old man Winter has decided to hit us again with another "polar vortex"

otherwise known as being "too damn cold outdoors for any living creature."

So we stay inside, that's our only choice.

I decided to take my mind to a better place

and photograph still life.

And get real comfortable shooting indoors for a while.

This week I decided to get my Etsy shop 

up and running.

It's something I've been asked about and I figured

it was about time.

My shop is called amothersartphoto

and I have about 24 fine art photography prints

that are available.

It's an eclectic assortment, some of them

vintage inspired, some travel and some of China.

There will be more prints added in the weeks and months to come.

I would be flattered if you'd stop by and 'favorite' (click on the little heart)

of my shop.

Thank you!

project 52 - frost and snow (1/52)





Bitter cold and a

new dusting of snow...still, I

remember summer

 

~ Charles de Lint

 

 

 

 

It started snowing here in early December.

Wisconsin folks are probably experts about snow and frost (if there's such a thing),

and I'm amazed at the different kinds.

And because I'm a detail person I suppose that's why I notice these things.

This recent one arrived and is called

a 'hoar frost.'

These incredibly beautiful fern-like ice crystals form on the snow,

tree branches, wires or any frozen solid surface.

 

The best part of capturing the frost was the walk I took.

Peacefully quiet and calm.

 

I decided to commit to a project 52 this year and

possibly take one photo a day in February, but will see

about that.

 

35mm 1.4 lens

f 2.8

ISO 400

1/8000

 

Oh, almost forgot to say Happy New Year

and I hope that 2014 is a good one.

 



The Nutcracker (Sunday Snapshot)

 

 

 

  

 

It's one of those traditions that started over 25 years ago, before I had children.

I've had this love for the Nutcracker for many years and would attend productions pretty much everywhere we lived.

 

 

This is the 6th year that Grace and I have attended our local Nutcracker
put on by the Madison Ballet.
We've gotten where we both can anticipate each and every
dance and are never disappointed.
I'm hoping it's a tradition we can continue and maybe
next year bring Will (if he's up for it).

Taken shortly before we left yesterday.
Grace was playing with two of her Nutcracker ornaments from

the little tree in her room.

Merry Christmas!
We are getting a white one with a big snowstorm that's
hitting Wisconsin just as I write this.

 

 

 

Keeping Christmas in my Heart(Sunday Snapshot)

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

 

  ~ Charles Dickens

 

As much as I enjoy seeing the Christmas decorations and giving gifts to people I love.

  It is easy to feel a lot of pressure to get the decorating & shopping done, the cards sent, the presents wrapped and all of the other activities going on this time of year. 

 Unfortunately, it is way too easy to forget about the reason for the season. 

Getting out into the quiet of the snow with Grace was a great way to get back to what is really important: love, family, simple beauty and God. 

 The blessings of the season are with us everyday. 

 We should try to enjoy them as much as we can. 
Time passes so quickly and these days will be fond memories before we know it. 

A Christmas Carol

The shepards had an angel,
The wise men had a star;
But what have I, a little child,
To guide me home from far,
Where glad stars sing together,
And singing angels are?

~ Christina Rossetti
written in 1856



 

 

Welcome Autumn (Sunday Snapshot)

If you stand still outside you can hear it...
 Winter's footsteps, the sound of falling leaves.

 

~ unknown

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;

Professor Wind, the band....
The sight was like a rainbow
New-fallen from the sky....

 

~ George Cooper, "October's Party"

 

 

Autumn is here in Wisconsin.
This week our yellow leaves popped,
next will be the oranges and reds.

It's my favorite season for many reasons but
as a photographer I notice the light is low in the sky, golden
and delicious in color.
This week I took Grace out to a new location and loved the light in the trees.
I can't get enough of seeing these Fall colors
and spending as much time as we can as a family
outdoors.

 

 

Favorite Photo Friday - a little talk therapy

{Penny for her thoughts}

 

I have learned after 27 years experience of being a mom 

that sometimes important conversations pop up out of nowhere. 

And many times when you least expect one.

When my oldest son was a teen, it was usually as I was driving and he was in the back seat.

I can't say that I can remember word for word what those car conversations were

but they were meaningful to both of us and important to him.

Nick is now an adult, on his own and he and I are still very close.

A few days ago I took Grace out for some photos and noticed

she seemed preoccupied with something,

and when she smiled she was tensing up the muscles around her mouth.

Something wasn't quite right.

 I put down my camera and we just talked...about school, friends, Summer, etc.

Eventually I found out about a little 3rd grade drama going on with a friend at school.
Thankfully Grace wasn't being bullied.

We talked about some solutions and what she could do.

Hopefully we'll continue these conversations.

 Edited with Florabella's Classic Film and Honey Haze actions at low opacities,

from her Classic Workflow collection. 

Favorite Photo Friday - time is flying by

(Grace is wearing Sophia Jane Boutique's shabby flower clip

that matches perfectly with the Matilda Jane Serendipity line)

In a little over 2 short months she'll be 10 years old.

Double digits.

My baby girl is growing up so fast.

And at almost 10 we're seeing a few glimpses of 'tween-dom'.
 (My made up word)
With some attitude changes now and then...perhaps it's a bit of those hormones kicking in...

And though I'd love for time to stop for quite a while,
I'm embracing it all.

Sweet Grace...my artistic, compassionate, caring, and kind daughter.
She is a dream come true!

20/52 - Birthday girl

{Zoe - age 1}

Our newest member of the family is officially one today.
Oh Zoe, what can I say about you?
You're a dear sweet girl who makes me laugh every day about your antics.
(Except for the week you chewed up 3 pairs of my shoes).
But we can pretend that didn't happen.

I'm hoping that she's full grown now, she weighs 65 lbs,
has long legs and can run like the wind.
Can't imagine our lives without her.

I've really been a terrible blogger lately and hope to be better about that...
have had a lot on my plate lately with the dance recital, end of school activities, and some things
going on with Will.
He's fine, I'll be blogging about what's been going on with him very soon.

Nutcracker

(My sister and I had similar jewelry boxes with a twirling ballerina when we were little.)

It's a tradition that dates back to when my oldest son
was a little guy and we'd see the Nutcracker in
the San Francisco bay area and later in Chicago.
And yes he dressed up and looked adorable!

Grace and I have made it our little tradition since she was 5.
She chose the dress all by herself, and it's very 'Grace.'

Each year before we leave for the Nutcracker,
I take her picture in front of our Christmas tree.
This year I tried something different and captured Grace in her room
with one of her favorite dolls.

(I gave her a ballerina and nutcracker ornament to remember this special afternoon.)

At the age where her favorite things are Barbies, American Girl Dolls,
playing with dear friends,
her ipod touch and listening toTaylor Swift,
I'd like time to stop for a very long while.
I relish these days with my daughter.

A moment in time captured of my little girl who is 9.


Merry Christmas.
I have one or two more posts this week.

43/52 - 4 more days

In our house there is a 9 and a 5 year old who are practically giddy

with anticipation about one little day that happens to fall on Oct. 31.

Costumes are ready for wearing and candy's been purchased.

(It's been hidden somewhere and I just hope I can find it in time).   ;)

Texture Tuesday - (Red)

I had to participate in today's Texture Tuesday because red is my favorite color.

Taken recently of 2 sisters wearing red and plum colored pettiskirts,
I used one of Kim Klassen's textures called 'Thursday' on overlay and removed it off their skin.
This image has a lot of contrast and I thought the texture added a nice finishing touch.

40/52 and {Texture Tuesday} - gratitude

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

 ~Thornton Wilder

Two days ago I captured the image of this milkweed with it's pods opening. I loved the contrast of the natural textures of the pods,

 the seeds and the fluffy white parachutes that carry those seeds away.

The theme for this week's Texture Tuesday is 'gratitude.'

I'm grateful that I have eyes to see and I'm able to experience the change of seasons at this beautiful time of the year. 

The sun was just setting when I shot this and I could see a little bit of pink in the horizon.

Textures I used were 'Thursday' at overlay

and 'Subtly Yours' at soft light.

black and white Wednesday - green chair

These 5 images were my 'final' for an online class I just finished.

I've taken photography workshops previously but they were

all on location with professional photographers.

And all technical classes.

This was the first one that talked about style.
What makes my style 'me.'
Was I being true to my style?
It required a fair amount of introspection that sometimes
is hard for people.
I liked that part very much.

And discovered some things that were always there

that I wasn't noticing until now.

Like why do I create photographs?

I decided that I want to create something beautiful.

I also want to be challenged.
What makes me happy?

I found out that some of the things that make me feel happy are spending time with my children,

hearing them laugh, seeing them smile and seeing color.

Especially red but any other vibrant one will do.

It

It was also the first class that the instructor gave

feedback on the pictures that I took.
I learned that I compose for color, whether intentionally or not.

And that I use natural textures in my images, in a way that isn't 'too much.'

Pretty cool to find out all of this...and it was right there in front of me all the time.

It's always been hard for me to describe my own photography style,

and now I just did. :)

Check out more black and whites at Lisa's blog, The Long Road to China.

Sunday snapshot - a perfect day

In February when my friend Grace invited little Grace and I to Florida,

it took me about 3 seconds to say yes.

Well not quite that fast but it didn't take me long to give her an answer.

I hadn't been to south Florida since I was in college,

and that was a long time ago.

The first day of our visit we went to a place called Butterfly World.

We have nothing like this (at least that I know of) in Wisconsin, so it was a treat.

(Beautiful Natalie with Grace in the background,

looking at the flowers.)

I have no idea what kind of butterfly this was(below), but he(or she)

seemed to be posing.

Opening and closing his wings, he stayed on the red flower.

At one point there were so many butterflies flying around us it was surreal.

I was afraid almost to move, we didn't want to hurt them.

Miss Grace.

We followed paths that wound through out this beautiful place,

surrounded by glorious flowers of all kinds.
We saw ponds, fountains and birds.

The kids ran through a little cave and cooled off in the mist.

We took a little break and had the 3 of them stand for a few photos.

Next into another 'room' where big Grace took little Grace and Natalie to look at orchids.

I stayed with Liam while he climbed in the bamboo.

Later he told me he was pretending he was a fireman in the bamboo.

Liam is every bit as sweet as he is handsome by the way!

On the way out, it was very warm and sunny,

the kids were walking across a hanging bridge.

They wanted to get to the bug room!

And the moms stayed back in the shade and took a few more pics of the girls.

It really was a fun day and a great introduction to south Florida!

(Um...and after seeing the bug room, I could have passed on that one. ;)

But the kids loved it and that's what's important.)  

I'm joining in on Sunday Snapshot,

hop on over and see more at Ni Hao Y'all.