Hello Moon

Tonight's moon 6-1-12, waxing gibbous, 93% full, taken about 9:45 pm from my backyard. Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T3. Aperture F/11, Shutter speed 1/400 sec, ISO 800,  Lens EF75-300mm f/4-5.6, focal length 300mm. I used a tripod.

Stop and Smell the Roses...

Over the Moon for My New Camera...or... Fly Me to the Moon

 Super Moon (largest moon of the year because it is a full or new moon and the moon is the closest it will be to the Earth this year) taken from my backyard on 5-5-12 just before midnight with my Canon EOS Rebel T3. Camera settings were F5.6, ISO 400, 1/4000 sec, taken with a Canon 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens. I love that I can see the craters! I may never fly to the moon, but my new camera took me closer than I have ever been before.

Super Moon taken after the first picture above with different camera settings F7.1, ISO 800, 1/4000 sec.

Another shot taken with different settings F5.6, ISO 800. I think the first picture is the most detailed. They are all just slightly different. I also shot these at 1/4000 sec.

This last picture is the first good shot I got of the moon.  I was at my friend Amy's house and we were down by their lake taking pictures of the Super Moon. I was playing around with the camera settings and I did not know how I got it.  I had to wait until I came home and then I was able to figure out what settings to use so I could get the first shots in the post which were actually taken a few hours later than this one.

I am truly over the moon for my new camera. I waited years to get a DSLR and I did extra jobs this year to earn the money to buy it. I am really looking forward to using it. Photography is one of my favorite things to do.

Beach Bum-ble Bees

During Spring Break in the first week of April I went to Laguna Beach for the day and took these pictures with my point and shoot Olympus FE-370 camera. I shot these with the camera set on program mode and in super macro. I love taking pics of bugs!! Taking them at the beach on a beautiful day is even better!!!

A Dog's Life: Ruffles in the Grass or Dog Day Afternoon

 This is my dog Ruffles enjoying a few moments of her day. I don't want to think about cutting the grass...so I play with my camera instead and capture these over the course of a moment or two...

Warm grass and the last of the sunshine....

A fly landed on her nose.....

A few moments in Ruffles life. Warm grass on a summer day, laying in the shade. enjoying the last of the day's sunshine; a fly on the nose, and then, a short snooze.

This is the dog's life...

Itsy Bitsy Spider

This little spider climbed in our baby orange tree and began to spin a web. I decided to take some pics and this itsy bitsy spider kept me busy chasing it around the tree. It is about as big as the tip of my pinky finger. Below are a few of the pictures I captured of this elusive little spider. 

Dandelions at Dusk

 

Dandelions at Dusk

I have always thought dandelions were beautiful although they are usually considered weeds. I love the way the light shines through them like a halo of light. When I was a little girl I used to believe they were fairies. If you plucked them you would set the fairies free and therefore they would grant you a wish. So I would pluck a dandelion, make a wish, and blow the fairies free to let my hopes and dreams come true. I still love to do this when I find them. I wanted to take some pictures with the photos backlit. So during that short time of day that comes just twice, and are the fleeting moments known as "magic hour", I took a few pics of some dandeions in the backyard.

These pictures were taken at dusk in July in my backyard. I wanted to take some pictues with the subject backlit. I did not know the spider was on the dandelion when I first started taking the pictures. The spider was a nice surprise. I always enjoy a spider visit in the garden. 

That time of day when the light is just right...you know it...magic hour...is so fleeting that before I even knew it the sun was down and all I could do was enjoy the dusk and the dandelions. Just like magic hour, they are ethereal and fleeting, gone on the evening breeze.

Summer Gardening

One of the many reasons I love summer is gardening and growing vegetables. We did not plant a lot this year but what we have planted is doing pretty good so far and soon we will be able to harvest some of the summer bounty that comes from the garden. It provides both pleasure as a hobby and yummy food to munch on. I will be eating this summer squash below very soon.Shanna decided she wanted to grow a pumpkin patch for Halloween so we are growing one in the front yard. It is really taking off. Shanna is watering it in the picture below. Below are two books I like to use as for reference. Square foot gardening really works but you have to select plants that are suitable for it. I have had good luck growing things in containers as well. We planted tomatoes and peppers in containers again this year. I like to just go pull the tomatoes off the vine and eat them.