Life: Through the Lens

 Happy New Year! On this cold January night, the moon shines brightly on the snow, creating a special kind of light.  It is a little mesmerizing.  Of course, I take it in from the comfort of my cozy room, with a fire burning in the grate (okay, maybe it's a gas fireplace).  It's a perfect night to sort photos and think about the opportunities a new year brings.  Where will we go this year?  What adventures might we have?  Will we stray far afield, or stay close to home?  Time will tell. Tonight I am doing a preliminary sort of some of the photos on my computer, thinking which to keep, which to put into book form, which to discard...and which to move to my external hard drive.  But I keep getting waylaid in the memories  of my experiences!  I know I have at least 8 photos of each of the locations above, but I like parts of each!  Sigh.  It's so hard to be cut-throat in hitting "delete." I use a Canon digital SLR, Daryl uses...

 So Much Information! Early Detroit Working on my genealogy research is like jumping from one rabbit hole to the next.  I was at a sewing group this week and one of the women, whom I have known for a very long time, has been working on her own research for years. And she is very organized, and suggested a few ways to become more organized.  They all sound lovely.  And they all suggest a lot of work - as I have to admit to being a little sloppy when gathering information.  Not that I don't have some good organizational strategies, and I do have properly labeled notebooks and folders, and photographs sorted into category according to my current research trend.   I put together a very nice collection of recipes (copying the actual card with original handwriting, photos of each person, when available).   BUT...I had no idea what I was getting into years ago, and  what the shear volume of "stuff" would be.  So now...no, I do not have a proper...

Valley of the Gods, Colorado I have always taken pictures.  As far back as I can remember.  My first camera was given to me for my 10th birthday, probably because my dad also took a lot of pictures and I kept borrowing his!  So, for almost 50 years (emphasis on the "almost") I have been holding a camera to my face, looking through the lens, and taking pictures.  Some good, some bad, but I was always doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. Pete's Lake, Munising area, Upper Peninsula Early pictures were of family vacations, friends, camp, and the dog.  Scenery, of course, while on vacation.  Events.  Then kids and our own family vacations, friends, events...etc.  I studied and evolved my skills as I worked toward more fine art photography, really wanting to make a statement with my photographs. Tequamenon Falls in the Autumn, Upper Peninsula The first time I was published was fabulous!  And the first magazine cover.....

A good old-fashioned blizzard, the kind we haven't seen in years. Swirling fingers of snow dancing across the landscape, and up into the air. And then calm settles in, and the sun shines upon us. It's hard to appreciate nature's gifts when the cold has settled deep into your bones, but the view was mesmerizing, and the coffee was piping hot!

Five of our (almost) nine grandchildren Oh how we want things to last forever. Our loves, our families, our cherished memories, our lives. We want our "things" to last, as well. Christmas mittens for a grandson How long will our photographs really last? How many generations of our family will sort through albums, scrapbooks, and yes, boxes, guessing who everyone was and who was related to whom? Our stories are not just written, or shared using the oral traditions, they are told through the visual medium of photography. My first quilt made from individual blocks. Sometimes we forget that there are many aspects of ourselves we'd like future generations to know about as well. Yes, we're photographers, yet we are also parents, grandparents, teachers, pilots, readers, and crafters. As much as I want our photographs to be legacies of "family" and events in our lives, we have other things to share as well. Results of a quilting class - learning new skills So this...

...drum-roll please...... All of the place cards from yesterday's open house were placed in a camera bag (what else)...and mixed thoroughly. The tension mounts as all participants move farther forward on their chairs, stools, cushions, beds, floor, etc. The music builds.... The first name is drawn ..... Congratulations, Douglas! Well done! But wait...there's more! What's this? A second name? Two winners? It must be that my open house was so exciting I got a bit carried away! Again....moving farther forward, anticipation mounting..... music swelling to a crescendo.... Congratulations, Georgia! And thank you to everyone who joined in the fun. What? You want to know what the give-away is? Well, of course! You may choose from one of these prints: OR , one of these prints: OR, if you prefer note cards, you may have a box of mixed cards. Some of the images will be different from the ones you see here. Please e-mail me with your choice, and an address to send it on to. I'm...

Back from my mini-vacation in Traverse City (you'll find out more next week), I am happily picnic hopping, nibbling from the delightful dishes, smelling the beautiful flowers, and enjoying the variety of garden party wear everyone has selected for the event. A trip down memory lane was an unexpected surprise, as I planned my part of the mid-summer's get-together. A frantic hunt for the nostalgic pieces which go with those memories was undertaken, and this is my gift to you all as I arrive late for the festivities. Pictures have been an important part of my life as far back as I can remember, and before that first camera it was the photograph I created in my mind which was my escape. A vivid imagination is a visual one. This summer picnic brought back my visual photographs...the treasures of a childhood summer spent at a cottage on a lake, with lots of places for a young girl to host tea parties, magical balls, and meet knights in shining armor. So I bring the sweet clover of m...

There are so many ways to give creative gifts. I have a really clever book which shows different craft projects you can create using photographs - from lampshades to lap trays. There are also wonderful photo books you can make, telling a story about a specific time or event, or creating your own story with one of your family members as the main character. I gave a book to one our granddaughters for her birthday this year in which she starred as the "princess" of her kingdom, and the "king" and "queen" loved her very much. I used photos of times we had visited with her, and photos from the wedding her dad and step-mom. The "princess" was also going to get a new brother or sister, to share her kingdom. The book was a hit, and will be there for her as long as the new brother doesn't get his hands on it!:) I also saw this year that you could create board books, for the younger set. So many choices. There are a number on online companies to check ...