Pencil Art

This is incredible. Itty bitty pieces of graphic art made out of pencils by Dalton Ghetti.

image from www.traditionallymoderndesigns.blogspot.com

Appreciation

I was thinking today about how blessed I am to have some really special people in my life. Friends and family who are there in the thick and thin. Who are genuine and transparent. Who encourage me in my endeavors with out selfish motive or jealousy. Who help me to become who I am supposed to be.

I appreciate them. And it reminds me of all of the things that I appreciate in life and in others that make me want to be a better person. Such as...

-Creativity
-Original thought
-Honesty
-Integrity
-Selflessness
-A clean house
-a pup who is always happy to see me
-a husband who is always happy to see me
-a hug on a bad day
-laughter
-kindness
-generosity
-self awareness
-RAIN (some would be appreciated anytime soon!)
-a warm place to live
-food to share
-morning pedicures with friends
-knowledge
-the pursuit of knowledge
-the realization that I don't know everything
-an inquisitive mind
-soft colors
-delicate flowers
-my family
-friends like those I've listed above

I think think things have just been a little crazy busy lately, and I didn't even realize how much pressure I have been feeling. So when I got home, even thought I had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish before my head hit the pillow, I just sat down and caught up on a couple of episodes of Parenthood. It was the perfect medicine to relax, and watch a show that I could cry at. And I was alone, so I just let it all out. And I'm feeling like I can appreciate what is around me even a little bit more now.

And because you know I hate to blog with out a photo...

Pete is WIDE.

Wide angled lens that is. We rented a wide angle for the wedding we shot this weekend, so I wanted to have some fun with Pete before we sent it back. You asked for Pete, now you're getting lots of him!

Yawning, not biting. No worries

I sure do like this little guy.

Pete and tricks for shooting in sunlight

So, I've had a couple people point out that I haven't taken a lot of pictures of Pete lately. Mainly because he's been kind of sickly. He had some tummy problems last month, and then got F-I-X-E-D, and had some complications and had to wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. So he has had it kind of rough.

But, as I mentioned on my pro-blog, I had to order a replacement lens because the motor in one of our old ones went out, so I figured he would be a good subject to test out. And as I was looking at the photos I took, I noticed that I had several different types of lighting situations in our back yard, and the different effects it gave.

And I have to note: this is big for me. I don't really love any of these pics, other than the fact that they are of sweet Pete. And I rarely show anything but my best pics, but I thought this was a good lesson.

So, first I was being lazy and just snapping a few to make sure it worked. So I was in bright, direct sun:

Yes, even Pete does not like direct sunlight. And usually whomever you are taking pictures of won't like it either. Not only is it pretty unflattering, its tough to keep you eyes open. Exhibit A above.

So, next I moved him to an area on the porch shaded by the house. Colors are more vibrant, and you get a much more even light.

Now, I've told Pete that he looks like a hyena when he holds his ears back like that. But apparently he doesn't trust me, so I took a photo to prove it to him.

Now, on a normal basis I would be happy with the pic above (minus the hyena-ness). But I couldn't get him to stay, so I had to move to plan C to get him to loosen up. His new favorite toy, basketball on a rope.

What I did for this photo was expose for his face-- meaning I changed the settings on my camera to make sure his face was correctly exposed. It blew out the background, which some photographers would say is a no-no, but it doesn't bother me. And I like the nice soft look it gives the picture.

That's all I've got kids. See you next time :)