2013 365 Challenge Week 8

Well hello, again! 

Last week it started getting nice(ish) out again, which I'm really excited about!  If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not a fan of winter.  Spring is upon us in less than a month and I'm thrilled.  I'll take slush and mud over -50, wind chills and snow any day.  Cheers to spring!

Day 50 has a bonus picture because I had a hard time choosing between the two shots.  Therefore, I'm sharing Day 50a and Day 50b.  You get a bonus!!  You're welcome.  ;)

Day 50a - February 19, 2013 - "Shadows"
I went for a walk to get the shadows shot seeing how it was sunny outside.  I had a Starbucks in hand and had to set it down to take this shot.  I really like the shadow that this dead weed gives off and thought it made for a pretty shot.

Day 50b - February 19, 2013 - "Shadows"
Then...I go to pick up my Chai Tea Latte and notice, hey, that's quite the "tall" shadow on my grande drink.  Sorry, lame Starbucks humor...anyway, so I took this shot as well.  There's your bonus.  I'm sure there I'll be put into this position more throughout this challenge so there's bound to be more bonuses!

Day 51 - February 20, 2013 - The View From Your Car"
This was taken with my cell iPhone 4S using my Hipstamatic App.  This is the view from my car as I was leaving our garage.  

Day 52 - February 21, 2013 - "From Up High"
This was taken from our balcony on the second floor.  Gives a really nice overview of our living room.  Which, I might add, was NOT supposed to be the play room.  Funny how things turn out that way though.  

Day 53 - February 22, 2013 - "Doodles"
While colouring at her table the other day Kaelynne decided it needed to be decorated so she doodled on it.  Thank you Mr. Clean for Magic Erasers!

Day 54 - February 23, 2013 - "Breakfast"
Kaelynne having some Life Multigrain for breakfast on the weekend.  

Day 55 - February 24, 2013 - "In The Middle"
Kaelynne got these twin babies for her birthday.  I told her I needed a picture to use for In The Middle and asked if she would pose with her babies for me.  She obliged.  :)

Day 56 - February 24, 2013 - "Your Home at Night"
Kaelynne ended up crying in the middle of the night because her second set of molars are coming in up top and it was bothering her.  I got up twice with her and after the second time I remembered that I needed this shot so I went downstairs, grabbed my camera and then stood at the door to our room and snapped a few shots.  Which is hard to do in the dark when you have to manually focus.

2013 365 Challenge Week 7

First of all I would just like to thank everyone, past and present, who have been following along with my blog!  I have over 2000 views!!  I'm so thankful and grateful for each and every one of you.  :) 

Now, I've been staying caught up on my daily shooting however, I have not been good at editing and posting them!  I'm going to start off with Week 7, edit Week 8 and post it later this evening.

Side note, Tegan & Sara were in Winnipeg last night performing at the MTS Centre.  A good friend of mine from broadcasting had meet and greet tickets and I was fortunate enough to go with him!  It was so awesome meeting them!  They were SUPER nice and personable.  They went on to put on an amazing show.  My personal favorite was the 80's version of Alligator Tears!  Love those girls.  

Okay, on with the photos!

Day 43 - February 12, 2013 - "Red"
The chair is more of a burnt orange...but the pillows are red!  

Day 44 - February 13, 2013 - "In The Mirror"
This was hard to do with a DSLR!  Taking pictures of yourself is much easier with a point and shoot or a cell phone.  LOL!  I thought about bringing in my tripod but thought, no I can do this.  Easier said than done.  I like the way this one turned out though.

Day 45 - February 14, 2013 - "Love"
Kaelynne made this valentine for me at daycare!  My first valentine from our little girl.  So precious!  That's love.  

Day 46 - February 15, 2013 - "The Edge of The Frame"
This is one of the photos I did for Kaelynne's 2 year shoot.  She turned 2 back in October but I was busy with my full time job and part time photography business up until her surgery in December.  Then we were waiting for her nose to heal after her surgery to do her shoot.  Anyway, it's done now and this is one of the shots from it.  :)

Day 47 - February 16, 2013 - "Slow Shutter"
Originally I wanted to do a night sky shot for this one but it was way too cold at this time and there was no way I was setting up my tripod and standing outside to get the shot I wanted.  I'm such a big suck when it comes to the cold!  Instead I decided to set up the tripod in the house and take this shot using manual settings to ensure the slow shutter.  It was dark in the room, the longer the shutter is open the more light it lets in.  

Day 48 - February 17, 2013 - "Your LCD Screen"
I had to take this shot with my iPhone 4S because I couldn't take it with my camera, obviously.  The actual photo isn't overexposed as it appears to be in this shot.  

Day 49 - February 18, 2013 - "Four"
This shot is of the book I was reading for book club called The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.  It was a really good book and I would recommend it if you're looking for an interesting read.

2013 365 Challenge Week 6

Here's Week 6, as promised.  :)  I feel like I've gotten so much accomplished today!  We had the day off today as it's Louis Riel Day in Manitoba.  In other parts of Canada it's Family Day.  Anyway, YEAH for long weekends.  This morning Tyler and I cleaned the house and then did Kaelynne's 2 year photo shoot...it's only 4 months late...no big deal.  LOL.  I got Week 5 of the challenge up and now, here is Week 6!  

Day 36 - February 5, 2013 - "Faceless Portrait"
This shot was taken at The Forks.  Kaelynne was stopped at the side of the skating path admiring the skaters go by.

Day 37 - February 6, 2013 - "Choices"
Dijon or regular...oh the dilemma.

Day 38 - February 7, 2013 - "Your Mailbox"
On my way to pick Kaelynne up at daycare I stop and get the mail.  This shot was taken with my cell phone using my Hipstamatic App. 

Day 39 - February 8, 2013 - "Child's Point of View"
After making a big mess Kaelynne watched some Dumbo while I made dinner.  As I took this picture at her level she kept asking me what I was doing.  LOL.  

Day 40 - "February 9, 2013 - "On The Ground"
There really isn't much more than snow on the ground these days.  I took this shot with my cell phone using my Hipstamatic App while standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus.  I thought the tire tracks from the sidewalk cleaner and the foot prints were much more interesting than just snow.  It was this or dog poop.  

Day 41 - February 10, 2013 - "Through Glass"
I set up a paint with water for Kaelynne and this was taken through the top half of my water glass at the table.  

Day 42 - February 11, 2013 - "Opposite"
Since we do not have an H&M here I sent my sister in law a list of maternity clothes that I wanted from there.   These two shirts were part of the that package.  I wish they would just open a store in Winnipeg already!  

2013 365 Challenge Week 5

I'm actually all caught up on my challenge right now!  Right after I'm finished posting Week 5 I'm going to post Week 6.  Then tomorrow I will hopefully have Week 7 up...and then...I'M ALL CAUGHT UP!!!  This is very exciting!  :)  

Day 29 - January 29, 20103 - "Yellow"
I had planned on just picking one of Kaelynne's yellow toys and then decided to take a bunch of them into my studio for this shot.

Day 30 - January 30, 2013 - "10 Steps From Where You Are"
10 steps from my office is our living room, where on this day Tyler and Kaelynne had built a fort.  This is Kaelynne playing in their fort.

Day 31 - January 31, 2013 - "Transportation"
At first I envisioned taking a picture of a line of buses downtown on my way home from work but that did not come into fruition.  This was taken at The Forks.

Day 32 - February 1, 2013 - "Water"
As I was thawing hot dogs in hot water I thought, hey I need a water shot.  There were three that I liked so I made Tyler help me pick just one to post on here.  

Day 33 - February 2, 2013 - "Candy"
Since I've been pregnant I haven't eaten a lot of candy, this baby doesn't like candy, or meat...I think he or she might be a health nut.  Anyway, I bought these while at a movie one night and was keeping them until I felt like eating candy again.    

Day 34 - February 3, 2013 - "Rule of Thirds"
I totally psyched myself out with this shot.  I automatically use the rule of thirds when framing a shot.  When I had to specifically take a rule of thirds shot I froze.  The plant is in the lower left intersection of the rule of thirds grid, which is this shots main focus.  For more about the rule of thirds check out this website http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

Day 35 - February 4, 2013 - "I Spy"
This is Kaelynne, doing what she does best, spying on the neighbours.  She sits on the windowsill and closes the curtains usually but I opened them to get this shot.  I guess not only cats and dogs sit on windowsills, kids do too.  

2013 365 Challenge Week 4

It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood!  Finally the weather seems to be getting warmer.  So much so that even I am going to go outside for fun today!  LOL!  You know it's a warm winter day when...:)  We're going to meet some friends down at The Forks and have some winter fun with the kids.  While Kaelynne is napping I decided to get another post up!  

Day 22 - January 22, 2013 - "Sidewalk"
This is what our sidewalks look like in winter.  Really, there's a sidewalk under there, I swear!  At this point my neighbours probably think I'm crazy.  Always outside taking odd picture with my camera.  :) 18-55mm lens.

Day 23 - January 23, 2013 - "An Apple"
This was literally the last apple in the house so I was happy I was able to capture it before it was eaten.
18-55mm lens.

Day 24 - January 24, 2013 - "Favorite Movie"
There are a lot of movies that I would consider my favorite, it's really hard to pick just one.  Seeing how all of our DVD's are still packed in a box in the basement and I just happened to buy this one recently I chose The Dark Knight Rises.  It IS one of my favorites.  I love this trilogy so much and think that Christopher Nolan is a genius.  18-55mm lens.

Day 25 - January 25, 2013 "Dream Vacation"
Since I was a little girl I wanted to go to Disney World.  I still have get to go but Tyler and I are planning on taking Kaelynne when she gets a bit older.  I really cannot wait.  18-55mm with Speedlite 320EX flash.

Day 26 - January 26, 2013 - "Your Car"
This is my 2005 Altima SER.  It was clean and then I decided I wanted to drive down back roads to get a nice backdrop for this shot.  While on this little tour I got lost and ended up in Dugald.  It was a lot of fun to tour around the country around Winnipeg.  18-55mm.

Day 27 - January 27, 2013 - "Dessert"
This was a Sunday and we had a family dinner.  My Mum was here at the time and Tyler's parents came over as well.  We had Chicken Parmesan and this is what we had for dessert.  Thanks Safeway!  50mm.

Day 28 - January 28, 2013 - "Lamp Light"
Tyler and I took my Mum to Ikea this Monday evening.  It was so nice and quiet, so if you don't like crowds go there on a Monday evening.  I love these lamps but we can't get them because Tyler's cat will destroy them.  This was taken with my Hipstamatic App on my iPhone 4S.

2013 365 Challenge Week 3

But Gina, it's going on week 5!  Yes, yes, I know.  I'm a bit behind.  Some of the photos I've needed have had to be shot outdoors and it's been -40 or colder and I don't go out when it drops lower that -15 unless I absolutely HAVE to so that's why I'm a bit behind.  Luckily it was nice enough last weekend that I could go out and shoot to my hearts content.  In the past few weeks my Mum has come to visit us for a few days too which was really nice, she ended up in one of my shots <3.  Today I had the time to sit down, get my editing done and now finally post week 3 of this challenge.  Week 4 will be coming soon!  Hopefully I'll be caught up on week 5 by Tuesday so I can post it as well and then I'll be caught up...here's to hopin'!  :)

Day 15 - January 15, 2013 - "Your Favorite Necklace"
I saw this necklace in a Ricki's display case in Portage Place mall where the office is that I work.  I really love owls so I knew I had to have this.  Shot with my 55-250mm lens.

Day 16 - January 16, 2013 - "Dramatic Black and White"
I sent Kaelynne into our room to wake up Daddy.  I went in to check on them and then quickly and quietly ran to get my camera.  This photograph makes my heart smile and brings a tear to my eye.  <3

Day 17 - January 17, 2013 - "A Note From Your Child"
I asked one of the ladies who was looking after Kaelynne while she had to be out of daycare to help Kaelynne write me a note.  Tyler saw it on the counter when he got home from work and thought it was garbage so he threw it out.  I had to retrieve my precious note from the recycle bin.  Shot with my 50mm lens.

Day 18 - January 18, 2013 - "The View From Your Desk"
This is the view from my desk at work.  It was much more interesting than the view from my computer at home which is a wall.  Usually my office mate Janet is sitting across from me but she does not like getting her picture taken so she left.  Shot with my 18-55mm lens.

Day 19 - January 19, 2013 - "Flying"
This is one of my favorite photos!  That's my Mum giving Kaelynne an airplane ride.  When I was editing this one I got all choked up.  I wish I had photos like this of me and my Grandmother.  I'm hoping Kaelynne will look back and really appreciate these one day.  50mm lens.

Day 20 - January 20, 2013 - "Traffic Light"
I was on my way to get a shot of a traffic light but then came across this sign first and liked it better.   It seemed a lot more safe than standing on the side of the road or in the middle of traffic to get the actual light.  LOL!  18-55mm lens.

Day 21 - January 21, 2013 "Grocery Store"
This was taken with my iPhone 4S.  I was standing in line at the Safeway pharmacy waiting to pick up my prescription and remembered I needed a grocery store picture.  This seemed a lot more acceptable than taking my DSLR or point and shoot into the grocery store.  ;)

2013 365 Challenge Week 2

As Blink 182 said, "A day late, a buck short, on writing the report..."  I am a day late on getting this blog post up.  Better late than never?  I hope so.  :)  

Okay, so this week was fun, a little tricky at times because the weather did not cooperate with me on the days I needed it too.  All in all, it was a good time though!  So far I'm really enjoying this years challenge.  It's been a great way to try new things, play with settings on my camera, use my tripod, have fun with my reflectors and this past week I utilized my studio for a shot.  It's a learning and growing experience.  

Yesterday a friend of mine from Saskatchewan sent me a message wanting to know if I would be interested in her Grandmother's camera equipment that she inherited.  It's a Nikon F65 SLR 35mm film camera!  It comes with two lenses (70-300mm and 28-100mm), 4 rolls of professional film and a camera bag.  I've been wanting a 35mm film camera since I took my first photography class in high school!  I jumped on the opportunity like white on rice.  I'm SO thrilled about it and cannot wait to get my hands on my new camera.  Anyone coming to Winnipeg from Regina soon??  

Day 8 - January 8th, 2013 - "Crayon".
Kaelynne, my daughter, LOVES to colour so it was easy to have a chance to photograph a crayon.  This shot was taken with my 50mm lens, natural light.

Day 9 - January 9th, 2013 - "Bedhead".
It's so dark when I get up in the morning that I decided to go down to my studio to get this shot.  I set up my tripod and used my remote.  I stretched and yawned and ended up with this beauty!  LOL!  Shot in my studio, using my tripod, remote and 50mm lens.

Day 10 - January 10, 2013 - "What's in Your Coat Pockets".
I feel so boring because I never have anything in my coat pockets except my keys and my iPhone.  I'm not one to keep anything in my pant pockets either.  Then I never have to check them when I do laundry!  :)  This shot was taken using my tripod, 18-55mm lens and natural light with the exposure turned up.

Day 11 - January 11, 2013 - "A Natural Heart Shape".
Originally I wanted to go on a nature walk to find a natural heart shape in the woods or something but it was way too cold and windy to do that.  So I took my camera into work and used one of my friends plants to capture this natural heart shape.  Taken with my 18-55mm lens, using natural light.

Day 12 - January 12, 2013 - "Sun Flare".
This shot was taken downtown Winnipeg.  That's the Boyd Medical Building on the left.  I was lucky enough to catch the sun rising over the pharmacy in the morning.  This was taken with my 18-55mm lens.

Day 13 - January 13, 2013 - "The Last Book You Finished".
This was our last Book Club pick.  It was interesting, nothing like I've ever read before.  Very "noir".  It's the lone book on my book shelf as I have not unpacked my books yet.  This was shot with my 55-250mm lens using my gold reflector to enhance the natural light.

Day 14 - January 14, 2013 - "A Map".
This is a map that is at my work.  It shows were our Family Support Workers have come from.  I think it's really cool.  When I saw this days topic was a map I knew exactly which map I wanted to capture.  Taken with my 18-55mm lens using natural light.