Focus on Life: Checking Out - Eye Level

A different approach to point of view. 

This week's prompt from Sally Russick of Focus on Life and The Studio Sublime, is Eye Level. She invites us to make note of what is at eye level while we are standing, sitting, kneeling, wherever we find ourselves.  

I noticed that when I sit in "my spot" on the end of the sofa, my buddy Merry keeps me company, and if she is not sitting right next to me, she may be playing with a friend on a nearby rocking chair. 

Sitting on the arm of the sofa. 

Notice the stalking of Haruko under the chair. 

The only other eye level view I found interesting was my little kitchen "garden." The blue flowers are muscari, also known as grape hyacinth. My contribution to the illusion of spring!

I get to see this as I stand at the kitchen counter.

Potted muscari, Christmas cactus, last year's pussy willow. 

So, that's the report from my eye level, let's explore what others have contributed. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life: Minimalist: Words

Do words need WORDS? 

Pondering, pondering, Sally Russick from The Studio Sublime has given us the prompt this week to express some WORDS in our minimalist photography. After discarding my original idea due to the inadvisability of outdoor photography in our current cold snap, I drew some....words. 

My choice stems from the fact that I really do rely on words for almost everything I do. Even drawing incorporates words quite often. 

So, those are my words, the first picture frosted in Picmonkey, another one posterized, and the last minimally processed. Let's see what the others have done: 

Focus on Life: Minimalist Silhouette

The Bare Essentials

This week's photo assignment on our Minimalist theme is Silhouette.  Sally Russick gave us some suggestions on how to use our cameras to create silhouettes of objects against a bright background, like the sky. I read them, but ran out of daylight to fiddle with my camera. Too bad I can't take a photography sabbatical. 

Here is what I came up with:

Hummingbird Wind Chimes - and some icicles!

Not exactly a silhouette, but a nice contrast. Desaturated in Picmonkey. 

My Favorite! Didn't have to do much....

Take a look at the other participants' masterpieces. 

Focus on Life: Bye Bye for Now!

A little friend scurries away. 

Well, we have come to the end of the first year of Focus on Life. This project, sponsored by Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime, has encouraged creative photography and story telling all year long. 

These past few weeks have been challenging because I usually like to capture the natural world around me, and the cold weather and short days limit the pictures I can take. 

Looking around me when the weather allowed, I just didn't think anything presented the opportunity to portray this week's theme, "Saying Goodbye". And them I remembered this little fellow.....

As I scrambled to get my camera turned on and grab a picture of this cute squirrel, he noticed me and my pal, Bebop, and scooted away. 

"Goodbye, friend Squirrel, catch you next time."

Happy New Year everyone.

Focus on Life: Togetherness

Pasting together a post about togetherness. 

The Focus on Life photography challenge, hosted by Sally Russick of the Studio Sublime, is winding down its first year, and we have just received our invitations to join for 2014. 

What a wonderful activity this has been! And this week's prompt - Togetherness, well, it's a natural for the holidays. And our family of four, Jim and I and our two kids, we'll be together again, after spending them apart last year with Michael in Afghanistan. 

Timing could have been a bit better. As I write this on Friday evening, it looks as if it will be a bit too stressful to concoct a family portrait by posting time. 

So, here's a little bit of togetherness that happened ...well, at other times. 

Sara and Michael are two and a half years apart in age, and as with many siblings, they grew from being good buddies and playmates, to being two very different people. 

Sara and Michael circa 1997

Sara and Michael April 2013

Brother and sister through the years. As unlike as they can be, until they forget about all their differences, and start sharing memories. I love those times.....together. 

Focus on Life: SAINTS, SOULS, SUGAR SKULLS AND SCARES!

....AND PUMPKINS, AND PUMPKINS, AND PUMPKINS!

Sally Russick has tasked us with the "chore" of taking photos of seasonal things. Halloween-y things. Maybe spooky, creepy (or spoopy, crepy) things. Ah, well, unless you consider this creepy

This little guy  hitched a ride
on the mail one cold day.

(and maybe you do) you will have to accept the pumpkin my daughter and her coworkers made for the Hannaford Supermarket pumpkin decorating contest. Some of the other ones, too.

Alice in Wonderland.
 (Excuse the fact that Alice's leg is beside her on the pumpkin -  It's been in a busy store for a week!)

The competition:

 I may be prejudiced, But I like Alice in Wonderland best! Unfortunately, they did not win. 

Find out what others did with this prompt by clicking on the thumbnails. 

Focus on: Quiet Moments

The best of the quiet moments.

This week's prompt from Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime invites us to present a quiet moment or two. One of my favorite times of the day is when I walk out with my dog, Bebop, and my trusty camera. A time both quiet and invigorating. Here are a few images, from one of those days when the sun was at just the right angle. 

Mist caught on the hill side. 

Last days of the Queen's Lace.

Sweet little flowers.

And another quiet moment, moon gazing....

Shine on Harvest Moon. 

Take a look what the others have done! I didn't receive links for this week's hop, but you can link up from Sally's blog, The Studio Sublime.

Focus on: Motion!

Motion and the suggestion of motion.

This week's Focus on Life assignment sent by Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is "In Motion." Now - we are dealing with still photography here. Do you see the challenge? Yeah, thought you would!

In trying to meet this challenge, I was torn between taking it literally - using my camera to stop motion, or to try and suggest motion....somehow. Unhelpfully, my camera battery died in the middle of a walk where I thought I might capture something cool. 

So, back to the archives, where I remembered that I had some cool series shots of a Great Blue Heron that are from last year. And some more recent shots of Canada Geese at the local small airport. And a Squirrel, just cuz they're cute. And PicMonkey's collage feature was just made for this..... 

Now let's see how the others handled this challenge.....

Focus on Life - They come Two by Two!

A Gemini Chooses Things in Pairs. 

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime sends us a weekly prompt, and we post pictures to address that prompt. This week's prompt dealt with things that come in twos. 

Of all the photos I have chosen for this project, I have rarely focused on the jewelry that I make. So here are a few favorites from the vaults!

Dyed howlite and a couple of  Czech beads.
 Simple but effective

I love finding new ways to use bead caps. 

Lapis Lazuli and copper.
 Even if the wire work leaves something to be desired,
 a great combination.

One of my most recent sales. I almost kept them....

A desire for fabulous earrings got me started in jewelry making. As far as I am concerned, they are some of the finest pairs there are!

Take a look at some more pairs!

Focus on Life: Growth and Change

Watching things grow.

Our prompt from Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime this week is Growth and Change. 

I decided to look for pictures that I have taken of my little potted pepper.

I seem to have concentrated on the beginning, but the end is pretty spectacular - and I am still waiting for it to turn completely red, so I can pick it!

Little plants in early June. 

Five Days Later: Blossoms!

And here is the little pepper.

Two months later, I am looking forward to the harvest. 

A few months ago I noted that farmers needed an abundance of hope. Even with the smallest garden, you also have to have an abundance of patience.

Follow the links to see what others have found to trace....

Focus on Life: Blue Meanie!

A hit and run post as I prepare for a weekend of Craft Fair selling.

I feel like a Meanie because I am not taking my usual amount of care with this post. Oh well. Hope you enjoy my response to the prompt from Sally Russick: "Hues of Blue." 

Here are some of the blues I like. 

Daytime moon - blue sky

The sky a little later

Wild Chicory - Early in the day

Late in the day, their color lightens

A neighbor's blue hydrangea

See everyone else's Hues of Blue. Sally's blog The Studio Sublime, Or use the link tool below. 

Focus on Life: Routine

Every day, I'm on my way.

When prompted by Sally Russick to take photos, and write about our routine, I knew I would end up using my morning walk with Bebop as my topic. What could be more routine than the morning dog walk?

I've posted lots of pictures taken while walking on my blog, but with these, you are going to have to appreciate the routine-ness.

Nothing particularly brilliant here. But a pleasant routine. 

                   Let's go, Mom! ----------- Already hot and hazy at 6AM ----------- Mmmm, something smells good!

Hey, let's go down there! -----------Somebody's been cooling off down here ------------Done here

Back up the hill ------------ Sun's climbing higher ---------- It's not totally rural here!

Hey, what's that? (it was a skunk, no harm) ----------Over the bridge again -----------Almost home!

Let's see what the others are doing: The Studio Sublime. 

Focus on: The Patterns Around Us....

Looking for something a little different. 

"an artistic, musical, literary or mechanical design or form." 

Sally Russick, in her photo prompt this week asks us to find "Pretty Patterns."  Hmmmm, Wanting to do something a little different this week, I used a picture of a very old rock wall near my home, presented with a little editing on PicMonkey. 

Rock Wall Unedited 

Rock Wall Cinerama

Rock Wall Dark Edges

Rock Wall,Cropped and Sharpened

Old time craftsmanship. These photos highlight a very practical, yet beautiful pattern, created of the components at hand, to suit the surroundings.

Kind of like jewelry design, the way I do it! 

To see what patterns other people have chosen, visit Sally's blog The Studio Sublime.