random reflections

52/50 Wrap-Up and Photographic Challenges for 2014

I’ve really enjoyed my 52/50 Project and am so pleased that I didn’t miss a week of it. I love my 50mm lens, and it was a good excuse to be sure it got put on the camera at least once a week. So here are the last of the photos, some of which I've posted earlier for other subjects.

Week 48:

Skylar was loving the ranch dip at Thanksgiving. I don't think too much celery got eaten.

Week 49:

I had my zoom lens on most of the time during my first trip to Chicago, so there wasn't much to choose from. I love the photo, but it's not technically very good.

Week 50:

The perfect photo for the week!

Week 51: 

We took Caleb to the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Once again I had my zoom lens on until lunch when I remembered I needed a 50mm photo. Caleb's delight in this photo is watching the train that goes around the dining room of the cafe.

Week 52:

Caleb was helping put away all the Christmas decorations. Sarah made sure Christmas was over before Caleb's birthday celebration on December 30th.

With a new year ahead, I’ve given a lot of thought to what kind of photography project I wanted to take on for 2014. I’ve considered a lot of different things, but have finally settled on spending a year with David DuChemin. His e-book “The Visual Toolbox: 50 Lessons for Stronger Photographs” should give me more than enough challenges to last the year. Here’s a blurb from Craft and Vision where I purchased the e-book a few months ago.

 The Visual Toolbox is packed with lessons about the tools of the photographic language – the camera, the lens, and the more important stuff like visual language, composition, and learning to see. Most of those lessons are accompanied with real-life, honest-to-God assignments to get you out there learning how to make stronger photographs, not just learning to use a camera.

 On my reading list for a couple of years are two of DuChemin’s books, Within The Frame and Vision and Voice, so I hope to finish both of these as well.

 I purchased a small notebook to use for this year’s project on Amazon. I’ve already made a list of a variety of subjects and themes I might use as I practice my skills, and will use it to take notes on my reading, and reflect on my experiences.

I’ll be participating in Cheryl McCain’s Frugal Still Life class as soon as we return from Florida, and in Helena’s meme Zoom Out, Zoom In. Here’s the first pair for Week 1:

One of the many amazing displays at The Chicago Botanic Garden. I took the zoom out first, then the zoom in.

Having a photography project (0r two or three) seems to keep it fresh, and I'm looking foward to finding new images in 2014!

52/50

Time flies, and I have seven weeks of my 52/50 Project to share, but even more amazing---there are only five weeks left for the project! I need to find a new photography project for 2014. I'm signed up for the Still Life Photography course with Cheryl McCain but I know that will be difficult when we're traveling. I'd like a weekly project---one that requires me to do more than take a daily shot with my iPhone and something that challenges me to improve my photography. If you come across something, I'd love to hear about it. 

Week 41 found us in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a weekend of wine tasting and theater. Grapes were still heavy on the vine.

The following week (#42) we were in Florida. I walked around the Boca Raton Resort and Club with my 50mm lens one morning and found lots to photograph. This gorgeous flower is one of my favorites.

Most of the photos I took in Key West and the Everglades were with my 18-270mm zoom lens, but I finally remembered to get the 50mm lens on as we drove home through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the end of Week 43.

Technically this isn't the best shot from Halloween (Week 44), but it's my favorite. Skylar was a fabulous bumblebee.

Week 45 found me in our yard. Our relatively new maple tree was in the midst of changing colors.

Tracy and I have been trying to get several good walks in every week while the weather is still good. (I think we may be at the end of that. We had 2-3 inches of snow this week, and the temperatures are hovering around freezing at their highest!) During Week 46 we walked through Highland Park, one of our favorite routes.

Last week (Week 47) we were trying to find a new route and went to the Cobb Hill Reservoir. We walked through the woods first, but I didn't find much there to photograph. The leaves have fallen off the trees, and it was pretty drab. I liked the light on the reservoir through the bars, though, and decided to do a black and white conversion which I also like.

With the upcoming holidays, a wedding, and a quick trip to Chicago in early December, finishing up this project should be pretty easy. Then I'll have to decide what to do with all the photos.

52/50: A Long overdue Catch-up

When I went back to look at the last 52/50 post, I was shocked to see it was at the end of July. I've kept up with the project and had most of the photos filed appropriately, but I did have the last few weeks to edit. Posting them in batches seems to make sense, but I'll try to be a little more timely for the rest of the year.

Week 32:

Two of my nieces and a grand-niece kayaking on Conesus Lake. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago we were all enjoying the lake together.

Week 33:

Handsome Caleb at 20 months. I love those big brown eyes.

Week 34:

Vineyards overlooking Seneca Lake. We do live in a beautiful area.

Week 35:

Matt and Skylar; it's so good to have them just around the corner!

Week 36:

Bread at the Ithaca Farmers Market; this photo got the most votes when I asked which one to choose.

Week 37:

Miss Skylar playing with Grandma's iPhone. Both my grandchildren are techno-savvy at a very young age!

Week 38:

Lake Michigan. I almost didn't get a photo with my 50mm lens that week. Got this on our way home from dinner. I had lots of photos, but they were all taken with my phone.

Week 39:

Caleb and his English cousin, Samuel, playing after Adam's Installation Service. 

Week 40: 

 

I have lots of lovely photos from this past weekend. We were in the Adirondack Mts. from Saturday to Monday. The weather was gorgeous, and the autumn colors were at their peak.

I'll be back tomorrow with a little recap of the weekend and some more photos of the beautiful fall foliage.

 

Anniversary Post and 52/50

We had a lovely day Sunday celebrating our anniversary along Seneca Lake. Our first stop was a new to us winery, Damiani. The staff was delightful, and so were the wines. Later that night, we ended up choosing one of their wines to have with our dinner. Tracy was anxious to get back to a lovely, small organic winery called Silver Thread. Although their wines are a bit more pricey, their whites are just perfect for summer entertaining on the patio.

The view from Silver Thread is not bad either.

This is my pick for this week (#31) for the 52/50 project.

The grapes are still green, but beautiful.

But the best part of the day was the fabulous dinner at Suzanne's.

It's a beautiful setting, overlooking the lake. If you look closely you can see tables and chairs on the porch for dining. We opted to eat inside as it had rained off and on all day.

Imagine my surprise, when I looked at the menus Tracy and I were handed.

Not only did we get anniversary wishes from the hostess and our waitress, but the chef came out at the end of the meal to wish us happy anniversary.

The food was amazing. Each of us chose a different entree, and all four of us were delighted with our choices. Before dinner we were offered a complimentary appetizer, and we shared a cheese plate as well.

Much of the food served here is sourced locally, and if it's not, you know where it came from. All four cheeses were from New York, three of them from the Finger Lakes. My rack of lamb came from Colorado and was cooked to perfection.

There are beautiful gardens surrounding Suzanne's but by the time we finished dinner, it was (once again) raining, so we'll have to save those for another trip. At the end of the meal, we were given our menus rolled up and tied with a green bow. I did take a photo, but the light was so poor for the iPhone by that time, that it's not very good.

So this week's 52/50 photo is at the top of the post, and here are the last few weeks in reverse order:

Miss Skylar, for Week 30

A yellow daisy from my garden for Week 29

An umbrella from a crafter's booth at the Corn Hill Arts Festival for Week 28

Here are a couple more shots from the festival, one of three huge arts festivals that are held every summer in Rochester.

I loved the name this crafter chose, and we loved her art---bought two gifts and a little something for ourselves. I also found something for Rinda's Scavenger Hunt at the festival, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

52/50: Weeks 25-27

Finally, a much shorter post! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes for our friend, Mike. There hasn't been any significant change. What we need now is "purposeful movement," responding to commands. They reduce his sedation and medication every day now for a few hours. Yesterday he moved his head from side to side, and opened his eyes, but it wasn't in response to a command, nor did he seem to focus or recognize anyone. Keep your prayers coming!

Here are my picks for the last three weeks of my 52/50 Project:

Father's Day was the beginning of Week 25, and Matt was here to help celebrate. We had dinner at TRATA, and ate on the rooftop terrace.

Matt and Betsy gave me a beautiful orchid for Mother's Day, and I've managed to keep it alive for nearly two months. This week (26) was pretty dreary, so I took a lot of photos inside. This one was the winner.

Tracy's been working on our shade garden which surrounds our patio for many years. It's particularly beautiful this year. (I'm sure more photos will be coming.) This week (27) we picked up some new plants at Grosman's. They've added some nice color to the garden.

52/20 Catch-up

Almost all the photos I took on our holiday were taken with my new 18-270mm Tamron zoom or my iPhone. But I did take my 50mm with me, and once a week put it on the camera for enough shots to keep up with my 52/50 project. 

Here are the last five weeks of photos for the project:

Week 20: Most of my shots for this week were taken in the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar. There were two other contenders for this week, but I finally settled on the spices.

One of the guide books recommended buying Turkish red pepper to bring back. I didn't, and I wished I had, along with some sumac which is an ingredient I'm finding in many Turkish recipes. But Saturday I found a great Turkish market right here in Rochester, and was able to purchase both spices and some other ingredients I wanted. We loved the Turkish and Greek foods, and I've made several dishes from The Sultan's Kitchen since we've returned--all of them delicious. 

Week 21: Each morning in Santorini our breakfast was delivered to our room. If it wasn't too windy, we ate on our patio. We had quite a nice menu to choose from, and the food was great. We ate lunch at the hotel a couple of times, as well as dinner. One of my best meals of the trip was here---lamb on roasted white eggplant puree. (I'd love to get that recipe!)

Week 22: This photo was taken from a museum looking up at a restaurant. I loved the bright green umbrellas against the clear blue sky. Matt couldn't get over the blues in the photos from Santorini. None of the colors in my photos are enhanced. It really was that blue! We ended up eating lunch at this restaurant later in the day.

Week 23: When we arrived home, our peonies were in bloom. I always enjoy taking photos of them.

Week 24:  Saturday we took our annual spring road trip to Ithaca to go to the Farmer's Market. On our way home we stopped to have lunch at Tracy's cousin's home in Interlaken. Mike had trimmed the bushes around their entrance way the day before, and discovered this tiny nest. The morning of our visit, this baby bird hatched. His eyes are still closed.

More photos - 52/50: Week 19

There's a lot happening here this weekend so I knew I needed to get my link up to Kent's Project 52 earlier than usual.

Although I expect to love my new lens, my 50mm/1.4 will always be my favorite lens. This project gets me out there using it, and finding new ways to use it. I was surprised at what great landscape shots it took in Oregon. My favorite shot with the 50mm is to open it up wide and shoot in close. It's almost always sharp and pretty. (Although this week the two shots I took of a beautiful magnolia blossom were both too soft.)

I walked to Highland Park early in the week. I knew the lilacs were starting to bloom, and the annual Lilac Festival begins tomorrow. If you want some peace and quiet in the part, that's not the time to visit. We love to go over at least one night to grab dinner from one of the food carts or tents, listen to some music, and admire the lilacs, but it's not great for photography. All but one shot this week came from the park.

Every year there's a pansy bed, always planted in some kind of pattern. This year's is the most unusual; it's planted to create a large white arrow!

A shot of the park. It's even more beautiful now than it was earlier in the week. My friend and I drove by after dinner last night, and it was stunning. There are over 500 lilac bushes. You can smell them from the car.

This is my pick for the week. Not a lilace after all, and worse yet, I'm not sure what kind of tree it is.

Here's one last photo. This one is of our street at the far end that goes into the Colgate Divinity School property.

It seemed like a long wait for spring this year, but it's always worth waiting for.

 

 

 

52/50 Week 18

This week's photos are a little of this and a lot of spring. We've had an entire week of above average temperatures and all-day sunshine. It's been glorious, and according to our favorite meteorologist it's going to last most of the coming week as well.

Sunday Tracy and I walked to Park Ave. for breakfast. As we passed our neighbor, Marge's, house we stopped by her garage sale. She's about to enter the Peace Corp for two years serving in Moldova. I've been looking for a working vintage typewriter for awhile, and she had one. I was happy to take it off her hands.

Monday night we hosted our duplicate bridge group. When I asked for a dessert suggestion, Tracy was quick to reply, "Cathy's cake." Our friend brought this chocolate praline cake last month and it was divine. You can find the recipe here.

Although I took a lot of photos this week, most of them were with my iPhone on my daily walks. The rest of the 52/50 photos came from our yard.

This photo of our Korean Pear tree is my pick for the week. 

More photo inspiration can always be found at Kent Weakley's P52 Project.

52/50: Signs of Spring

We've had several days of warmer weather, and it looks like spring has arrived. These photos were taken on Monday when I walked to the park to see what was in bloom. Tracy and I walked through the park again today, but I had my wide-angle lens on so none of today's photos will work for this project. It's amazing, though, how much more has blossomed in just a few days.

Our street dead-ends at the Colgate Divinity School property, and I often walk across their lawn on my way to the park. Not many signs of spring here, but I love the way the beautiful building stands out against the clear blue sky.

Not many of the magnolias were in bloom on Monday, but almost half of them were today.

The current challenge at Image City is to take a photo with the camera no more than four feet from the ground. I'm finding it a very difficult task. These daisies are very tiny IRL.

Here's this week's pick. Highland Park is known for it's extensive collection of lilacs. They are just beginning to bud, and should be right at peak the second week in May when the Lilac Festival begins. I'm linking this up at P52.

 

Happy Birthday & 52/50: Week 15

Yesterday was Adam's birthday, and although I did get a phone call in to him, I didn't get a blog post up because I ended up driving to Syracuse to spend a few hours with my brother. (More about that later this week.) Here's the card I left with our gift for him when we were in Ashland.

I'm a big fan of Papertrey's Stylish Sentiments: Birthdays, and thought the bicycle image from Studio Calico was a perfect match for it. The arrow is a Papertrey die, and I hand cut the banner. I think I cased the design for this card from one by Joy Taylor, but I can't for the life of me find it on her site or in my Vi.sualize.us account.

We've had a very busy week and dreary, dreary weather---enough rain that we ended up with some water in the basement. It made for slim pickings for the 52/50 project this week. I had hoped a visit by Betsy and Skylar Friday night would add some good images, but Skylar was feeling under the weather, so I'll save those for a weekend recap post later this week.

My favorite image from the conservatory last Saturday, taken with the 50 mm.

A rather winter-worn deer showed up in the yard one morning.

I was happy with the clear focus on the raindrops since it was taken through the kitchen window. It was much too wet to take the good camera outside.

There was a break in the rain the day I after I found the helleborus blooming in the backyard. This is the pick for Kent Weakley's P52 project.