Week 27 – #29. Moody

I woke up this morning and looked out the window hoping to see a beautiful day, but that was not in the cards. Instead of sunshine, it was foggy. I decided it is good to shoot outdoors in different kinds of weather so I gathered my equipment and Mike and I drove up to the top of Lookout Mountain hoping to get moody and atmospheric photos. We approached a narrow one-lane road beside which a sign was posted, “No Trespassing.” I have always been a curious-type person, so convinced Mike it would be okay if I walked down it for a possible photo op. Although nature provided plenty of low-hanging fog, I added a texture to the photo in post processing to give it just a little bit of added moodiness.

Week 47 – #10. Family Table

I decided to have a little fun this week so ventured up to the Museum District in Chattanooga to photograph families having lunch at a family table. My favorite coffee shop/casual outdoor restaurant is Rembrandts with small wrought iron tables underneath a vine covered canopy. While sipping my latte, I noticed a black bird flying back and forth between a couple of tables and it soon became quite obvious that there were some very serious conversations between it and the customers. Although I was not close enough to hear, I used my imagination and in the first photo below, I imagined the bird saying, “How many times do I have to tell you to look at me when I am talking to you?” In the second photo, it seemed to be saying, “As a Mother, it is your responsibility to teach your child to sit up straight at the table and put away her iPad.”

I’d love to know what you think was being said. If you have any thoughts, please share them with me.

Week 43 – #30. One Step At A Time

While visiting Yellowstone National Park recently, I was fascinated not only with the beauty but with the animals roaming freely. I even learned the difference between a bison and a buffalo (thanks, Stacy)! We were very close to this elk and it kept its eye on us as it crossed the stream one step at a time.

Week 37 – #31. Panning

For those not familiar with the term “panning,” it is a photography technique performed through capturing an object in motion while moving the camera in parallel to the object. By moving the camera together with the object, the object remains sharp and the background becomes blurred.

This is not my favorite technique and although I had two willing participants, a/k/a Mike and Molly, it turned out to be somewhat of a comedy show early this morning in my neighborhood. Mike agreed to drive the car up and down our street and Molly eagerly agreed to ride in the back seat while I practiced panning. Along comes the garbage collectors … drive up the street again, Mike. Out comes the neighbor with a cup of coffee … drive up the street again, Mike. Along comes the recycle collectors … drive up the street again, Mike. Molly is not looking out the window … drive up the street again, Mike. My shutter speed is not slow enough … drive up the street again, Mike. I need to go inside to make sure the bacon is not burning … drive up the street again, Mike. Molly was more than happy for me to continue practicing, but Mike gets grouchy when he is hungry.

Week 30 – #49. Two Of Us

There were so many wonderful times I shared with our little Bichon puppy, Genie, who is no longer with us. I often think about what a special place she had in our home and Mike and I talk often about how much we miss her and how no other puppy could ever take her place. If I had to select one time I shared with her that was more special to me than other times, it would have to be when we were on a long walk and it was just the two of us. I captured this photo one day of a lady walking her dog at Ken Thompson Park and it reminded me of the times little Genie and I shared.

Week 28 – #39. Shot Through Glass

While in St. Augustine recently, Mike and I were having lunch at a local restaurant located on the water. Seated at a window, we could not help but notice all the sea gulls flying by so naturally I grabbed my trusty camera and shot through glass to capture the gulls in flight.

Week 43 – #36. Pretty Baby

Hello, my name is Sissy and I was nameless, homeless and hungry until a few weeks ago when my life changed drastically. There is love in this world and I found it when I walked upon a stranger’s back porch one chilly evening in April high upon Signal Mountain in Tennessee. Although the homeowner did not know that I was pregnant, she took me in with open arms, gave me a name, food, water, milk and a warm bed in which to sleep. Just a few days later, I blessed her life with a gift of two pretty babies and she rewarded me with a special place on her screened back porch where I could take care of my babies and be safe from predators.

Week 15 – #50 Up Close

A visit to Chattanooga would not be complete without a visit to the local Waffle House to check on the groundhogs who have dens in the rocky hillside behind the restaurant. Saying they’re fat is an understatement. The people who eat regularly at the Waffle House know about them and give leftover waffles and bread to them which, in my opinion, is not a good thing since it makes them dependent. On this day, I walked behind the restaurant with my camera to photograph them. They are not at all afraid of people and this one walked up close to me waiting for a handout, which I, of course, had handy. 🙂 Up on his hind legs he stood and gently took the bread from my hand.

Week 7 – #21 In The Clouds

November 22, 2010 was a day I shall never forget as that is the day our precious little Genie, a Bischon Frise, left us. If you have ever lost a pet, then you know the sadness we felt. She was a loving, gentle little puppy who gave us all the love she had to give, all the time. A friend sent the below to me and I have had it taped to my bathroom mirror since that dreadful day when she was attacked and murdered by one of my neighbor’s dogs in Tennessee:

“God turns clouds inside out to make fluffy beds for the dogs in Dog Heaven, and when they are tired from running and barking and eating ham sandwich biscuits, the dogs find a cloud bed for sleeping. God watches over each one of them. And there are no bad dreams.

Cynthia Rylant”

Over the past three years I have been comforted by looking up at the clouds on beautiful days and imagining Genie jumping and playing on the fluffy clouds. Imagine my surprise last week when I looked up and saw an almost perfect outline of her in the clouds. In loving memory, I am including a photo of her taken not long before she died. Precious little Genie will always live in our hearts.

43. Row One

For some reason, the theme “Row One” has been a difficult one for me. As I was strolling through Jungle Gardens in Sarasota today, I noticed these turtles all in a row and decided since there was not a row two, I could use this photograph as my row one theme.