Photography is fun!!!

Tuesday nights are photography class night... OMG... it's so much fun I can't tell you!!! 

I love it. The guy who teaches it is a local portrait photographer and although I am sure that's 

not where my forte lies, as seen in the pictures below, I am learning from him and I love it!

This week he asked us to take models ... of course I took the girls!! Not that I actually wanted

to, I knew I was asking for trouble, but his gorgeousness was out of State.. not only out of 

town but out of the damn State!!!! 

So off we go to the studio, it's all rush, rush, rush, i get there and he's talking, talking, talking

then he starts metering the light... yes I know... metering the light... and tells us what to 

do with out f-stop and blah blah.. I can tell you're impressed. And it hits me ... 

dumb ass McGilly left the battery for her Nikon in the charger!!! Grrrrr!! 

Dingbat... that's me. So I ran home and got it.. y'all forget we live in a wee tiny 

place and nothing is more than five mins from my house. The class then proceeded and I 

took some of the worst pictures you've ever seen!!!! 

Here's Syd making faces behind teach's head!! 

I was taking pics and dying of shame all at the same time!!! 

He was a real sport, what she didn't know was that he could see her in a mirror

all the time.... funny stuff.

Here's Syd and Ash looking like a couple of stuffed dummies from the eighteen 

hundreds!!! I am quite sure this is not the type of picture i want to take.

And here is my necklace on my nightstand when I got home and into bed!!! 

I used what I had learned about this setting, that number, this light metering and that

depth of field and took this with nothing but the light of the lamp on my nightstand. 

and I like it!! Don't love it but I like it!!!!

Most of all I love that my teacher recognized the type of pictures I want to take and 

when I was leaving the studio he let me borrow one of his books on still life. 

It's incredible and I'm honored that he's already clicked with what I want to do and that

he's not trying to force me into the type of thing he does.. now that's a class act!!! 

Can't wait for next week... a field trip.. woo woo!!!!! 

Things I regret not knowing....

I didn't know they grew wine in Nevada.. much less organic wine... but no that's not the point of this post!

Very recently I have mended some bridges that were burned many moons ago, particularly that of the relationship with my eldest sister. For reasons beyond our mortal comprehension Sissy and I have been at odds, it seems, for  longer than is good for the soul.  It's a long complicated story that bears no importance, the important part is that we are now getting to know each other again via cyberspace and I love it!!! We actually have more in common than I remembered.  It appears big sissy is as nuts about photography as I am, and I am so inspired by her pictures. I have always taken pictures and carried them from one home to the next and even shipped all my snaps here when I made the transatlantic move, none of them were great but I love them all still the same. I can't remember Sis ever being so keen other than family snaps and holiday memories. She has a keen eye and has always been an art lover so it really shouldn't be a surprise to me that she likes to take pictures... she says they are not "on the wall" good but I beg to differ. People see pictures in a very different way so everything should be on the wall and then let the viewer decide.

The other thing we have in common is our desire to travel, it appears that she is well traveled in Europe and I know she went to South Africa once.  Also, maybe she's a little bit of a celeb spotter. She revealed that she has a picture of her with Johnny Depp... yes... I repeat... my sister has a picture of her with Johnny Depp!!!!
WTF?? I have an autographed picture of Johnny Travolta, which he actually wrote MY NAME on, but I have never met him and I have a picture of Kevin Costner on a movie set in England close to where I lived, but I don't actually have a picture of me with anyone interesting... other than my family of course!! they are all interesting.. but not famous!!!!!!!!!! I'm beside myself with envy which I am not ashamed to admit.

Sibling rivalry is once again rearing it's ugly head and I am on the look out for anyone with an A list status that I can accost and take a picture with. It's ON people.... Johnny Depp be damned.. I'm on the hunt and it will be done... watch this space. If I can ever convince her to show me said picture I will then post it here for all to see... then I'll be out there... hunting down the Hollywood elite like a manic stalker!!! I so should have gone to Tybee Island when Miley was there!!! I'm kicking myself in the ass for that one although I seriously don't think Miley and me would trump a Johnny and Sis!!!

It's fun to rekindle relationships and rediscover the people who were so very close to you at some point in your life. I know I can't be the only one in this situation.. share your story.. it's good for you!!!! Maybe when I'm home in April I can even take a picture of Sissy and Me!!!!

Spring is almost springing...

At least it's trying to in North Florida. We took a ride into Tallahassee today and here are some of the pictures I snapped along the way, using my lovely zoomy lens. Note the Aston Martin... tres jolie!!!! I was snapping away when I remembered I had that big lens on there and he probably thought we were paparazzi following him!! or a PI or something!!! What fun!!!! LOL. It was such a beautiful day, we rode around in the sunshine stopping at some of our favorite places, World Market, Radio Shack, Books-A-Million and Tarjay!
I have to say it was nice to get out and not be freezin' our buns off for a change.

Now we're home relaxing before the onslaught of another busy week.... urggh! Why can't the weekend be five days and the work week be two??? Now there's a concept!!!!

WoW... what a weekend...

Guess what we did Friday night? 

Actually by "we" I mean "me" and five little girls... his gorgeousness missed out on all the fun.

Yes, I am quite mad (English meaning of Mad, not the American)

I sat there with five little girls ranging in age from five to nine years old and enjoyed one of 

the best movies I probably have ever seen, I was totally immersed in it!!!

Johnny Depp is Da Bomb!!! His gorgeousness is quietly jealous of my Depp Raving.. i know it.

Yesterday was a whirl wind too... we did some long overdue shopping for the house.

Seemed like we drove all over South GA in order to get just what we needed but it was 

worth it. I am starting to feel like after being in this house for five years things are 

finally coming together. If only I could get the outside finished... it's been in the process 

of being painted for well.. about three and a half years now!!! And we're starting 

other projects inside??? yes I am completely bonkers!!! I have a busy day again today

so I"ll make this a short post. I'm really hoping that when I get out for a little bit

today I can take some pictures and get some mojo flowing again in that 

direction. I did manage to snap this the other day and it makes me hopeful that 

Spring is on the way!!!! Please God send us Spring!!!!! 

Happy Sunday y'all... hope you're having a good weekend too!!!! 

Hello Thursday, how ya doin'?

The pic has nothing to do with the post.... just like it!!! wanted to share... hoping to bring a smile to your face!

So... I'm being particularly polite to this Thursday morning, stepping carefully, trying to not aggravate it too much... reason being you see... is that by seven o'clock tonight Thursday will have KICKED MY ASS!!!!!
Oh yes, royally beat me into submission. Here's my to do list....

Take a shower (of course)

Get dogs to the vets for a bath

Go to the Damn Post Office and mail box of random goodies to sissy

Go to work (there's a whole nother to do list waiting there)

grab a quick lunch and book a flight to England

Pick girls up from school and deliver them to sitter where there's a whole nother

to do list to go over with her (she's awesome!)

Run back to work for an hour

Leave work and pick up daughter # 1 for Baton practice (fifteen minutes between

leaving work and getting her to the Y... that's not long)

Sit there and fester at the way my Thursday is shaping up

Run her from Baton to soccer while she changes her shoes in the car and whines 

about being hungry and thirsty, meanwhile I inwardly cringe 'cos I didn't have time today 

to pick up a drink or a snack for her!! 

Call hubby while en route to make sure he has daughter #2 ready for soccer and will 

meet us at the fields on time. 

Get the girls to their respective games which are, of course, three miles apart, spend 

the next hour running between their games and shouting expletives words of encouragement.

Drop into the car, frozen, exhausted and nerves in tatters, drive home wondering 

what the fuck i ever did to deserve this weekly ass kicking from Thursday! 

How is your Thursday shaping up?????

Corner View...Coffee Companion

This is what goes with my coffee this morning. 

YUM

For more corner views head on over to Jane at SpainDaily and see what she's having. 

Then check out these fellas.... Happy Wednesday! 

p.s. three more followers can't be wrong. :) 

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama

athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, urbaNiche, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, emily, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne, rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, ocean girl, emily, soisses, monica, marcie, annabel, andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel

blah blah and more blah.....

OK this stinks. I have no photog inspiration! i'm afraid i'm trying too hard and have

pushed my limits to the end by trying to squeeze in something every day, but why, why 

am I sacrificing quality for quantity. And another thing, I don't feel like I am learning anything

so I need to slow down a little and read a little more before picking up the camera. 

The kids won't cooperate, I could quite easily take some fantastic shots of them but they

are running away hiding from me whenever i pick up Mr. Nikon!!! 

This long, horrible, brown, drab winter isn't helping... i need sunny days and color, i need

flip flops, ice cream treats and bright colored bathing suits. I bought myself some Tanqueray and 

tonic the other day and dreamed of the picture I could take...fizzy with a little lime! 

 but then realized i don't have any really nice glasses to photograph... so I'll have to go buy some!!! 

heee heee.

I drank the gin and tonic. 

I have been looking back a lot lately too.... back at pictures... back at memories and 

things I have done in my life.... revisiting things I have experienced and places I have 

been. What a lovely thing we have in our heads, a little hard drive in which to store those

most precious of times... so that, when it's yukky and times are hard, we have something which

nothing and no one can take from us, marvelous memories which lead to marvelous 

day dreams... ultimately leading to marvelous contentment! 

Now here are some of my better pictures... hopefully... I'll take some soon that will be 

more interesting and fabulous and I'll get over this little case of the blahs!!! 

Please stick around... there'll be some inspiring stuff soon I promise!! 

thx 

and i lost a follower today... blah.