Coffee for the Day

I can not believe how fast this semester has gone! Only a couple finals stand between me and winter break. I have learned quite a bit in my photography class and plan to go shoot more with my digital again. I'm also  going to attempt a 52-project for the next year. Between work and school this should be doable. I'm still working on a theme to carry on for the year, but I'll have a little more time to think about it soon.

Until then I decided to include a photo with today's blog. This is the new coffee cup my sister got me for my birthday this past weekend. Not like I needed another reason to drink a cup of coffee in the morning, but to use it is a good excuse.

"A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems." -Paul Erdos

Photography Class

As I sit here before going to bed this evening (or morning now) I thought I should really update this blog! I apologize for everyone who was looking at my daily posts. There are probably 15 or more pictures that I didn't upload before life took over again.

Even though I haven't kept up on a daily photo (I plan to attempt this project in the future again), I have been enjoying a photography class this fall. When things settle down a little I will scan a few of the photos I have taken on to this blog. In a little over 5 weeks I have learned quite a bit about all of the manual settings and appreciate my DSLR even more. When I'm able to use that instead of my Minolta Maxxum 500si (which is a pretty good SLR camera that I got secondhand). I also was able to get an awesome 50mm lens that also works on my Sony Alpha 200 DSLR. A nice addition to my photography equipment.

Even though the 365 photo project became a little much I hope to start using this blog again more. Make a few more posts instead of disappearing for 4 months (I believe) again.

I can't end this post without a quote either:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -Helen Keller

Day 154: Clementine Box

I couldn't resist a photo of the wooden box clementines my mom bought came in. The quote doesn't match, but really liked it.

"I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try." -Nikki Giovanni

Day 153: Painting with Light

I want to try this again, but photos with long shutters are pretty awesome. It's a lot of guess and check though since you can't see the finished product until after the photo is taken. I did crop this photo since the light was only on about two-thirds of the picture. I tried some other things and then decided to try one with just the swirls and curves. This was the last photo I took that night and knew it was the winner.

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." -Henry Ward Beecher

Day 152: Milan and Sarah's Wedding

Today was Milan and Sarah's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and I ended up getting to assist and take pictures during the ceremony. I think some of them turned out well, but I am not going to post any of those right now. Many of them will probably end up on Facebook in a few weeks. Today I decided to just post a photo of some of their decorations. These fabric triangles were hung around the reception hall, the sides of the chairs during the ceremony, and through the trees (where these ones were) behind the ceremony. Their grandmother is going to then quilt them a blanket out of this fabric. That quilt is going to mean a lot.

"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence." -Eric Fromm

Day 151: Wedding Centerpieces

Saturday evening was Nick and Sarah's wedding rehearsal. While they were practicing a group of us helped with the centerpieces. The sunflowers were beautiful.

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men and animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident, others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock." -Henry Ward Beecher

Day 150: Surrounded by Weeds

Yes, this is a toilet surrounded by weeds. On a walk this evening I found this and thought it was photo worthy, they are probably remodeling. 

"Trash has given us an appetite for art." -Pauline Kael

Day 149: Shadows

I thought I'd play with shadows this evening again. The streetlight nearby and moon made some great light to work with.

"False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine but leaving us when we cross into the shade." -Christian Nevel Bovee

Day 148: Portrait of Kristen

It was Kristen's band banquet so I decided to stop and get a few pictures of her before I dropped her off at for the banquet. This one doesn't have her awesome hot pink shoes that matched the belt.

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available." -Jim Beggs

Day 147: Ceiling Fan

A little motion.

"Never mistake motion for action." -Ernest Hemingway

Day 146: Graduation Party

Sara Jo! Sara Jo showed up at Ashley's graduation party which was a nice surprise. Taking a picture of someone taking a picture, pretty classic.

"To the complaint, 'There are no people in these phtographs,' I respond, 'There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.'" -Ansel Adams

Day 145: High Heels

I'm a girl so I'm allowed to get excited about a new pair of shoes. I found these white heels when we were shopping and just fell in love with them.

"Everyone chases after happiness, not noticing that happiness is right at their heels." -Bertol Brecht

Day 144: Country Hat

Another one where I was working with the texture of the object. The wicker hat and beads around it

"Be like Curious George, start with a question and look under the yellow hat to find what's there." -James Collins

Day 143: Steel Band Concert

May 26 was the high schools jazz and steel band concert. There were quite a few good shots from that evening, but I liked the various facial expressions in this one.

"A fool is like the big drum that beats fast but does not realize its hollowness." -Malayan Proverb

Day 142: Wood Flower

This is the flower engraved on the frame of a mirror in my house. The rustic "texture" shows up well in the photo.

"Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." -Francis Bacon

Day 138: Fly Away

Yep, it's a bird candle holder.

"Use what talents you posses; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang the best." -Henry Van Dyke

Day 141: Wooden Piano

This is a small wooden piano box that was hand carved. My sister bought it for my birthday this past year.

"When you play music you discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed." -Bill Evans

Day 140: B&W 9

What is it? For today's photo I really enjoyed make something so abstract.

"One very important difference between color and monochromatic photography is this: in black and white you suggest; in color you state. Much can be implied by suggestion, but statement demands certainty... absolute certainty." -Paul Outerbridge

Day 139: Basketball

I do believe the best sporting company is Wilson. I don't know why I would think that.

"WILSON!" -Tom Hanks, Castaway

Day 137: Blooming Flowers

My mom finally bought a few hanging baskets. The little "hairs" on the stems showed up well.

"Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower." -Phillips Brooks

Day 136: Sunglasses

Aviator sunglasses, what more can I say?

"Wearing sunglasses at night hurts your eyes after a while." -Corey Hart

Day 135: Waffle Cone Dessert

This evening after dinner I made waffle cones which I then filled with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, chocolate syrup, and whip cream. It was as good, if not better than it looked.

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first." -Ernestine Ulmer

Day 134: Eyeglasses

The glasses reflecting off the wood wasn't something I was expecting, but added to the photo.

"Words, like eyeglasses, blur everything that they do not make clear." -Joseph Joubert

Day 133: Necklace

The texture of the seat I sat the necklace on adds nicely to the photo.

"The mark of a wise person is being able to reach beyond the truth, to admit they can learn more than they already know. A wise person doesn't string together the beads of unrelated events into a necklace simply to have something they wish to see. A wise person sees the truth even if it is something unexpected. That is the most beautiful necklace to wear -the truth." -Terry Goodkind

Day 132: Soda Cans

Yes, I do say soda even though I'm from the Pittsburgh area.

"So in our pride we ordered for breakfast an omelet, toast and coffee and what has just arrived is a tomato salad with onions, a dish or pickles, a big slice of watermelon and two bottles of cream soda." -John Steinbeck

Day 131: B&W 8

I photographed this one in color, but since it was at night I was having difficulty capturing the light without it the photo getting blurry. This is one of the few I decided to edit to keep the light in color and turn the rest black and white.

I thought the quote was funny since I am studying statistics.

"Statistics are used like a drunk uses a lamp-post- for support, not illumination." -Vince Scully

Day 129: Tie

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." -Albert Einstein 

Day 128: Toothbrush

This photography project is really challenging me to think of different things to photograph.

"Rewriting is like scrubbing the basement floor with a toothbrush." -Pete Murphy

Day 127: Self Portrait 2 Lens

Thought I would do another self-portrait with this project. This time a close-up though.

"Your first 10,000 photos are your worst." -Henri Cartier-Bresson

Day 126: Little flowers

"Flowers whisper "Beauty!" to the world, even as they fade, wilt, fall." -Dr. SunWolf

Day 125: Bookcase Doorknob

The doorknobs on our built-in bookcases in our house are really interesting.

"People are much more willing to lend you books than bookcases." - Mark Twain

Day 124: Basketball Hoop

The last few times I was in Pittsburgh for services I forgot to bring my camera. I brought it this time though and got this!

"You've got to be ready for anything in basketball. You can't blame the game on that at all. You never know any given night what will happen." -Ashley Rutledge

Day 123: Inside of Flower

On this Friday I took quite a few photographs of flowers. This is one of my favorite. I then took these and photos I took in the past and made a Mother's Day gift for my mom. We had a room divider that had photos in it. The glass in a few of the frames had broken so I replaced that and put the new photos in. It turned out really well!

"Earth laughs in flowers." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 122: Yellow Purse

My mom bought this new yellow purse which I absolutely love! (Especially since it is a big purse to.) For those that know me, I am never without a big purse.

"It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases." -Friedrich Schiller

Day 121: Can Opener

I have gotten quite behind on my photos again! Summer is keeping me quite busy .This photo is from May 4.

"Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 120: Rain

I have finally caught up on my blog. With finals and everything going on I got behind on my blog, but here is today's photo. It has been raining almost everyday here it seems. I thought I would take advantage of this and take a photograph of the water droplets on the bushes in my backyard.

"Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots." -Frank Howard Clark

Day 119: Vines

I was trying to capture the texture of the rusted pole and vines wrapping around.

"But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and non one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken." -Micah 4:4

Day 118: Nesting Dolls

Kristen has many nesting dolls from past feasts and birthdays. This is just a close up of a few of them though.

"The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys."

Day 117: Chocolate Cake

Saturday evening Columbus hosted the prom. Even though I was at the top of the age limit I decided to go with a few of my good friends. For dessert they had a cheesecake and this delicious chocolate cake. If there had been a glass of milk it would have been even better, but the cake was wonderful anyways.

"It's so windy today I'm really glad I had a piece of chocolate cake last night or else I would have been blown away out here." -Maria Sharapova

Day 116: Plums

This isn't one of my favorite photos. When I uploaded the photos from my camera a few days after I took this it didn't come out quite the way I wanted. That's what this project is about though, trying new things. I have yet to miss a day which is what my real goal has been.

"I am putting real plums into an imaginary cake." -Mary McCarthy

Day 115: Window

Thursday, April 28 was my last day of finals of my freshmen year of college. I took this photo before I drove to RMU to take my calculus final. I was trying to capture the cracked paint on the window and siding.

"It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it." -Stephen Wright

Day 114: Piggy Bank

This was my grandmother's piggy bank from when she was a kid. A few years ago she gave it to my sister.

"It's a piggy bank, and every month they shake money out of it... Eventually, you have to start putting cash back into the piggy bank." -Maryann Keller

Day 113: Leaves

Our Maple tree finally has its leaves! That is usually a good sign that summer is almost here.

"General principles... are to the facts as the root and sap of a tree are to its leaves." -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Dat 112: Tulip

The tulips were in full bloom today! I was able to get a close-up of one of them.

"All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." -Abraham Lincoln

Day 111: B&W 7

This evening I had fun with the shadows that were created by the street light.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow." -Helen Keller

Day 110: Kitchen Light

"Have you any idea how many kids it takes to turn off one light in the kitchen? Three. It takes one to say, 'What light?" and two more to say, 'I didn't turn it on.'" -Erma Bombeck

Day 109: More Books

You can't have enough books! There is such a list of books that I want to read right now and it is really hard for me to find time to read all of them. I have to start somewhere and get through them as I can. Hopefully this summer will let me read more books.

"A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting." -Henry David Thoreau

Day 108: Reflections in the Window

These are some of the windows on the outside of my dad's office building. The weather was great for the window reflections without too much glare that day.

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures." -John F. Kennedy

Day 107: More Numbers

It seems like everywhere I go lately all I see is number. When four of five classes involve math it's hard to get away from it. There were even numbers on this telephone pole.

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all  logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry." -Maris Monttessori

Day 106: Water Drops

After the rain today the water droplets were perfect for photographing.

"Even by the falling of water drops a water pot is filled; the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gather it little by little." -Friedrich Max Muller

Day 105: NTBMO

NTBMO in Pittsburgh was quite memorable. I chose this picture because of the smiles on their faces and it is hard to get a good photo of the boy on the right. 

"Remember even though the outside world might be raining, if you keep on smiling the sun will soon show its face and smile back on you." -Anna Lee