Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Zilker Botanical Gardens

We took a little mini-vacation and spent all day at the Zilker Botanical Gardens.  It was beautiful, so I busted out my 100mm for a few shots.






Saturday, November 2, 2013

Ladybug Birthday Party

Alright, I'm just jumping back in here.  Let's see if we can't get this blog active again.

This weekend I photographed a birthday party.  I get very nervous taking pictures indoors, as I feel like lighting is a battle that I still haven't conquered.  I purchased a YN 565EX, but  I only had one evening to practice before the party.  This pictures turned out okay, but they did not live up to my standards.  I have much to remember and learn.  Here are a few snapshots.


I think this next picture is my favorite because it's full of attitude.  I just wish the focus had been sharper.


My biggest frustration was struggling with getting the focus I wanted, and I have no idea WHY.  I've never really had issues with this before.




There's your highlights.  If you have any thoughts / tips for me, post away.  I will conquer indoor photography.  I will, I will.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

What now?

A lot has happened since my last post... one of the main events being the arrival of my daughter.  So, now what do I do with this blog? Does it become a tribute to my daughter? Let's be honest, that's what my camera is full of these days.  I've been gone so long, I'm not even sure anyone is still reading.  I'm mulling it over in my head and trying to decide what to do now.  If you're out there, throw your thoughts at me.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

My Mom

My mother passed away on June 19th.  It was a very sudden and unexpected loss that has completely devastated my family.  Most days, we are all still so shocked that I don't think it really sinks in.  On other days, I hold tight to my pictures and memories of her.

I've always been this idiot that wandered around taking pictures of things that looked interesting, buildings, textures, colors, sculptures, etc.  I remember people always saying "[Someone] go stand over there next to that" so that I would have a person in the picture too, and I thought... why?  Pictures with people are pictures with people... but this thing right here... it's unusual!

I have been a fool.
Give me an old, poorly shot picture of my mom and I will give you my hard-drive full of thousands of pictures that all seem like trash now.

These are the last pictures I have, from a trip in May to her favorite fishing town - Rockport.





I miss you, Mom.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Two Small Dogs and One Small Chair

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for furniture that is two sizes too small. When I was a kid, I wanted an entire set of furniture that was just my size. And now, I want a entire set of furniture that is one fourth my size.

Today, we saw this lovely little chair and my imagination took off...


Two dogs and a chair 3

Usually taniaWorld™ is pretty far from reality, but this idea seemed doable.  Once the thought had crossed my mind, I just couldn't leave without the chair, now could I?  Big thanks to Debbie for helping my tiny chair dreams come true.

A fluffy dog and a chair

Mosley and Lola were happy to test out the chair for us.  Mosley can be seen surveying the yard above.

A tall dog and a chair 2

Queen Lola commanded cuddles and delicious food for all the kingdom.  But this peace would not last long...


Two dogs and a chair

Only one can rule in the game of thrones... (the rest of the shoot is on Flickr.)

From a photography stand point, I think the focus ended up being a bit soft on these pictures.  But, I like them so much, I did my best in post and hoped they would be good enough to share.

I also probably ought to mention that the chair featured here is not even a kid's chair--the owner of the furniture store informed us that it is an African Birthing Stool.  If you know me, you can probably imagine the look on my face and the internal "ewwwwwwww!" I had to suffer through to still love this chair.

Hydrangeas

I've been wandering through some old pictures as I try to take my photo organization and tagging to the next level.  The whole experience has solidified one of the many reasons I love pictures!  There are so many events/moments that have escaped my shoddy memory--it is beautiful to be able to re-discover those moments as if I am living them all over again.

Anyways, I stumbled upon some pictures from last year's Valentine's Day, and this just felt spring appropriate.

Hydrangeas

We had hydrangeas at our wedding and they have held a special place in my heart ever since.




Last year, we planted several hydrangea bushes in the backyard, and it has been very exciting to watch them come back to life this spring.  A few weeks ago, I started to see the slightest hint of pink blooms.

Hydrangeas in the Garden

Did you know that the color of the bloom depends on the soil?  That's one of the most interesting aspects of these flowers, the blooms can vary from pink to blue throughout our garden and even on the same bush.  They were purple/blue last year, but they came back bright pink this year.  They can be any color they want, I'm just excited that something survived the horror that is my gardening.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Snake-A-Palooza

Recently, the hubby and I went to the local park.  It is a gorgeous park that seems to go on forever, hosting several different types of wildlife, fabulous bike trails, and an altogether wonderful atmosphere.  I grabbed my camera, hoping to get some cute wildlife shots.  Instead, what followed was an intense evening of snake spottings and crazy occurrences. 

Perched atop a bridge over the beaver dam, we looked for signs of our dear friend Justin Beaver (pics coming soon).  Joining us was a large group of children, also hoping to spot something amazing.  I asked them if they had spotted anything, and they responded "Nothing but snakes."  Oh, I thought.  Silly kids.  "No, really." One of them says, pointing right beneath us.

"Oh. That IS a snake."

Snakes Cuddling

"Nope.  It's four."

Snakes Cuddling 2

Blink.  Why, yes it is.  How incredibly... strange.

The children wander off looking for more cuddly discoveries, but we stay perched atop the bridge... waiting.  Suddenly, there is a scream and some pointing.  I'm thinking that a beaver has surfaced, and I'm happy the kids found what they were looking for.  But, one of them starts running towards us.