Midweek

063:365: Rocking Chair

064:365: Saving Our Marriage

065:365: Dakota Burl

Toolkit

I really wanted to make this photo look kind of classic, so I tooled around a bit in Photoshop. Using the "Film Grain" filter, adjusting the gradient map to pure black and white and fooling with some of the light settings made it seem older. It also makes the label "FREE" on the seat pop a little bit, which (I flatter myself) contributes to the bitter sweetness of the tiny trike among the detritus...

062:365: Growing Up

060:365: Hoot

061:365: Something to Save For

059:365: Neglectful Parenting

Windows

058:365: Stooz Cafe*

*I played with the "Fill Flash" function in Photoshop with this one because the lamp in the photo appears much brighter than it did in real life, even with the "fix".

Kheer

057:365: Cardamom and Coconut Milk

Spare Time

...is basically nonexistent these days.

I find myself frustrated with how little time I have to spend thinking about photos and how I have even less time to shoot/edit them. I am, consequently, not pleased with what I've managed to shoot on a daily basis, but I can't exactly allow myself to flounder in that. Not if I want to be a contributing member of this Project 365 Crew!

053:365: Face Off

054:365: Ghost of Dogwood

055:365: Physalis?

056:365: Wanting In

052:365: Sam's Gift

My cousin, Sam, gave this cookie jar to Joe and I for our wedding over six years ago. He was so pleased to be giving us a gift that he picked out himself and was so sure that we would love it that we both couldn't help but fall in line. Tonight, it's filled with tasty vegan cookies I made because I'm cutting out dairy in the hopes that it will help to solve my infant son's reflux.

I also used a couple of tricks from the photography book Joe bought me. I used the timer and a makeshift tripod to try to get a really crisp image. I did change the levels on this photo in Photoshop because the white balance on the camera just doesn't seem to work out right for the lighting in our kitchen. Joe tells me that there is a way to set a custom white balance on the camera, so that's the next thing I have to figure out.

She Doesn't Have to Run Away

051:365: Trapeze

My eldest daughter started circus classes yesterday. She was born in the year of the monkey and she certainly lives up to it physically. We tried to find parkour classes for her, but I assume no one's willing to take on the risk of teaching kids to scale buildings, so circus classes it is.

It was a choice between this and a photo of her full body on the trapeze, but Joe pointed out that the angle of her head and the placement of the trapeze wires made it look like she'd been hanged. Alrighty, then.

Colour

Funny what the colour can and can't do for a photo.

This photo was kind of...meh...in colour, but I wanted to see what it would look like in black and white. Suddenly, it's a lot more interesting.

050:365: Progress?

It Does Not Do To Leave a Live Dragon Out of Your Calculations

049:365: The Dragon in the Grove

Students at my daughter's school made this dragon last year for the celebration of the lunar new year. It now graces the ceiling of their lunch room. I'd never noticed it before today!

I Wish...

...this photo were an accurate representation of how my first day with Joe away at school went. The afternoon was lovely, with babies napping/happy enough for me to enjoy this rooibos chai tea with steamed milk. Unfortunately, they made up for lost time at dinner. Ever made dinner for yourself and a five year-old while juggling twin, teething three month-old babies? Me neither. At least not with much success.

048:365: Luna

The Royal City

We just spent five days in Guelph while Joe attended the Jazz Festival. Getting out and taking photos every day proved difficult. I, of course, shot many photos of the subjects nearest and dearest to my heart (and my hips), but I've offered a few here that aren't of my kids.

042:365: Danger?

043:365: Ouch!

044:365: Portability

045:365: Self Portrait 03

046:365: Jaws

047:365: Like a Bird

Labour Day

041:365: The Alley

Goals

Like Sue, I've felt a little sheepish at my own use of a particular subject over and over again in my photos, but sometimes it's just so hard to resist:

039:365: Windfall

I can't quite decide why the first is better than the second. Or rather, they're both good, but for different reasons...the light in the first is better and yet the second has her framed by the leaves and with such a genuine smile (which is hard to get out of her these days) that it's just so charming. Still, the sunlight is hard to beat.

Today's photo is a close-up of the half-mannequin that friends have hanging on their front porch, but I didn't pay close enough attention to the background as I shot it. So that is one of my goals from here on out: pay closer attention to what is in the background, and to shadows that may distract from the photo's subject.

040:365: Barbie's Dream House

A Fair-y Tale

Today was one of those days where there were a number of photos to choose from. We ended up at the Canadian National Exhibition last night for a few hours, and there were ample opportunities for photos.

First, though, a photo from earlier in the day which echoed the feelings of the fairgrounds:


The cliché photo of the rides at the Midway was taken:


Then the rain hit and we went running for shelter, which provided material for some interesting shots:

And even more, including a ghostly visitor:

But in the end, my photo of the day is for posterity and not necessarily technically the best shot (plus, I was pleased to have discovered the trick to capturing a relatively clear photo of a fast-moving carousel at night):

038:365: Carousel

Away

That fine novel by Jane Urquhart was set not far from where we we've been staying the last five days, on a property a little ways from the hustle and bustle of daily urban life. Here are some images from those days. I've been frustrated by the fact that some days I have to choose between two or three shots that I love and then other days absolutely nothing inspiring has passed or been captured by my lens. Is anyone else having this problem?

Also, I hate random shadows (cf. photo 37).

033:365: Done Like...*

034:365: Trapped

035:365: Just Shy (of 3 Months)

036:365: Water Fairy*

037:365: Marlon

* Slight lighting adjustments made in photoshop. Fill flash in the case of photo 33 and darkening in the case of photo 36.