Memories

'Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.'  

 -  Dr. Seuss

I stepped out my back door to look for flowers to photograph.  I found some chives, a spirea bush (maybe?) and peonies.  

As I was getting things together for a still life with the peonies, I got a whiff of their wonderful fragrance.  Their subtle perfume transported me... to my grandma's house.  I don't remember the peonies at my grandma's house, but the smell brought me into her powder blue living room so long ago.  

The peonies smelled good all weekend and I couldn't help but think of my grandma, with a smile on my face.  

Today I am joining, Texture Tuesday, Life thru The Lens and Wordless Wednesday.

My images were all processed in Lightroom using Kim Klassen's new presets, breath (lightening the shadows) on the peonies and breeze on the chives and spirea images.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a great week!

Michelle

         

A Nature Walk

'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.'  -  John Muir

Life has been crazy.  I know you can relate. 

A camera walk through my yard helps me put things back in perspective.

Sometimes I just focus on what needs to be fixed: the weeds that need to be pulled, the trees that should have been trimmed last fall, the flower beds that need cleaned out, the grass that needs to be mowed...

But when I look through my camera lens I can see beauty among the things I think need changing.  

Today I am joining Texture Tuesday and Life Thru The Lens.

My top image was created after watching a video in Kim Klassen's Test Kitchen, there are a bunch of great tutorials there.  I didn't use any textures, really.  The other images I used Kim's texture 100.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a great week!

Michelle      

                

Props From Nature

'Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.  Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.'  -  Betty Smith, Joy in the Morning

'One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.'  -  Henry Miller

'The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.'

-  William Butler Yeats

I remember when my daughter was little, she is now 14, and looked with wonder at everything.  Rocks, flowers, animals, everything was new, wonderful, and amazing.  Somewhere along the way, for all of us it seems, these everyday things lost their allure and aren't quite as amazing as they once were.  

Photography has taught me to look closer at the things around me while searching for 'good shots'.  It has helped bring back some of that child-like wonder of the world. I find details I would have otherwise missed, notice the way light shines, shadows lie and colors brighten up a scene.  Of course this doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen more than it did before photography. 

For the Be Still class this week, Kim Klassen sent us out to 'take a walk and find some props'.  It was raining, so I improvised.   I used items I had previously collected: beach rocks, a feather, moss (purchased from Michaels)  and beautiful flowers from Trader Joe's.  Nature can provide some beautiful props, I just have to slow down and open my eyes to see them. 

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday and the class Be Still.  My images were textured with Kim's texture 0603.

Thank you for stopping by!!

Have a great week!!

Michelle

Spring Flowers

'May your life be like a wildflower growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day.' 

-  Native American Proverb

'Like wildflowers; you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would.'  -  E.V.

I hope you are enjoying warmer weather in your part of the world.  It is definitely spring here in Ohio.  We have had plenty of rain this past week and the grass is greener, the daffodils are blooming and the woods are beginning to fill in with leaves.  There are also dandelions popping up, even though my husband did everything in his power to stop that from happening.

Megan found some purple wildflowers in the yard while picking up sticks.  I thought they would look great with a chocolate macaroon.

The daffodils are being visited by their insect friends.  I think I was interrupting this little guy.  Doesn't he look like he is giving me a dirty look?  I guess he has a lot of work to do...

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.  My top image was textured with Kim's texture waterfront1_bestill.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a great week!

Michelle