Blogsite with photos and accompanying comments. Humorous Blogs using actual untouched photos unless noted otherwise. Information about photographing as a pro on a shoestring budget.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, May 12, 2008
Momma and Daddy AKA...
Cleo and Theo!
As mentioned yesterday, there was a tie. However, it was a three-way tie! And each entry came from an employee at the Aging and Community Services in Columbus, Indiana. The Agency is a Not-For-Profit organization providing services to disabled and elderly in a five county area in Southern Indiana.
Cleo and Theo was the entry by Donita Brady, receptionist for the Agency. Donita says the names are short for Cleopatra and Theodore. Momma and Daddy liked these names because they like how the names roll off their tongues.
Other winning entries were “Max and Erma” submitted by Jan Zeiger. Jan is Program Director for the Foster Grandparent Program. This is an intergenerational program bringing children and senior adults together in an educational setting. The “foster grandparent” is a mentor for the child. “Max and Erma” are liked by Momma and Daddy because it reminds them of the dumpster they fly to down the street when the feeders are empty.
Another entry was “Gertrude and Heathcliffe” submitted by Lorealee Moore, Program Director for the Preventative Health Program and the Aging and Disability Resource Center at the Agency. The Senior Games is funded by this program. Lorealee is also the Director of Access and Assistance. Lorealee (Link-Age Department) will be the first point of entry someone may talk with when calling the Agency for information. If “Gertrude and Heathcliffe” sound familiar, these were names of seagulls Red Skelton used in skits in his comedy show. Momma and Daddy like these names because, “birds of a feather, flock together.”
Now you may be asking, “How are they going to use all these sets of names?” Well Cleo and Theo have desperate need for the other two sets of names right now. You see, the urgency became quite obvious this morning as I was photographing Cleo and Theo’s happy abode…
Gotta have names for the...
BABIES!
And We Have A WINNER!

The winners have received their prizes! And the names will be unveiled for everyone very soon! The prizes were claw picked and pecked with much care by Momma and Daddy and come fresh from the beak with loving care!
Stand by--the names will be hatched soon!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
A Really Exciting "Got-The-Shot"
There is a little background you should be aware of to
understand the importance of this “Got The Shot.” A few years ago, I met and became friends with two wonderful people, Joe Ann and Norm. At the Mother-Daughter Tea event at church one year, I was taking pictures/portraits. Joe Ann and her family asked to have a family portrait. What made their’s quite different was the five generations present for the portrait. This family portrait turned out so well I asked Joe Ann if it would be alright to enter the picture in the County Fair. It won second place for portrait. After the Mother-Daughter Tea, Joe Ann began to take more interest in my photography, especially photographing cardinals. She always had an encouraging word when we met.The day Joe Ann died, the cardinals seemed to be quite active around the yard. I had been trying for sometime to get a close up photograph of a female cardinal. Not 5 feet from my window a female cardinal landed and stayed on the same limb for over 15 minutes. She could see me as I moved around the window frantically taking pictures. I expected any minute for her to fly away. She did not budge from the limb. And then what must have been her mate landed on a nearby branch. He too, did not move for several minutes and put on a show of fluffing his feathers. It was a cold day, and we were getting the first snowflakes of winter.
In the middle of this “photo shoot” with the cardinals, the phone rang. It was my husband who is the pastor of Greenwood United Methodist Church. He told me Joe Ann had just passed away and asked for the prayer line to be activated.It seemed as though the female cardinal had taken the spirit of Joe Ann. It made sense that Joe Ann would have willed that cardinal to be there for me to get the picture she knew I’d wanted so much.
A few weeks later I shared this thought and experience with the family. Each grown child received a photograph of the female cardinal taken the day Joe Ann died. Norm received the female cardinal photograph but also a photograph of the male.
A couple of days ago, I got a photograph of them kissing but when I looked at the picture on the computer screen, the female was bald and the male’s plumage was discolored and some spots were bare. True love is blind to the outward appearances and this pair did not see their imperfections.
But today, I took the picture of another couple within ten feet from the window and in perfect focus. It appears there are
more than one pair of “Kissing Cardinals” this year. That is a real blessing.This year the “Kissing Cardinals” picture was extra important to me. My dear friend, Norm, passed away a couple of weeks ago. Is that why the cardinals have been plentiful this Spring? And now to have at least two pair of “Kissing Cardinals” has been very meaningful in understanding and coping with Norm’s death.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Vacation Plans are on the Drawing Board and the camera is in the bag!
One thing you will want to consider this early in the planning stages is a camera. How is your camera doing that you have now? Don't wait a couple days prior to V-day to pull out the camera and check it over. Check it out now, especially if it is a film camera. If it's been in the back of the closet there are a few things that need to be done before taking it on your vacation. Remove the batteries and make sure they didn't leak into the battery chamber of the camera. If they did, the camera may still be salvageable. But a future blog will discuss how to perform cleaning, maintenance and storage of your camera. Most likely, buying a new camera, is your first choice at this point.
Now, if you are in the market for a new camera, where do you start? Well, the worst thing to do is have the salesperson tell you what you want. You know what you want; you just need a way to organize your thoughts. Here is where to start in that process...
First step should be: Get some paper and a pen. Write down what you liked with all the cameras you have owned or used. Spend a lot of thought with this. This list is for you to use in selecting your new camera.
Next you will start another list: Write down what you did not like with those cameras. If you are considering a digital and it is your first, here are a couple of things to consider:
Anti-shake, anti-vibration--This is a big deal. Even the pro, high end digitals are adding this feature. Lower priced cameras also have this feature. This is a must have feature for digital cameras today, especially if this will be your first.
Start up time. Biggest complaint with a digital camera is missing a picture because someone was waiting for the camera to "come on," "turn on," "warm up," whatever they may call it. By the time the camera is ready, the baby's first step is missed and all you can get is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th steps.
Type and size of battery the camera uses. It is best to purchase a camera that uses AA batteries. Those are available all over the world where there are stores. If you want the thin, "fit in your shirt pocket" camera, plan for the odd battery, specific for that camera and possibly just that model! And if you leave your charger at home... uh-oh.

Go to a store you are familiar with that sells cameras. DO NOT BUY a camera. The salesperson at a camera store will do everything in their power to make the sale at that moment, even lie if they have to. I know from experience about the "promises" list they begin to rattle off until they see you begin to soften up. A promise made to me on the first digital camera was not outrageous. When I was ready to step up to a more sophisticated camera, I went back to the camera store with the old camera I purchased from them. The salesperson said they would take the old camera as a trade in when I would be ready to move up. I dealt with the same saleperson and he looked at me like I was crazy when I said I wanted to trade the old one in. "We don't do trade-ins and never have."
Listen to the sales pitch, test out the camera and then go get a cup of coffee. DO NOT BUY. If you saw what you liked make note of the brand and model.
Then, check out the reviews of the camera you liked. You can go on line and search for the make and model, go to the camera manufacturer's website, and the best and most reliable review is from the consumer just like you who will tell it straight. Here, too, is where you can find out if the camera is a discontinued model or being discontinued. So if the saleperson says you are getting a great deal on a camera they want you to buy, do you consider a discontinued product a great deal?
In the process of checking reviews on line, you may have found a better price. You may save money not paying tax, but remember to consider the shipping and handling charges. Add up the camera price and shipping in comparison to purchasing the camera locally. Can you wait a day or two for the savings? I buy all my camera equipment through an online camera and video store which has been proven to be reliable and trustworthy. In the first year alone of switching to the online purchasing, I saved over $1,000 for gear and they even purchased my old camera and lenses! However, if you decide to purchase over the internet be aware there is something called a "gray market." Gray market equipment is meant to be sold outside the United States and here is what makes the price so attractive... no manufacturer's warranty comes with the purchase. A good article about the "gray market" alert is in the January 2008 issue of Popular Photography magazine. You may be able to read the article by going to the magazine's online site, http://www.popphoto.com/ and search for the editorial by John Owens, "Camera-Buyer Beware: How to tell a scam from a steal."
Buying a camera is a big discision today. Just like a new car, the minute you walk out the door with the camera, it's value drops quite a bit. Another thing, the digital market is still quite new and "finding itself" to please the customer. Digital cameras are obsolete in the matter of days of being released. Take for instance the line of Nikon's digital SLR cameras. They have jumped all over the place to get the consumer's attention... D100 to D70 to D50, D80, D200, and within a model there have been changes and releases and the same has been happening in their pro line of DSLRs. If you could follow the "point and shoot" camera's history, you would discover that market is a disaster.
Oh, and one more thing, if you can't find a model that has all the features you want, just wait a few days, it will be on the market...
Monday, April 28, 2008
An Ordinary Friday...NOT!
Right off the bat, I’m standing by the window watching the birds at the feeders while drinking my morning cup of tea. There is a flash of red in front of my eyes. It’s hovering right there; “in my face” would be a more direct description. The moment every birder’s in the neighborhood have been waiting for—the hummingbirds have arrived! This beautiful Ruby-throated Hummingbird is at attention in front of the window. Each year this particular little fellow announces, “I have arrived” in this way. And then he flies around the window looking for human activity. I think he’s asking, “Where’s the feeder?”
I raise Zebra Finch as a hobby. And about 2 weeks ago I got this picture of two babies two days after they hatched.
Here they are... they look like twins! And the photo below is Beaker (Daddy) looking proudly on his chicks...
At lunch, sitting at the table and looking out at the backyard, an invasion, truly, an invasion of Rose Breasted Grosbeak occurs. Four beautiful males are on the pole feeder and two females are on two other feeders. I grab my camera and begin photographing these colorful birds. Hanging in this big window is our Canary, Maestro, who is singing his heart out as I shoot away. All of a sudden Maestro lets out a screech and jumps away from the window. A male Grosbeak has flown up and landed on the window ledge. He is within inches of my head. We both eye one another. He stays there for some time allowing many photos to be taken, up close and personal. They are such magnificent birds.
They are such magnificent birds.
Did I say... they are such magnificent birds!It was a day of defending territory at the feeders and pond. The birds seem to be staking out their place. Bird fights could be seen wherever two or more were gathered. The pond was especially popular. Many birds were bathing. And everyone wanted this “one spot.”
The “Kissing Cardinals” were in the backyard so I could now get some good pictures when they “kissed.” That is a true love story all by itself. Another time for that story.


Watching a male cardinal taking a bath in the pond was hilarious. Maybe that should be phrased “trying to take a bath.” After three tries, flying away and returning he finally succeeded in getting wet and figuring out how to “bird bathe.” But there was a territorial battle to get “the bathing spot.” A sparrow was a pest and the cardinal challenged her a number of times for the bathing spot. The sparrow finally left (after getting her bath).
I've been trying to entice an Oriole to the feeders. Of all times for an Oriole to show up, right at the moment the cardinal had gotten the hang of this bathing thing. That was not a good time.

Then the female cardinal decided to bathe. When she flew to the pond she was interrupted by, of all birds, an Indigo Bunting! For the past two years I have been blessed with seeing this bird at the feeders; but it has visited just one day each year. And here he was… today of all days. And he was not going to be left out of the territorial battles.
No, it was not an ordinary day. After blowing the smoke off the camera and letting it cool down, last count of the number of pictures taken was a whopping 400+. It’s great to have a digital camera. Film-wise that would have been over 11 rolls of film to buy and develop. How much would that have cost? I don’t want to know. But with digital… you just hit delete on the pictures you don’t want. Why so many pictures? The territorial challenges and bathings are quite active and the best way to get “THE shot” is to hold down the shutter button and pray the picture you want is not the one between the two photos just taken.
All in all, it was a super day. The only picture not taken was that of the hummingbird. There will be ample time this summer. And I have a 4 Gigabyte flashcard in the camera and one in the case (oh yeah, high speed—300x).
This female cardinal has some parting words...
Even the "Bird Spa" is busy, #@$%%&*##.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Palatable Pixel...
When you go on a vacation, you have spent much time preplanning and preparing. There has been research for the lowest priced airfare, hotels, places to see, events taking place and whatever else. You don't want to go fishing quite a distance from home, decide to stay overnight and discover there is "no room in the inn." That happened to my husband and I years ago when we lived in California. We decided to go fishing at an "interesting looking" lake on a map. We went fished and decided to stay overnight. When we started to search for a room, none were to be found... the innkeepers kept mumbling something about the Calaveras County Leaping Frog Contest (Mark Twain's short story on this event was one of his first writings to be published). To make a long story short, we ended upstairs above the bar in a room at the Black Bart Inn. We propped a chair against the door because there wasn't a lock. That was good because during the night someone tried to get in. Oh, and did I tell you, the sheets on the bed hadn't been changed?
Well back to the morsal... You are taking your camera and know what you want to take pictures of, right? If you are looking for the postcard view... buy the postcard! Yeh, we all want to top the postcard view... but... spend more film or memory card space capturing pictures of family, friends or other views that aren't on postcards. Don't try to duplicate what a postcard already has. You will spend valuable time on that mission and miss other great "memory" shots.
One more thing... you're on vacation... remember to remove the one-eyed silver box from in front of your face from time to time to see the "real time" views!
