Our Daily Challenge: Hollow

Our Daily Challenge: Hollow, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

No turtle soup for dinner as the occupant of this shell is long gone.  But where has it gone? I don't think I have ever seen a turtle shedding its shell, so I guess we'll have to blame a critter or two.  We obtained this shell sometime ago for our display case at school.  Almost passed it by as I was trying to locate things that were hollow.  Makes a perfect shot for the assignment if I do say so myself.  Couldn't quite figure out a good shot for the shell, especially since I wanted to capture the "hollow-ness" from front to back.  Went over to Lake Katherine after work, thinking I could place the shell in the reeds along the stream. Unfortunately the workers there are on the ball and all of the foliage had been trimmed back. Not one stinkin' reed, bush, or shrub anywhere!!!  Decided to just plop myself on the ground and shoot from front to back, taking in whatever I could.  Unfortunately the shell reflects the light and looks shinier than it really is.  And the water is not as blue as I'd like it to be.  But I'm doing my best, people, so no complaints from the peanut gallery please.

December Holidays/My Family’s Tradition

December Holidays/My Family’s Tradition, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Really don't have many traditions that we do in our family. Growing up, the holidays were never celebrated with much fanfare and much to my dismay, I realized as I have grown older I have little to pass on to my children. I acquired these musicians many years ago and they remind me of my carefree days. For whatever reason, my mother inherited them from one of her sisters, and one day, as she was cleaning house she gave them to me.  They were made in Germany and have a Hedo stamp on the bottom; I assume they now are collector items.  Can't find anything on the internet though, although Hedo made quite a few wooden figurines.  But as I begin to pare down I notice I put fewer and fewer things out during Christmas; thankfully, I hung onto these.

Our Daily Challenge: It's Alive....I think.

Our Daily Challenge: It's Alive....I think., a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Now that I've posted this picture it sounds kind of mean, even though I often have to monitor his chest to see if he's even breathing.  I often find him sitting on his lazy-boy, dozing, and as he gets older and has more health concerns it is a worry.  I captured this picture after he had gone to bed- and that's how he looks every night!  Not too romantic but then again, I've never been one to cuddle in bed.  So I guess he gets his warmth any way that he can find it.

ODC: radiating lines

ODC: radiating lines, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Not quite sure if this photo accurately shows radiating lines. I know that radiating lines come from the center but do they have to be straight?  I tried doing some research about the lines but really couldn't find the answer that I was looking for.  Then I looked at several examples of photographs showing radiating lines and even they differed.  Maybe photographers have a little bit of poetic license when shooting a photo.  I think this would be considered radiating although the lines aren't straight- and because there really isn't a center that the lines emanate from, does that then negate this photo as being radiating?  I'm sure someone will comment on my photo if I'm wrong in my thinking.  They usually do.  I've had this dream catcher for several years.  I think my sister-in-law made it for my youngest to chase away his nightmares.  Wonder how it catches dreams with those big holes between the strings- doesn't look like it could contain the bogey man if he was chasing you in your dream.

ODC: light

ODC: light, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Bath and Body wall flowers are my new favorite thing.  I never knew they existed even though I may have seen a display or two when walking through their store.  I'm more into the soaps and creams if I buy any of their products.  But recently, I walked into a co-workers room and was filled with this terrific aroma- something akin to cookies baking.  When I discovered they had a wall flower I flew over to Bath and Body at the end of the day to purchase whatever I thought would smell good in the library.  Of course, I couldn't settle for one fragrance.  I had to buy half a dozen x 2 because I wanted the smell to come from different areas of the library.  The first one was a pleasant surprise- the smell of cinnamon filled the library for many days.  It was almost as good as eating a cinnamon roll albeit without the calories.  When the wall flower was empty I rushed back to purchase more, only to discover that they rotate their products according to the season.  I don't remember what this wall flower was called but they no longer carried it. :(  The next one I thought would smell just as good- I think it was called Oatmeal Raisin.  Unfortunately, the smell was too sweet for me and I had to quickly replace it.  So it continues to be a challenge trying to find a suitable fragrance- sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes I'm not.  But I really like the end result of this photo- looks kind of eerie as though the light is giving off smoke.

Today's Posting: Orange

Today's Posting: Orange, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Have another group that I've joined on flickr which deals mostly with macro shots. I recently obtained a lens that is used for closeup shots and I absolutely love it. A little more on the expensive side and heavier, but the detail and color is outstanding. What I've learned from this shot is that any little camera shake will negate a super sharp shot. I took this without using a tripod and as I reviewed it today I saw that it's not as clear as I thought. In fact it stinks and it's one I will definitely have to try again, this time using a tripod. I do have an older camera that I think I'll use primarily for closeups. This lens can also be used for portraits- but it's really a lens that I have to practice with as there's a lot of focusing and lens depth that I don't know much about. I don't give myself much credit when I do manual focusing as I don't think my eyes are as good as the autofocusing on a camera. But with this macro lens there's an awful lot of lens noise as it tries to focus in the auto selection- that or I am too close or too far away.  I did learn something new today- there's an orange crayon called "macaroni and cheese."  Who knew?

Our Daily Challenge: Bricks

Our Daily Challenge: Bricks, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Been waiting for a chance to use this picture.  I pass it every day on the way to work and it fit today's assignment of "bricks" perfectly.  I don't know who painted the tiger on the high school wall but it's been there for several years.  As I was shooting this photo I realized that I get such amazing color with this camera- both the bricks and tiger are orange but the detail of the tiger really is apparent.  I guess I should have looked closer at the wall for perhaps the artist initialed his name somewhere.  It's a wonder no one has defaced the painting- I guess the kids that go to the school are rather proud of this masterpiece.

ODC: Thankful

ODC: Thankful, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

So here's a quandary- who's the thankful one? Is it me or the dog? Could be either if you really think about it. I tried to get some today shots of Jax but he wouldn't stand still, and not being exactly trained at this point in his life he ignored my commands. Having had several dogs over the years I can truly say that I am thankful for the relationships that I had with them. Each was so different yet they were my constant companion, my protector, my foot warmer. Jax may well be our last dog, for as we enter our senior years I'm not so sure that I am ready to take on a new challenge. I absolutely love this breed of retrievers but he hasn't exactly been an easy dog to deal with. Over the years he's been less and less socialized as his reaction to others, especially men, has been less than positive. Even though he was a "fraternity" dog he became quite wary of people and would lash out at the slightest provocation. We hung onto him though and sheltered him from situations for the most part, although we've had a couple of close calls. So I thank Jax for his undying loyalty and companionship.  Unfortunately he too is entering his own golden years, and I dread the fact that the rainbow bridge may be looming near.

ODC: Abandoned

ODC: Abandoned

a photo by scookster on Flickr.

It's not uncommon to see an abandoned item when taking my daily walk. It could be a deserted shoe, paper bag, piece of clothing, a building that's rundown, or more commonly, the swings at the park.  I would imagine they won't get much action these next couple of months unless the weather warms dramatically.  In the summer it is teaming with little kids to pre-high school kids, trying to act cool while watching their little brother or sister.  It's a fun place to visit, especially when all chose to be the first to the top of the highest slide. Those left behind were none too happy.

ODC: Sign 11/27

ODC: Sign, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Almost didn't get this assignment completed. While hiking around Lake Katherine on Thanksgiving morning, I came upon this very obvious pile of sticks and a sign. I guess someone felt that the novice hiker would not know what these sticks were used for. I took a few shots as I figured it would suit the assignment of "sign." Unfortunately, when I previewed the pictures on my computer I saw that either the sign was sharp and the sticks were blurry or visa versa. I do have some trouble getting the entire picture sharp if I am up close and personal.I had the camera set at "P" but it didn't suit me as I wanted the entire photo to be as sharp as possible. So today the weatherman said the rain would stop sometime in the early morning and the sun would come out. If that happened I was going to run back to Lake Katherine to retake the shot. I waited and waited and the weather continued to spiral downward. Not wanting to miss this assignment I headed back out, even though the weather continued to be drizzly and cold. Because of the weather Lake Katherine was deserted, which made me rather leery for some reason. I hate heading out into the woods if I am all by myself, but I had a job to complete. Kept my eye peeled for the illusive beaver- saw lots of "signs" that beavers frequent the area but none were found. Eventually I made my way to this area of the lake and retook the shot, only to discover once again that either the sticks or sign were super sharp but not both. Figured out a way to fix the photo on Photoshop- not perfect but better. Now all I need to do is research beavers as I'd like to know when they are most active. Would be cool to get some photos of beavers hard at work.

Our Daily Challenge: 11/21

ODC: pastel, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

The daily challenge for this photo was to find something that was pastel.  Took a run to Lake Katherine to find an assortment of pictures that would be suitable for the daily challenge.  I love these colors- I don't even know what the plant is called, but it's something my eyes are drawn to every time I see them.  I don't know if this is a common color but oh so pretty.  I had a few comments on flickr about the picture and most comments are relating to the pink. But the green looks pretty pastel-like too.  Actually, now that I'm thinking, what are pastels? I assumed it just means a lighter color and of course, that's what google says.  In the end, I think it was the combination of the whites, pinks and greens that captivated my interest.

Scavenger Hunt #2

Scavenger Hunt (sh 2) paper wasp nest

a photo by scookster on Flickr.

The second item of the Scavenger Hunt was to take a picture of a non-human creature's home.

This paper wasp nest had been hanging from out neighbor's tree for sometime. When my dh first pointed it out to me  I was beside myself.  All I could think about was getting it down and putting it in our display case at school.  I had been unable to find a suitable specimen for the case, even though my assistant had added an assortment of snake skins, raccoon heads and turtle shells.  This was a great find and when my neighbor finally cut it down I couldn't believe the intricacy of the work behind the creation of this nest.  Of course, there were tons of empty egg shells (I hoped) and when I put it in my car for a couple of days I had hoped there were no dormant wasps awaiting resurrection.  Wouldn't it be interesting to watch the wasps actually build the nest but unfortunately it's usually built before I'd notice it. The skin of this nest is a multicolored assortment of red, grey and brown paper with a modest getaway hole at the bottom.  The inside of the nest was just as interesting as the outside, but for whatever reason I neglected to take a decent picture of it.  

Scavenger Hunt 101 #1

Scavenger Hunt (sh 1) boat without a motor

a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Take a photo of a boat without a motor.

Finally thought of a place to go this week where I could take a photo of the first scavenger hunt item- a boat without a motor. Most boats are winterized these days and if they are sitting out in the elements they are covered and useless for photographs. I thought of this canoe which is buried in the overgrowth at Lake Katherine. The weather has not been the best this week for taking photographs and of course, work has me going in circles, so today was the first day that I could get over there. Unfortunately, the winds were blowing fiercely so it was bitterly cold at the lake. I was somewhat concerned that they had removed the canoe but luckily they had not. This was as close as I could get to it, even with my telephoto lens. The preserve is such a pretty place, which I found even more so as the sun began to set to today.

October 31

spooky, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Spooky is the challenge for today.  Decided to follow E and C as they went around the block for trick or treat.  But oh was it cold out.  Passed a house which had this full figured animatronic spewing smoke.  (Animatronic, is that even a word?)  C, who is only two, was totally fascinated by this character.  He got as close as he could, waiting for the smoke to envelope him.  Of course, as soon as I saw the face I immediately thought "spooky!" Unfortunately, the smoke stopped but I took the picture anyway.  I wish I could have gotten a picture with the smoke enveloping the animatronic too, but alas, the kids took off and I no choice but to follow.  I did distort the picture in Photoshop, lengthening the mouth ever so little.  You have to wonder what other countries think of our fascination with this ghoulish holiday.  I guess the US and Canada are the only ones who go over the top in celebrating it. Go figure.

October 30

triangular, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Today's challenge assignment was to find something triangular.  Couldn't think of much until I walked past this catapult at the zoo.  And to my surprise I saw a triangular shape base made of trunks and tree branches.  Couldn't ask for anything better.  The only vision I have of a catapult was when it was used in the tv show Little People Big World and one of the boys was severely injured.  Theirs may have been constructed out of heavy timber while this seems to be more out of tree branches.  Not sure if the zoo actually use it as they have buildings in close proximity.  I'm sure there are places to drag it to so that people can see a number of pumpkins catapulted and smashed to smithereens.  Oh what fun!  Surprisingly there were tons of people at the zoo today.  I thought the weather would keep them back but no such luck.  And when I found out little M wasn't coming I hightailed it out of there and sought the warmth of my vehicle.  Could have found refuge in some of the buildings but there were way too many kids to my liking.  That's what I get for not leaving early and getting there when the doors first open.

October 30

halloween, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

So I am back to taking pictures again. I've joined several groups on Flickr and am trying to figure out how most of them work. Two of them give out challenges- daily or weekly. One you can post to only for a week after the challenge and one gives dates when challenges will end. This cage hangs on a tree near my house. Every day that I drive past it I always look to my left as I catch it in my peripheral vision. I know it's there; yet it always catches me by surprise. It is rather creepy- even more so as I got closer to take this picture. Of course, I posted it to the wrong group and got slapped on the hand for it. The group that I thought I was posting it to actually wanted a "macro" photo. I understand where they are coming from as they have tons of members who are posting daily. Will have to rethink my photo for the assignment as I'll need to use a macro filter.

October 27

Through a Hole, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Have been in a funk ever since the demise of the dailyshoot.com site. It was that site which gave me the incentive to go out and practice my fledging photography skills. But ever since it closed down I just couldn't come up with daily assignments. I did join a group through Flickr that is trying to get out some daily things to do. Perhaps it will take off like dailyshoot, but I'm sure it's difficult to keep up with the postings. Today's assignment was to take a photograph through some kind of hole- of course, there's nothing around me that constitutes an interesting photo. I was going to try taking a picture of a magnetic paperclip holder, but someone had already posted that. And with most of my garden going dormant, there's not much going on there either. So I ended up pulling out this cheese grater and tried to get a close up with my macro lens. Would have been more effective if I actually grated some cheese at the same time, but the dog would have been all over that. He may not hear much anymore but he sure can sniff out a hunk of cheese. I kind of like how the colors are reflected here but don't think much of the composition. I think I'm going to really look like a beginner if I post this to the new site. Looks like there are a lot of "pro" photographers posting and I'm feeling rather inadequate. Guess I'd just better bite the bullet!

October 15

Intruder Alert!, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Intruder alert!  Intruder alert!  It is my well-known opinion that this cat does not belong in my backyard.  In fact, he doesn't belong within 10 blocks of my yard.  I actually have birds that I enjoy feeding and watching year round.  You know darn well that the only thing on this cat's mind is his next dinner.  By the look on his face you would think that he has spied his next meal, when in fact, his beady eyes are gazing on our dog whom I've sic on him.  Yes, that's right.  I opened the sliding glass door and said, "go get him, boy!"  The darn dog's eyes must be fading as he couldn't pick up the cat even though he was less than 20 feet away.  So I took the dog by the collar and dragged him toward the cat- ever so slowly.  Eventually, the dog does see the cat, but does he do what dogs are suppose to do?  Nope.  He starts wagging his tail, strolls over to sniff the ground, and then totally ignores the animal.  What's wrong with this picture?  Aren't dogs and cats mortal enemies?  If not, they should be- that or I need to get one of those motion detector sprinklers.  That might take care of this cat or at least convince him to take up residence in some other yard.

October 10

Garden spider, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

I feel like a lost soul without the guidance of the daily shoot. I guess there is a group somewhere in Flickr that I could join but I haven't found one yet. There is a Macro Monday that I could have posted this to but the assignment this week had nothing to do with spiders. And they seem pretty strict about sticking with the theme of the week.  And then there was another one that appealed to me but it was closed to newcomers. So that being said, I came upon this spider as I was pulling weeds and decided to try my hand at macro shooting again. An unsuspecting honeybee had been caught in the web and was entirely surrounded with spidery web stuff. And as I moved closer to the web this spider came out of its hiding place to protect it's prey- like I was some kind of threat!  Wanted to use my macro lens as I am still having trouble getting it to auto focus.  Had to get pretty close to the web and all I could think about was getting entangled with this spider.  The wind was whipping the web and spider around so I eventually just settled on using the action button.  Figured if it would catch a kid running it might to the same with the movement of the web.  I am not found of spiders but I do find this closeup interesting.  Tomorrow's shot might be rather interesting.  I am preparing for my first and last colonoscopy and may be spending the entire evening close to my bathroom.  Hmmm....wonder what my focus for the day will be.

October 6

autumn fog, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

For the last Daily Shoot assignment, make a photograph today that is important to you. One that says what you want to say.

I am totally saddened by two events today.  First, the death of Steve Jobs and secondly, the demise of dailyshoot.com.  Steve Jobs brought so much to the computing world and it's because of him that I am totally in love with Apple products.  In fact, when I first began teaching way back in the 90's it was on the Apple IIe.  So much has evolved over the last twenty years.  I can only hope that those who continue the Apple line will be as inventive and innovative as Jobs was.  As for dailyshoot, it too is ending today.  It seems like yesterday that someone introduced me to the website.  I had just started out experimenting with digital cameras.  Never thought I'd be interested in photography, even though I lived with a professional photographer for many years.  But a good friend of mine and I began talking about our similar interest, so I went out and purchased my first Nikon.  It was this site that got me thinking about the different aspects of photography and the creativity that's behind it.  I often shot a picture a day yet several days could pass because the assignment was way out of my league.  But I enjoyed looking at the site on a daily basis, trying to come up with a somewhat presentable photograph that I could post.  So for my last photo I give you my interpretation of the pond next to my son's home.  It was early morning and the fog was lifting off of the pond.  It's a great place to shoot geese but none were in range.  The pond grasses are slowly browning and as I crouched to the ground I got a pretty good shot of the fog.

September 29

frugality, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photo that illustrates the economy and its impact on you in some way.

I of course am keeping the economy going by way of my online purchases.  These items are the newest in a long line of things that I am prompted to try.  I was reading one of my favorite blogs recently and the author was discussing the Bento lunch box.  Naturally, I had to do a little research and thought that these items would keep me on track with my weight watcher lunches.  There were a large assortment of boxes- big, little, colorful and muted.  I went for what I thought would be the appropriate size for me and much to my surprise the containers are no bigger than the chopsticks pictured here.  And very convenient of the Bento suppliers to provide me with an eating utensil- one I have no use for of course.  The compartments are quite small- I can barely fit a half cup of yogurt in one section.  But generally that's all I eat besides the fruit and vegetables so I am pleasantly pleased with my purchase.  If you notice I had a boatload of cantaloupe in one container- unfortunately, my co-workers mentioned the cantaloupe recall while I was eating it, and I quickly lost my appetite.  Probably could have kept eating it- after all I had eaten the melon all week.  I guess the knowledge of throwing the rest out gave me some sort of reassurance that Listeria will not come knocking at my door.

September 26

self portrait, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a self-portrait, with or without the camera in the frame.

Tried a variety of self portraits but didn't have much success.  I guess I could have whipped out the tripod, set it to self-timer and taken one that way.  But I was trying to avoid any extra work, so in the end I was holding the camera in my hand or trying to prop it up on some boxes.  Nothing worked to my satisfaction.  So how did I take this shot?  With my iphone of course.  Then with the help of Photoshop I was able to get rid of the winkles and add some interesting texture. 

September 26

Mundane Sunday, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make an interesting photograph of something mundane and ordinary today.

Remember when there were always invites to Tupperware and Pampered Chef parties? Then there were Tastefully Simple and a host of others.  It always sounded like the sales person made tons of money which made the prospect of getting into that kind of business even more appealing.  Never went so far as to investigate any of those home party companies. But this is my all time favorite Pampered Chef item.  In case you can't tell, it is their can opener.   What I love about it is that it eliminated the sharp edge that you'd get when using one of those old fashioned kinds.  Took me awhile to get the hang of it but I'd never go back to a generic can opener.  Nor do I want an electric one- this one suits me just fine.  I used my 35 mm lens along with a macro extension tube.  I'm finally getting the hang of the macro tube but what I had trouble with was my darn external flash.  Don't know if it's on the fritz or the battery is dead.  Often wonder if the damage that the flooding rain caused to my camera is finally catching up to it.

September 23

Only in America, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Lose the rectangle today. Make a photograph with a square aspect ratio and post it. Crop if needed.

Now that I am looking at this photo I am thinking it's not quite squared.  But I was driving around town looking for some kind of sign that would be considered un-rectangle like.  For the most part I couldn't find any sign that was shaped like a square.  For advertising sakes, I wonder if rectangles are more appealing to the eyes.  Fortunately, I did see a few "do not enter" signs and quickly thought that they were squared.  I kind of cheated with this photo though.  My original photo did not have the words "exit only."  As I was passing by our post office I noticed that someone had written the words "exit only" on their sign.  I could have turned around to take the photo but then decided that's what photoshop is for.  Besides, it's too much trouble to find somewhere to stop and park.  But why oh why did someone need to write those words on that sign?  Is that how life is these days?  Does no mean no except for the other guy?  Obviously it must be the sign of the times.

September 21

Eye popping colors, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Bright, vivid colors can draw attention and add "pop" to a photo. Make a photo that has vivid colors today.

Took a quick run over to the grocery store to see what was "eye popping" color wise.  Still don't have the courage to whip out my 35 mm camera so I resorted to using my iphone.  I think it takes pretty good pictures if I do say so myself.  The store has a decent arrangement of flowers but it's the ones in the refrigerated section that are the prettiest. There are arrangements of blues and purples and artificially colored flowers.  But I definitely found this arrangement of pink roses to be the most "eye popping".   I even like how I picked up on the yellow flowers in the background- gives it a little bit of definition.  

September 19

Up close and personal, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph with a central point of interest in it.

Had my camera out shooting things in the backyard when I thought I'd try my macro filter again.  I don't have much luck with it nor did I feel like dragging out my tripod.  But I wanted to give it a try.  Wish I could figure out how to get my auto focus to work with the filters. Trying to manually focus without a tripod is nearly impossible.  But on the other hand, I can't get low enough to the ground with the tripod that I have.  So there I was, kneeling on the stones, trying to pick up the center of this tickseed plant.  The wind was gently blowing so as soon as I snapped a picture I could see that it was blurred.  Finally decided to try to get something for the camera to rest on.  In the midst of this process the smell of dog urine is beginning to overtake me.  No matter how much rain we get that dog marks everywhere I like to go and it doesn't dissipate.  So quickly I rested the camera on a sand pail and snapped the photo.  Did use auto as my setting of choice.  Too much to think of at the moment.  Wish the yellow of the flower came out brighter but the assignment was to focus on the center.

September 17th

Fourth Presbyterian Church, 
a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Take a photo through a window or of a door or a window.

Spent the day downtown with my very good friend DB and luckily for the two of us we are in the same boat.  Know a little about 35 millimeter cameras but no way are experts. But every time we take a new class we learn something a little bit new to us and the more repetition that we get the better we will have a chance to retain.  The gal who took us around on the Chicago Photo Safari was young and showed no distaste for one brand of camera over another.  Her lessons were short which made me think these classes were not meant for the truly beginner.  Deb and I still consider ourselves beginners as we forget what we are doing.  But when options and switches and dials are discussed we have a fair idea of what they are talking about.  I especially liked that fact that this trip took us to several spots in the city.  Areas that I was familiar with, but never took the time to really go and find it for the historical and pictorial features of the area.  The first was the park up near Lincoln park conservatory.  It is an area where we practiced depth of field with the groups of flowers available.  After that we headed down to the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Ave.  Of course there was a wedding being photographed and this picture looking through stained glass was the best I could do.  We went to a small fire house near the Hancock Building but there was lots of fire activity and they wouldn't let us into the building.  So from there we headed to Millenium Park for shots of water fountains and the Bean.  So many people downtown today and lots and lots of wedding shots.  Would I do this again?  I certainly would, especially since we went to places that I had not heard of.  It was easy to get to, easy to park, and especially easy when you go with friends.  Of course, it helped that the weather was darn perfect!

September 15

Old or old-school a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Go old-school today and make a photograph that either features an old subject or simply looks old.

This camera belonged to my dad and I don't have the motivation that I need to sell it.  I really don't know why I am hanging onto it.  During his years as a professional photographer he had plenty of cameras, often ones that were won from contests that he entered.  He was a big proponent of film photography, and I don't know if he would have enjoyed digital as much.  I guess over the years he had given most if not all of his photography equipment away, and when he died he left this one behind.  It still has a roll of film in it and I am tempted to have that developed.  Unfortunately, during his last few years he began to have an interest in photographing female models.  I hate to admit it but his pictures probably could have appeared in Playboy.  My mom was a saint as she let him use his photography skills as he saw fit.  My brother and I would laugh at his behavior.  After all, he was in his 70's and early 80's.  He probably thought it was art; most others would not.  And as he entered the early phase of Alzheimer's he began to develop an interest in vampires, so would often cast his models in some kind of vampirish scene.  I guess that's why I'm a little hesitant to develop the film- would it be the "talk" of the film developer?  Don't know if I want to find out.

September 12

DSC_0710_360, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Illustrate the word equality today with a photograph that shows your favorite interpretation.

I wish the assignment would be "inequality" instead of "equality."  Then I could show my paycheck next to the vacuum cleaner.  Why do I have to do everything when I come home from work while the other half  ignores that which needs to be done!!!  Do I sound bitter? Yep.  But then again it's always been that way- should have talked equal division of housework way back when but we never did.  So I guess I'm stuck doing it all.  As for today's assignment I've opted to show the kids piggy banks.  You might think I overindulge with ten dollars each.  That's what grandparents are for, right?  I want to be equal with all and when the two little guys stop by we inevitably fill up their piggy banks with change. Of course, E is good about putting money in little M's bank too.  They are all pretty heavy right now- and we need to be equal across the board.  If either son has another baby it'll probably break my bank as I'll have to catch that baby up to the rest.

August 28

Still bloomin' daylilly, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Create a photo with a single element, no distractions, and lots of contrast.

Life is just passing me by and I can't control it.  School has once again begun and my days are filled with jobs to do.  Last week I didn't know if I was coming or going.  This weekend has been a blessing- I relaxed and did what I felt like doing.  Strange not to have any major catastrophe happening.  I was able to see baby M on Friday and that was a long overdue visit, although she is a whirling dervish.  No need to entertain her as she doesn't stand still long enough to get engaged in anything.  But then again she's only 15 months.  Haven't seen the other two in a week and I miss them.  Been lacking in the photography department too.  I had major plans to practice practice practice this summer but that didn't happen.  Maybe I can at least get back to the daily shoot assignments.  My daylillies are the only plants that did well this summer.  They continue to get a second wind and are blooming again.  The camera that I have does such a great job in grabbing the fine details.  I kind of wish I had a macro lens as I'm sure I could have gotten closer and eliminated the area around it.  As it was I could only zoom in so far and still had a large amount of green.  Luckily I could crop it down but I still think a macro would have been cooler to use.

August 15

The Name Game, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph that has the first letter of your name in it.

It's obvious that my imagination is eluding me.  Where in the world would I find something that looks like an "S."  S-hooks are obvious choices but not very interesting.  But then I found this garden hook hanging from a tree in the back yard.  I had used it to hang a fresh fruit bird feeder but unfortunately no birds were attracted to it.  Maybe next year I'll get my Bluebird (and perhaps Oriole) paraphernalia out earlier so that the fruit eating birds will flock to my yard. In reality the only thing I did get with the fresh fruit was ants.  On a side note, I hate going out in my yard these days.  My summer vacation is over in two days and I did absolutely nothing out there.  I had such big plans- level the edging, fill in the play area with more mulch, clean up the stone where the grasses are, plant more Hostas, and thin out the bushes.  I love working in the yard but there were too many issues that took precedence over summer plans.  Hopefully school will be enough of a distraction so that I can finally get off my big butt.

August 13

Questionable Collection, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photo of a collection that you have.

Don't own many collections of things unless you count my electronic items and photography misc.  There isn't really much in this house that tells a tale.  Here today, gone tomorrow to the recycling bin is my motto.  But the few cookie jars that I've collected over the years are the things that I've yet to let go.  I can't say that they make me happy now.  Long ago I decided to collect them when I had a shelf built in the kitchen.  The people who knew would begin to buy jars for me- my late daughter in law brought me one, my son drove home from school late one night just to surprise me with a cookie jar on my birthday.  Even my husband took it upon himself to pick several up in the northern woods when he'd go fishing.  I had fun collecting them but as time has gone by they've become collectors of dust and don't quite mean what they meant to me.  But how can I get rid of them?  The people who gave them to me gave them with love; I wouldn't want to disappoint any of them by getting rid of them.  Guess I will just have to pass them on to the individuals so that they can enjoy them as much as I have.  After all, I'm streamlining my house and the less I have the better. Time for payback I guess.

August 8

Orange=plums in season, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph dominated by the color orange today.

Not sure who is monitoring the dailyshoot.com website.  They continue to have assignments that are often repeated- and unfortunately there's not too many days between the repeated assignments.  I've done or thought about doing the orange assignment several times.  Green is another color that is often repeated.  I don't mean to complain; just want to stretch my photography skills further.  Dh went to Michigan last week and before he left he asked what kind of fruit I wanted.  Ahhh.....Michigan peaches....plums....blueberries.  The thought of peach juice running down my face was overwhelming.  And even better the peaches will be ripe, not rocks like I get at our grocery store.  So when he arrived home he had a cooler filled with peaches.  And then he brought out this box of plums.  At first I thought they were apricots.  Tiny, round, and orange is not a plum.  Plums should be dark red or purple and have a shiny, smooth outer skin.  These objects were fuzzy like an apricot.  But I figured I'd better try one and although the fruit does taste like a plum it didn't win me over. 
Shot this picture in my kitchen and I can't figure out what the halo is around the fruit.  I experimented with program and then automatic.  When I shot automatic it automatically set the exposure at 3200.  So I set the exposure to 3200 using program and the fruit was more true to color.  I did use my external flash which I think I needed as the room was kind of dark.  Not sure if I focused on the box itself.  Maybe that's why the fruit appears to have a halo- it's out of focus.  Wish the camera would tell me what I'm doing wrong.

August 2

Sea of Yellow, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Today's assignment is to make a photograph that is dominated by yellow today.

This assignment happens to be the same one that they had on Saturday which I neglected to do.  I saw a ton of cheerleaders in their yellow t-shirts washing cars for a fundraiser.  Little too shy to jump out of my car to take their picture.  Then on the way to second son's house I noticed a yellow bi-plane zooming around and I could have stopped the car by the roadside to shoot some pictures.  But too shy to do that too.  So when this assignment came up again I took the opportunity to see what was still growing in my garden.  I have spent little time out there this summer.  It's a surprise to see anything growing although many have tons of insect holes in the leaves.  But my Black Eye Susan's have not suffered too hard this summer.  The sad thing is that I don't see enough butterflies.  My Day Lilies are still thriving as is my Joe Pyeweed.  But my hydrangeas are flowerless as are most of my hostas.  Oh well, there is always next year.  By the time the weather makes it tolerable to work outside school will have begun.  I can be grateful though for the fact that every time I look at my backyard I see enough greenery to make me smile.

July 29

Joe Pyeweed, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Today's assignment is to take a photo of something I enjoy doing or a hobby.

I have many things that I enjoy doing- one of them is being on the lookout for new and exciting blooms in my yard.  This being a rather dreadful summer weather-wise, I haven't been too lucky with my flowers.  My hydrangeas, for example, have yet to bloom and I think they are called "ever blooming" hydrangeas.  But Mr. Joe Pyeweed is putting on a fine show right now.  I don't know what I actually saw in this plant- not too exciting when it comes to flowering.  Teeny tiny little buds but they are a plenty and the butterflies like them, although I haven't seen too many butterflies this year either.  Hmmmm...and to think it's almost August when my garden really goes to pot.  But there's always next year when I can once again focus on my gardening skills.

July 21

purple coneflower, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph featuring nature in some fashion.

So many things that I could have taken pictures of in my backyard it wasn't so darn hot out, and if those darn biting flies would have left me alone.  Every time I saw something that I wanted to take a picture of I would try to sneak out of the house to get a close up.  But the birds would take off before I took one step out of the door.  So I thought I'd try another attack- sit outside on a chair and non-chalantly wait for them to appear.  Unfortunately, that's when those nasty flies would begin their feast on my legs.  I wonder if its the heat that brings out the worst in them or if they are just a biting species?  I wanted to take a picture of a goldfinch that was perched on the coneflower but I just couldn't get close enough to it. There were other great shots of birds in my birdbaths but they too did not want their picture taken today.  This is about the only flower in my garden that is not wilted or bug devoured. I'm sure tomorrow will be another tale of woe.

July 20

Hot enough for you?, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph today that features the use of low contrast to create a mood or feeling.

Took this photo of the little guy yesterday after he dunked his face in the little water table.  I think he could do that all day, although he wanted to go between the water table and the sandbox.  It's not like he could dunk his entire body in the water table- they really are only good for playing in- not swimming.  But he could submerse himself in the sandbox so he was loaded from top to bottom with sand.  Thank goodness he was a good sport about running through the sprinkler a couple of times.  Took most of the sand off the surface of his body.  Unfortunately, his pull-ups secretly held a bucket or two of sand.  It was only after I brought him in did I notice the pile on the floor.

I wasn't quite sure what the assignment meant when it said to use low contrast.  It's sunny and hot and horrible out today so it was difficult to find anything with low contrast.  I took this picture yesterday while we were on the back patio.  Using the histogram it appeared to me that it was showing low contrast- but that's my opinion only after researching what low contrast meant.  This picture certainly shows mood as it was a great day for swimming and sweating.

July 17

shiny, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Yesterday's assignment- take a photo of something shiny.

While watching son #1 wash his car, I thought to myself "here's a photo of something shiny".  Hot black car, sun reflecting off of the water that was sprayed onto it, shiny chrome.  Didn't post it on the dailyshoot page as I was kind of lazy last night.  Today's assignment seems kind of difficult, but when I looked at this photo I discovered son #2 with baby reflected in the chrome.  I obviously didn't realize it when I was taking the picture, but sure am pleasantly surprised.  I guess it's another one of those happy accidents.  As usual, I didn't have my camera with me so resorted to my iphone.  I find I am using that more and more lately.  I definitely need to get back to my 35 mm.

July 14

Chai Tea morning, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

To celebrate today, take a photo of your favorite beverage or libation today.

Haven't had a chai tea since school ended.  I had gotten in the habit of ordering one everyday, which can be pretty expensive if you think about it.  Starbucks is not cheap but their drinks are oh so good.  I took this picture with my iphone as I wanted to try out the Instagram.  It's an app that adds a little artistic flair to a photo.  I'm sure I could have done the same with Photoshop but I was in a "try an app" mode.  Things have been pretty hectic around here lately which is why my postings have been few and far between.  Family is in the midst of some serious health issues so my photo taking has been put on the back burner.  I sure hope we are over the worst of it but one never knows.  I guess that's why I thought I needed a chai tea day.  And I must say it is delicious.  Hope to post some pictures from the last few days but will have to see how today goes....

July 9

morton arb, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Create a photograph that makes you happy.

Any picture take of these little guys makes me happy.  Took this yesterday during our trip to Morton Arboretum although I had to resort to my phone as I didn't want to carry the big one around the park.  Wish I would have gotten little m in this photo but her parents were probably scattering to reign her in.  The weather was great but I think every mother and their brother had the same idea.  We probably could have hung out at this stream for most of the day but there was much to see.  The only thing that we didn't do was traipse through the pond.  I don't think their dad would have been too happy about that.  We did it last year and the two survived but kind of rethought the idea this year.  It was super crazy trying to keep track of a 4 year old, 2 year old and a 13 month old.  They all had their own ideas of where they wanted to go- and it was never in the same direction!  Would like to go back but will wait until it looks like rain- and then pray that it doesn't.  I am not big on crowds and there were too many people here for my liking.

Day 6

Green pepper , a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Photograph something green.  Don't settle for vaguely green.  Go for saturation.

Of course, when I think of green I think of the green Camero.  Don't want to photograph that again nor did I want to take pictures of my plants.  I do that all of the time.  As I was walking around the grocery store this morning I was keeping an eye out for anything green. Naturally, there are lots of vegetables that fit the bill- lettuce, cucumbers, apples, green onions etc etc. And then I saw this display of green peppers.  I love green peppers and dip.  Sometimes I like green peppers by themselves.  They are full of vitamins and o' so healthy for us.  I didn't have my camera with me but I did have my phone.  I do think it did a pretty good job of it. But don't you just wonder what makes these peppers shine?  Is it the lighting or is there some kind of wax on the peppers.  Makes ya wonder.

July 5

rhythm of repetition, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Pattern is built on repetition, like rhythm.  Make a photo of a regular or irregular pattern.

Another photo courtesy of the Garfield Park Conservatory.  And like the last I do not know the name of this plant.  Isn't the pattern of these leaves amazing?  Hard to believe that this is a natural outcome.  Looks almost like it was reproduced in a laboratory.  Could have lightened the photo a little in Photoshop, but in reality the area where I was shooting was shadowy, so why make this picture any less real?  Remember, these plants are from the rainforest where light is sometime elusive.

July 3

Giant Butterfly, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Play with contrasting scale today: juxtapose something small with something big.

There are several problems with making my backyard a bird sanctuary- one of them being the issues of birds flying smack dab into the windows and knocking themselves senseless. I had to put decals on my kitchen windows years ago as I've always had a feeder there. Every once-in-awhile a bird will still fly into those windows.  The decals must reflect enough so that the birds realize the window is actually stationary, not a reflection of another bird. Unfortunately, washing those windows is an ordeal as I must remove the decals, wash the windows, and then reapply them.  The store where I get my bird feeders/food was selling these huge 3D butterflies that I could just attach with suction cups. A great idea for when I need to wash my windows.  I purchased 2 sets as they only come in a set of three. Unfortunately, even though I had 5 on one of the sliding glass doors a baby downy woodpecker flew right into the window.  I think he was just dazed as he/she eventually flew off but I was devastated as this was the first year I've had downy woodpeckers.  Haven't seen the baby in awhile though, but am hoping he just flew the coop. And if they don't keep the birds safe they look pretty, so I guess I could say they have a dual purpose.  Haven't seen many butterflies this year but then again maybe it's too early.

July 2

Another flower, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Feature a plant in your photograph today.

So grateful that I was able to go to the Garfield Park Conservatory this week.  Had never been there and my very two best friends decided to take me on a tour of the west side of Chicago so that I could visit it.  I think I am a well traveled Chicago-ite.  I know how to get from point A to point B and I am well aware of the areas of Chicago that I shouldn't visit by myself or at night.  But they thought it would be great fun to get on the Green Line in Oak Park and take a short ride into the west side of Chicago.  So hanging onto my camera and keeping it close to my body, we get off of the Green Line a block away from the conservatory.  It would be just my luck to be one of those unlucky people who've been accosted for no reason this summer.  Take my wallet; take my phone;  but don't take my Nikon!!!  Anyway, the conservatory is a collection of a huge variety of plants- some native, some tropical, some weird looking stuff.  Being a novice photographer, one of the things that I neglected to do was to take a picture of the name of the plant that I was photographing. Have no idea what this plant was except that it was in the fern room.  Kind of looks like a lily but that's a wild guess.  All of the flowers were drooping so I had to get low to take this shot. Had my telephoto lens with me which was really a necessity as some of the plants were quite tall.  A macro lens would have been great too but that would involve me getting on the ground and my joints are not working too well lately.

So glad we went on Wednesday as the storm on Thursday caused great damage to their glass windows.  Unfortunately, the conservatory is closed indefinitely :(

July 1

Scenes of summer, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph today that features the sky.

This is what I would call a "scene of summer"- more this year than previous I would assume.   Today's assignment was to go out and photograph the sky.  The forecast was sunny and darn right hot today.  Went out early this morning and the sky seem to be in the same state that it was last night- cloudy cloudy cloudy.  I looked out every once-in-awhile to see if it was clearing up and it was not.  But I did get a brief glimpse of some light behind the clouds so went out to shoot what I could.  I don't know how I did this photo- one of those accidental shots I guess.  No matter how I aim at the sky the lens goes in and out trying to focus.  So maybe I looked at the light in the clouds and then focused on the trees which makes this appear to be more of a silhouette- when in reality is was pretty light out.  All in all I think I am grateful that it didn't get as hot as they were forecasting!!  It may still get close to 90 but it's 2:13 in the afternoon and somehow I doubt it.