Photo Commitment

I love taking pictures but have such a hard time deciding which ones I want to actually hang up. If I had it my way I would hang them all but that can get a little out of hand. So I have a hard time committing to a photo to blow up and hang on the wall. I recently did a canvas of a photo that I took for my Picture Fall class hosted by the fabulous Tracey Clark. It's a photo I just kept going back to, let say I am so glad I chose this one.



Michael has not seen it yet (the blown up canvas) but I am pretty sure he will make some reference to the fact that you can't see their faces. He does that just to goat me though. I think he will love it just as much as I do!

Morning Frost

The other morning I was up with the kids early, like that is a surprise, and notice the frost outside. I go and throw on my boots, my jacket and my husbands ski hat and venture outside. Yes, I am in my jammies too. In our backyard there is a huge area of land that is overgrown, full of weeds, sticker bushes and wildlife. Not exactly a wooded area but close. The sun also comes up on that side of the house. So there I am, in my little get up, trampling through the bushes at the crack of dawn taking pictures of weeds. Can you imagine what the neighbors think, then again they know me and the camera so it probably didn't even phase them.

This is my favorite, it's a dead weed but looks so pretty full of frost and the rising sun bokeh.


These are some type of berry on one of the bushes.


More frost covered berries.


Weeds again, isn't nice how the light can even make weeds look interesting.

Time Change: Sunset

The fading light is so intense that I can not help but to stop and capture it in all it's glory.

Photo-Walk Photos

Here are a few more shots from the Photo-Walk. I really wish now that I would have written down what the statues were. I am looking forward to next years already. I am hoping to get into a group that will go around a different part of the city.
I learned of new places last year and this year going on the photo-walks. I even lived in the city itself for three years and didn't know all about it.

The shade was so nice that day, anything to get out of the blazing sun.


Statue around the back of the museum, I believe it of a Chief Justice.


Berries in a tree that was along the walkway down to the Waterworks.


Women from the big fountain just in front of the museum.


Looking down the parkway into center city.


Looking up from the ground to the art museum.


A park bench on the side of the museum.


The cityscape, I want to say that the tallest build is Comcast, which makes One & Two Liberty Place look small (buildings to the right).


Flare from behind a strange statue we found on the backside of the museum.

365 - Week ???

So as you may have noticed since week 19 I have not posted a 365 mosaic. Not that I did not take pictures, I just could not get around to doing anything with them. Then life really got in the way. I had a project at work that required me to be there over the weekend and long hours, I had to pack to travel cross country with 2 little kids and then return home to travel again for a day. Like I said life go in the way (as always).

Now, even though I took pictures as I look through the tons of photos from our trip and the ones that I took so I would have a shot for a day, I find few and far between that inspire me. I actually looked at my camera in it's bag Monday morning as I packed the car for work and just decided not to bring it.

That was the first time in 157 days that I did not have my camera with me. It's still in the bag as we speak. I have a ton of photos from the trip, the wedding and the graduation, the thought of taking more pictures over whelms me. I feel like I need a little break. So that's what I am doing.

Out of the ~335 pictures I took at my sister in-laws wedding alone this was my favorite.


Don't worry, not that you are, I am not giving up I am just taking a break.

To be continued...

Finding Balance

I said in my last post that there were some photo I took that I loved and some that I hated. Some of them just did not come out as I had pictured them in my mind. I see pictures everywhere and I try to capture that but it can be hit or miss. I'm okay with that too. I post the ones I don't like because I am trying to be true to the 365 project. If the only picture I have for a day is a bad one, it goes up.

Then there are the shots that come out exactly like I saw it in my head. Here is Francesco trying to balance on parking concrete barriers. I got down at the end of the run so I like the perspective, I like the concentration on his face and I captured the moment forever in time. I love it!



Finding Balance, originally uploaded by cgiordan25.

I can truly say that with all the good and the bad pictures I have learned a ton about my camera, about photography, about using accessory equipment, about the advantage of always having my camera and how much I really love it all!

Now I am trying to convince my husband to get me this Epihanie Bag since he hates that I put it in my pocketbook.

Say Cheese

Wow I am on a roll this week, I've posted everyday since Sunday. Woo Hoo!

I was surfing through a bunch of my favorite blogs when I somehow happened upon Simply Modern Mom. Such a cool sight, and she had these neat Polaroid photos that I just loved. Thankfully she did post the link to the Polaroid Site that she used.

Let just say this was really cool. I loved playing with the little camera on my desktop and even shaking the photos. They took a bit of time to develop, just like real Polaroids.



Here is my budding photographer taking my picture. He likes to look through the view finder and not at the screen on the back of the point and shoot. I asked why and he says because that how I do it. I hope he like to take pictures when he older so I can teach him what I know. He is already very creative, he like to spin in circles to take picture to get the blur of motion.

He definitely more of a modern artist!

Oh the Sun

Sunday was such a horrid day, cold and rainy ALL day long. Yesterday morning the sun came back. I grabbed my camera to take with me to work and was sitting at the light to turn onto the highway and this was the view.

It was awesome to see the sun even if it only lasted a day, today has been overcast again. I would even settle for snow over rain at this point.
I just had to take pictures of the sunshine so that I don't forget what it looks like.


I think I might be getting a touch of SAD.

I Just Couldn't Take It

It's been two weeks since I have posted and just as long since I have held my camera to my eye. I took the plunge and sent it off to the manufacturer for a cleaning and adjustment. I really started to notice visible dust as well as a graininess to my photos even with a low ISO. It was really hard to pack it up and hand it over but I am certain I will be pleased I did once it has been serviced.

That being said I thought that I would be able to hold off taking any photos for a few weeks, come on how hard can it be?

Really hard. I see "photos" everywhere and there are times when I am out that I wish I had my camera with me. When I am home I just run for it and start snapping away. So I couldn't take it anymore and dug out the Point and Shoot. I messed with the settings and even was able to set it to take the photos in the RAW format. Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

First off, in the RAW format on a little point and shoot it took at least 6 seconds to write a photo to the card and I had to wait after hitting the shutter and even on a burst mode it was not good at focusing, then it wore the battery down in like 2 minutes. Not good.

Yesterday, since it stopped raining we decided to spend the afternoon out side. I was sitting on the ground while all the kids were playing and the neighbors were hanging out. I started seeing photos again, so I ran for the Point and Shoot. This time I just left it in JPEG, and played around with it in Aperture Mode.







Last I checked, my camera status was bill, which I am hoping means that they are collecting payment and will be shipping it back to me soon.

In Complete Disbelief

I was fortunate to participate in Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk a couple of weeks ago. I had such a great time and meet a bunch of other people who shared the same passion as I do for photography. It was nice to also take pictures of the city, I went to school there and it had been a long time since I just took a walk around.

There was also a contest involved. What is to happen is one picture from each Photo Walk group gets selected to be entered into the larger contest. The larger contest has an awesome grand prize and some nice honorable mention prizes.

This morning I get an e-mail from the leader of my group letting me know that he selected my image, "In Harms Way", as the winner of the group to be entered into the larger contest. Pinch me because I swear I am dreaming.

In Harms Way


I e-mailed him back to say thank you and let him know that the photo had personal meaning for me as well. The photograph is of a service flag that is hung in the window at the Union League of Philadelphia. A service flag represents that a family member or organization member is serving in the Armed Forces during a time of war. When my brother and brother-in-law were serving overseas we hung the flags in our windows. We are fortunate that at present they are both home with their families. When I saw the flag I knew right away what it meant and I just had to take the picture.

I told this story to the Walk Leader and he e-mailed me back saying that, "the story behind it makes my decision that much more solid. I went through all the pictures and it was just one of those moments when the shot just made you think."

I am completely honored and astounded. I am having a great day!

2nd Annual World Wide Photo Walk : Philly

Saturday was Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk. I sign up a few months ago and was really looking forward to the day. I was not disappointed. The weather was fabulous and I meet a bunch of really nice people who I walked around the city of Philadelphia with and took a ton of photo's.
There is a little contest and even though I am fairly positive I won't win I am still going to summit 2 photos. That is the limit. I took over 300 pictures and processed at least 60. The first one is a self portrait which I just had to take. The other 9 I am mulling over which to enter. I would love any opinions on that.

Me!


These are the concrete barrier around city hall.


This is a Service Flag in the window at the Union League.


Looking down Spruce Street.


One of the many interesting Brownstones.


Soldier statue outside the Union League.


Building looking up from Locust Street.


Flower Box on one of the many brownstones.


Looking down Broad Street "Avenue of the Arts".


Looking up, Love Park.


I had such a good time and will definitely do it again. I am also inspired to go and do a photo walk on my own. It was really a great time.

Notte di notte

The Loves of My Life!

Even if they still don't sleep through the night, how could you not just love them?

It's friday and can you believe...

Wow, its Friday! I actually managed to post something, even if only a picture, all week. I am not sure but that might be a first, if not it's been a long time. Since all it's done and all it seem like it going to do is rain around here I felt a picture of water was fitting. I have the strange obsession of taking pictures of my kids hands and feet. Michael says I am weird, I say it my artistic view (as he rolls his eyes).

I like that you don't know who is on the other end of that arm. Can you tell which boy this is?


Here is praying for a few moments of sunshine this weekend.

What's that song:
Rain, rain, go away
Come again some other day
My kids really need to go outside and play
Come again some other day

Desert Foliage

Who would have known so much actually grows in the desert. I was amazed at the foliage that we came across. What was even better was the gentleman that took us on the tour knew a lot about all of them and gave you some great facts.

Simmondsia Chinesis (Coffeeberry)

Actostaphylos Pungens (Pointleaf Manzanita)

I don't know, a wildflower I found at the Grand Canyon

Juniperus Monosperma (Oneseed Juniper)

Opuntina Cactaceae (Prickly Pear)

Yucca Elata

Ephedra (Mormon Tea) - they say you can make Diet Tea out of this.

"Felice giorno di San Valentino"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's is a fun Holiday in our house. No crazy expensive gifts, just fun wacky stuff and a lot of love.

Growing up I always looked forward to Valentine's Day breakfast. In my house Cherrio's and Puffed Rice where a staple. Valentine's day brought mini cinnamon doughnuts. I loved those things and my mother knew it.

So here at I Miei Due Bambini we are starting our own Valentine's tradition. Red Velvet Cupcakes...for breakfast. How fun is that.

Here's the cupcakes plus a few of the mini-cakes we made for Francesco's class.


Here is a photo of all the loot. The balloon was really for the boys to play with, the flowers were for Momma and the card was just as big as it looks. It was so much fun to open the huge card with Francesco's help. When I brought the cupcakes out we all had to sing Happy Birthday...not sure to who but we sang...since we had cake.


One lonely cupcake, I really should have taken a picture after it was bitten into so you could see just how red they were.


I took this shot out our back door this morning. When I showed it to Michael he said it was a Valentine's Sky. So that's what I am calling this photo.


We had a nice day here for Valentine's, I hope all the rest of you did as well. "Felice giorno di San Valentino"