My Trip to Lake Okoboji

Last week was our annual family trip up to Lake Okoboji. We had a great time with the boat and I’m so glad my big sis K.P. was able to come up. We busted out some sparklers one night and I got some cool shots of the sparkler movement – nothing says summer more to me than sparklers. Here is a sampling of some of my shots without a tripod. Not only did we have a sparklers and a boat, but I was able to try out Scuba diving! I am very excited to head down to Costa Rica this summer and try out the real deal. To check out the rest of my photos from Okoboji head to my flickr page!

Trip to the Zoo

Scott and I were the only adults at the zoo today that did not have children or and eldery to chase after - I was nice just to be able to take our time and get some great shots with the D300.

The reason we decided to go to the zoo in the first place was because The Birdman was putting on a show. The show was meh and went completely downhill after the pesky owl would not cooperate and decided not to fly down to the birdman’s arm and instead flew up in the rafters. This was in the middle of the show so all the remaining birds that were out after that were completely spooked and were terrified that the owl would come down and have them as lunch. It was kind of a disaster...

Here are some pics of the rest of our zoo tour.

 

Coldplay Concert - Yellow Balloons

I got a Little Wink

As I was walking to work today with my new camera in hand I looked over and saw this car winking at me. Well it was either winking at me or my sassy new camera. I’d like to think it had its eye on me. It was a Wednesday at about 7:45 in the morning and blahhh was in the air – perhaps I was searching for a little comic relief, a bit of humor, a little pick-me-up to get me though the morning. Sure enough this cheery little red car with its button nose and battered eye gave me the jumpstart I needed to get though the day. ;-)

 

New Camera and Hawaii Here We Come!

 
I am so fracking excited! I just purchased my new camera and have good news to follow!! I have wanted this camera for a long time now and cannot wait to get it in the mail. Nikon D300 Digital SLR with 2 new lenses Nikon 18-55mm VR Af-s DX Nikkor lens and a Nikon 55-200mm VR Af-s DX (vibration reduction) lens. I am really jazzed about the 18-55, practically a wide angle!

Not only does the camera have exceptional speed and performance but listen up to some of its key features:

• High-resolution 12.3 MP
• Self-cleaning sensor unit
• ISO range from 200-3200 plus Lo 1 (the equivalent of an ISO 100) and Hi (ISO 6400 equivalent)
• New 51-Point Autofocus system in tracking subjects by their color
• Live View, which presents photographers with a live image on the LCD screen
• Wireless networking capability

With the camera comes good news about my old D70 – I have committed to shooting my friends Julie and Jason’s wedding next spring in Hawaii! Scott will be able to help out by using the D70, kind of a two for one deal. Not only will it be great to shoot Julie and Jason’s wedding, but to be in Hawaii (never been) with all my friends just sounds amazing! The photography opportunities are going to be endless!

 Photo curiosity of photobucket

Cooking Up a Little Thai Food

Scott and I had the most wonderful time at the little Thai market on 2nd. This Thai man who was helping us with our grocery list as well as pronunciation was amazing – hands down the best customer service I have ever had. We ended up getting about 20 ingredients for about 8 bucks! From galangal root to shrimp paste (nasty!) to creamy coconut milk to refreshing cilantro we were determined to make our own homemade Panang Curry. Of course it did not turn out as fantastic as I had hoped but it was a valid attempt. I think we know what to do to make the next batch even better!

Alexa invited us over for a delish Thai Green Curry the other night. I love all this Thai food - keep it coming! Great Job Lex - it was fantastic!

Check Mate

I am learning chess - However, I will only play with a glass of wine - should be a universal rule. It really gets my brain churning and puts my 50mm F/1.8 Nikkor lens to good use.

I Miss the Darkroom

I saw a great film - Everlasting Moments. 1907 in Sweden - Maria Larsson had a very hard life with a brutal husband and an ever-growing family. She is overworked and unhappy until she finds a camera tucked away in a trunk. She takes it to a camera store to sell it- of course the store owners name is Mr. Pederson - he encourages her to try it out. After some time she discovers a sense of purpose and identity through the lens. She is good at taking photos and others in her town recognize that. I liked this film - I mostly like this film because when it was her and her camera or her in her darkroom the film was quiet and subtle, yet incredible empowering and inspirational. Life outside her camera or darkroom was loud, hectic, and abusive.

Above anything it reminded me of when I use to spend hours and hours in the darkroom – there is something so magical about creating an image from light – watching the story develop as seconds tick by. When the numerous elements of film photography finally come together after lighting and timing, washing and fixing, drying and cutting, dodging and burning, once again washing and fixing the final product is something to be proud of, something you are excited about, something that you created from start to finish. In the end, the darkroom is very a special place – I miss that.

Bike Ride Photo

Today I needed to go on a bike ride - I needed to get out, get some fresh air, put on my new CD (Gregory Alan Isakov) grab my camera and ride around town. Here are a few photos from my adventure.

Birds Being Funny!

One Legged Bird After Some Treats Jordy Weight Lifting Eileen loves the hair dryer!