This is my friend and nephew, Silas. Clicking the image will bring up a larger-sized one. Aren’t computers fun?

I’ve been told that I have slowed down on my photo posting. I have also been told by my husband that this is a bad thing. Because I am an Excellent Wife, here I am posting more photos.

This is what Acadia looked like this morning when she went looking for an open window in Noah’s house so she could yell to him to come outside. She’s got her PINK duffel bag slung over her shoulder. It is full of things that are PINK. She is carrying her PINK box of hair things, most of which are PINK. Her shoes, dress: PINK. Sense a trend?

I love this boy. And his freckles. Yes, I know they are signs of sun damage to the skin, but they are so darn cute!

One of them was having a good time. One of them was not. Decidedly so. This was at the 4th of July celebration we attended. We were waiting in line to ride a pony.

And look what you get. My apologies to those of you on a slow connection. My blog is image-heavy these days because it hurts to type. And because I like images.

Anthills in the driveway. Important and interesting stuff if you’re a kid. Or me.

Enchiladas. We all need to remember this meal, so we took this picture. Yeah.

The view under Gannon’s bed. Those are his swim trunks. That he couldn’t find. Not sure what the other stuff is. Let’s not think about it.

Breakfast.

Bling.

Here’s Daddy, from an Acadia’s Eye View.

Not to be left out, here’s Mommy. And James, Jared, and Brian. But you really have to look hard to see them.

Metal waiting for the trash guy’s metal day. Glad we have this moment preserved.

We have a sword on the garage roof. What? Don’t you?

This is a radish we are growing. Gannon needed a photo.

Here’s the neighbor kid, Noah. This is usually the first view of him we see each day, when someone from our house bangs on his door, or vice versa. “Can you come out and play?”

I do not know this man. He appears at periodic intervals to mow a neighbor’s lawn. He cheesed for Gannon’s camera. We digitally captured his photons.

And my favorite so far, taken by one or both of the kids, is this picture. They love each other.

You know you’re a little obsessed with your camera when you see a photo like this and your first thought is, “Pretty bokeh.”

Only afterward did I notice the subject. Not that it really matters. But it’s just a symptom of my mania.

Some pictures showing the evidence of growth around here:

My first attempt at a perennial garden starts with these blooms.

Impatiens sit in the barrel in the front in the middle of the hostas.

I moved part of the hostas to a spot under the maple tree. I have no idea how it will fare.

Plants. The front yard.

The neighbors’ lilacs are beautiful.

This will be open before we know it. Isn’t it a cute little bud?

Hanging geraniums are awesome. And, see that greeny-shimmery pattern in the background? I learned that it’s called bokeh (boe-kay). I had fun today with the camera, looking for cool bokeh.

This picture: no bokeh, but the promise of green things to come. Even though the green sprig in question is only a weed, sucking the nutrients away from our herbs.

I took all these photos in and around the yard right before the downpour started this afternoon.

This isn’t going to turn into a photography blog, I promise.  I’m just relatively obsessed right now because of my new camera.

Here are some photos I like better when they’re not in full color.

The dress that the girl is wearing is more modern than I liked for the picture, so I changed the photo to sepia.  I used Picasa to do this and to crop out a lot of the extra stuff, like the car in the background.

I think the scene has a more timeless feel  without the color of the dress and necklace.  The antique furniture and well-loved doll make it feel common to every family, like it is both less personal and more personal.  Hmm, does that make sense?

Here’s my little Dale Evans.  Using Picasa again, I cropped, changed to sepia, and added a fuzzy feel around the edges to take out the plastic-y looking adirondack chair.

This one is just fun.  Using Picasa again (I told you it was easy enough for a busy mom to figure out!) I straightened the photo and highlighted the butterfly on her cheek with the focal black and white option.  For some reason she was in a bad mood, and I took advantage of it.  What else are moms for?
Moms with cameras, anyway.

I took these photos an hour or so ago just before we went on a walk.  It’s a rainy day, giving us low, but photographically fun, light.  I didn’t get my tripod out (because of two factors: I am lazy and I am not sure where it is), so these came out less than tack sharp.  I still like them though.  I added a “gauzy glow” with Picasa.  Yes, okay, I use Picasa instead of Photoshop!  I don’t have time to learn these things!  I am too busy living my life, okay?  Get off my back already!

My Nikon D80 arrived yesterday. As soon as I opened the box, the camera jumped up and snapped this shot.

Then I took a few [hundred] photos, just to get the feel of it. How does it feel?

It feels good.

Except now you can really see how messy I let my kids’ faces get.

And their skinned knees.

My buddy Lisa and I are just giggling over this new toy.

I pretty much agree with what this guy has to say on the subject. The link there is to the first of a series of posts on the topic of why he’s a photographer. Bill Walsh is director of international outreach at Desiring God Ministries, and the view through his lens is inspiring (and I don’t use that word much).

The above photos were taken by Bill Walsh.

I like to look at good photos.  I don’t have a succinct answer for “what makes a good photo”, except to say it’s one that makes me want to get out my camera and shoot, all the while praising God for His amazing creation.  Here are some blogs I read that frequently have such photos as that:

• barebaby
• Blue Candy Photography
• The Pioneer Woman
• Lena Hyde Photography
• The Sweet Life - Sugar Photography
• Trust and Believe - Lisa’s blog