31/365 Christmas in April

SightSalad is a month old! Thirty-one posts in, 334 to go!

This is a Christmas Cactus that is probably as old as I am. Right now it lives in our living room near the south windows, and it's thriving. As you can guess from the name, it normally blooms at Christmas -- but it's loving the sunshine, so it's still blooming mid-April. When the Christmas tree is up, the cactus gets moved to the foyer to greet holiday visitors with its friendly pink flowers that, oddly enough, don't look Christmasy at all, but are welcoming just the same. Beautiful!

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/60s, f/4.5, ISO 1600 in natural light.

30/365 Mouth watering

Tonight we had one of my new favorite dinners -- ultra-thin turkey tenderloins (with True Lemon) and wild rice... YUM. I read the nutrition information on the turkey when I moved it from freezer to fridge, and it's crazy good for you! I knew it was extra special to begin with, but that just tops the cake because it's better than I thought.

Actually, tonight was a modified version of the true greatness -- leftover white rice substituted for wild rice (bummer) and green beans added as a side. The return of Spring Green Things continues!

It's one of those meals where I have to force myself to put my fork down between bites because otherwise I tend to eat it like I've been stranded on Survivor for a month and haven't had anything but raw fish and coconut milk.

It's that good.

It's also one of the few leftovers that makes me want to break my Work Lunch Rule (read: I don't want to have to waste any of my 60-minute lunch break to stand at a microwave and heat something up).

It's that good.

Is your mouth watering now, too?

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/60s, f/4.5, ISO 1600 under overhead fluorescent lighting.

29/365 Music to my eyes and ears

When I think of string instruments, the first ones that come to mind are violins, cellos, guitars... but not pianos. And yet, they're one of the most complex and common string instruments. With the strings enclosed in the body of the instrument, hidden from everyday view, this fact slips to the back of my mind.

When we first got this piano, one thing I loved to do was stand at the side with the lid open and watch the hammers strike the strings as Mom played. It still fascinates me, but I've become more accustomed to it, so I don't watch as often anymore.

Today I reclaimed my post and not only watched but photographed the music emanating from the piano.

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/60s, f/4.5, ISO 1600 in natural light at about 6:30 p.m.

28/365 Green with envy

When I got home from work this evening, I took a walk outside in the wooded area behind our house. We had some rain yesterday and last night, so today was the day that leaves everywhere decided to pop out and brave the new season. I love it!

The woods still retain that harsh edge from winter. It's peaceful as can be and hints of green are sprouting, but the wind caused the still-bare limbs above my head to creak and scratch against each other. It reminded me of a combination between a calling bird and swinging door in a haunted house. I'm not sure what kind of plant this is, but its vines intertwine and twist all over the trees and paths in this area. They're tough as can be, too.
And on my way back to the house, I spotted fresh, clear hoof prints in the mud that were defined by the sun and the evening's deep shadows.

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR, all shot around 6:30 p.m. in natural light.
1st photo: 1/60s, f/5.6, ISO 100
2nd photo: 1/60s, f/8, ISO 100
3rd photo: 1/250s, f/5.6, ISO 100

27/365 Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

I finished my portrait class last night! It was a session mainly of questions and answers; we didn't do too many new poses. This was the only one. I think it's an interesting pose, but if I were to do this with a subject outside of class, I would modernize it and make it a little more contemporary and nontraditional.

And on the subject of making a pose more contemporary, I actually have the option to go back for one last class session next week... but I think I'll skip it. I found out what the class focus will be -- glamour or fashion photography -- which initially piqued my interest, because if nothing else, I think would be fun to try with my friends. But I got a preview of the "glamour" photography we'd be doing, and it was more along the lines of Glamour Shots than Glamour magazine.

You remember Glamour Shots -- feather boas. Sequins. Soft lighting and fuzzy edges. Loads of makeup. Making 12-year-old girls look like they were 18. And I think of big, teased, permed hair. When I think of Glamour Shots, I think of a teenage girl who was our neighbor in the 80s and early 90s. I used to walk into her room and just stand and stare in awe at her collection of hair products -- crimpers, aerosol hairsprays, picks, curling irons, you name it, she had it. And she had the long, permed hair and three-inch-bangs to support it.

Glamour Shots was a huge success in its heyday, and more power to them for finding a business plan that worked. But my interest leans toward more contemporary -- or even classic old-Hollywood -- styles of glamour photography. So I think I'll save my gas and consider the class complete!

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/60s, f/8, ISO 100. One studio light off-camera right and one reflector behind the subject.

26/365 Another sign of spring

My Signs that Spring is Here list appears to be growing by the day. Here is yet another one.

Buster loves for us to leave the door open that leads from the kitchen to the screened porch. This is his favorite spot when winter eases its clutches on Indiana and lets spring get some elbow room. He sits so he can oversee the back yard but keep an ear open to what's happening in the house.

Seeing him sit like this makes me feel calm and peaceful. He's an ever-alert watch dog, so when he sits here, the perfect picture of serenity, I know that all is routine within a few hundred yards of the house.

Now, granted, an event that makes him raise the alarm that all is NOT routine may just be an especially large robin on the deck rail... but I can't fault him for doing his job!

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR (on Program setting) 1/40s, f/4.0, ISO 200 in natural light at about 7:30 p.m.

25/365 Spring cleaning

It's that time of year -- time to clean out the flower beds, tidy up the gardens, and get the lawn mower ready! I caught Dad in the backyard this evening starting the myriad of spring prep activities. The red gazing ball is a new addition this year. It was a family birthday present for him. I was shocked when he mentioned a few months ago that he liked them -- we've always held a pretty strong aversion to lawn ornaments of any shape and kind. But this one has won me over!

If it had been a ceramic goose with interchangeable outfits... it would have been a different story.

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR, Program setting 1/50s, f/4.5, ISO 200.

24/365 Night Sky

It was finally warm enough for me to spend some time outside last night and work on night sky photography. I discovered last year that I had the ability to do this after I read a couple articles in Popular Photography (here and here). I had previously figured that you needed a fancier camera than mine to pick up the light from the stars... but no!

The problem I've found is the noise I get (shooting digitally, anyways, I haven't tried film) with increasingly longer exposures, mainly in the form of blue and red dots (some call them "hot pixels"). At first I thought, "Wow! It's even picking up the blue and red stars!" But alas, it isn't that exciting. I've done some research, and some people say that cooler temperatures help alleviate the problem. I'll just have to keep experimenting.

Regardless, I love doing this. For one, it's great to be able to run outside on a commercial break of Dancing with the Stars, set up the camera, trip the shutter with my cable release, run back inside, watch the show for 20 minutes or so, run back outside, close the shutter and voila! It wows me every time.

This first photo is of the north sky. The six brightest star trails in the right third of the frame are those of the Big Dipper. I love that this shows the rotation with Polaris at its center. This is approximately a 20-25 minute exposure at f/11, ISO 200.
This second photo is of the west-southwest sky. The brightest stars make up Orion -- see the three main stars of his belt? This exposure used the same settings but lasted about 40 minutes.

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR.

23/365 First solo portrait photo shoot

Yesterday, on what has to this point been the most gorgeous day of 2008, I did my very first solo portrait "photo shoot"! My friend, Beth, needed some photos of herself for a special event. But she found, as she dug through her options, that in nearly 100% of her photos, she's pictured with a group of people. That's great for filling frames on your desk at work and your wall at home, but it doesn't work so well if you need something a little more professional.

She explained the situation to me one day a few weeks ago as I was telling her about the studio/portrait class I've been taking. And she asked me if I would mind helping her by doing some portraits for her. I was floored and said, "Absolutely!" I was so honored that she even asked.

My mind immediately started turning over ideas -- locations, poses, and that completely unpredictable Indiana spring weather. We decided to try to do the shoot outside, especially since I don't have studio lighting equipment. We picked a few dates, one for our first choice (yesterday afternoon) and a couple this week for backup in case the weather was miserable. We lucked out, it warmed up to 67 degrees, hardly a cloud cluttered the sky and the breeze was manageable.

She was a little nervous about the occasion, I was a little nervous about my first real portrait attempt, but I'm very pleased with the results all around. We both benefited -- she got some solo portraits to use, and I had a willing model to practice with! Here is one of my favorites, converted to black and white:

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/30s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 between 4:45 and 5:30 in the evening. This photo was taken under a bridge in the shade with natural light.

22/365 Bonding and bowling

I'm a terrible bowler. I think I'm actually getting worse as time goes on instead of better. The extent of my bowling experience is rather limited. I've never had a lesson, though I look like I know what I'm doing (before I step up for my turn) because I bring my own shoes.

They're actually my mom's old shoes from the days when my parents bowled on a league together. The shoes are white and blue -- a welcome escape from the neon-orange and brown that you find on most rentals. They save me a few dollars and a lot of discomfort.

Luckily, my bowling companions yesterday were the type who don't judge my skills (or lack thereof). I bowled with my girlfriends at an official 500 Festival Princess/Partner outing. We, the old has-beens, got an organized chance to talk to the current group of 33 and socialize amongst ourselves as well. My bowling score may have been low, but my spirits were high!

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR, natural lighting on Program setting.

21/365 Horses of many colors

I took the afternoon off from work on Friday, really felt like I was playing hooky, and went to the Hoosier Horse Fair & Expo at the state fairgrounds. We had a l-o-n-g list of items we needed to look for and didn't buy a single one of them!

Every vendor you could imagine, from both in- and out-of-state, was there selling clothes, boots, saddles, leather items, water buckets, trailers, signs... you name it. It was kind of like being at a flea market, where after a while all of it starts to look the same.

Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun touching and feeling everything, writing down items we wanted to come back and shop around for online and elsewhere, learning why in the world you might want tail extensions... It could be pretty overwhelming.

I didn't get to see as much demonstration as I'd hoped, because we spent so much time with our group walking around shopping and chatting, but as we were on our way back to the car, Mom and I stopped briefly to watch a demonstration happening in one of the arenas.

*Now, I'll insert a caveat here -- keep in mind that I am very inexperienced (as I've only been doing this for 3/4 of a year), have a lot to learn, and have my own opinions and ideas about what I like and want to do.

This demonstration: we think it was of the Western Pleasure style, but I'm not sure. (We ride following the John Lyons training method.) I have heard of Western Pleasure but have never seen it for myself. Well, my initial impression of this is that it's ... wrong. These horses actually looked depressed, forced, and like they had no life in their eyes any longer.

The style mandates that they keep their chins down near the level of their knees in all gaits we saw -- walk, trot and lope. The lope was the most awkward-looking. The horse's back and front legs looked like they were off rhythm and moving independently of each other. The back legs actually looked like they were limping and dragging their feet, and their heads were forced to bob in a beat that was jerky and unnatural. I actually found it disturbing to watch, especially when I think about how they must have been taught to do this.

I've heard a few stories from various people about ways horses are "taught" to do certain things. Apparently one way to "teach" the horse to lope like this, with their head down so far, their chin into their chest, is to tie a rope from their chin to their back feet while they're loping. The thought of it just makes my stomach turn.

I took a quick video with my camera of this demonstration. One rider was a little girl who looked like she was about 4 or 5 years old, cute as could be with her turquoise chaps and blue fingernail polish. She's seen here loping her horse. It's a lope but is a little closer to a trot, so it doesn't show as pronounced a head-bobbing as some of the others and doesn't appear as exaggerated.



It just makes me thankful that we found this particular natural horsemanship method when we did. The people who practice the Western Pleasure style probably see us and think we look sloppy -- but call me what you may, I like it!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000, indoors.

20/365 Dawn of another rainy day

Thursday morning, as I was driving to work, the sunrise was gorgeous -- and only lasted for a couple minutes. When the sun had risen higher in the sky, the day's clouds obscured it and the vibrant yellows, oranges, pinks, reds and blues dissipated. I stopped my car on the road to snatch this remnant before it disappeared.

Thursday evening, I went to the fourth of my six weeks' class sessions. This week we practiced posing and lighting children. We had hoardes of them at class -- a couple of my classmates brought their kids (and their neighbor's kids), and the instructor brought her 3-year-old grandson. I grabbed a couple chances at the helm but chose this week to step back a little bit. I recorded each pose without the use of the studio lights for my library of ideas, but since there were parents in the room, I let them have much more time actually photographing.

The rules for kids built on the basics we'd learned in our previous weeks, except the imperative is to work faster! The 3-year-old was especially squirmy but cute as a button.

Camera for this shot: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 7:30 a.m.

19/365 Fresh fruit is making a comeback

A kiwi is one of those fruits that makes me scratch my head when I think about it. Who was that first person who spied this brown, hairy, baseball-sized (well, it was probably before they made baseballs, so they probably said it was egg-sized or stone-sized) fruit and said, "Hmm. That looks like it might be tasty!"? Do you think it was a person stranded in a forest, on the brink of starvation, who stumbled across this one plant that finally had something besides just leaves growing on it -- and they figured, "Well, it's either try eating this or die, and I'm already going to do the latter, so what do I have to lose?"

And when they bit into it or sliced it open and found this bright, almost neon-green juicy flesh inside with perfect rows of black seeds in the middle, I bet they thought they were hallucinating. Who would have thought that this ugly berry (yep, apparently it's a berry!) would be so great -- and beautiful?

And, on a side note, whose idea was it to start calling New Zealand natives Kiwis? Perhaps some of them look like brown hairy fruit (or flightless birds), but I've seen several who are quite attractive. So I doubt that's the reason.

Regardless, I love kiwis -- both their sweet, tangy taste and their vibrant color -- and I am super excited for fresh fruit season to return to Indiana. I'm tired of being restricted to oranges and frozen blueberries. Bring on the fresh strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, sour cherries, pineapple, peaches... !

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 on macros setting under fluorescent lighting.

18/365 Practicing Couples Poses

I did my homework for class this week (I didn't last week... shhh... don't tell!). Our assignment was to practice some of the couples poses we covered over the last two weeks. I coerced Mom and Dad into being my models for five minutes and was pretty happy with my first solo attempt!
Now it's Dancing with the Stars time, so I'm going to make this a short post. :)

Camera: Canon Rebel DSLR 1/30s, f/5.6, ISO 1600 to compensate for low lighting and no flash.

17/365 Spring Storms

Before I went to college, I wanted to be a meteorologist (and not one on TV). Storms fascinate me even to this day. Every time I went to Barnes & Noble, I made a beeline for the science section and scanned the stacks for any new weather-related books.

When I was in junior high and high school, at the height of my meteorological obsession, March signified the start of the spring storm season. It kicked off with severe weather awareness week at the beginning of the month, which meant a special section about tornadoes in the newspaper I could cut out and savor for the rest of the year. I think I still have all of those!

When I started taking up photography as a hobby, it came naturally for me to turn my camera toward the sky. So this definitely won’t be the last of my weather/sky photos for the year.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at 5:30 in the evening.