Bee on Blooms

Bee on Blooms a photo by Rachel*Nicole on Flickr.

I have a thing for bees - bees and pretty Spring blooms. I just realized that. It is okay though, because some of my favorite shots include these two things. They make me happy :)

Spring Time

Here is another Spring image.  I know there are still a lot of you in places that are still very cold and maybe even still snowing.  I hope this brings you some Spring warmth!

Bee Happy :) a photo by Rachel*Nicole on Flickr.

Josie in Training

Josie Week 9~52 a photo by Rachel*Nicole on Flickr.

Don't let Josie's sweet face fool you - she is a handful! Josie (and myself) are currently in intense training. She is a typical cattle dog - stubborn and extremely intelligent. When her behavior had progressively gotten worse in the past month, we enlisted the help of an experienced dog trainer in our area. His resume was extremely impressive - from serving in Iraq as the Kurdish Prime Minister’s family canine handler and instructor to training therapy dogs.

Apparently Josie has no respect for me, and that is what we are working on right now. So for the time being, she either has to be tethered to me or in her crate. Doesn't seem so hard does it? Try keeping a 10 month old puppy tied to your waist with two other dogs just out of her reach, and her not be allowed to play with them (at least for now).

Don't get me wrong - Josie is just a sweet heart with a tough outer shell. I love her to death and I am completely committed to turning her into the best dog she can be. Sounds cheesy but it is true. She goes to work with me everyday, and I need her to be obedient and respect me, so the day can go by smoothly.

Wish us luck.....we will need it! I'll keep you updated on our progress...

Spring Blooms

Spring Blooms a photo by Rachel*Nicole on Flickr.

Seems like Spring has come to the South early this year, and I am thrilled (although we are having a little "cold" spell this week). This is my favorite time of the year. It is warm outside without being really humid, the birds are chirping and getting ready to nest, and the blooms are coming out. There is something so special about Spring.

Change of Plans

Initially my Picture Project was going to consist of taking a picture a day and uploading it on here and my flickr stream - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelnbond/. After just a little over a month, I realized this just wasn't going to happen.  Every day I would search for something new and interesting to take a picture of, which seemed to just get harder and harder.  My days are pretty routine - go to work, go home.  Weekends were a lot easier, but what about the other 5 days ?!? It didn't help that the days were still pretty short and it was dark by the time I got home everyday.   I began to resent getting my camera out, just to photograph something silly just so I could say I took a picture.  And then I would have to post it for anyone to see, and I would be slightly embarrassed.  So I just stopped taking my camera out, and I stopped posting daily pictures.

I would still whip out my camera if something inspired me or if a photo opp presented itself.  I began to start going through my archives on my laptop, and edit ones I never got to, which made me happy.  I finally had time to do that since I began the "project."   I just needed a little break!  So now the pressure was off and photography was back on :)   I plan on going back and uploading some pictures from the past month (you can see what I have been up to by going to my flickr stream).  They might be a picture I took last year, or it might be a flower that just bloomed today.  I hope you enjoy what I have to offer.

Day 21-25

I promise I am taking one picture a day~sometimes I am just slow uploading them on this blog :)
Here are days 25-21 (going in order of how they would normally post)...

Day 25

25-365

Day 24



24-365

 



Day 23

23-365

Day 22

22-365




Day 21

21-365

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad.  ~Norm Papernick



Day 15

I am slacking getting my photos put up on this blog.  I am having trouble keeping up!  I am finding this 365 project a little discouraging.  I hate posting photos I think are just so-so and with little meaning behind them.  I am having a difficult time figuring out what to photograph, especially if I don't even get home until after dark.  I think this project will be a lot easier (and more enjoyable) if I have more light to work with in the evenings.  I love taking photos on the weekend during the day, but dread trying to just throw something together so I say I took a picture after work. 

Here are my photos from day 15-20. 

15-365

16-365

17-365

18-365

19-365

20-365

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.  ~Henry van Dyke

Day 14

14-365

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. ~John Lubbock

Day 13

13-365

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for. ~Unknown

Day 12

12-365

If you want to be happy, be.  ~Leo Tolstoy

Day 11

11-365

All God's angels come to us disguised.  ~James Russell Lowell

Day 10



10-365



I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.  ~Michel de Montaigne

Days 7-9

After a few days off, I am combining this weekend's photos into one post.

Day 7 ~ view out of my back window in the morning...


7/365


Day 8~ This is a birdhouse my older sister gave to me for my Birthday back in May.  I love it, and cannot wait to see birds actually using it (and be able to photograph that)!  I think this birdhouse is just the cutest!

8/365

Day 9~Birds at the feeder.  I rented 2 lenses for this weekend to try and figure out which one to buy.   I think I'm going with the Nikon 70-300 over the 55-300. 

9-365







Day 6

A dog photo.  Expect much more of these. 

6/365



Day 5

I tried posting last night, but I was having technical difficulties (or maybe blogspot was).  So here is my picture from day 5 of 365.  Only 360 more days to go!

5/365



Day 4 - 365

I felt lucky today.  For some reason, I have been having a hard time figuring out what to take pictures of for my 365 project.  Do I take something that means a lot to me or something I just happen to find pretty.  Today at lunch, I went out home to my Father's house.  I was sure to find something to photograph there.  He lives on a sprawling estate on the lake.  I walked around with the dogs, and found a few things here and there to photograph, but nothing that really stood out to me.  I decided to leave. 

As I was leaving his neighborhood, I spotted 2 swans and a flock of geese by the lake.  I quickly pulled over and got out of my car.  I remembered how when we were little, our Mom would take us down to Star Lake and feed the ducks.  I'll never forget when my younger sister got chased by one (she may still have a little fear of ducks to this day).  I was thrilled to have gotten a few shots of these ducks before they swam off.  It really made my day.



4/365

Luck never gives; it only lends.  ~Swedish Proverb



Day 3

Well, I haven't exactly started this project out the way I had hoped.  I made the mistake of not bringing my camera to work with me today, and by the time I got home from work, there was no light to work with!  Plus I don't have MY camera, and I am really missing it!  Here is my shot for the day, taken yesterday, January 2nd.  I love sitting at my kitchen table in the morning, drinking my coffee and watching the birds eat from the bird feeders outside.  But yesterday, a huge flock of crows decided to crash the party.  They kept landing in the yard and chasing away all of the regulars of the feeders.  I would have to go chase them off and they would land on a tree just outside of the yard, and come back when I left.  This happened 3 or 4 times, so I decided to take a spur of the moment shot of them flying off.  Ironically, this shot turned out better than the shots I took of the "pretty birds."  Hope you like it.

3/365

I used to love night best but the older I get the more treasures and hope and joy I find in mornings.  ~Terri Guillemets

Day 2

Well, technically it is still Day 1 of my blog, but I didn't want to get behind on my Project 365.  Here is my 2nd shot of the year.  I have to admit this was taken last year on December 28th, but I just processed it today, and felt like that counted.  I have been playing around with textures, and still trying to figure out which photos they work best on and how to incorporate them into the photo.  Hopefully I'll see an improvement in my processing as the year goes on.  I take a lot of shortcuts in PSE, and I hope that by the end of this year, I won't need those shortcuts anymore.  That is a very big goal, because is not my number one priority for this year.  I want to improve my shots and be pleased with them before I edit them. 

I like this shot because it feels dreamy and ethereal to me and I like the tones.  I know it is not technically perfect (I kind of blew off the rule of 3rds), but it's okay.  I took this in my Dad's backyard, and was a plant that is half dead.  Like I said in my first post, photography allows me to find beauty in the most ordinary things.  This is an example. 


2/365



Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye.  ~Grey Livingston

2011 Resolutions

I'm Rachel-a daughter, sister, wife, aunt, avid dog lover, and I one day hope to add photographer to the list.  My photography journey began in January of 2010 and I haven't looked back.  I love how photography has really opened my eyes and my soul.  I can now find beauty in the simplest of things. Something ordinary and often overlooked is now something beautiful and needs to be captured. 

Photography is challenging, and I find it rewarding to look back and see the progress I have made and pinpoint where I need to improve.  So this morning, I have made a list of 6 resolutions for 2011.

My 2011 Photography Resolutions

1.  365 Project
     This one is going to be difficult to stick to, but is why I started this blog.  I needed a place to showcase   my pictures and encourage me to keep going.  I know it will be extremely rewarding in the end.

2.  Go OUT and shoot
     I have realized I am limiting my photography by not going out and finding new locations to photograph.  Many of my photos in 2010 were shot in my house or backyard.  And although, I have gotten some really great pictures at home, I am truley missing out by not getting out.

3.  Think before shooting
     Many of my favorite pictures are ones I took on accident.  This is good and bad.  No thinking was done prior to shooting-I just point and clicked.  My goal for 2011 is to really think about what I want viewers (or just me) to see.  I want to take a vision in my mind and be able to capture it.

4.  Learn as much as I can
     There is so much to learn about photography, and I have just barely scratched the surface.  I want to read all I can, attend workshops, and really challenge myself to become a better photographer.

5.  Find my Style
     I am envious when I look at photographer's websites and flickr photostreams and see a certain style and consistency throughout there photos.  I want that.

6.  Print my photos and create albums
     I have not printed a picture since 2007.  This is absolutely ridiculous.  They do no good sitting on my computer.  


1/365

The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it.  ~Charles DeLint