I’m trying a few ideas for my sea glass project that is due the Thursday following Thanksgiving. What I did was bring in a glass table from outside and put a lamp under it. That way the light is shining up through the table and glass so it looks backlit. The only issue I have is the glass table is a smoky brown and I think it changes the color of the glass.
It seems heavy green and yellowish — which I’ve tried to tone down in Adobe Camera Raw. The photo below I played with in ACR and changed the colors. I’ll be back to the drawing board with more ideas to take sea glass photos that come out in a better color.
Here are the colors of sea glass that I prefer. I took these a few weeks ago out in the sunlight.
I have a few more days to play with my sea glass and try to get some unique photos. Then I also need to work with my scanned images from our beach days to tell a story about hunting for sea glass and summers at the beach with the kids.
I found sea glass on Etsy and there are artists who make jewelry from sea glass. Something else that caught my eye was bird art using drift wood with sea glass birds on it!
I was surprised to get an email Tuesday that I needed to submit my Sea Glass Work In Progress for Thursday night’s photography class. After traveling to Northern California to help my kids, I hadn’t had a thought about photography in more than 10 days. Before I left town, I sent a few photos to my professor that I took with my Macro lens and asked him for suggestions. He pointed out that I needed to adjust a setting for “exposure compensation” to zero. It was set at -.7 and my photos were too dark.
So, Tuesday and Wednesday with my camera adjusted, I set out to take more sea glass photos. I also looked through my scanned images of kids and beach photos. Finally I settled on some and sent in my WIP. As I’m writing this, I haven’t had my Thursday night class yet, so I’m not sure what my feedback from the professor and students will be. It’s more than a little nerve wracking.
Here are photos I’ve taken this week since coming home:
Bougainvillea blossom from a new plant. The last plant was eaten at the roots by a raccoon, skunk or javelina.
A house sparrow at the bird bath. The little birds like the bird bath, rarely do the bigger birds use it.
Someone in Laguna decorated this city structure with shells and sea glass. This was an old photo I scanned from our summers in Laguna Beach.
Another sea glass photo from this week.
I identified this pretty shrub with blue flowers as “Imperial Blue.”
I’ve named my favorite bird “Red.” Very appropriate don’t you think?
I’m struggling with my photography class this week. There was a ton of reading and the professor made a note to be sure to take notes, because the instructions for this week’s assignment would be found throughout the module.
This week’s topic is Shutter Speed. Last week was ISO. I have a prediction that next week’s topic will be aperture.
I have to turn in three photos this week. One is to be panned. I’m supposed to capture something moving by panning at the same speed of the moving object. That object is supposed to be clear while the background will be blurred.
I’ve tried with quails and doves, but they aren’t cooperating. Red is too flighty. I can’t pan fast enough. I’m going to have to rely on my husband walking, riding a bike or driving the car. Not too exciting. And the professor wants us to be creative.
Then the other two photos are to be creative using a fast shutter speed and a slow shutter speed. But I’m finding contrary instructions in different parts of the module.
Here are the photos from my first assignment:
We were told how to set the camera’s ISO and Aperture and to use auto focus. I liked the crocodile because of the shadows from our pergola.
I thought this cactus in our front yard was interesting.
I think this photography class is way more work than what I expected. It continues through May. I have to remind myself not to worry about grades. I’m doing this to gain knowledge. But old habits of worrying about grades are still with me from my school days!
UPDATE ON UPDATE:
I reread the module. Printed it out and highlighted all parts referring to the assignment. I referred back to my camera’s manual. All of a sudden it clicked. I had my husband ride his bike up and down our driveway while I took the “panning” shot. I got the other two shots I liked during the last two days.
My husband wanted to know who the old man was on the bike!
What classes or activities have you taken on to gain knowledge?
Do you worry about how well you’ve done?
Or are you content to learn something new and not worried about the outcome?
My wild kingdom life continues. Two mule deers munched on jojoba plants in our backyard outside our fence last week for a few hours. There wasn’t much left of one jojoba when they were done.
I was fascinated and managed to stand a few yards away — on my side of the fence. At one point the buck jumped and it looked like he’d run away. But instead, he froze and the pair didn’t seem to think I was a threat. The buck had small antlers that were narrow. You can barely make them out in the photos.
I took the photo above with my Nikon. I had trouble with the camera, because the mulies would be partially behind shrubs and the with camera on auto, focused on the plant life, leaving the mule deers blurry. This was the only decent photo I got.
Here are a few more photos and a video from my iphone:
Here are the mulies munching on jojoba. There’s a good view of the buck’s antlers.
I sat myself down on a bench opposite the deer and watched feeling the peace of nature. What a blessing during Advent to experience this beauty.
The Gift of Christmas Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
Family and friends gathered near, Laughter and love so warm, sincere. May the joy of Christmas Day, Guide your heart in every way.
Remember those who face the cold, Whose stories often go untold. Extend a hand, share what you can, For love unites the hearts of man.
My weekly zoom call was interrupted yesterday by four majestic Harris Hawks. Here are two of them. There were two more in a tree.
Thursday was busy. It was the day after our house guest left. I woke up early to get the house ready for my cleaning lady. She usually comes after 2 p.m. but she asked to come in the morning. But I had neighborhood coffee group followed by my weekly zoom call in the morning. I had to have the house picked up and garbage out before I left for coffee.
Neighborhood coffee is a casual group of neighbors who meet the first Thursday of the month. We meet at local cafes and take turns choosing the location. What was funny about this meeting was the women’s coffee group was seated at a table next to the men’s group. That has never happened before. Also, we had six women, but the men had a dozen. I wonder what they talk about?
My weekly zoom call consists of a group of people from Alaska, California to New Jersey and in between. We talk about all the stuff people usually avoid. Politics, religion and current events. The group has Republicans and Democrats and discussions are polite and civil. I’m learning a lot about history and world politics from very intelligent people. There are two neurosurgeons in the group, other doctors, lawyers, a woman mayor of a Southern California city, and a man who ran a bond desk on Wall Street. Yesterday there were 14 people on the call, which was a big group and interesting to hear their points of view.
It’s refreshing although at times exhausting. The group leader keeps us all in line. He sends us material during the week to discuss during the call. He has a plan for the day and asks each of us questions, with the point at the end, “What is the truth?”
I was sitting in the casita by the window while on the zoom call. Then bam! A hawk hit the window scaring me to death. Then I saw hawks swooping through the yard, chasing quail. I guess I’m responsible for that, because I put bird seed out for quail, which attracts the predators.
Then I took a break from zoom taking photos through the casita window.
Now my guests are gone, my house is clean, and my social activities are over. No more zooming around! Remember “Orange is the New Black?” Well, this week, Friday is the New Saturday!
Have a great weekend. Do you have any special plans?
This is a sunset view from my driveway earlier this week. I took this photo with my iphone.
This photo I took with my Nikon as rain was beginning to sprinkle.
I’m posting photos to celebrate the end of the election. I will be so thankful to never hear another ad for years. Living in a battleground state, it’s been unbearable. It doesn’t matter if my candidates won or lost, or when we’ll find out. I’m just glad it’s over!
Sunday we had clouds, rain, thunder and lightening. The sunsets have been spectacular! The sunrises are gorgeous too. Now the sky is bright blue. Everything looks washed clean and sparkling.
Look at that blue sky!
Sunrise in our back yard.
One more sunset photo. This one is from my husband’s iphone a year ago.
This is one of two alligators who hang out by the pool. In the background is our waterfall.
Yesterday, two items arrived adding to my recent interest using a DSLR camera. I bought a tripod plus a remote. That’s because I’ve noticed my photos were often blurry. I have shaky hands and I can’t hold the camera steady — especially when trying to capture hawks or bobcat pics.
The photos posted today are the result of my experimenting with my new photography toys in our backyard. I have to say the photos are crisper than when I hold onto the camera and push the button.
The remote allows me to set up the camera on the tripod, stand a few feet away and press a button on the remote to snap the picture. The hardest thing was to line up the shot while the camera is on the tripod. It’s not as easy as point and shoot. But I took lots of photos and made minor adjustments, nudging the camera this way that that.
Flamingos and cacti in the sun.
Two mourning doves in flight. Funny, I was going for a lone quail on the rock, but captured this!
Our swim up pool bar.
If you enjoy photography, do you use your iphone, a DSLR camera or a tripod?
