FOL14 - Week 10 - The BIG Picture

It's week 10 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of

"Checking Out" for the month of March.

 

 

 

This week's prompt is:

 

The BIG Picture

 

"As for this week, we are expanding what we are 'checking out' and looking at the BIG picture!"

 

I have a hard time with getting these types of pics to turn out the way the I want them to.
 

 





Click to enlarge - you'll be happy you did! :-)

 

 



 

These photos might not have been exactly what Sally meant with her prompt, but I did try a few different things this week, including trying to read the online manual for both my cameras.  (grrr,.....)

 

Well, after not having much success with that whole thing, I grabbed my phone and snapped the beauty around us while we were on a little walk about the neighborhood the other night.

 

 

 

 

 

I also captured this sunrise one morning with the 'panorama' setting on my phone.

 

 

click to enlarge

 

I'm a bit obsessed with sunrises and sunsets - as you can see.

I'm sure you're getting bored with them lately,....especially if you follow me on Facebook or over on Instagram.

But hey, I'm having fun and enjoying each moment I capture!

 

 

 

I looked. I focused.
I held my breath.
I clicked.

I captured what I found beautiful.

 

 

This one I used an edit on and then put a frame on it - but it still looks pretty much
the way the sunrise did. Except for the green glowing houses across the lake. :-)

 

 

I never thought in a million years that I'd say this but,...

I think my phone camera might be a better camera than either of my actual cameras.

 

Well, except for the macro shots I get w/my Lumix.

Those can be pretty awesome. 

 

So, I wonder what 'big' pictures everyone else captured this week?

 

Let's have a look, shall we?

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Getting the Big Picture!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life 201 - Week 9 - Macro

It's week 9 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at The Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Checking Out" for the month of March.

 

Sally explains this month's prompt, "March for me is the beginning of Spring and a good time for checking out!  There are many definitions of "checking out", but I'm talking about checking out and exploring the world around us.  Some times when we are checked out of life and checked in to technology we tend to not focus on the amazing things that are happening around us every minute of everyday."

 

 

 

For week 9, our prompt is:

 

Macro Shot
 

"This week we are going to get up close and really check things out!"
 

 

I just LOVE macro shots!

 

Click photo to enlarge :-)



I'm much better at drooling over them than I am at actually capturing them, but hey, I have fun trying!
 

 

 

 

 

 I spent last weekend 'checking out' Jerome, AZ with my sister and a couple of friends and was happy enough to capture some cool macro shots of the beautiful, fresh flowers that were on our table at The Flatiron.

 

 

 

Everything about The Flatiron was super!

 

 

From the relaxed atmosphere, to the awesome meals that Chad prepared, to the fun banter that could be heard between Jen and Amy behind the bar area.

This place was rockin' the cool-vibe! 

My sister's waffles on Sunday!  Yummy!

 

 

And, just so you know, they have the best coffee on the planet! (thank you Amy!)

 

And some really beautiful flowers that make for great macro shots, too!

 

Click to enlarge photo collage :-)

 

Please click on all the links below to check out what gorgeous, up-close macro shots the rest of the Focus on Life gang has captured this week, okay?
 

 

Until Next Time,
 

Peace, Love and Macro Lust!
 

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

  

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life 2014 - Capture Color

It's week 8 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at the Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Cabin Fever" for the month of February and our prompt this week is:

 

 

 

Capture Color!

 

"For the last week of February, we will be focusing on something that can snap me out of 'cabin fever' and hopefully you, too! Bring on the Color! Capture color in all its vivid brilliance!"

 

I'm visiting the lovely little haunt of Jerome, AZ with my sister and some friends this weekend, but here's some 'color' that I was organizing this week and snapped a photo of!

 

 

 

 

Please enjoy all the other color that everyone else was able to capture this week, won't you?!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Color, Baby!

Cheers,

~Shel~

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life 2014: Week 7 - Collage of LOVE

It's week 7 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at the Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Cabin Fever" for the month of February and our prompt this week is:

 

 

 

Collage of Love

 

 

"One of the best ways to beat the feeling of cabin fever is to feel the L❤VE!  It may be as simple as that warm and oh so  inviting cup of coffee, the cold nose of your four legged family member or the smell of a certain flower!  This week l❤ve is everywhere and it's your job to capture it, no bow and arrow needed, just a camera! "

 

It's been a very packed week this week, so I cheated on my collage and grabbed pics I had already taken.  But, they are things I love and it was a good thing I looked for some photos because I found there's tons missing on my computer and they're not on the back up hard drive either.

 

Were'd they go?  Your guess is as good as mine.

 

But, we are in the middle of retrograde, so this is not a surprising discovery.

Disappointing yes, unexpected no.  

 

I even searched some of the sub-folders thinking I'd dropped them in to the wrong place by accident. Nope. No luck. So, I spent a good portion of time searching and backing up newer things.

 

Back to this week's prompt,...

 

I snagged a silly shot of my boys awhile back and although it's blurry, I still love it.

 

I love them!

 

I love Pearls (ya, think?!!)

 

I love where I live.

 

And I love Coco and Kiki. (Crazy Lovebirds!!)

 

 

 

 

On Valentine's Day, Arizona celebrated its 102nd birthday.

 

On Valentines Day 20 years ago, Mike proposed.

 

On Valentine's Day 6 years ago, Iron Man (aka-Mike) got a 'defib' put in his chest that they now say he doesn't need (figures, right?!) but that we have been thankful for.

 

Valentine's Day is a good day!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace and LOVE!

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

Please check out all the other participants this weekend and see what they LOVE!!

 

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life - Quiet Calm

It's week 6 for the Focus on Life 2014 Weekly Photography Challenge and Sally over at the Studio Sublime has given us the theme of "Cabin Fever" for the month of February and our prompt this week is:

Quiet Calm

 

 

 

"The world begins to emerge from its wintry blanket quietly, calmly.  Subtle cues emerge with very little notice. For this week's photo assignment we will focus on the quiet calm of the world re-energize around us."

 

Well, for those of you experiencing the winter blanket coming back to hit you yet again this week - I feel for you.

 

Here in the desert of central Arizona, we're getting hit with possible record breaking temps and it's going to be topping out this week in the mid to upper 80's.

 

Just like those of you who are tired of winter, we're ready for winter to actually begin.

Or 'semi-continue' as I heard someone say.

 

With our warmer temps, things have really started to bloom.

The trees that line the streets of my subdivision, which just finally lost all their leaves around mid-January, are starting to bud and bloom again and little signs of bright green are bursting from their naked little branches.

 

I traveled to Tucson last week/weekend for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows and our friend's that we stay with have lots of cacti in their yard and surrounding area. I went for a little 'walk about' and found some great colors in the 'Quiet Calm' of the desert.
 

 

 

 

I hope you are all having a great week and staying warm where it's cold and 'chillin' where it's hot!

 

Please take a look around and see all the great shots everyone else captured this last weekend, won't you?

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and The Quiet Calm of the Desert!

Cheers,

~Shel~

FOL2014 - Week 5 - Get Outside

Our host, Sally, from the Studio Sublime, gives us a new focus each month for our "Focus on Life 2014" weekly photography challenge.

 

For February our focus is: 

Cabin Fever

 

And, for week 5 of 2014, our prompt is:

 

Get Outside!

 

Sally shared a few words with us for this week's prompt.

 

"We find ourselves in the dull-drum of winter.  This month we will break free of those feelings and focus on the fabulous-ness of February!  Sometimes the perfect fix for temporary relief of cabin fever is simply to get outside, even if you just step out on the porch.  Get out of the house and focus on the change cooler temps bring to your surroundings."

 

So, for week 5, you're instructed to:  Get Outside!

 

I really feel for all the folks around the country who are getting tons snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, and things of this nature - it's just super crazy!

You will definitely want to 'click to enlarge' these sunrise pics! :-)
Nope - no enhancements - just cropped and framed them in Pixlr.
And, Yes - it was really this vibrant and breath-taking!

 

 

But here in the Arizona Desert, well,...we're having some really nice, really warm weather  - record braking on some days. It's been in the high 70's and even hit 80 I think.

 

 

 Hopefully this is not a precursor to what's coming our way from Mid-April through late October. I'd hate to think that our average temperature for this time of year is going to be in the 120's vs. our normal average of about 105 to 110 or so.

 

 

But, once it's over 110 it pretty much all feels the same.

Probably like when it dips below -5, with wind chill factors of -40, cold is cold. Ice is ice. It hurts to breathe!

 

 

So, I feel for those of you suffering.

 

I'm really glad and extremely thankful to live where I do.

At least this month anyway.

:-)

 

 

Our Sunrises and Sunsets here in Arizona are among
the most beautiful in the world (IMHO) and on Thursday morning I looked out the window as I was fixing my coffee to see the absolute best sunrise starting to come alive.  I rushed to get my phone and went outside and started snapping away.

Sorry, but I couldn't decide on just one of the photos
I snapped and had to show you all of them!

 

I hope those of you in the wake of all this crazy-silly cold weather can stay inside, stay warm and stay safe.

Feel free to use any of these as your screen saver.
That's what my niece and sister did!
LOL! ;-)

 

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Sharing The Warmth!!

Cheers,

~Shel~

FOL 2014 - Week 4 - Word(s)

It's week 4 already (where's January gone in such a hurry, huh?!) in the Focus on Life:2014 weekly photography challenge created by Sally from The Studio Sublime.

 

We're still going with the minimalistic approach this week and Sally's prompt was:

 

WORD(S)
 

 

 

 

"There are so many words, a simple grouping of letters that bombard us everyday, that impact our everyday life.  They make us think, effect our purchasing of items and influence how we view ourselves.  This week we will focus on words.  What word speaks to you, makes you laugh, makes you feel good about your being and who you are in that moment.  Is there a word that stands out, you find interesting, you think is fun to say." Side Note:  (OPTIONAL PROMPT ALTERNATIVE) This photo prompt is about words in general and I know a few of you choose a word as a guide through the year.  Please feel free to use your "one little word" for this prompt if you would like.  

 

I kept seeing words all week that caught my attention.

 

But, there was one that stood out above

all others.

 

I think John Lennon said it best.

 

All You Need Is,....

 

I wrote the letters and used one of my hubby's hand-poured pewter PEACE pendants for the 'O'.
I then photographed it and edited it by playing with textures like Sally showed us this week!
It was a fun little project!

 

 

Until Next Time,

 

Peace and LOVE!

 

Cheers,

~Shel~

 

FOL2014 - Week 3 - Black and White Self Portrait

 

 

 

 

It's week 3 for the Focus on Life 2014 weekly photo challenge and we're sticking with the minimalist's way of thinking.  As Sally put it, this week we're going to "use the minimum to get the most" and capture a "beautiful black and white photo of ourselves".

 

Man, Sally knows just how to get all of us where it hurts! 

 

Self Portraits.
(Every one's favorite, right?!!)

 

I do have to give her credit though.

At least with the black and white minimalistic approach, you can't see as many of my wrinkles and all those icky blotches and scars on my skin from too many years of poisoning myself with the sun's rays aren't so harsh!
 

 

So, here I was figuring out how the heck to use the 'reverse' photo thing on my phone,...

Keeping with the minimalistic approach
here I am 'sans-jewelry'

I'm using my phone because I needed the practice taking more photos with it. I no longer have my iPhone - Logan has it now - but an htc rezound and I think it takes much better pics (usually) than my iPhone ever did.

Although these, for whatever reason, are a bit more blurry than normal. Sorry about that.
 

 

Okay,...here we go.

Steady,...and snap.

 

And, here I am making faces at Sally and
'scolding" her for making us take 'selfies'!

LOL!!



 

 

It was fun playing around with the Black and White edits, but I think I like my actual camera over my cell phone when I'm going to edit photos.

I'm excited to see everyone else's photos because I know they are going to be super artistic, creative, fun and fantastic!!

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Having Fun with Photos. Even Selfies!

Cheers,

~Shel~