Scavenging through

I inadvertently parted ways with Cam this past week due to an unfortunate lapse of memory of where I'd hidden him for "safe keeping." I missed him terribly and countless times I thought "that'd make a great picture" and the Droid just couldn't due capturing it justice. So for the hunt this week I thought I'd return to my late fall photos and polish those I loved but just hadn't shared.


Mainly One Color


Around the Home
[caption id="attachment_2864" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="edited using KK's "fall in" and "phoebe" textures"][/caption]
I wish my home were elegant - - a place where steaming drinks are served in dainty China tea cups from a matching pot. But alas, I've yet to get a tea set of my own and those I've ogled over were a little too fancy for my wallet. This little gem was part of my great grandmother's China set passed down to my mother.

Reflection

Before Chi decided there was far too much nudity in the National Art Gallery, she posed with a few statues. She has since deemed the collections obscene and has vowed never to return.

Writing

This isn't quite writing, but I'd not shown off Chi's portrait project. She had to apply with a portfolio to join art club this year, which was converted to "by invitation only" to ensure serious artists were members. It took awhile for Chi to get to this point in her efforts. Initially, she'd quickly drafted a figure that bore little resemblance to her and certainly didn't display her true talent as an artist. I insisted she work from a photo and the resulting portrait was pretty spectacular.

Water


I miss having time to shoot. My daily walks with Ya were incredibly fulfilling. Darkness, however, is working against me. And weekends are filled with family outings, cooking at home, and other activities that have kept me away from photography. This will change, I assure you, from here on out. Photography is my relief, my outlet, my passion.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: hot thing

Abstract

Something about this burst of blooms seemed to beckon for an "abstract" label.

And I love the vibrancy of this macro, it'd like an abstract sun.
And this? Well, aside from loving the assortment of lawn spikes, the globe has a fantastically abstract swirl.

Round

Isn't he just the cutest? A super sized fire truck tire made for an excellent toy in the station. Climb inside and wait for a little push and... you're rollin' now.

Fire

There is nothing, nothing like a flame broiled burger. And my mama is the Burger Queen, for real.

Seeing Faces in Strange Places

Me. I'm making a personal note to try this again with a globe that doesn't have water splotches all over it.

Star

I thought I'd go literal first - it's "literally a star," as Chi would likely say. Does it seem a little early to be setting up Christmas decorations? The stores don't wait until mid Autumn anymore.

And here's my star just before testing for her Green Belt in TaeKwonDo. She did fabulous and will get the new rank on Friday. {Mommy's proud!}

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: space & 'scapes

Totally skipped last week's hunt -- so many things going on and so little motivation to make it happen. For shame my morose mood.
Landscape

The Color Wheel: Complementary/Triadic Color (Exploring with a Camera prompt)
Kat's second installment of color talks about finding aesthetically pleasing combinations in our world. She shared the following three visuals:
I've been having a bit of fun enjoying the lush colors of the season and decided to share a few of my "natural" finds.
[caption id="attachment_2524" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="complementary"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2523" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="triadic"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2522" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="triad variation"][/caption]
Black and White (Paper Heart Camera prompt)

An abandoned post office served as a great industrial backdrop for my little diva's boot shoot. Yes, she insisted on documenting her first "real choice" in shoe-wardrobe. And yes, she really would've rather had the pair with the two and a half inch heel and the furry folded cuff. And yes, those are those dreaded leggings that she so despises but that were required should she wear a skirt like the one she picked out.

Oh, and just to prove that she does, sometimes, simply return to the kid of 8y9m she is most often when the camera is not focused on her, here's baby girl simply being.
Food
I probably should've ventured into the restaurant to capture this display... but it was late and dark and I really didn't think the Maître d would've appreciated me intruding on dinner service just for a picture. I do sort of like the grainy quality of the image, though.
Blank Space
I admit that I have no idea what "blank space" is supposed to mean here... so I'm taking creative liberty.
I love the way my eyes rest in the dark spaces of the flower's seeds and how it is a solitary, lonely bloom surrounded by empty space.

And this one? Well, wouldn't you give him all the space he needs (before spraying him to oblivion with a long range poison, of course)?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Get Low

Hunting is getting a bit more difficult now that school is in session...

Phone

It's a working phone... though it's not mine.

Low Key
It was raining last weekend when I took the kids into the city. The plan was to go to the American Indian Museum, but apparently, if you don't take the L'Enfant Plaza stop on Metro, it's not nearby (read: I couldn't find it despite the straight line of Smithsonian museums). We ended up climbing the 100 or so stairs to the National Art Gallery (the accessible entrance is all the way around the building, not on the Mall side). Chi decided the museum was inappropriately naked, so we left after seeing only one floor.

We made a quick stop for lunch at a street vendor just as the first drops of rain began pelting us. Our umbrellas have apparently fallen ill - - one flipped inside out and broke, the other is separating the fabric from the armature. We fleed toward the Metro entrance, but since it was so early in the day, it felt like a waste to head all the way home. Then I saw the Air and Space Museum. It's changed a lot since the field trip I took there in my school years. Now, it has entire interactive exhibits for children and the learning is much more hands on and much less reading to discover.

Scarf

Initially, I thought of scarfing down food... but pictures of people eating is a little uncouth. Chi enjoys any excuse to play in my scarves, so we set up this quick portrait.

Monochromatic or Analogous Color (Exploring with Camera prompt)
I really thought I had this one nailed... but apparently, I remembered "color wheel" and found a plethora of complementary color rich photos. Bummer.

So, I was going through the shots from last week's Metro ride and found this shot. Ya is still in love with trains and there was something about these tracks that spoke to me. I think it was the repetitious nature of the carefully placed boards. Maybe it was rocks nestled inside each rail. Or, maybe, it was the subtle color variations I saw.

Circles

Saw this "Little Guy Tie" online while looking at RTS nights on Facebook. I'd been stalking Studio412 Boutique for some time trying to get ahold of one of these cute ties. Ya loves it. He calls it his dress up thing.
This self portrait concept seems to be falling to the wayside lately. If I do get my camera out, it's for a determined purpose and only very briefly. Suddenly there's just no time to pursue my passion - - work got in the way.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Street Memories

{I've decided to skip the explanations this week and let my interpretations speak for themselves.}

Street Photography

From a Distance (Paper Heart Camera prompt)

Sunday

Liquid

Behind

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Remember

Bokeh

With all the rain we've had lately, there is no shortage of fungus among us...

Statues

I was thinking I'd play with this theme a bit - - show a stationary person looking quite "statuesque." But on a trip to Alexandria recently, I saw this head dressed Indian statue standing in front of a smoke shop. Something about it was equally offensive and intriguing. The stoic Native American depicted in a stereotypical style meant to be a carved work of art was posted in the doorway in what I'd hardly deem good taste. And yet...

Flying High


Process of Elimination:Exploring with Camera
Chi, like her Oma, has a thing for hats... so no one was surprised when she stole one of Oma's to wear on a walk today. She's at that age - - that in between youth and young adult stage when her personality is firming and her privacy is paramount. She's developed her own style. She sneaks away consumed in her intimate, personal thoughts. And while she adores the closeness of family, she cherishes her freedom to be alone.

These days I'm torn about writing about her. She's old enough to tell me what cannot be shared and young enough to feel sharp pangs of jealousy when the focus shifts too far away from her. It's easy to write about Ya. And Chi? Well, I'm starting to think she has a right to tell her own story.

Remember: Paper Heart Camera prompt
Today is the anniversary of Nine Eleven. Ten years ago I was sitting in Ike's car. My weekend bag was thrown on the back seat and I was excited to live it up in Lake Tahoe at a science conference. At 22 years old, I believed in the absolute safety of US soil. No one could touch us - - and I had a long family history of servicemen who'd vowed to protect us at all cost.

When the announcer interrupted the song I was happily bouncing to as I belted out off key lyrics and lamented the terrible California drivers, I thought we'd fallen victim to some War of the Worlds radio hoax. I wracked my brain to recall what buildings they were talking about. The Twin Towers - those two silver slivers that touched the sky - were burning. Something had struck them. A bomb? No, a plane. Make that two planes. They were crumbling. Collapsing upon themselves and sending up great billowing clouds of debris. A fog covered the City That Never Sleeps. And people were in panic. I couldn't allow myself to believe what I'd heard. I mumbled incoherently. I insisted I'd go teach my class and head out to cover the conference as planned.

Ike dropped me off at Burger King and wished me a good weekend. I walked into the building where people seemed to operate in a surreal sort of trance. Time had stopped. Though people were placing orders, as did I, no one was talking. There was none of the usual cacophony of public eateries. Every television was on, and from the five or so sets we - the patrons - watched in horror the replay of the Tower's demise. Strangers though we were, we sat huddled in arbitrary groupings oblivious of socioeconomics, heritage, and age. Tears. Uncontrollable sobs. Hugs from anonymous neighbors.

On the T.V., the images appeared in flickers, an endless slideshow. Or was it live footage? My mind fought to process. The Pentagon. Burning. Firemen. People. Smoke. Falling. Jumping. Blue skies now gray. Police. A ticker tape of close captioning.

I have to call my parents. I have to call my family in New York. Who works in the city? Are my parents, brother safe so close to DC? Is San Francisco a target? I dialed numbers on my cell. Dial tone. Beep. Beep. Beep. Busy. Please wait while the subscriber you called is located... I dialed again. The phone line dead. No service...

I remember praying. I remember fear. I remember wonder. I remember innocence. I remember sorrow. I remember strength. I remember brotherhood. I remember unity. I remember vows. I remember healing.

We will never forget.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Abstraction

Smile
I was thinking about using a series of photos of Ya smiling... I mean his uninhibited smile is infectious...

And then there is Chi's beautiful and ever-changing smile - with the odd combination of baby and adult teeth, gaps where tooth fairy has been awarded treasure, and her sometimes lip-gloss colored lips. It belays her personality at this moment in time.

But then I started editing the photos of the early stages of Irene passing through our area and I came across a series of the kids stomping in puddles. We'd been cooped up in the house waiting for the hurricane to ravage the area for hours. The kids were restless. And so, we found our coats and covered our heads from the rain and headed outside. The streets were empty - - of people, of most of the vehicles, of animals. It was eery. It was also ideal for kicking up water and stamping feet. We loved it.

I wish there were also a photo of my surprise when the gusty winds killed the umbrella and I was soaked instantly by the rain. That would surely make someone smile...

Stairs
I'll never, ever forget those dreadful stairs... in fact, I still have abnormal heart palpitations whenever I pass metal staircases. Stairs are just not something I want to be near.

My workplace is currently under renovations. Add to the efforts damage from the earthquake, and you have one massive mess to make presentable come school's opening on Tuesday. Yes, I said Tuesday We've got quite a few of these stairs of construction (destruction?) there right now... and none of them are conjuring thoughts of climbing a corporate ladder to greater success.

Clouds

After the rain and winds of Saturday's battle with Irene, the skies looked amazing. Deep blue color interspersed with fluffy white and dismal grey clouds to create a magically beautiful sky painting.

Warning
I know some people are a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs, but around here bug hunts and captures (photographic, of course) are commonplace. As always, as long as they are outside of my home or my car and not on my person, I'm cool with living in harmony. The next few pictures are of our insect neighbors. I've been privy to a lot of portraits with our weird weather of late. You've been warned.
Macro

This friendly Mantis lives at the prison-turned-art-collective. He was wandering up the wooden doors that blocked an industrial trash container. I wasn't bug hunting when I happened upon him. In fact, it was Chi who noticed him. She refused to pose for a portrait in the location I had scouted because Mantis and a moth (that was certainly his intended dinner) were present. Mantis didn't like us being there to interrupt him, so he initially froze before deciding that if he walked really slow, he could move away. He pointed his longest toe on each gracefully long leg (arm?) as he moved.


Abstract

Found this little dragon without the hunt! He was waiting for me in front of the garage as the kids and I left for work and school early this morning. I loved the abstract pattern created by the clear and brown styling of the film of his wings. And it was awesome that he sat patiently waiting for me to capture his portrait exactly as I wanted. That's one fly dragon.