Double L Photography: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Last Day of May

I remember last month when it was the last day of August, because it was my birthday.

And I remember last week when it was the last day of October, because we went trick-or-treating.

I remember a few days ago when it was the last day of December, because we wore funny glasses and stayed up until midnight.

And I remember yesterday when it was the last day of February, because it was an extra last day this year.

Now, it's the last day of May, and school is almost finished.

Time is flying by at the speed of light, my friends, and it will all be over much too soon.

Slow down and enjoy it while you can....

maybe, eat a piece of cake....

and always remember who loves you.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

A Walk Among Heroes

I took my son out to the National Cemetery by our house today. He'd never been there.

I wanted to get out there and take some pictures for Memorial Day before they took all the flags down.

As we drove in, my son, sitting in the backseat of the car, kind of exhaled and whispered, "Awwwesome."

"Look," I said pointing to the parade of cars lining the drive. "There must be a service going on." It seems like there's always a service going on.

We parked and began walking through the markers. I showed him the first headstone I ever photographed. He was the first solider killed in the war in Afghanistan and I go back and visit him every year. If I ever met his family, I'd probably cry.

I showed my son the grave of a solider who fought in the Civil War, and we talked about what the number on the back side of each headstone meant.

He asked questions about the symbols at the top of each headstone, and was very careful not to walk over the top of each place.

Then we heard the shots. Three of them.

"What is that?" he asked.

"That's the gun salute. Listen....Can you hear that?"

The trumpeter was playing Taps.

We continued walking, looking at the names, the dates. It was amazing to see how much had been built up and filled in since my visit last year. Amazing and sad.

"It's like Heaven here," he said.

"You think?"

"Yeah. But a special Heaven. One just for the soldiers. Don't you think there's a special Heaven just for soldiers?"

"I don't know," I said. "I think there's one Heaven for us all."

"No. There's a special one for the soldiers who died fighting. They deserve a special place."

They fell, but o'er their glorious graves

floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.

~Francis Marion Crawford~

Cheers and blessings to you all.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Behind The Scenes

I photographed my nephew's baseball game about a month ago.

And while I was working hard to capture the action on the field, someone else was capturing me!

This was his shot.

This was my shot.

His shot:

My shots:

I love it when that happens.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Let's Do 52 ~ Week 21 {Closer} or Photography Lessons I Learned From My Dad

I've always said that my love for photography was planted in my brain by my dad many moons ago. He taught me a lot about how to use a camera, but there were three main points that he really drove home for me:

1. There is no substitute for light. You gotta' have it and you can't fake it.

Totally true. Trust me. I can't tell you how many shots I've fuuu...dged trying to fake the light. Literally thousands.

2. Take about 10 shots and you'll get a good one.

Also totally true. 10%. That's what I tell people. If you can't get 10% you should really just put the camera down and find something else to do. But, then when you get 25% it's like a little surprise party on your memory card. Yay!

3. You really don't need a zoom lens. Just get closer.

Unless you're standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or something, or a football field, or outside your kid's classroom on the first day of school and his teacher hears you clicking away in the hall and sends your kid out to invite you in and he comes out to ask, but at the same time gives you the stank eye that says,

If you even set one foot in here, I'll punch you in the throat.

In that case, you absolutely need a zoom lens,

but if you're just photographing flowers in your backyard,

you don't.

Just get closer.

Love from,

Monday, May 21, 2012

A Morning In The Life....

Prince Charming and I took his mother and the kids on a super-secret clubhouse field trip over the weekend because it was my niece's 21st birthday. Not that one thing really has anything to do with the other, I just wanted to give a

Great Big 21st Birthday Shout-out

to my niece.

Moving on...

So, we planned this secret outing, my beloved and I, for his mother and our children.

THEM: "Give us a hint!"
US: "You'll need your tennis shoes and your scooter."
THEM: "Give us another hint! How long will it take to get there?"
US: "About a half an hour."
THEM: "Oh. So, it's not Disneyland."

My mother-in-law just never gets tired of Space Mountain....ever....

9:27 a.m.

The kids and I in the back of the car, Daddy and Grandma in the front of the car, Daddy calling me a fly, me telling him to shut it because these are my sunglasses and I like them, Daddy going "Buzzzzzzzzzz", the kids and Grandma laughing 'cause he's just soooo funny.

(And P.S....An artistic note here ~ I love, love, love that you can see the front seat of the truck reflected in my glasses, which, you would not be able to see if my glasses were smaller...Just sayin'...)

9:28 a.m.

Officially on the road.

Let the super-secret fun begin!

9:50 a.m.

We're in the city.

9:53 a.m.

Here's where the Mariners loose all their games.

Okay...they don't loose loose all their games here. They loose some in other ball parks, too.

I'm kidding! I'm just kidding!

Sheesh!!

10:05 a.m.

Know where we're going yet?

10:17 a.m.

Parked on a side street in front on some guy's house because there was, like, no parking ANYWHERE!! and walked across to the park.

Green Lake!

10:28 a.m.

Beginning our motor around the lake

"Stay right on the line!"

"Watch out. There's a lot of people around you!"

"No crowding!"

"A little more space, please!"

"No, get back over the line!"

"Don't run over my foot!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Wait. Grandma! Why are you running ahead?"

Sooooo much fun.....

10:36 a.m.

Enjoying the sights around the lake.

Ahhhh.....No, I'm fine. You guys just go on ahead.....

Really....you don't have to wait....I can catch up.....you know.....later.

10:42 a.m.

Turtles.

I wasn't going to photograph these. I'm not a turtle virgin. I've seen them before. Taken pictures of them. But, then this woman standing there on the edge of the path turned and saw me and she said,

"Oh! You have a zoom lens. Take their picture!"

So....I did.

10:52 a.m.

Walkin' the scooter. Man this is getting tiring....Anyone else feel like sitting down?

10:57 a.m.

Taking 14 pictures of a crane.

"MOM! Let's go! You don't need to take 14 pictures of a crane!"

"Yes, I do. I've never seen one of those in real life before. You don't see that everyday, you know.....Oh wait. There's a duck. I need to take some pictures of that."

"MOM! That is soooo not funny!"

It's a little funny....