Tagged: postaday

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PHOTOGRAPHY / THOUGHTS

A slideshow of some of my favourite recent pictures

A love of sunsets, my pups & my marina home is the essential subject of this video slideshow. The first dog silhouette is of Boeing, my Australian Shepherd who passed away a few years ago.  An array of marina photos and sunsets follows.  The one bridge pictured within is the Richmond San Rafael bridge with Mt Tamalpais in the background.  The bridge is not visible from the harbour but a great sunset just the same. The last two dog-sunset-sihouettes are of my current family members, Zulu (a 4yo catahoula) and then Sky (a 6yo Australian shepherd). The slideshow ends with a couple of stunning moonrises! The background music is “Oh! Mio Babbino Caro” sung by Gianni Schicchi.  I’m not really an opera music listener but this piece of music inspired me to get the photos together and there is always the option to turn your sound off if the music doesn’t suit you. Overall the slideshow is for me to remember special moments and images from the last several months and if they suit your taste you will enjoy as well.

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BLOGGING / WRITING 101

The Secret Garden Hostel in Quito, Ecuador

Today’s Prompt: If you could zoom through space in the speed of light, what place would you go to right now? Writing 101’s prompt of ‘where would I be?’  takes me back to my trip to Quito in 2006 and is definitely a trip I would love to repeat with the added benefit of a little more knowledge of the environment and what to expect along with the added flavour of knowing it’s been almost 10 years since my initial visit. I’d never stayed in a hostel before March of 2006.  I happened on the Secret Garden hostel as I was researching places to stay for my upcoming trip to Equador.  It was a very well-reveiwed place and an extremely affordable place to stay. The word hostel had always left me with the vision of rows of bunks and youth mentally equating to parties and ultimately no sleep.  As I started researching the Secret Garden I came to realise that it did not fit into my preconceived notions.   It had to be too good to be true!  The Secret Garden as it turns out has the option to reserve your own room with a shared bathroom (shared with one other room) for at that time $14 a day. I arrived in Quito knowing no-one but ready to venture out.  A modest taxi ride from the airport brought me to the colourful front door of the Hostel.  It was after dark and I could only hope I was in the right place.  It’s not like there were illuminated neon signs floating around (thank God!). I rang the doorbell and was able to check in and receive a key to my room.  Uneven colourful stairs took me to my room where I settled in with a fullsize bed a nightstand and a beautiful wall hangings....

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PHOTO101 / PHOTOGRAPHY / PSPYH

Photo 101: Day Seventeen: Glass, Squared

  Incorporate glass in today’s image: a window, a mirror, a wine glass, sunglasses, or something else. It doesn’t matter what form the glass takes. Today’s Tip: We’ve practiced shooting at different angles and from unique POVs. How can you interact with glass to create an interesting photo? Look through. Look between. Find an unconventional surface. Experiment with your flash both on and off.

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PHOTO101 / PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo 101: Day Fifteen: Landscape

Today, snap a picture of a landscape. Focus on the gestalt — the entire setting as a whole, …— rather than a specific subject or focal point within the scene. The setting itself is the star. I decided to use a panoramic shot for my landscape and then crop it down to be the actual desired image.  See the cropped image below. Tip: Ready to do some basic image editing? After your shooting session, sift through your landscapes and find one that needs cropping. (You can look back to previous shots from the course, too.) Look out for: Stray objects in the background, near the frame’s edges and corners. People around the perimeter of the frame that might have “photo-bombed” your picture. A foreground or background that is too prominent or “heavy.” A composition that is too-centered, with your subject right in the middle, that might benefit from cropping along two sides (in other words, cropping to the Rule of Thirds).

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PHOTO101 / PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo 101: Day Fourteen: Scale

Today, play with scale: you can use anything and everything to help convey size in your image, from your Chihuahua to your Mini Cooper, to an aerial view or perspective from a penthouse floor. Tip: Don’t just point and shoot. Observe your scene closely before pressing the shutter, considering how all the elements in the frame interact with your subject, and how all objects in your foreground and background relate to one another. Make an object appear larger through a ground-level POV. Place two things side by side in an unexpected way. Surprise us!

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BLOGGING / DAILY POST

Ha Ha …What’s the difference between a pilot and a jet engine?

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Ha Ha Ha.” (not to be mean … but I am an aircraft mechanic so please put it in perspective)   What’s the difference between a pilot and a jet engine? The engine quits whining when it gets to the gate!

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BLOGGING101 / PHOTO101 / PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo101: Day Eleven: A Pop of Color

  Today’s Tip: As you train your eye to look for color, keep it simple: Choose one bold color against a neutral background, instead of several colors competing for attention in a scene. Look for a strong color within a basic composition of uncomplicated lines — your pop of color will stand out more. Continue to experiment with light and POV as you shoot color-as-subject — the color may transform as you move. Don’t ignore soft, pastel shades — colors like mint and pink can make statements, too. Juxtapose pastels with black and darker shades. When in doubt, pair an accent color with white — you’ll see its impact immediately.

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PHOTO101

Photo 101: Day Nine: Warmth & the Quality of Light

Today, capture an image of warmth, using the sun as your source…..Drawing with light! the first picture is my favourite sunset shot from recent times…I think it shows the warmth and the amazing effect of the sun on our everyday surroundings.  

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DAILY POST

Set It To Rights

I don’t believe in letting things fester so as far as relationships and people I am quite forthright when it comes to some sort of disagreement or misunderstanding.  I try to get along with everyone and if something comes up which might impede that sort of thought then I find a way to do my part to make it right.  I’m human, I can’t make everything right, so I’ve also learned to let it go if things can’t be resolved.  I can’t think of a time when things haven’t worked out both in relationships as you move on over a relationship and with work relationships and friends. Allowing things to eat away at you actually eats away at every relationship you have.  It eats away at your ability to do a good job, eats away at the good friendships you have, eats away at a sense of order in life in general. Now there is something I would fix — I’ve let my savings account goal slide and really need to play catch up.  I also don’t believe money is the source of my happiness.  I’ve always trusted that I will have what I need but I do believe I need to take more conscientious steps to be sure to have a cushion for the hard times.  I would set my savings account to rights!! *Prompt 11 March: Think of a time you let something slide, only for it to eat away at you later. Tell us how you’d fix it today.  Set It To Rights

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