Nature – Page 6 – Daffodil Hill Photography

Slowing Down

Well I had a very productive and enjoyable three days. I still have tons to do on the kitchen remodel and need two new storm doors and a new side door. Yesterday I went up to Indiana and spent time with some of my family. I picked up some boxes of my folks to go through at their old house. After that I went to a viewing of the mother of one of my good friends. As I stood there talking to his wife I realized where the table was for the flowers was where my Pops body was less than a year ago. After the viewing I headed down to one of my favorite places, the shores of the mighty Ohio River in y old home town. Leaving there I headed home and started the process of deciding what to keep and what to get rid in those boxes from my folks old house. This morning I had a photo shoot down by the lake followed by removing the CV axle on our car, reinstalling the motors on our wood pellet stove and firing it up for the first time this Autumn, supper with some great friends and back home to hopefully slowing down and enjoy the last hours of my birthday.

Early Autumn By The Lake

My Downsized Recent Photo Project

The last several days have found me hastily finishing up a project for my work. I work in the fundraising arm of a Joint Commission-accredited nonprofit hospice organization. I volunteered to give some of my pictures/ photo-art as part of an auction at an upcoming fundraiser. I started out wanting to have the pieces made into metal photos and canvas photos but with The Bride getting laid off and her starting nursing school full-time, well I had to downsize my goals. I talked to the lady in charge of the event, my manager’s boss, and told her what I was up to: I would use frames, ink and photo-paper from our thrift shop, with my stuff, as a part of the auction. She was very supportive, and as always very positive, in my change of plans due to the changes in our life. Some times you just have to downsize your plans yet still give none the less. So here are the photos I used in this project.

Thistles And Flutterbys

Red Leafs

Since I have not posted for several days now, and the hour is late, I am feeling rushed so the title is lame but it is really what it is, no? Till the next time enjoy every day and I hope your Autumn is as glorious as ours!

More Macro From The Day Past

Yesterday I posted a macro picture I took using extension tubes on my Sony A300. For that photo I used a Sony 35mm f1.8 prime lens. Today post features two I took using the same camera and tubes but I used an old manual Minolta lens in place of the Sony lens. The Minolta lens is a MD 28mm f1.8 lens I purchased to use with The Bride’s Minolta X-370 35mm film camera. After discovering I could use an adapter ring to us it on the Sony I was kind of geeked out. The only down side is it can on be used in manual mode and the light metering is not totally accurate. I liked the ethereal feel of the Sony lens but could not figure out how to manually adjust the aperture. On the old Minolta lens that is done by a turning a ring right on the lens so I was able to adjust on the fly. Feel free to comment on which one(s) you like and why. Or not. So here is a couple using new-ish tech and old school-cool lens.

Late Autumn Pollinators

I had to take a break from my one going home projects to get a few snaps in today. Here is one I took using a Sony A300 with a Sony 35mm f1.8 lens coupled to the body by a 7mm extension tube. The tube if manual only so I have a lot to learn but I enjoyed looking at the late Autumn pollinators up close.

Down Time Part 2

I was enjoying my down time yesterday I did find my ability to get a decent macro somewhat frustrating. But with my companion Butterfly and a backup camera, my Canon Powershot SX10is, it really was not problematic. One thing in hindsight is bees are not great posers. They are well busy you know and cannot be bothered with the paparazzi. I was able to get a few decent shots at the long end of the zoom on the Canon of a couple of wasps, my companion Butterfly and one of the views from my court side seat to nature yesterday.

Down Time

I took about an hour or so of this amazing day for a little down time. I have a Olympus SP-350 I bought online for around $7-8 plus shipping. It was an amazing camera in its day and I have tried to get the most out of it on macro for a while now. As an everyday shooter it is very nice but I have had trouble using the macro since the camera has zero anti-vibration capabilities, well that I can find anyway. And since there was not manual, well I just took off free of such clutter….and knowledge to do as I please with the little bugger! So here are three macro I took today using it. I set up a lawn chair, with my outside cat Butterfly as my helper and went about waiting on that perfect shot……since that didn’t happen you get these instead ;).

For reference as to how small the Wood Aster flower is I used a AA battery to give you a visual reference as to these size. I did this for two reasons: One is to show you how small some pollinators are and two if I can get a good shot of the Bumblebees and the red wasps that feed on them as well. Cool stuff!

The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy

Today’s phase of the project went better than yesterday’s but still no time for new snaps. To wind down I was checking out the reader and found The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy. I took the following shot several months back with my Sony 300 and an old 50mm Minolta lens coupled to the body with an extension tube. Time, and The Bride getting laid off after her position was eliminated has cut into my getting-to-know-this-combo time. Her boss was really first class in the transition of it all and since she is trying to get into nursing school all is well, though kind of wild, and good. Sort of like this picture actually, all dream like and stuff.