Photography Scanvenger Hunt

We are quickly approaching the end of the summer Photography Scavenger Hunt hosted by Rinda over at Gallo Organico.  :-( So I thought I would post a few more findings from my list.

#1 on the list -- A pier

I luv riding the ferries.  The views of Puget Sound are gorgeous.  On a clear day you are able to see the surrounding snow capped mountains which are absolutely spectacular. 

 

 

#6 on the list -- A historical landmark

Built in 1962 for the World's Fair, the Space Needle is a historical landmark in the Pacific NW.  The Needle is 605 ft high and 138 ft wide at its widest point. 

 



#13 on the list -- library
Wearing one of mom's hoodie, DH checking out books at our local library.  :-)

 

 

#19 on the list -- outdoor stairs

During our stay in Puerto Rico we stayed at the Parador Guanica 1929.  Constructed in 1929 for executives from the Embosomed Sugar Power station.  Recently remodeled it is now a delightful 27 room tropical inn.

 



So what's left on my list?

7. A person playing a musical instrument
12. A maze, labyrinth, or trail.
15. Someone dancing.
18. A movie poster

I have until Friday to complete.  Let's see how well I do.  Wish me luck. 

As always . . . thanks for stopping by  Yoli

 

ISO -- a good white pen

Hello everyone.  Those in the US, I hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend.  :-)

White pen
I am in search of a good white ink pen that is able to write on both cardstock and photo paper.  I've tested several pens in the past with no luck.  The ink flow on these pens is generally not consistent making the writing difficult to read.  Thus far I've tried Uni-Ball Signo (the best of them so far), Sokura Souffle and Gelly Roll. 

Stopped by an art supply store this weekend in search of what seems to be the elusive white pen.  They suggested a refillable ink pen.  However, the pen itself was $35 and the ink bottles $5.  I wasn't ready to pay $40 for a white ink pen without testing it first.  I'm not happy about the prospect of paying $35 for a pen but its got to be cheaper than continuing to buy pens, at $3-5 each, that simply don't do the job.  :-(

So my search continues.  Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 

Photography Scavenger Hunt
This photo was posted on one of the many blogs that I follow (unfortunately I don't remember which one).  So this is my creative entry for #2 on the Photography Scavenger Hunt list -- a clothesline.  :-)

 



I have a couple more photos to post for the scavenger hunt but I must download them from my phone first.  :-(  Until then . . .  thanks for stopping by. 

 

Yoli

 



 

Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt

As many of you know I am participating in a summer photo scavenger hunt hosted by Rinda over at Gallo Organico.  She is hosting a linking party this weekend.  So this post is a compilation of the photos I've secured thus far on this hunt.

All of the photographs I've secured thus far were taken during our recent travels to Puerto Rico and Canada.  I like the architectural contrast between the two places.  Puerto Rico with a more traditional Mediterranean style set against Vancouver's more modern flair.   Worked out pretty well if you ask me.  :-)  So let me show you what I have so far.

A border
I took this photograph from inside my car as we waited to cross the US/Canada border.  

A roadside stand
Found this little gem while driving to Vancouver.  Hubby and I ate Mexican food at this roadside lunch wagon.

A train
I miss living in a city with rapid transit!  :-(  We truly enjoyed using the train to get around the city of Vancouver. 

An angel
During our visit to Puerto Rico I visited my brother's grave.  Puerto Rico has several cemeteries with above ground tombs adorned with angels and saints who seem to be carefully watching over those entombed. 

A fountain

A beautiful fountain located in the center plaza in Ponce, Puerto Rico. 

A horse
The last activity we enjoyed before leaving the island was a horseback ride.  We were fortunate enough to be able to ride a much beloved horse on the island, a Paso Fino.  The Paso Fino, which literally translated means fine step, is prized for its smooth four beat, lateral gait.  The Paso Fino is a blend of the Barb, Spanish Jennet and Andalusian horse that was bred by the Spanish land owners during colonial times.

A shadow

I took this photo before I knew about the scavenger hunt.  As the family photographer I am often missing from the shots.  As a way of documenting that I was really there I decided to include my shadow in the photograph.  Now the photo serves two purposes.  :-)

A person playing with a ball

A photo of my son at the driving range at the Palmas del Mar Resort in Puerto Rico.  We had promised him a day at the driving range after he expressed an interest in the game.  Neither his father or I play but we did our best and had fun.  Good thing his Tia Susan has stepped and is teaching him how to play the game.  :-)

A bride

There are two items on the scavenger hunt that I was absolutely certain that I would not be able to find during my travels.   The first of those items is a clothesline and the other is a bride.  So you could imagine my surprise when I found a bride and a groom walking the city streets of Vancouver.  It was delightful treat.  Let's see if I have similar luck with the clothesline.  :-)

A church

Dulce Nombre de Jesus is a Catholic Church located in Caguas, PR.  This church predates the city's founding in 1775.

A swing/hammock

Sharing a very sweet moment with my older brother.  The geographical distance makes it difficult for us to visit each other frequently.  So I cherish those moments that I am able to share with him. 

A picture of you standing with something that symbolizes your nation

In the photo below I am leaning against a garita at El Castillo de San Cristobal located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. El Castillo de San Cristobal is an 18th century citadel. It covers 27 acres and its the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. San Cristobal, along with its sister fort, El Morro, are part of the U.S. National Park Service and an endearing icon to all Puerto Ricans.

Thanks for sticking with me during this long post.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing the pictures I have secured, thus far, on this scavenger hunt. 

As always, thanks for stopping by . . . Yoli

Photography Scavenger Hunt

#17 on Rinda's Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt -- a church 

Cathedral Dulce Nombre de Jesus.  This cathedral is located in my hometown of Caguas, Puerto Rico.  Typical of Spanish architecture, the city of Caguas was built around a central plaza.  City streets then radiated from the plaza.  Each plaza also had a church.  According to Wiki, the church predates the city's founding in 1775.

I love Spanish architecture so whenever possible I try to capture its beauty on film.  I especially love photographing old churches.  So here are a few more churches I photographed during my stay in Puerto Rico.  Like the cathedral in Caguas, the churches pictured below are also located in their respective city plaza. 

Utuado, Puerto Rico

Cathedral Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
Ponce, Puerto Rico

Thanks for stopping by . . . Yoli

Photography Scavenger Hunt

Coming in at #11 -- A Shadow.  

As indicated in my last post, I am participating in a photography scavenger hunt hosted by Rinda over at Gallo Organico. On her list of items to photograph this summer is a shadow. This is my entry. 

Odd  I admit but I  purposely took this photo so I could 'document' that I was truly there.  As the family photographer I often forget to include myself in the photos.  Sometimes a shadow is the only evidence that proves that I was actually there.  :-) 

Until next time . . . . Yoli

Photography Scavenger Hunt

This year I am participating in a photography scavenger hunt sponsored by Rinda over at Gallo Organico.  Rinda put together a list of 21 things to photograph this summer.  The object of this scavenger hunt is to stumble upon these items during your summer adventures rather than to go searching for them. 

So over the course of the next two months I want to share with you photographs of items have have 'found me' this summer.  I already have 13 such photographs to share with you!  I just returned from a trip to Puerto Rico where, without knowing, I had captured 13 of the 21 items on the list.  :-)  So here is my first entry for this scavenger hunt.

Starting from the bottom of the list --

#21 A picture of you standing with something that symbolizes your nation.

I had a hard time deciding which photo to use for this entry.  So I decided to post two photos.  In the photo above I am leaning against a garita at El Castillo de San Cristobal located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.   El Castillo de San Cristobal is an 18th century citadel.  It covers 27 acres and its the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World.  San Cristobal, along with its sister fort, El Morro, are part of the U.S. National Park Service and an endearing icon to all Puerto Ricans. 

The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park located in Utuado, Puerto Rico.  In this park archaeologists have uncovered many artifacts and petroglyphs from the native Taino Indians.  The Taino culture dates back to the year 1000 to the beginning of the 15th century when the Spanish arrived.  Sadly, the Tainos were swiftly and almost completely decimated by disease and Spanish subjugation.

These two photos represent significant eras in Puerto Rican history; the Taino Indians native to the island and the colonization period during Spanish reign.  These two cultures; Taino and Spanish along with the slaves imported from Africa are integral componenets of my Puerto Rican heritage.

I hope you have enjoyed the little tour.  Look forward to sharing a few more pics with you next week.  Until then . . .
Thanks for stopping by . . .  Yoli

Remembering 9-11

On this solemn weekend our family took a much needed trip to the coast.  We wanted to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary as well as to take time to reflect on 9-11.  The beach was a wonderful and peaceful place where we were able to do both.  Here are a few pictures and some thoughts about this weekend.  

An early morning stroll on the beach allowed me to capture Mother Nature's imprint on the sand. 

Our son is 7 years old.  Until this weekend we had not told him about 9-11. He was struck by the sadness of the story.  We shed a few tears together. 

So in the midst of all this saddness we tried to focus on our blessings and enjoy some of life's simple pleasures. We strolled along the beach, made a new friend (the beautiful golden retriever pictured below with my son Diego), ate ice cream before dinner and finally flew the kit my son got for his birthday back in January. 

As I look at this picture below I can still hear the wings of that kite flapping in the wind, the sounds of children edsquealing with delight and the roar of the waves in the background.  Simple pleasures!

Although the photo below is just a 'little' overexposed (LOL) I luv it nonetheless.  I look at that little boy and can't help but to reflect on our blessings and . . .

bask in the beauty of another day.

So on 9-11 I pray 

I pray for the souls of the victims who died on 9-11. 

May they rest in peace.

I pray for the survivors of 9-11.  

May they have peace in their heart.

I pray for the families whose loved ones died tragically on 9-11.  

As Vice-President Biden said, "may the memory of their families bring a smile to their lips before it brings a tear to their eyes".

I pray for the brave soldiers who serve our country. 

May God reward their bravery by granting them peace in their hearts.

I pray for us too . . .  for we were ALL affected by this tragedy.
May we never forget!

As always, thanks for stopping by . . .

Yoli

  

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

Capturing the holiday lights is a photography skill that I have yet to master. Nonetheless I am pretty pleased at how these pictures turned out. Once again I used my Nikkor 50mm 1:14D lens with the camera set on P mode and an ISO of 1600. Hope you enjoy.

Christmas Tree
As you can see from this photo . . . I still need to find a skirt for the tree. :-)


Fireplace
I love the decor over my fireplace. This photo is a little darker than I would like. :-( Still trying to find the right angle on the external flash so that the overhead light on the fireplace doesn't cast a shadow or the flash doesn't wash out the picture all together. :-( Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


The idea of adding a wreath in front of the mirror was inspired by the gal over at In My Own Style. I originally learned of her blog because her mantel was posted PK's blog, Room Remix. Both of these ladies have some INCREDIBLE decorating idea. Go take a peek. You will not be disappointed.


Tray
I previously posted a picture of this little vignette I created. Since then I exchange the frame for a mirror and viola! Luv the additional elegance the mirror adds.

Ornaments


In addition to hanging ornaments on the tree this year I am displaying the ornaments in various clear glass or apothecary jars. For this particular display I sprinkled the ornaments with a little snow for an added touch of whimsy. The little angel I purchased at a flower shop but can easily be duplicated . . . a Cricut image . . . a little glitter and you've got an instant angel.

Well this is all for now. As always, thanks for stopping by . . .

Yoli

Christmas decorations

I generally decorate two Christmas trees; one real & one artificial. The real tree is generally adorned with burnt orange/sienna & gold colored ornaments. Our second tree, the artificial tree, is generally decorated with ornaments inspired by the beautiful colors of Hanukkah. This year I decided not to buy a real tree and to mix ornaments from both trees.

So although I am still trying to decorate the Christmas tree I wanted to share with you this little tray I made today. The tray, which is actually a picture frame, was inspired by the gal over at House of Smiths. When you visit her blog be sure to check out her pantry. It is simply unbelievable!

I am pleased with how the 'tray' is turning out. I am also pleased to have captured a rather nice photo of the tray without the use of natural light. I used my Nikkor 50mm 1:14D lens with the camera set on P mode and an ISO of 1600. By George I think she's finally got it! LOL.

As always, thanks for stopping by . . .

Yoli

Happy Easter!

My son and I recently enjoyed a whole afternoon together listening to music while coloring our Easter eggs. The simple joys of life! Wishing you and your family the gift of time so that you may enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Happy Easter!

Yoli

Happy freaking birthday to me . . .

The sun is shinning . . . the windows are open . . . the salsa music is playing . . . DH is at work . . . DS at school and I'm in my scrapbook room spending all the money I received for my birthday!!! It's a good day. :-)

So check out one of the purchases I made with my birthday money. I am now the proud owner of Jill-e camera bag. A much coveted item!

I debated for little awhile whether to purchase the small or medium size bag. I finally settled on the small one since I mainly wanted a stylish camera bag for dressier occasions. On those occasions I am more likely to just need the camera, 1-2 lens and the flash which will all fit nicely in this bag.

Ohhhhhhhhhh . . . can't wait to get my birthday present! In the meantime, I've got more money to spend!:-)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Yoli

Taking my camera off auto mode . . .

I am happy to report that I am FINALLY taking a few photography courses and learning how to take my Nikon D50 off the green button. Yeah! One of the first things we discussed last week in class were the different semi-automatic modes commonly found on D-SLR cameras.

(photo courtesy of Nikon)

1. P: Program mode offers partial control over shutter speed and aperture.
2. S: Shutter priority controls the shutter speed, and aperture is calculated by the camera.
3. Av or A: Aperture priority controls the aperture, and the shutter is calculated by the camera.
4. M: Manual mode controls shutter speed and aperture independently.

(info courtesy of Wikipedia)

Our homework assignment for this week . . . take a few photos on program mode and compare them to auto mode.

This photo was taken inside a library at our local university. The first photo was taken on auto mode. Although the flash automatically pops-up in this setting the onboard flash is not sufficient to light up the stairwell.

This next photo was taken by setting the dial mode to program. In this setting the onboard flash does not automatically pop-up. Instead, the flash must be manually triggered. I took these photos around sunset with the camera set on program mode without a flash.


P mode also allowed me to capture this next shot without the flash attracting attention or disturbing the students who were studying.

Things I like about program mode. I prefer the warm glow of the stairwells captured when the camera was set on program mode than when the same photo was taken on auto mode. I love the fact that the flash is not so intrusive. Moreover, I love the fact that in program mode the camera does not automatically think I want the flash initiated based on the lighting conditions. So although in some ways program mode is similar to the green button, in P-mode the photographer gains control over such features as the flash, ISO and white balance.

I hope you find this information helpful. Moreover, I hope it encourages you to go out and take your camera off the auto mode.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

Yoli