Circles and Squares

Today's inspiration came from The Daily Shoot .....the object was to photograph a circle and crop it to fit inside a square frame. I loved the texture on the back of my yoga towel and thought that the little nubby thing that prevents it from slipping on my mat would make a cool circle. I then framed it with a floral frog (an item that holds floral stems in place in a vase) to add some demension to the shot. Finally I edited the picture by cropping it into a square frame. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Mags.

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Oh....and I can make phone calls with it too!

Today's photo is in answer to the question posed on The Daily Shot's website: "What's your favourite device to access the internet?"

 

Hands down, my iPhone is the clear winner here. I never leave home without it. It's like having my very own P.A with me at all times. It allows me to schedule appointments, reminds me of important dates, has a built in camera, a compass (in case I get lost in the forest???) a telephone book to keep the long list of contacts I have organized, builds my shopping lists, counts down upcoming events, gives me detailed weather reports, gives me access to the internet and has a built in iPod. I also love it cause I can find places to eat, make dinner reservations with it and figure out how much everyone owes for the bill with tip included. Yes, it is awesome and allows me to do many things with it......in fact, I can even make phone calls with it too.... ;-)

Mags.

Bright On White

Came across the siteThe Daily Shoot today and ended up finding inspiration for today's picture. Each morning, the site publishes a new "daily assignment". Today's assignment was to make a photograph that's all bright tones or dominated by white......I came across these bright binder clips and thought that they would be a great way to convey that "bright" theme. What do you think?  

Mags.

Hidden In Suburbia

After not having a lot of photo opportunities yesterday, I was dying to get out today and shoot pics with some new toys I recently picked up. I wasn't motivated by anything around me so I took a trip to Loafers Lake for a walk around. It's sad that I've never experienced this little gem of a park hidden in the suburban city I live in. Although the weather was hot, hazy and humid, we spent a good hour and a half walking the trails and I managed to capture some great shots. It was hard to decide which one to use. This conservation area was quite green in colour and I've vowed to return in the fall when the leaves are changing colour. This shot was captured in a marshy section of the lake. I was getting eaten by mosquitos (which I'm sure I'll pay for dearly later); however, thought it was a good shot with the reflection of the trees from the other side of the lake.

Mags.

Creepy Self Portrait

Didn't have much of an opportunity to take some photos today...rainy off and on today. Ended up meeting up with a friend this evening and picked up a few camera supplies from him. Included in my new finds was a wireless remote so I was able to step in front of the camera for a self-portrait shot. Goofed around with some photoshop and ended up with this. Trust me....I don't look this bad normally.......

Mags.

Industrial

Turned out to be a beautiful evening and since I didn't go to the gym today and hadn't taken any pictures, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by going for a stroll (hauling the camera along of course!!). I live near a local brick producing factory and have always been intrigued by the gianormous stacks that tower over the factory. I really like how the trees frame and soften up this otherwise cold, industrial looking structure.

Mags.

Texture

Texture is perceived surface quality. There are two types of texture: tactile and implied. Tactile texture (real texture) is what we are most familiar with. It is the way the surface of an object actually feels. Examples of this include sandpaper, cotton balls, tree bark, animal fur, etc. Implied texture is the way the surface on an object looks like it feels. The texture may look rough, fizzy, gritty, but cannot actually be felt. This type of texture is commonly used by artists when drawing or painting.

I liked this photo because it depicts a few different textures from the roughness (and smoothness) of some of the river rocks and also shows the prickly leaves of the weeds growing through the rocks.
 
Mags.

Form

Form is any three demensional object. Form can be measured , from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark. There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes and may be enhanced by tone, texture and colour.

This shot was taken from a bouquet of roses that I received from my college graduation ceremony earlier today.

Mags.

Shape

A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space next to or around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, colour, or texture. Shapes can also show perspective by overlapping and can be geometric or organic.

 

Hardly an interesting picture but was running out of time to search out something creative and fun to shoot........

Mags.

Symmetrical Balance

Symmetrical balance is mirror image balance. If you draw a line down the center of the page, all the objects on one side of the screen are mirrored on the other side (they may not be identical objects, but they are similar in terms of numbers of objects, colors and other elements. Sometimes they are completely identical (often seen in architecture).

 

A good example of this can be seen in this hosta leaf found in my side garden. You can draw a line down the middle of the leaf, and everything on either side would be mirror image.

Mags.

Asymmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical balance occurs when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. In this case, we can say that the two small darker glass insulators weigh more heavily than the clear larger one thus creating more of a heavier feel on one side of the photograph.

 

I used glass insulators for my picture today. They were first produced in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines. As technology developed, insulators were needed for telephone lines, electrical pwer lines and other applications. People started to collect these in the mid-1960's. I bought them many years ago at a garage sale. I loved the uniqueness of them and thought I'd group them together as a display. Truth be told they make awesome doorstoppers.....

Mags.

Radial Balance

I came across a school project that I had completed a few semesters ago in my Design Fundamentals class and thought it would be fun to see if I could apply these principles to everyday objects. While working in the garden early this morning, I came across a perfect example of "Radial Balance" with this blooming Lanai Blue Verbena.

Radial Balance is where all elements radiate out from a center point in a circular fashion. It is very easy to maintain a focal point in radial balance, since all the elements lead your eye toward the center.

Mags.

"Berry" Delicious

I didn't have an opportunity to shoot today so I have to rely on a photo I took yesterday at work.

This was my pre-workout snack.....a bowl of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Not much else to say on them other than they were "Berry" delicious.

Mags.

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Will

It appears that death has reared it's ugly head into my life again. This time, it's taken my friend Will.

I met Will when I was in middle school in grade 7. While we lost contact after high school, we were able to reconnect around 4 years ago. We developed a strong brother/sister like relationship as we knew each other's deepest and darkest secrets. We had a pact that we would look out for each other. A couple of weeks ago, I was shocked and saddened to hear that he had suffered a massive heart attack and had slipped into a coma. Will was always a fighter and always managed to come out victorious in the end. Sadly, this was a battle he couldn't win. I suppose he'll still keep a watchful eye out for me in between his jammin' sessions on his guitar and watching the Toronto Maple Leafs win a Stanley cup (wishful thinking?) from up above.

"Everywhere I go, there I am"

R.I.P Will....

Mags.

Happier Than A Pig In Mud

Today started off with heavy rains but by mid-day, the sun came out and left the air thick and humid. I decided to get some fresh air on my lunch and took the boss' toy pig (Babe) outside for a photoshoot in the mud.

Mags.

Dead Like Fred

This is Fred. He is dead. Fred is a pesky fly . This uninvited house guest was flying around the house for a few days now just generally being a nusance driving us all insane with his incessant buzzing (similar to the annoying vuvuzelas heard in the World Cup soccer games). Ha Ha Fred. You're so dead. Look who has the last laugh now..........

Mags.

Dusk

I took this photo just as the sun was almost finished setting. The street lights just came on and had an amber glow to them as they were warming up. I loved how the lighting cast a warm glow on the leaves of the tree which contrasted against the grey sky as the ominous -looking clouds were rolling in.

Mags.

Patience

When it comes to Sara, the cat, patience is a virtue .

Whenever any of us come through the door at night, quite often she'll come dashing to the door to greet us with her signature sideways bounce and will stop right where the carpet meets the tiled foyer area. She'll sit patiently waiting for some lovin' as we take off our shoes, hang our coats and check the mail. Once we step over the threshold and onto the carpet, she's all over us like white on rice. This is the same look we get when she wants her Whiskas kitty treats. She knows we keep them on the shelf under the side table and she'll sit there, staring at them patiently, until one of us caves in and gives her some. She'll patiently wait by my feet in the kitchen if I'm cutting up cheese, chicken or draining a can of tuna.

Mags.

Gianormous Bling

Spent the day with my foxy friend wandering through The Village ohhhhhhhing and awwwwwwwwwwing over all the beautiful things the boutiques had to offer. We stepped into Prima Lighting (www.primalighting.ca) where I was like a kid in a candy shop. It was a visual feast for the eyes as we wandered around drooling over the unique and often oversized fixtures (most of these pieces, we determined, are suited for larger, mansion-type homes, not the shoe-box houses most of us live in)



My jaw dropped when I saw this gianormous, glittery gem. This photo doesn't do it justice. I was mezmerized by it's beauty as the light bounced magically off of the tightly woven crystal ball and reflected like a disco ball onto the wall. Sadly, I couldn't find the price tag on this ball of bling. Guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it.......

Mags. 

The Great Debate

Friday afternoon....the weekend starts in a few mere hours. One of my coworkers shouts in excitement for everyone in the office to come take a look at something. We ran over to her desk and she pointed to the window behind her......is it a butterfly or is it a moth? While we debated back and forth, it suddenly dawned on me that this is the first photo opportunity that I had to capture an "interesting" creature. I quickly grabbed my P&S camera that I always carry in my purse and was able to snap a few photos of the insect resting on the glass. Meanwhile, the great debate continued amongst the women in the office. It ended up in a tie....3-3.

 

Any moth / butterfly experts out there? Can you identify what this is?

 

(For the record, my vote was "moth" as I felt the body was too fat and furry to be that of a butterfly).

Mags.

Bonsai

Beaded Bonsai trees are handcrafted with quality seed beads and fine wire, then sculpted into various shapes or forms. Each piece takes on it's own distinct personality and characteristics.

This tree was given to me by my late grandmother. She would create a variety of different trees from weeping willows to cherry blosom trees. At Christmas, she woud create beautiful poinsettia bonsai trees. Each tree would painstakingly take weeks to complete. She used to display hers in a glass curio cabinet and when the sun or cabinet lights would illuminate them, they would sparkle and shine.

Mags.

Gorgeous Gerberas

After a few days of using the P&S, I decided to pull out the DSLR and shoot a few pics of stuff outside before it started to rain again. I came across these gorgeous gerberas planted in a container along the side of my neighbour's house . I edited the colours a bit to really emphasize the large bloom.

A bit of information on these beautiful blooms: Gerberas are an ornamental plant from the sunflower family and are very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. In fact, it is the fifth most used cut flower in the world (after the rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip).

Mags.

Strobilus

June 8, 2010

Please don't shoot me if I'm wrong but I believe the botanical name for cones is "Strobilus".......

Was on my way home from work when I saw a bush that had many of these young female cones growing. I stopped to take a few shots and literally climbed into the bush to capture this shot.....

Mags.

Blurry Bling

MAY 7, 2010

I didn't realize until tonight how difficult it can be to capture the dazzle of diamonds....I went through a ton of shots, and this one turned out "the best". Not feeling really inspired today, I scrambled for a subject to shoot and decided to show off my new dragonfly pendant I recently picked up.......

Mags.

Countdown.............

MAY 6, 2010

What started off as a cool, rainy and crappy day turned out to be a decent day as Guy and I went out shopping for camera accessories and priced out some new "toys" to add to our collection. After leaving one store, I heard the roar of an airplane and looked up only to see the underside of a gianormous plane directly overhead of us. Since I had "the good camera" with us, we decided to go to an abandoned parking lot a little closer to the airport directly in the flight path of the incoming flights.

While waiting for the planes to approach, I would wonder where these flights were coming from and what adventures the passangers would have to tell. Traveling has always been one of my favourite pastimes and flying (especially to my destination) has always been one of the highlights of my trips.

Hmmmmmm, 47 days, 18 hours and 30 minutes before we embark on our next far-away adventure.....but hey.....who's counting?!?

Mags.

Green With Envy

MAY 5, 2010

I was at a friend's house today for a BBQ and while most of the guests sat around and "talked shop" (ugh, really? Can't we find something else to talk about besides work?), I decided to wander around my friend's garden and snap a few photos of this unfamiliar territory. It was a visual feast as I snapped away taking photos of bird feeders, beautiful murano glass hummingbird feeders, fruit trees, dogs, even the food on the grill. I spotted a cluster of plants still in the original plastic nursery pots. I wandered over to take a closer look . Suddenly my breath was taken away when I saw these beauties: Asiatic Lilies. Anyone who knows me well knows that Lilies are my favourite flower. As you recall, I'm having an issue with mine. So when I saw these, I knew I had to grab a few shots, if only to drool and dream of what it would be like to have perfect lilies growing in my garden again......hmmmmmm wonder if my friend would notice if a few of his plants went "missing"......

Mags.

Missing Limbs

JUNE 4, 2010

With the threat of rain looming overhead, I knew I didn't have long to capture some shots tonight before the skies opened up. I decided to take a few random shots of some interesting things on my street near my house. This photo was my choice pic of the day. The tree is across the street from me and and I didn't realize until I started to take photos that the City came by recently to trim some of the trees with lower limbs. I loved the texture of the bark and was intrigued by the rings on the fairly newly-cut off limbs.

Mags.

50 Million Bubbles

JUNE 3, 2010

"Hello. My name is "Mags" and I'm a Perrier-oholic. "

I'm not really a huge flat water drinker; however, I became addicted to the sparkling water in the signature green, tear drop-shaped bottle a few weeks ago on a hot and sunny afternoon. The cold, refreshing water really quenched my thirst and the carbonation danced on my tongue and tickled my throat as it took away the blandness of regular boring flat water. While I do enjoy the Lemon Perrier, I've developed a fondness for the Regular, Lime and Pink Grapefruit flavours as well. Add a little vodka to it and you've got a refreshing, low-calorie drink...........

P.S.:  Did you know that carbonated water is not only equally hydrating as flat water, but that it can also keep calcium locked in the bones?

Mags.

Exoskeleton

JUNE 2, 2010

While still quite warm today, the weather didn't really cooperate for an outdoor photo shoot so I decided to take some pics of my seahell collection. I love the colours, textures and often imperfections that can be found on the shells. Most of my collection has come from my travels to the Caribbean Islands over the years and it's not uncommon to still find grains of sand in a few of them.......

Mags.

Kitty

June 1, 2010

This is Sara (although I call her "Kitty"). Don't let her small size fool you for what she lacks in stature, she makes up for in personality. She's independant (this ain't no lap cat), addicted to Whiskas kitty treats, likes shoving her head into the shoes you've had on all day and is extremely camera-shy. It's so hard to get a decent shot of her as she tends to run off just as the camera is all set ready to go. In fact, this shot was a fluke.....I spent close to an hour taking shots of her only to have her turn at the last minute and show off her bum to the camera. She does everything to avoid the camera. Finally, after running around the living room chair, I told her I gave up. That's it. No more photos. Just as I was about to put the camera away, she poked her head around the corner. CLICK! Clearly, she was caught off guard. The look of surprise she has on her face in this photo turned quickly into a look of disgust. Poor kitty! Foiled again!

Mags.