This evening at the property

I went down to the property this evening with the Rebel, telephoto lens and tripod to play! I was attempting to leave the aperture wide open and then adjusting the speed. I really liked the depth of field on some of these photos.

Aster Family.

Aster Family

Bee Balm.

Pepper family.

Wine cup

Indian Blanket

Not sure what it is?

Grass

Not sure what it is and to lazy to look it up, lol.

Our wildflowers are almost done blooming. We could really use some rain as everything is turning brown and crunchy! I hope to shred down at the property soon and that will probably cut down on my wildflower photos for the year. I hope you enjoyed the photos today, I had fun taking them!

A visit to the Inlaws Ranch ~ Nature Photos

We went over to Fred's parents Ranch on the San Antonio River today. I took the Rebel and told Fred I was going for a walk. As I am walking towards the back of the property on the main lane here comes Fred on the backhoe, grrr....I really love my husband, I do!! But sometimes he drives me crazy...So here he comes bouncing down the lane towards me and there goes all the birds in the opposite direction...so much for bird photos!! He thought he was really funny, I did not find it amusing!! But you know me I will find other things to take photos of and of course I did. I used the telephoto lense without the tripod so these aren't the greatest but I thought they were worth sharing!

Possibly a type of checkerspot butterfly. After I found the butterflies I was upset with myself for not taking the tripod, ugh!! I have learned with the telephoto lens you can do close up photos but you also need to back up, lol!! Not like my macro on the Powershot where you have to get fairly close to your subject!

Possibly a sickle-winged Skipper

I took a walk down a dry washout and found this old Oak tree. I thought the roots looked really neat! I sat down next to it listening to the birds and waiting for them to get close. It didn't happen so I got up and walked up the bank. When I got to the top of the bank I turned and looked at a large hole in the tree. Lo and behold but what should I spot but a young raccoon!

I was really excited and thought cool what a great photo subject! Poor little guy was trying to play invisible and I was laughing at him!

Here he is trying to scooch way back in the hole and hide, it wasn't working!!

He just didn't know who he was up against!! LOL...I had to use a sapling to lean the camera up against and keep it steady!! I really need a good tripod, sigh!! I also noticed the colors were off. I use Automatic White Balance (AWB) on the camera but I am not happy with it. I can change the AWB setting quiet easily and will try to remember to do that from now on.

It was early afternoon and very HOT so I didn't stay out there long. I did go over to the property this evening and took the tripod this time, Yea!! So stay tuned. As soon as I sort through 60 photos and pick out the best, lol...Fred told me to stop wasting film, ugh!! He knows it is a digital camera but he hasn't a clue, lol...

Feet and Toe photos from Wendy

Okay Ladies this is what I came up with today...some silly and some a bit more serious...

What a colorful way to hide my ugly toes, lol...I said use your imagination and as you can see I used mine!! LOL
I talked Michael into lying down on the sidewalk with his feet in the grass. He really didn't want too as down here you are sure to be bitten by a fire ant but he loves his Momma!!
Hey those are dog toes, lol...Jake was laying here and I thought okay those are toes, lets see what we can do with them...and then
Michael came in the room so I said okay lets do dog toes and boy toes (say that 10 times fast, lol) and lets get a bit creative and try for a black and white photo...actually the rug is kind of distracting with it's color so there you have it my foot and toe photos for the moment...

Photo Challenge ~ May 29 to June 4 2008

We have moved to another blog for the photo challenges please click here to go there.

I had a request to start a once a week photo challenge. Just a little something to get everyone motivated with their cameras, like I need that, lol...I've thought on it a bit and just thought of a great photo challenge for this week!

TOES & or FEET

Yes you heard me correctly...take a photo that has toes and or feet included in it!

Post the photo to your blog and then come back here and list the blog site so we can all have a look see...

We'll do a challenge on Thursday and the last day to post it will be the following Weds...that way you have a whole week to take a photo and pick one that you like...No prizes but just good clean fun and a way for all of us to look at every ones different style of photography!

If you have an idea for a photo challenge let me know and I'll post it!

Remember this is supposed to fun and challenging, don't stress out about it but use your imagination!!

Good Luck!

South Texas Sunset

I went outside this evening with the intentions of playing with the telephoto lens and getting some photos of the hummingbirds...Well the hummingbirds decided to wait until right before the sunset to come feed, ugh!! So I took a few photos but most of them were silhouette photos and I just put one here...I didn't want to bore you with the rest, lol...but I did manage some other neat photos...

Julie was spooked by something...just love it when I can get a photo and her ears are forward!

I had to try for a photo of Julie grazing and the sun setting in the background! It was getting a might bit dark!

And a beautiful South Texas Sunset!!

That was my day in photos...hope y'all enjoyed my posts today!!

Worm guts!!!

I bet that got your attention!!

LOL...no photos of worm guts but the Rebel is officially broke in...I took it to the creek for a fishing adventure and it has worm guts on it, lol...at least it did, it's clean as a whistle now!

It was mid-afternoon and Michael said he wanted to go fishing, I was in shock! We hadn't been fishing because he never wants to go and I don't like taking him fishing if he is going to whine! So when my Boy says he wants to go fishing I'm ready!! Except I didn't take my fishing pole, Yikes!! I'm honestly glad I didn't as I didn't even really get to play with my camera like I wanted too either...Michael was catching one fish right after another...Now most of them were small be we don't care as long as we catch fish! I did get quiet a few photos, like over 200, but I never had time to play and adjust...between baiting his hook, taking fish off and snapping a photo, Michael kept me busy, very BUSY!! I'm whipped!!

I laugh everytime I see our nightcrawler container...The company that distributes them is in Waterford Michigan...that is where I am originally from and I think it's funny!! Okay so maybe it's a personal thing but I still think it's funny!! I live in Texas and my Nightcrawlers are Canadian and sold by a company in Waterford, MI! I wonder if they understand French? Hmm then maybe they aren't from Quebec?

Isn't he cute? He really thinks he's the worlds GREATEST fisherman, cough cough...good thing Momma didn't take her pole or I would have shown him who is the GREATEST at fishing!

Okay so this isn't a fish but I thought OH COOL!! It's an immature Hawk and I am not sure what type but it was on the electric pole when we got to the property...My first Hawk photo with my new camera and Telephoto lens and it actually kind of sucks but I promise to get better!! LOL!

Sunfish and aren't the colors beautiful!! Sunfish belong to the bluegill family.

I love his eyes in this photo they sparkle!! And that face is just lit up!!

I had to get a close up of the colors on their face, do fishes have faces?

What I call a bluegill but other people may disagree with me!

A pretty good sized Sunfish!

Ahhh Momma and Michael at the creek...just gotta love those timers!

Another Sunfish!

And another Bluegill!

Michael caught so many fish at 30 I stopped counting....The minute he put his hook and worm in the water they'd hit it...He was having a Blast and laughing!! If we go later this week I'll take the Powershot so I can video tape him...He's too funny when he's catching fish!

I put up a few more photos at my flickr site, click here to go there!

And even more photos...

Okay here I am again boring you with more photos...These I took mid-morning with the 55mm 3.5-5.6 lens that came with the camera...I have learned where my exposure meter is and how to read it and how to make the proper adjustments. I still need to work on my adjustments but I will get there...plenty more pages to read in my books and websites to checkout...

I will admit that the photos were pretty good but on most of them I did adjust the saturation and light in Photoshop Elements 6...I swore I would never adjust my photos in a photo program but there is something about that little perk that just brightens them a bit...My favorite saying "Never say Never!"

1/160 f5.6 ISO 200

Plumbago, one of my Mothers favorites that is in my garden!

1/250 f5.6 ISO 200

Julie waiting for a handful of grass from Michael. These were a little dark and I had to lighten them...I was standing in the sun and they were in the shade and then I do not have a hood for my lens either...Still I love that look of anticipation on Julies face, lol...Yummy GRASS!

Mmmm Yummy Green Grass....and yes I know Michael is in his underware but I just couldn't resist the shot...Hey at least he had clothes on, lol.

Julie is such a good "Old" girl.

1/200 f5.6 ISO 400 (Flash)

Momma take my picture!!

...another cheesy photo! You know even though I used the flash on the camera I love it...It doesn't wash out the subject like the Powershot always did.

1/640 f4.5 ISO100

Golden Crownbeard.

1/400 f4.5 ISO 100

1/1600 f5.6 ISO 100

One of the planters Fred brought me home from Laredo...I put plants from the cactus family in it to hide the gaudy pot, lol...shhh don't tell Fred I said that, lol! I like the depth of field in this one...the focus is on the front half and the back half is out of focus...Now will I remember that camera setting? NOPE!!

1/640 f4.5 ISO 100

Crepe Myrtle.

The colors were a bit to bright & vivid so I adjusted the saturation down a bit but that is all the adjustments I made on this photo...The Crepe Myrtle is beautiful and to me it seems to tint the whole yard Pink...and no I am not on drugs...well not any good ones, lol, just over the counter meds, lol....

I added the camera settings to the photos in case some of you would like to comment on what I need to change or adjust....Thanks for looking!

Morning Photos

I was up early and wasn't quiet awake but decided since Michael was still in bed it was the best time to take the camera outside and play...(I am not a morning person!)

I used the telephoto lens this morning, still have a lot to learn but this is what I came up with...

Slyvia (sp.) and morning glory

I am just amazed at the colors with this camera...The powershot took great photos but sometimes the colors were too washed out (I always had problems with reds and blues)...with the Rebel they seem to be more vivid and clearer...


This is a black chinned hummer. It's not a great photo but I loved the color I caught on his chin...

Berrylline Hummingbird...
I see my cheap Walmart tripod that I paid $15 for 8 years ago just isn't going to cut it, lol...just not stable enough and I am learning with the telephoto lens I am definitely going to have to use a tripod...
As you all know me stay tuned as I am sure I will have more photos before the day is up...