Nature Photography Class

I just got back from Nature Photography class and wish I had some images to post, but the class was a slide film class and all the images are on slides. The instructor, Don McGowan, is a wonderful teacher and Nature Photographer. He is a purest in that he would love to still be using film, but has made the transition from film to digital because of necessity. There are so few labs processing film now that he had to drive over 6 hours on Thursday to get our 25 to 30 folls of film developed.

The class was not what I had expected as I thought I would be allowed to use my digital camera and was irritated for the first two days because I had brought my digital as well as film so that I could learn to shoot manually on my digital. Not So! We learned on slide film so that we did not know until Thurs. evening whether we had any good images. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my first tray of slides. I only had about ten slides out of 144 that were completely black or white. We had to choose 5 slides to be critiqued on Thurs. night. a cratique of 30 slides that lasted 4 hours. But what a wonderful feeling to see your sharp crisp slides on a large screen. Few mistakes here and there with the major portion being in composition and little branches or grass fronds getting in the picture. We did learn that the lense sees more than the view finder in some cameras so you have to focus in much tighter to get those things out of your image. Notice I say image and not picture. Pretty cool, huh.

If you are looking for a wonderful week long or weekend experience with arts or crafts, you need to check out John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC. It is a great way to learn a craft of and art that you might not know anything about. It was amazing that the folks taking weaving had never done it before and by the end of the week they had woven over 5 yeards of fabric and had mad a bag with the material they had woven. Those who had never made baskets had baskets and jewelry made from weaving wire. Silk paintings, felting paintings, one class even made a rocking chair using primitive tools. And, the majority of the students had never done that craft before, but had the desire to do it.

For me, learning to use the manual setting on a camera has helped me learn the technical terms that I needed to learn.

When i get my slides transfered to digital, I will be able to show some of my work.

I will get it right soon, I hope!

I am having more trouble with posting. I wanted to put the picture at the end but I guess my computer is having more problems than just the space bar. I tried to edit my post 3 times andcouldn't do it.

Here is another sunrise taken in February of 08. See why I get up so early to watch the sun come up.

Nature Photography

Frist of all, let me say that my computer keyboard is giving me fits. My spacebar seems to go bonkers every so often and won't space unless I really get heavy with my typing! Very frustrating and not a good thing.

Next week I am going to NC to take a workshop on nature photography. My husband gave me a Nikon D80 for my birthday last year and I have taken more pictures than you can emagine but using the AutoFocus mode. I want to learn how to use the manual mode and how to take pictures that I hope to paint in watercolor or oil.

We have a house right on the Alabama River near Camden, Al and across the river from Gee's Bend. I get up every morning before the sun rises when we are there so that I can watch the sun rise. I love the colors of the sky just before the sun rises.

It's a good thing to watch the sunrise from your back porch.

It's a Good Thing

Today I started a blog. I entitled it "It's a good thing" for many reasons, the main reason is to celebrate all the good things life has to offer. With all the craziness in the world, life has so much to offer is we are patient and live our lives the best we can and do the best we can.

My montra has always been "Go with the Flow," but I don't mean go and do what everyone else is doing. I am talking about do what you can in the flow of things. My life is so full of family and friends and with these things come obligations. Sometimes I have to go with that flow to keep my head above water.

Deciding to retire three years ago, I wanted to be sure that I had enough to keep myself occupied. For after teaching 30 years, I wanted to know that I would not be bored or wish that I had not retired. Well, I can truthfully say that retirement has been wonderful and I a full and exciting life that envolves my 95 year old mother, my husband of 39 years, my 3 children and their spouses, 6 adorable grandchildren, 4 brothers and a sister and their families. I'll get into all that in later blogs.

I have a special girlfriend, who I met over 40 years ago. We were pledge sisters our first year of college and have remained friends ever since. We have shared interests in art. tennis, and teaching. We love to travel to art schools for workshops and take time to visit and have a good tennis match. We get together at least once a month since she lives in another state about an hour and a half away.

It's a good thing to have family and friends!