Day 1 ~ I'm Starting Over! (with Tomatoes)

I haven't been using my camera at all lately! So I've decided to go back to taking a photo every day.

I thought I'd start by taking a photo of some of the green tomatoes from my garden. It was unexpectedly cold here this week - down to 27 degrees F! I covered my tomatoes and peppers, but it was still too cold for them and the plants froze. So I picked all of the tomatoes and I'm hoping they will ripen :) I picked them on Sunday morning and a few of them are starting to turn orange already. There's over 100 of them so even if only some of them will ripen, I'll have plenty for salsa and canned tomatoes!

Day 229 ~ Wasatch Mountains

 

 

 

After our classes at BYU Education Week today, we picked up my niece and drove up to Snowbird.  My parents bought a time share condominium there when I was in grade school and now it belongs to my brothers and sister and I.  This is our week, so my sister was spending the week up there.  I took these photos of the mountains on the drive up.  I miss the mountains!
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 3:34 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/18
Shutter Speed: 1/250, 1/400, 1/250 sec
ISO: 250, 400, 400
Focal Length: 28, 20, 29 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I adjusted the levels.

Day 227 ~ BYU Campus

I flew to Utah to visit my mom.  She was just diagnosed with breast cancer.  So we went to BYU Education Week this week.  It is wonderful and just what we both needed!  These flowers are some of the many beautiful flowers on campus.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 8:13 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/60, 1/30, 1/60 sec
ISO: 2500
Focal Length: 65, 200, 200 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the last photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 224 ~ Sunset in the Parking Lot

We were in the Sam's Club parking lot and heading back to our car when I noticed the sunset.  Good thing I've started carrying my camera with me more :)
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:56 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/18
Shutter Speed: 1/320 sec
ISO: 2500
Focal Length: 200 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 223 ~ "Jacqueline" and the Beanstalk

We drove to Fort Worth this afternoon so we could see some of our friends.  Three of their children were in a play tonight, which we thoroughly enjoyed :)  Their oldest daughter was the lead, so they renamed it "Jacqueline" and the Beanstalk instead of "Jack."  She was incredible!  Both her acting and singing was just amazing! 

Unfortunately I forgot my CPAP machine and I can't sleep without it, so we drove back home late that night :(

Day 216 ~ Immature Katydid

This little guy looked plain green until I pulled it up on my computer. Maybe it's time for me to wear my glasses?!  But his coloring is quite interesting.  I thought he was a cricket, but after looking on the internet I think he is a Bush Katydid nymph.

Day 215 ~ Tree Bark

Our next assignment is to take photos of trees and flowers.  I don't have any flowers on my property at the moment, so I'll have to go for a drive tomorrow.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:16 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/13 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 170 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 214 ~ Itsy Bitsy Spider - Not!

I was walking on the back of our property tonight and found this spider on the side of the path.  It was huge - it's body was about an inch long. Apparently it is a female Yellow Garden Orb Weaver Spider and it's considered a beneficial spider.  This is the underside of the spider.  Yuck!
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 8:05 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec
ISO: 1000
Focal Length: 170 mm
Flash Mode: Flash On
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 212 ~ Duck on a Pond

The third Nature Photography lesson was on landscapes.  I've tried taking some landscape photos a couple of times over the weekend and nothing was worthwhile.  But tonight I finally got one I was happy with :)
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:37 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/18
Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec
ISO: 500
Focal Length: 18 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 206 ~ Mushrooms

As I was leaving yesterday to run an errand, I noticed these mushrooms growing way off in the forest, but I didn't have my camera with me.  They were so bright!  We have lots of mushrooms here with all the rain we've had lately, but I've never seen any this colorful.  My second lesson for Nature Photography has three parts - the first part is to take a photo showing line (and he said to try to find something circular if possible.)  So the mushrooms fit the assignment perfectly!
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 1:04 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 130 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 205 ~ Tendrils

I like focusing on details.  I found these tendrils interesting.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:25 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/8 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 52 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 204 ~ Mini Rose

I found this very small flower that look just like a mini rose bud.  It was only about 1/2 inch long.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:14 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 150 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 203 ~ Purple Berries

Another photo focusing on detail - these purple berries are everywhere right now.  I'm not sure what kind of plant they are, but I need to find out.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:13 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/20 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 170 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 202 ~ Curling Leaves

This is another photo focusing on detail.  I liked the way the edges of the leaves curled.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 7:09 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/10 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 170 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I slightly cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 201 ~ Fluff

This is another photo I took for the lesson focusing on detail.  I like the "fluff" of the seeds.
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Camera: NIKON D7000
Time of Day: 6:56 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/50 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 200 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 200 ~ Weeds

I started an online Nature Photography class.  Our first assignment is to take photos in which we notice the detail.  This is a weed I found interesting.
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Camera: NIKON D7000

Time of Day: 6:55 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/40 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 200 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 177 ~ Painted Walls

My husband painted the ceilings and walls of the entire guest house today! He primed all the walls on Saturday, and then today he sprayed the ceilings with ceiling paint and sprayed the walls with the colors we chose. He ended up buying a new paint sprayer and it is awesome!

This is the first bedroom which my youngest son will use for now. The ceiling is white and then the stripe along the upper wall is just the colored primer showing through. The dark tan is the finished wall color, but he was unable to spray all the way to the ceiling, so he will come back over that section with a roller and I will paint along the edge with a brush.

This is the second bedroom that we will use for now. And yes, he still needs to paint the strip of wall between the two closets :) This room is a dusty green color.

This room is the kitchen/family room - this end is the kitchen. It is also a dark tan color. It is SO exciting to see so much progress!!

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Camera: NIKON D7000

Time of Day: 6:11 pm
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/9
Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec
ISO: 1250
Focal Length: 18 mm
Flash Mode: Flash On
Image Alterations: I slightly adjusted the levels.

Day 176 ~ Riding Piggyback

I saw this spider in the grass while I was taking photos at youth conference.  I didn't notice the many babies riding piggyback until I pulled the photo up on my computer!
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Camera: NIKON D7000

Time of Day: 9:09 am
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 150 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: I cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 175 ~ Tall, Taller, Tallest

At youth conference, Thurl Bailey (6'11" - played for the Utah Jazz for 8 years among others) and Steve Hayes (7'0" - also played for the Utah Jazz among others) let me take a photo of them with my son.  He looks so short compared to them!  Both of them played professional basketball and they came to speak at the conference.  They were both great speakers!

After they spoke, my son had them both sign the back of his phone :)

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Camera: NIKON D7000

Time of Day: 1:27 pm
Mode:  Shutter Priority

Aperture: f/4
Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec
ISO: 1250
Focal Length: 27 mm
Flash Mode: Flash On
Image Alterations: I cropped the photo and adjusted the levels.

Day 174 ~ Painting with Light

My youngest son had youth conference for church this weekend.  For the opening ceremonies, some of the youth taped glow sticks to themselves and the lights were turned out.  It made for some interesting effects!
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Camera: NIKON D7000

Time of Day: 8:39 am
Mode: Aperture Priority
Aperture: f/16
Shutter Speed: 10 sec
ISO: 1600
Focal Length: 27 mm
Flash Mode: None
Image Alterations: None