Chasing Fireflies

Stitches West 2010, Santa Clara

2010-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

I went to my first knitting convention this weekend! I didn't attend any classes, but I browsed the marketplace at Stitches West in Santa Clara. So much yarn! Knitting books and everything you could possibly imagine. I snagged some gorgeous yarn from Becoming Art. This is Turning on Suave DK. So pretty & soft!!

Here is a bad picture of my Solana yarn from Brooks farm. It was on sale and is amazingly soft and squishy!! The colors are very light and hard to photograph.

I also stopped by a local yarn store in Santa Clara and bought some new Three Irish Girls goodies. Here is Kiernan on Glenhaven (merino, cashmere & nylon blend = SOFT!!!). Another bad picture. It's much more of a varigated rust colorway, then the red semi-solid that it looks like.

Last, but not least is Estuary on Westerly. The colors are more muted than they appear and it's so lush! Gorgeous!!!
To answer the next question, I have no idea what I'm going to do with any of it, other than make more tops & sweaters for myself. I'm very selfish with my knitting that way.

Sunny Tempest Cardigan

2010-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

I finished my cardigan!!!

Knitting in 2010

2009-12-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I sat down and matched my stashed yarn with patterns. My yarn stash was starting to get a bit out of hand, and I won't have as much money to spend on yarn next year. So. Here's a few of the items I'm planning to knit in 2010:

Tempest Cardigan made from Three Irish Girls Cian on Beckon and Backwards Loop on Kells

Harf made from hand-dyed, handspun yarn from The Vildish Twist

Joelle's Favorite Yoke Sweater from Three Irish Girls Alchemy on Finley

CHP Graduation Pictures

2009-12-29T12:11:00.001-08:00

My brother graduated from the CHP Academy a few weeks ago! I, of course, had to bring my camera. Here are a few of the shots from the day:

Holiday Knitting Madness!!

2009-12-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

I started off this holiday season without any plans for knitted gifts. Then with only 3 weeks left, I decided to knit two very simple scarves. Last weekend, I thought a friend needed a hat for herself and vest for her toddler. The hat is done and the vest will be today. The scarves will likey not be done time and I still have to attach the hood to the latest hooded scarf.

How about some pictures of recent finished projects?

Two Steps Forward...

2009-11-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

I was doing so well. Knitting away, not ordering any new yarn, then BAM! Lots of yarn is on its way. So. How about a preview?

Georgia Peach on McClellan by Three Irish Girls. It's a limited edition and I'm a sucker for limited edition. Not to mention, it's totally gorgeous. I bought enough to make a lightweight, 3/4 sleeve cardigan.
Morgaine on Kells by Three Irish Girls. Love it. Had to have it. It's going to be a long sleeve pullover.
Knitosophy Discover by Dream in Color. I love quotes. I have a whole notebook full of them. One of my favorites is this one by Mark Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." This colorway was inspried by that quote. Yarn inspired by one of my favorite quotes. There was never any hope.

Turkey day is around the corner!

2009-11-18T10:34:00.001-08:00

And I need to lose 10 pounds. Still. Or at the very least, stop gaining weight and buy new pants. Regardless, neither of these goals will be accomplished when I do things like eat two donuts for breakfast. That is exactly what I did today.

So I have a plan (you knew that was coming, right?)

We are going to switch to light soy milk and low-fat & fat-free when possible. The bigger change shouldn't be too difficult (I hope). Before dinner, I'm going to eat a nearly vegan diet by avoiding most animal products and simple sugars. I am also making a conscious effort to eat more fiber. Hopefully this helps!

In a random note, I am apparently semi-vegetarian, meaning that I eat meat in less than half of my meals. I've always been this way. Who knew it had a label?

Creative Adventures

2009-10-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I purchased:

Green Tights

Green Dress

Green Fabric

Ivy Garland

Halloween Makeup

Red Hair Paint

What could I possibly have planned? My first ever attempt to make a halloween costume!

Starry Starry Night

2009-10-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

I think this might be the most gorgeous yarn EVER. It was a limited edition Three Irish Girls yarn and I'm glad I got one! It's called Starry Starry Night based on Van Gogh's painting.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

2009-10-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

I was doing really great with Jillian's 30 Day Shred workout. It was still kicking my ass, but I didn't feel like I was about to expire either. Then we adopted our new puppy, Piper. Prepping for her, and going to pick her up nixed two workouts. However, on Friday, I was determined to workout again. I just didn't count on Piper being an early riser. I also didn't count on the fact that having her around would sometimes require me to move a lightning speed to stop her from doing things she isn't supposed to. Hence why wear slippers on our tile was never a problem until now. I discovered the hard way (literally) that slippers are quite slippery when on tile and that tile is very, very hard. I took a pretty hard fall at 6am Friday morning that killed the rest of my day.

Now, I remember falling as a kid, but I don't recall that it caused back & ab pain hours later. I also don't recall it making me nauseous for half a day. I must be getting old. Needless to say, I didn't workout on Friday or at all this weekend.

Today is the day I will get back in the groove! Next summer will be here before I know it and I'm determined to make it to the top of Half Dome!

Half Dome - June 2010

2009-09-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

"Half Dome is the ultimate Yosemite day hike - the one you can't die without doing, and the one you're most likely to die while doing."

I am going to hike to the top of Half Dome next summer. This is significant for a number of reasons. The first being that it will force me to get into shape. The second is that I have never been to Yosemite. I have lived within 2-3 hours of Yosemite for most of my life and have never gone. That's going to change.

I have started training yesterday. I don't have a lot of upper body strength and I know that I will need it to haul myself up those cables. So I bought Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD. I also need to lose 10 pounds. I tried it yesterday for the first time and it absolutely kicked my ass. I can already tell that this will be great training for Half Dome. There were lots of squats, lunges, and arm exercises with weights. I also want to start hiking on Saturdays for practice.

Yoga & Knitting

2009-09-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

What could yoga & knitting have in common? Yeah, I don't know either. They are, however, two of the ways I chose to spend my free time lately. I recently finished my top-secret knitting projects. I can't post about them yet, but will as soon as I get the green light. They are awesome! I have also finished my sister's hat, which is shown here on my head.

On to yoga. I love yoga, but I also love to be lazy and eat junk. Lately, I've been really lazy and eating a lot of junk. Which has to stop because pretty soon my pants won't fit. I've decided that for numerous reasons, my pants being one of them, I need to integrate a daily yoga practice into my life. First thing in the morning seems ideal until I remember the previously mentioned laziness. So it happens as soon as I get home from work. I'm two days in, so far so good.

And hey! I can touch my toes with my feet together and my knees locked! I haven't been able to do that for a while, and Chris immediately squashed my excitement by showing me that he has always been able to touch his toes. He better watch it or I'll trick him into practicing yoga with me and tie him up in a pretzel.

Top Secret Knitting!

2009-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

I am officially knitting my Top Secret project. YAY! And true to my predicition, I did not finish any of the previous mentioned projects prior to starting this one. Although, that had more to do with me getting distracted by a potential landscape overhaul than lack of knitting time.

As promised, here are the recent yarn additions that have arrived. They are (in order): 3IG Key Lime on Glenhaven, 3IG Passion Fruit on Glenhaven, 3IG Erin on Kells, Classic Elite Yarns Solstice Calais. Not pictured are my Top secret project yarn and a skein of 3IG Arboreteum on Lindon that has been given to Rowena.

Projects Galore!

2009-08-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

I currently have a number of unfinished projects.

First, I have Ben's Naughty/Nice scarf. This is scarf #4 for me of this same pattern and I'm bored to tears with it. I knit the first half, then had to take a break and start something else.

So I started something else. My tiger eye's scarf in orange & black. This is awesome because it will work for SF Giants games, as well games for my alma mater (University of the Pacific). However, lace drives me batty. I'm always missing a yarn over or knitting two together, instead of three. I can really only do one full pattern repeat in a day or I start to get twitchy so I started something else.
I started something else. This time it is a Featherweight cardigan. 700 yards of laceweight yarn, all in stockinette stitch. Ahhh, monotony. Perfect for knitting while watching TV. Although this picture isn't current, the project is almost done. It is THIS close. However, I'm starting to run low on yarn (maybe knitting a project that has a yarn of requirement of 960 yards, when I only have 700 yards wasn't such a good idea?) and the project is starting to require more thought. That being the case, it wasn't the easy, mindless knitting I needed for airplane knitting so I started something else.

I started something else while in flight from Fresno to Dallas (are you starting to see a pattern here?). I started my sister's hat, using hand-dyed and handspun yarn from the Vildish Twist. It's awesome and Vilde is awesome. I knit this happily on the flight to Dallas and on the flight back. It was perfect airplane knitting.

There you have it. I currently have 4 projects on the needles, not to mention that I still need buttons for that baby sweater, so I can call it officially completed. You would think that I have more than enough knitting to keep me happy for a while, finishing up these projects, but no. I have a top secret project with a short deadline. As soon as that yarn arrives, it will become my obsession until it is finished. I am really excited for this project and can't wait to get started. While I (impatiently) await the arrival of yarny goodness, I will no doubt make some progress on the above projects but finishing any of them might be pushing it.

Tune in tomorrow for the most recent additions to my ever-expanding yarn stash.

A Preview of Things to Come

2009-08-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

In the interest of full disclosure, here is a list (with pictures!) of the yarn that is currently on order and will be arriving at my house in the near future.

First, we have July's Stash Menagerie Club yarn - Glenhaven Worsted in Key Lime (3 Skeins) and Passion Fruit (1 skein)

Next, we have Kells Sport in Erin (2 skeins)

The next ones won't arrive until September, but I have preordered them. They are Finley in Alchemy (2 skeins), Zephyr (1 skein) and Starry Starry night (1 skein).

The Yarn called to me.

2009-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I tried to resist starting any new big projects. For the sake of conversation, we'll say a big project is anything except socks and scarves. I have a Special Project (SP)coming up that has a deadline. I'm not sure what I'm knitting yet for this SP, but I know that it will be a sweater of some sort and I'll have 4 weeks to complete it. The yarn is supposed to arrived in mid-August. Knowing that the SP will be my obsession for the weeks it takes me to complete it, I don't want to be burnt out on knitting. So last week, I read a trashy book, knitted the first half a Naughty/Nice Scarf for a friend, and had some friends over.

Yesterday, I couldn't take it anymore. This is my 4th Naughty/Nice Scarf and I'm so tired of this pattern. So I cast on another project: Tiger Scarf. It's a lacy scarf and lace takes quite a bit of concerntation. This will be an ongoing project. I was happily knitting when something called to me.

It was my skein of Dream in Color Baby in Beach Fog. It has long been destined to be a Featherweight Cardigan. The yarn was no longer content to be stashed, so I thought I would wind it into a cake. That would surely appease Beach Fog, right? I also made the gesture of purchasing the required pattern and writing down the required modifcations, but I don't think it's enough. I know that when I get home tonight, the Beach Fog will be calling to me to start my Featherweight Cardigan.

What's a girl to do? I can't resist the call of the yarn.

I really need to be more creative with titles

2009-07-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Anyway, here is my newest finished project! I'm really happy with how it turned out. It would have only taken a week or so, but we had a trip to Disneyland, a mild case of the flu, a concert and a trip to the beach in there.

Now I am working on Ben's Naughty/Nice Scarf!

Insert Witty Title Here

2009-07-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here you go! A picture of me wearing my new top! I really like it, but I like the top I'm knitting now even better. It's knitting up really fast and I should be done soon.

Grecian Frog Prince Finished

2009-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

I finished my Grecian Top in Frog Prince. It turned out nice! I don't have any pictures of me wearing it yet, but I'll be sure to take some in a few days. I love the cabled edging!

Gandalf and the Giant Peach

2009-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Meet Gandalf and his peach.

After he was done showing off, it was time to get down to business.

The peach never stood a chance.

Baby Sweater!

2009-06-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the (almost) finished baby sweater! I just need to some buttons to sew on and that's it! I loved this yarn. It is so amazingly soft and squishy.

Now I'm working on a top made from my Knit Pick's Frog Prince yarn. After three different starts & ripping out of the Tempest sweater, I accepted that Frog Prince did not want to be Tempest. Instead, I am knitting a short sleeve top with a much tighter gauge and it is working out much better!

Three Irish Girls - Cherry Blossom

2009-06-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm using my May Stash Menagerie Club yarn (Cherry Blossom on Springvale DK) to make the cutest baby cardigan! I've got a couple of pregnant friends so I'm making baby stuff left & right. This sweater is so amazingly soft.

Yarn Stash

2009-06-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

My yarn stash continues to multiply. This both delights me & makes me a little nervous. I think I'm addicted and may soon be looking into 12 step programs.

Since my last post, I've completed Brad's naughty nice scarf, a pair of socks that might fit a hobbit and a pair of baby socks. I'm working a second pair of baby socks, and this weekend I plan to move on to something else.

I have also officially given on up knitting a solid colorway temptest out of the Frog Prince yarn. Having to alternate the yarn was driving me batty. One of these days I'll buy the recommended fleece artist yarn and knit the sweater. In the meantime, I'm trying to find a new purpose for 1000 yards of fingering weight, handpainted, wool/alpaca blend yarn. Any ideas?

Yarn Everywhere!!!

2009-06-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

Hi. My name is Jen and I am addicted to yarn. Seriously. Stop laughing. I recently discovered Three Irish girls yarn and my stash has grown considerably. It's just so pretty! Look at this it's Tara colorway on the Springvale base and I used it to make my niece a cute little top (that she refused to model for me). I also finished another Naughty/Nice scarf. Only one more to go!!!

Finished Victorian Lace Scarf for my mother-in-law

2009-05-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

I made a light, lace scarf for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. She really liked it. I'm happy with how it turned out and I love the drape, but I'm not a fan of the yarn itself. It was annoying picking the bits of hay out of the yarn. Anyway, here it is!

Debbie Macomber likes my Pioneer Top!!!

2009-05-07T13:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Chris & I were at a Debbie Macomber book signing. She is an avid knitter and one of my mother-in-law's favorite authors. Since she was in town, we went down there to get a signed book for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I was wearing my pioneer top and a blue cami. I took this picture earlier in the day for my sister.

Anyway, when it was our turn to get the book signed, she immediately asked me if I had knit my sweater myself. I was surprised and said "Acutally, yes I did! It's my first sweater!" and then her & her assistant said that I did a wonderful job and must be a natural. I am just over the moon that someone like her noticed my top and thought I did a great job.

Baby blanket for Chanthida and Brad!

2009-05-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the baby blanket I made for Brad and Chanthida. I started it on Monday and the baby shower was Saturday. I finished it 20 minutes after the baby shower was scheduled to start. I really like this pinwheel pattern but next time I will order 60" circular needles and give myself more time.

Photo Restoration

2009-04-29T09:37:00.001-07:00

This semester, Chris & I took Photo 12 - Photoshop. I've really enjoyed it, for the most part. I've learned a lot but could still stand to learn more. I am particularly proud of this restoration, which I will let speak for itself. If you click on the photos, they don't look so pixelated.

Pioneer Top Finished!

2009-04-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

I finished my Pioneer Top a couple weeks ago and have even worn it to work twice! The neckline didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped, but for my first sweater, I am very happy!

My Deep Fjord from The Vilidish Twist arrived! This is destined to be a Harf. I love this yarn, it's so soft and squishy! I have also started my Temptest cardigan made out of the Frog Prince yarn. It's slow going and will be an on-going project while I also complete smaller ones.

Pioneer Sweater - Almost Done!

2009-04-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with my Pioneer Top! Here are some progress pictures from a few day ago when I finished my second ball of yarn. As of lunch time today, all I had left was weaving in loose ends and blocking. Yay!

Pioneer Top - My first sweater

2009-03-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

I started my first sweater today! I'm making the short-sleeve pioneer top from Knitty Spring 2009. I cast-on this morning and so far I'm really enjoying it. It is also my first attempt at knitting something with cables.

Gandalf - My buddy

2009-03-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Gandalf at play in the backyard:

Spring!

2009-03-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! I was worried about our peach tree because all the other peach trees in the area have been in full bloom for weeks. Finally, a couple of days ago our tree bloomed!

Here are the finished photos of my Ballet Lace Scarf. I love it! Blocking was amazing for bringing out the pattern and having the yarn relax.

I am halfway through Cole's Naughty/Nice Scarf. It is definitely going quicker the second time around and I'll probably have it finished in a couple of weeks.

My new yarn arrived! Knitpicks Imagination sock yarn in Frog Prince. I love it. I've already knit a gauge swatch for the cardigan that it is destined to become. Unfortunately, the cardigan will be taking a backseat to some other projects in the next few weeks. I have yarn coming for summer sweater and a gift scarf that will take priority.

Top-Down Shrug - Finished!

2009-03-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here is my finished shrug!! I'm really happy with the way it turned out, even if there is a mistake or two. In fact, I'm still not quite sure how I screwed up the left edge but I'm considering it a success anyway! I have a wearable shrug, that's good enough for me!

This was a very fast knit, even for a beginner who can only knit for a couple of hours a day. I finished it in a week.

I also finished my ballet lace scarf and will post the pictures in a couple of days.

Kids Play Day

2009-03-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister & I took her kids to local playground and let them run amok. Here are the pictures!

Jason's Scarf

2009-03-02T11:09:00.001-08:00

As promised, here is a picture of my brother with his Naughty/Nice scarf. I still have at least three more of these to knit. Next up is Cole, who was requested a green scarf. I purchased the yarn a couple days ago and will get started pretty soon.

Ballet Lace Scarf - Things are moving along on this scarf. I have about 8 pattern repeats completed. The pattern calls for 14, but I am just going to keep going until I run out of yarn.

Top-Down Shrug - I have started my top-down shrug. This is my first attempt at making an actually garment. It's going pretty well! I'm happy with it so far and if I manage to make it look like it is supposed to, I will be very impressed with myself. So impressed that I might have to try my hand at a Temptest cardigan. I even have the yarn & colors picked out.

Pictures!! I have a ton of pictures of my niece & nephew from our little day at the park on Saturday. They had a ball! I hope to have some pictures posted in a few days.

New Scarf!

2009-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

I finished Jason's scarf, but I didn't think to get a picture of him in it. I've asked his fiance to get one for me, so hopefully I'll be posting that soon.

Onto current projects! I've started my Ballet Lace Scarf with handdyed, handspun yarn from The Vildish Twist. I love this yarn and I'm really loving this scarf. I can't wait to finish it and block it so the pattern will really pop.

I have also started gauge swatches for a baby dress for a pregnant friend and a shrug for me.

Finally! Photo news! I haven't posted much in the way of pictures lately because I took a film class last semester and it doesn't lend itself well to blogging. This semester we are taking Photoshop and I'm so happy to get back to digital. I just haven't had much time to take any pictures, but this weekend Chris & I are going to hit the Blossom Trail! I'm excited. Hopefully we'll get some neat shots.

Blog updates and half a scarf

2009-02-14T22:54:00.001-08:00

I updated my blog header and added a new feature on the sidebar! I can now show my progress on my latest knitting projects.

I am halfway done with my brother's Naughty/Nice scarf. I have three other people who have requested this scarf, but I'm going to space them out over the next few months.

Change of Focus

2009-02-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

I've decided to slightly change the focus of this blog. The name & address will remain the same, because they still apply but it won't only be photos. I'm going to expand it to encompass all my hobbies. Which at the moment includes photography, knitting and...okay so just two.

I'll update the header eventually, maybe this weekend. In the meantime, knitting! I made Chris a hat. It's huge. I made it the largest size shown because well...he has a big head. But the hat is massive. Probably because I used size 6 needles instead of size 5. Opps.

I have lots of projects in the works! Right now I am about half way through my brother's scarf. Then I am going to make myself a scarf from gorgeous handdyed and handspun yarn The Vildish Twist on Etsy. Then I have alapaca yarn to make myself a nice shrug. In the works, is a hat for my sister. The yarn is a custom spinning order. Then it's on to my harf! Both made from gorgeous handdyed & spun yarn from The Vildish Twist. I'm so excited!

Oh yeah and all my brother's friends want scarves like his. It's got a stripper on it. Pictures to be posted as soon as I finish.

Basic Black & White

2009-01-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

I just checked my grade for Photo 10 - Basic Black & White and I got an A! Yay me! Monday we are starting Photo 12 - Photoshop. I'm so excited to get back to digital!

Photo 10 - Basic Black & White

2008-12-16T09:41:00.001-08:00

Last night was our last night of Photo 10 - Basic Black & White. Instead of a final, we had a final projects. I do not agree with the professor's reasoning behind my grade, but I'm choosing not to be bitter. Instead, I'm going to focus on all the positive things he had to say about my composition & printing. I'm actually amazed that he had so many good things to say about the composition, because those pictures were taken very early in the semester, before we talked about composition. However, during printing, I did adjust them to get the composition I wanted. Overall, it was a good class and I learned a lot.

I don't think I'll ever move to film as my first choice of medium. I much prefer digital and am looking forward to next semester and Photo 12 - Photoshop.

UPDATE!!

2008-11-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

The problem with taking a film photography class is that it makes it much more difficult to post your work on your blog. This weekend, though, we went to my niece's birthday party and busted out the digital Rebels. These shots were taken by both me and Chris, and we can't be sure who took which ones.

Photo Lab Success!

2008-09-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

We're in the third week of our Basic Black & White Photography course at Fresno City and last night was our first shot at processing film! We have success! I processed two rolls of film, mostly without incident. I did a little happy dance when I pulled the film off the reel and had pictures to look at. A few other students were quite so fortunate.

The assignment itself is rather boring, but you have to crawl before you can walk, right? It's just 24 different views of my car. I'm really looking forward to more creative assignments.

First day of class!

2008-08-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

We had our first class last night with all the basic first day of class things. I have a feeling I'm really going to like this course. Two hours of lecture followed by lab time to do the assignments. We get our first assignment next week! yay! Chris & I have to buy a ton of stuff between now and then, but I think we are going to learn a lot. The teacher seems pretty laid back, which is nice. The last thing I need is another thing to stress about!

We loaded our new film Rebel's with some black & white film on Friday. It's not the right kind of film for this class, though so we need to go shoot it all before next class period! Also, we got a call that one of our B&W rolls from NYC didn't turn out. I figured that might happen, considering we didn't figure out how to change the film speed on the camera until we were about halfway through. Still, I was hoping a few turned out!

I finally finished the photo editing for the Oregon pictures, now I just need to upload them and make an album. Next project is editting the NYC shots!

More Oregon Pictures!

2008-08-12T21:02:00.001-07:00

My Yoga Dog!!

2008-07-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Angel decided to help herself to my yoga mat!

Oregon Pictures!

2008-07-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

In no particular order:

New Edits!

2008-05-28T17:14:00.001-07:00

I wasn't happy with two of my edits, so I re-did them. I think I'm happy now.

Finishing up Jason & Rachel

2008-05-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here are the last of last weekend's pictures:

Pool Pictures!

2008-05-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Pool Pictures! Next up will be more shots of Jason & Rachel from last Sunday.

BSP Picture Day!

2008-05-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the first round of pictures from last weekend. First, meet Jason & Rachel:

Now we add in Cole and his wife, Deidre:

Debbie & Jim W!

2008-05-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

My In-Laws!

Next up: Pictures from our walk to the river last night! And tomorrow I'm dragging my brother and his fiance to an outdoor portrait session.

Euro Sunday May 2008

2008-05-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here a few pictures from last weekend's EuroSunday car show.

Tulare County Renn Faire

2008-05-05T07:33:00.001-07:00

Shots from the Tulare County Rennaissance Faire on April 26th.

Dandelion

2008-04-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah, okay I lied. The Tulare County Renaissance Faire will be in the next post. I took this shot yesterday after work. Chris laughs at me because I'm always kicking the dandelions. I would pick them and blow on them, but that might be immature. Kicking is much more adult. hehe. In fact, I would bet that he thinks this blog should be named "Kicking Dandelions" instead of "Chasing Fireflies"

Freelance Photography Seminar

2008-04-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

Chris & I went to a photography seminar yesterday. It was a lot of fun but focused mostly on the "business" aspect of it. We don't really have plans to make a business out of this. My only ambition right now is to have a picture to submit to the county fair in October!

Although when he started talking about non-profits, I started thinking about the Komen for the Cure Foundation that I do a lot of work with. It's a huge breast cancer research organization. Anyway, when I was working the Komen booth at the rodeo on Friday night, the chair for the Survivor's Luncheon was working with me. She mentioned that they don't have any pictures from the luncheon the last few years because their picture person always bails. I offered up DH & myself to take the pictures this year. We were planning to volunteer anyway, so it doesn't bother me at all to take my camera along.

Ken has a deal worked out for all his photography students to get a free "store front" online webpage through one of the local photo places. You upload your pics, decide on a price, then they take care of the rest and cut you a check once a month. What if we handed out business cards with the website on them and let the guests possibly buy the pictures? Then donated the $$ to Komen? I also thought about someday approaching Komen about doing sessions for terminal breast cancer patients and their families, and maybe survivors too. Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud.

Chris has his own ideas about taking pictures at some of his autocross (car racing) events that don't have a photographer.

Next post: Tulare County Renaissance Faire!

Clovis Rodeo 2008

2008-04-27T21:08:00.001-07:00

Shots from the Clovis Rodeo calf roping and bull riding.

Tattoo Day!!

2008-04-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

My brother, sister & I got tattoos yesterday. We decided to all get a phoenix tattoo, but individual designs. My sister's boyfriend had to work, so we took her two kids with us. It was definitely a family affair! Keith, whom we have known since he was in grade school, is an awesome tattoo artist. He doesn't tattoo full-time anymore, just on the side out of his house. Luckily his two kids didn't seem to mind sharing their toys for a little while.

Here are some of the shots that aren't just tattoo pictures.

Carpe Noctum - Sieze the Night

2008-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some other random night shots.

I saw this tree and had to take a couple of shots.

I love how grainy this one is.

Fresno at Night

2008-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

We went out Friday and Saturday nights, shooting our Fresno at Night assignments. I decided on the shooting the renovation of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. I think this is the photograph I'm going to use, with a little bit of additional editing (mostly concerning the streetlight).

I also have a new blog header!!! That was also created during this shoot. I hit the shutter button for a quick shot and didn't realize I still had the shutter speed on 30 seconds. 30s is a long time to just stand there, so I had fun moving the camera all around, facing it in a ton of directions. I thought the photo would just be a blown out blurry mess, but was delighted at the result!!! It seems fitting for chasing fireflies.

Class No. 3

2008-04-11T07:33:00.001-07:00

Class went well last night! Ken seemed to like our pictures and I admit to be pretty proud of my shots. Our next assignment is a doozy though. The title of the shot is "Fresno at Night" and we just have to go shoot it. Easy right?

Except that I know nothing of night photography. Then again, I don't know anything about daylight photography either. LOL My biggest block is having a creative idea that I'm excited about. The only one idea that's really sticking with me is a picture of Tent City after dark. I've just got no clue how to accomplish that.

Hopefully DH & I can pile into the car tonight and start getting some preliminary shots & ideas.

Assignment #2

2008-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had my pictures printed for Assignment #2. I am turning in an 8x12 of the Ford GT, with the title "Detroit Muscle" and an 8x10 of the fire station with the title "Standing Watch". I figure I'll give the GT print to my brother. He can put it up at work. I'm not sure what I'll do with the fire station picture though.

We had the pictures printed at Horn Photo in Fresno. I uploaded them through their website, and they were ready the next day! I love the quality, and the pictures look great. Horn also has a rental program! They rent canon bodies & lenses! Their one day prices are pretty cheap too, so that's exciting.

EuroSunday Car Show

2008-04-06T17:47:00.001-07:00

I don't have any new Big Hat Days pictures, but here are some pictures from the EuroSunday Car Show this morning.

This is one isn't edited at all:

These are a few more (edited) pictures:

Clovis Big Hat Days

2008-04-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some (minimally edited) photos from Clovis Big Hat Days. I'll take some pictures tomorrow too and choose my assignment for this week from the bunch.

Class Notes

2008-04-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Ken seemed to like my photo, but he said that I need to let myself go. I need to not worry about it being perfect and just go shoot. He seemed somewhat impressed with it though. When he was talking about, he said "Now that's what I'm talking about! It's creative, it's different." So that made me feel good.

He also said that when a photo is edited in photoshop, it becomes an illustration, not a photo. Cropping is okay though, so I'm not sure where the line is drawn. I sent Ken an email asking for some clarification.

Here are two photos from tonight's class that have just been cropped.

This is a picture of Ken that was cropped and I added some fill light.

Assignment #1 - Final Version

2008-04-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is what I finally decided on for my first assignment:

First Assignment Shoot Part Deux

2008-04-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Okay so I shot my first assignment again. Here are two new shots that I'm considering, as well as another edit of the first shot:

Gandalf on the run!

2008-03-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a small neighborhood park today and let Gandalf off his leash. He loves to run! And I love the sports mode on my camera. Awesome shots!

Another Edit

2008-03-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

Okay, another editing attempt for my first Basic Photo assignment. I tried to bring out the details in the shoes/books & carpet, bring out the colors in the shoes/books and not cut off the shoe as much.

Assignment #1 Photo Shoot

2008-03-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

I did a little photo shoot for my first assignment today.

First, the outtakes:
Practicing with a wide open apeture

Canine Interference

Two edits of the shot I decided on. I'm hoping to get some feedback and maybe re-edit or re-shoot.

First Class!

2008-03-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Class last night was awesome! We got our first assignment and I'm hoping to shoot that tomorrow and post by Monday.

I finally downloaded the pictures from my point & shoot. I'm absolutely kicking myself for not getting this picture with the Rebel. I love it. I'm hoping to enter a photo or two in the fair this year and if the quality was better on this one, I'd pick it in a heartbeat!!

I've also added a logo to the pictures. If I'm going to enter pictures in a competition, it seemed to make sense to protect them.

Easter Part Deux

2008-03-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Part Deux of the Easter Pictures

The last of the Daytona Pictures:

My first attempt at candid people shots!

Easter Drive

2008-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

I went over to my Sister-in-law's house for Easter this year. I took some random shots around the house and then we decided to go for a drive. I've got about half of the pictures finished, so I'm going to split them up in two posts. Keep in mind, the landscapes shots were taken while in a moving car.

I need to go back up there, park and take some more shots of this guy!

Toilet?!

2008-03-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

I sent this picture to a friend in Africa who has been complaining about the lack of bathroom facilities in Senegal. HEHE

My dogs!

2008-03-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Finally pictures of my own dogs.

Puppy!

2008-03-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide which of these I liked more:

Wild Coyote Vineyard

2008-03-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

The first vineyard last weekend at the Paso Robles Zin Festival - Wild Coyote

Cal-Poly Cows....Moo!!

2008-03-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

My last day at Cal-Poly, I found the cows!

Some pictures from around Cal-Poly

2008-03-13T18:26:00.001-07:00

Just some shots from around Cal-Poly. They were good Lightroom practice.

Version #4?

2008-03-12T17:34:00.001-07:00

Okay I think this is the Maddy.V4 now. I'm pretty happy with this one, but it still might change. It's really good Lightroom practice!!

And here are some other picture updates & new photos.

Attempt #3

2008-03-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

So I downloaded a free trial of Adobe Lightroom and here's what I came up with for the photo of Maddy:

I'm definitely liking Lightroom!

New Edit

2008-03-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

I got some suggestions on editing from a photography forum and gave this one a do-over.

Pictures!!

2008-03-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to visit some friends yesterday and decided to take some pictures while I was there! Here are the first few that I've had a chance to edit.

I'm really happy with how these turned out! And I'm totally in love with my camera.

Things to Do/Buy (in no particular order):
1) Canon Rebel XTi - DONE!
2) Lenses, filters, etc
3) Attend Basic Photography course through Fresno Adult School
4) Camera bag - Done!
5) Join SmugMug
6) Adobe Lightroom
7) Memory Card - Done! 4GB CF card

I found a camera!!!

2008-03-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well I was randomly searching craigslist today, wondering if maybe there was a camera deal to be had and boy did I find one!! I got an awesome deal on a used Canon Rebel XTi! I'm so excited! And I have absolutely no clue how to work it.

My new baby:

Things to Do/Buy (in no particular order):
1) Canon Rebel XTi - DONE!
2) Lenses, filters, etc
3) Attend Basic Photography course through Fresno Adult School
4) Camera bag - Crumpler?
5) Join SmugMug
6) Adobe Lightroom
7) Memory Card

My new hobby!

2008-03-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

So I've decided to finally do what I've wanted to do since high school - get into photography as a hobby. I've registered for a 6 week Basic Photography course through the Fresno Adult School. Yay me!

Here's a picture I took of Chris's car last weekend and enhanced in Photoshop

Things to Do/Buy (in no particular order):
1) Canon Rebel XT
2) Lenses, filters, etc
3) Attend Basic Photography course through Fresno Adult School
4) Camera bag - Crumpler?
5) Join SmugMug