Day 120...Super Sky

SUPER SKY

I wonder if anyone gets sick of sunsets and the sky?  I just simply don't.  I mean, I know I do have a friend (VJ) who doesn't care for sunsets.  My mom just says she doesn't care for photos the way I do, so I guess it's a truth that not everyone loves a sunset.  But for me, I don't know what it is that I simply love every single one I see.

I think I love the sunset, because for one, it's never ever the same.  I think I love it also because it's one of those phenomena that the beauty of it is so fleeting.  You must sit there and soak in every second of it for in only moments, it shall be gone.  Luckily, they come over and over for us to enjoy.

It is finally warm enough weather where wearing a light sweater outside tonight made me feel a bit warm.  Thank God for spring and the coming summer.  I feel much more happy when it's like this.

Day 119...Here Come the Buds

HERE COME THE BUDS

Yes.  Spring is here.  It rained and rained and rained.  And now things are coming to life.  Maybe I should get a macro lens and get a little bit closer to the small things for some detail, but for today, I was pleasantly surprised how this shot turned out.  I didn't necessarily plan on the blurred trees in the background or the sun showing up through the hazy clouds, but this shot turned out pretty nice for a depiction of spring.

Day 118...Hoops in the Park

HOOPS IN THE PARK

Went for a little walk through my neighborhood since now it's nice enough to be outside.  I was searching for my photo of the day today.  I was thinking that I would find some birds, some buds or blossoms, some sort of nature photo.  But then I got to the park.  

I was so thrilled to see kids outside playing, and not just the little kids.  I know the kids nowadays get a bad rap for playing too many video games or watching TV, but as you can see, not all kids are are in that rut!  Luckily for me, they left a ball off to the side to give me a fun perspective.

Day 117...Leaving the Sunset Behind Me

LEAVING THE SUN BEHIND ME

I know I've done a photo similar to this more than once, but let me explain...lol.  I have had a lot on my plate lately.  But at dinner time, I said aloud, "I haven't done my photo of the day yet, and I'm still quite behind.  I don't want to miss another day."  So when dinner was done and I exited the restaurant I was at with my mom, I noticed the sky was wonderful!  I said to my mom, "I MUST have that sky as my photo of the day."  And as I got in the car to ponder what vantage point I would shoot from, I realized I did not have my camera with, and I simply did not want another iPhone photo as my photo of the day.

So I calmly told my mom she had to bear with me while I raced home to get my camera.  Of course, by the time I got home, got on the house, grabbed the camera and a memory card, got back in the car and tried to find a shooting spot, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and I simply couldn't find a point to shoot from where there weren't street lights or billboards in the way.  So homeward bound I was.  And I was sitting at the stop light to turn back to my house, I looked in the rear-view, and shazam...my photo of the day!

Day 116...Street Reflection

STREET REFLECTION

One thing I love about being in the city is the reflections you can get from buildings.  Many times the buildings are made of all glass and the reflection is widespread.  But something about these two separate mirrored windows seemed really cool to me and I really didn't plan the pops of color that just managed to stand out.

I guess this one could again be construed as street photography, and as my friend and mentor Valerie Jardin always says, in street photography you look for the story.  It there are three figures here that you could develop a story about what's going on in their day.  

Day 115...Eastside Pleasure

EASTSIDE PLEASURE

Pappy's.  It's on the Eastside of St. Paul.  For me, it's a little like Mickey's Diner.  I don't really know why.  Maybe just because I love their Philly Cheese's so much!  When I drove by tonight, I actually had another destination in mind that I was going to photograph, but something about the front of the store caught my eye.  

So I pulled into the lot and positioned myself to snap my shot.  Just before I got this shot, there was a group of people which I could have captured in the shot because they were so classic!  I'd like to spend a day in the parking lot and do a blog post similar to the "People of Wal-Mart."  They're just that interesting.  It's kind of a "hood" sort of place.  

Day 114...Drip Drip Pour

DRIP DRIP POUR

Rain, rain, rain, rain.  It's all it's done for the last week.  It started raining last Wednesday, and it has rained every single day since then and is expected to rain for two more days.  Just UGH!  It reminds me of how people sometimes say, "The rain is angels crying," or "It's God crying for the loss of loved ones."  It actually makes me chuckle a little thinking that the day before my dad's memorial service it began to rain and I began to cry and it's rained constantly since then, and I've had trouble keeping myself from crying.

But life must go on.  I have so many other loved ones to give my attention to and I need to remember that life is here and now, and I don't want to let it pass me by while I sit in the clouds and gloom.  So today, I found something beautiful in the rain, some reflection, a pop of color, and peacefulness in the still water.

Day 113...Weeping Willow

WEEPING WILLOW

I spent the last week weeping myself.  My dad passed away on the 19th of April, and I really did try to keep my project going.  But the grief caught up with me and I truly started to lose my desire.  I knew it wouldn't last forever, and I know that the only way I'm going to snap out of this grief is to try to remember the good times, and keep my mind busy with things that are important to me and make me smile.

Just before my dad passed away, we had a discussion about my future.  The discussion was regarding whether I wanted to be a landlord or not, and my dad looked sternly at me and said, "Honey, you're a photographer.  Put your concentration into that."  It meant a lot to me that he said that because he acknowledged my talent and my passion.

Spring is finally coming.  It's been raining for nearly seven straight days, but as you can see from today's photo, nature can't help but bring on spring despite the gloom.

I'm determined to post two photos a day until I get caught up, and hopefully have no more slips this year.

Day 112...Trick Kick

TRICK KICK

Practicing the rainbow, something every soccer player must do.  Tournament coming up this weekend and hopefully it will not be raining and I will have more opportunity to get some good action shots of this fab girl.

I spent the other part of the night chasing geese and trying to catch them in flight.  I though a flying goose would be an awesome photo.  I've discovered that geese are kind of lazy!  Too funny.  

But did anyone notice that the grass is GREEN?!  Yahoo spring.

Day 111...Drake Drake

DRAKE DRAKE

On the lake by my townhouse, the birds are just flocking.  Yesterday it was the loons, and there are Egrits, geese, and these cute little guys everywhere.  I know the babies are just waiting for their moment in the sun.  I'll get out there and see if there are any fuzzy little ones after all the craziness of missing my dad passes.  Maybe this weekend.

Day 110...Colorful Walk

COLORFUL WALK

Went for a walk to look at the loons on the lake.  This time every year there's always a loon on the lake in the middle of our townhouse community.  This year, I counted ten gathered out there.  I don't know what's up with so many on the lake.  So of course, I fully expected my photo to be one of a loon, or loons.  
But as I was walking down the path to the lake, I was completely taken by the brightness of these ladies and loved the reflection in the calm waters of the lake.  

It was a good day to get outside and I think winter is finally over.  

Day 109...White in Flight

WHITE IN FLIGHT

I believe spring is officially here.  I've seen the the avians out and about.  The first time I saw an egrit, I thought it was the most exotic bird ever.  I still love to see them in a lake or pond "fishing."  And whenever one takes flight, it seems to take me by surprise since they have such a big wing span.

This shot was taken while I was trying to get a shot of her standing in the lake.  I got a little too close for her comfort and she pretty much decided she wasn't letting me get that shot!  I think the buildings in the background are a little distracting, but you gotta take what you can get.

Day 108...Milky Sky

MILKY SKY

I wonder why it is that when I feel uninspired during my photo project, somehow, always something happens and my photo magically happens.  Or is that just life, and there's always beauty and magic there, and we notice it when we're looking?  

Well, here it is tonight.  I love the sky.  I've siad it a lot, and look how amazing it is tonight.  

Day 107...Spring (?) Reflection

SPRING (?) REFLECTION

Yesterday I was looking through my project.  Some of the photos I really love.  But some I feel like I really could have done way better.  This might be one of those I look back on and wish I could have done better.  I had difficulty getting inspired today.  

The reflection in the water was truly beautiful,  but not sure about the light and the composition.  It's the middle of April and the snow should be gone and I should be photographing tulips, daffodils, and and Easter eggs or something spring-like.

Day 106...The Haberdashery

THE HABERDASHERY

One of my all-time favorite places in St. Paul, Heimie's Haberdashery.  You walk by.  You look in, and  suddenly you feel you've been transported back in time.  Heimie's has got style!   The clothier with hats everywhere, really awesome clothes, extremely cool bags and totes.  Walking by is cool enough, but when you walk inside, it's a real visual treat.  I always love it when I catch the barber cutting someone's hair.  So many ways to enjoy a stroll by the Haberdashery!

This photo to me is great not just because I love Heimie's, but it's kind of hard to tell whether I took it from the inside or from the outside, and it looks like the man (could it be Heimie?) is sitting at his desk in the middle of the street in the city.  Reflections in the city are always a fun thing to capture.  Maybe one day, I'll catch the barber and use that as my photo.

Day 105...Unlikely Friends

UNLIKELY FRIENDS

Street photography...it's a genre of photography that I likely will never be phenomenal at.  My very dear friend Valerie Jardin is an international street photographer, so how can I compete with that?  But now and again, I do enjoy getting caught up in a story on the street and today I could not resist the affair that this man and this little pidgeon were having.  This man was being so sweet to the pidgeon and it made me smile.  

St. Paul is a little tougher to get good street photo shots in comparison to places like Minneapolis, Chicago, or other bigger cities because there's just simply not as many people out and about, but sometimes, some really great characters show up, and they'll end up on my blog.  

Day 104...Rainy Road Trip

RAINY ROAD TRIP

Sitting in the passenger's seat, watching the Iowa landscape whiz by.  The rain was beating down and the wind was whipping.  As we passed the countryside, there were so many opportunities that if I had been alone, I would have stopped the car, whipped on the emergency flashers and stomped through a field and taken some shots.  Farms, windmills, landmarks, it was all tempting me.  

But instead, just took this shot through the window, and I actually like it a lot because it really tells the story of the day.  Gloomy, cold, wet, and just the road and countryside a blur as we race home.

Day 103...Muddy Mob

MUDDY MOB

First soccer tourney of the year, and likely the most rainy, muddy, messy game I've ever had the experience of observing.  

This is (obviously) not a breathtaking sunset or landscape or an artistically angled shot of some cool abstract thing.  But my photography isn't always about making perfect fine art.  One of the favorite subjects for me to photograph is my kids doing what they love.  There will certainly be a load of soccer-related photos throughout the summer months of this project.  

This shot is particularly fun because never in my life have I seen the girls get this messed up from the dirt.  Their socks are actually supposed to be white.  At least that's how they started.  And you can't tell quite so much in this shot, but it was raining sheets and the girls had to pour the water out of their shoes and their unis were drenched.  

Day 102...Heads Up

HEADS UP

The soccer season has officially started!  Happy times ahead.  One of my all-time favorite things to do is watch my loves play sports AND photograph them doing it.  While this photo isn't quite the action I prefer to get, I know there will be many opportunities in the near future!

This one was taken in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the Chill Out tournament.  It was 75 degrees on the field.  Awesome weather for the start of the season and perfect lighting for my shots.  Can't wait for the rest of the season and summer.

Day 101...Morning Commute

Morning Commute

Driving to work can be a drag.  But we all find ways to cope.  Lately, I've been cranking up the new car stereo I got and just enjoying the music.  But when the sky starts my day off like this, it certainly puts me in a better mood.  

I love it most when the Universe makes the shot easy for me.  I'd like to take all kinds of credit for my amazing composition and color editing, but the truth is, this is simply the way it was.  One snap of the shutter, and it's a wrap.

Day 100...Side Tracked

SIDE TRACKED

I admit I'm a little drawn to the railroad.  I love the cars and the crossings and the tracks. Whenever I come across empty tracks, I stand at that point and look.  You can never see the end.  I like to wonder where that track leads to.  A railroad track is so rugged and rough, and often times surrounded by beautifully natural things.  

This particular track is right smack dab in the middle of the suburbs, and it's right across the street from a place that will forever remind me of my dad after he's gone.  Maybe now this photo will remind me of him too.  

Day 99...Window to Nowhere

WINDOW TO NOWHERE

As I walked by, there were actually a few really interesting things about this  building.  I started with a door in the middle of the wall that seemed like it wouldn't open up to anything, but I really was most transfixed by this window that was basically a window opening to a cement wall.  So odd.  I just thought it looked really cool and it makes you think of a story.  What's inside?  Why would they put cement behind a beautiful window?  Why is it overgrown and all the panes broken?

Make up your own story.

Day 98.....Carmen

CARMEN

You may have heard of her.  Those of you that know me well for sure have heard of her.  My second best inanimate friend, my bike.  When I went out to ride, the sun cast this awesome shadow, and it seemed like an instant photo I knew I would love.  It's like having a double image of one of my favorite things.  What's my first best inanimate friend?  It can't be difficult to guess that one!

Day 97...Through the Woods

THROUGH THE WOODS

For this girl, with spring comes bikes rides.  So with bike rides comes great trails.  This is the west entrance to the Rice Creek trail in Shoreview.  I'm so excited to be outside, on my bike, and scoping out shots of anything.  This older gentleman stood behind me watching me shoot after I got out of the woods here and into the open field.  When I stopped, he asked, "What did you see?"  I loved the interaction with him!

The photo of this stand of trees is very similar to the one I posted two days ago where you feel like you're in a magical forest and yet it just doesn't come across that way in print!

Day 96...Bluebird Bluebird

BLUEBIRD BLUEBIRD

Out for a spring bike ride...FIRST OF THE YEAR!  Yahoo.  No only were people out in droves walking their kids and/or fur babies, but the birds were abundant too.  What a treat.  I biked up through Bunker Hills Regional Park which is one of my favorite rides.  I went up to the stables.  The horses were busy working the trail rides so I couldn't really get good pics of them. But these darling little bluebirds stopped just long enough for me to get a pic of the lovely husband and wife team.

I do believe this is one of the earliest spring rides I've ever had (except for the year I bought my bike when it was 80 degrees in March).  There was still a lot of melting snow and I got pretty dirty, but I feel inspired about my project again because Minnesota is "spring"ing back to life!

Day 95...Forest Run

FOREST RUN

When I ride my bike through Bunker Hills, there's this one stretch where you feel like you've been transplanted into a magical forest.  This is that part.  Every time I ride through here, I want to capture a photo of how beautiful it feels, and it just never seems to look the way it feels.  This is one reason I changed it to black and white.

I took about seven frames, and right as I was about to snap the last one, this guy ran through.  I actually liked him being in the photo.  I think it adds more interest to the shot.

Day 94...Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

It's not that I'm trying to REALLY cheat, but this one was taken with my phone.  I was driving along and it looked SOOO pretty so I just grabbed this shot quick since my camera was at home.  The sky was real nice tonight.  I know we're waiting for the snow to melt, but I feel the warm up and spring coming.

Day 93...Downtown Spring Storm

DOWNTOWN SPRING STORM

Yeah...it's supposed to be spring here.  Yeah.  I know my photo is out of focus, blurry, weird color.  This is how it came out when I took it, and this is how I felt when I took it, so I left it as is.  It's ART.  Some people like stuff that you have to "interpret" so interpret away!  

I keep saying some spring beauty ought to be coming our way...but just not sure anymore!

Day 92...Chirp Chirp

CHIRP CHIRP

This guys just doesn't know what to think.  It's time for him to come out and sing and be happy for spring, but uh, "What's that white stuff falling around me?"

When I looked outside, there were four robins perched in the tree out front.  I don't ever remember seeing robins perched all together like that.  But I swear, it looked like they were shivering.  I know I was.

Day 91...Spring ?? at the Lake

SPRING ?? AT THE LAKE

This is what it looks like at the lake in the so-called Spring in Minnesota.  You can stand on shore here and imagine all the beautiful sailboats out there and the happy sailors walking off the dock after a gorgeous day on the lake.  Right now, yes, that's all you can do is imagine it.  Ugh.