Day 181...Dogs Love Balls

DOGS LOVE BALLS

The furry guys.  They're like kids that never grow up, always ready to play, easily forgive human wrongdoing, love unconditionally.  You could tell by this boy's appearance that he was not a super young dog.  He was running ahead and back and across in front of his humans.  And at one point, he went bolting off into a bunch of trees, a kind of wooded area.  When he came out of the woods, he had this ball in his mouth.  His humans were giggling at him and said, "We knew you'd find something in there."  The ball was not one they came to the park with!

But look at how happy he is to have that ball.  I watched them play fetch with it for a bit and I loved the antipation in his eyes when they were getting ready to throw it and I loved how happily he pranced back with it in his mouth.  What a cutie!

Day 180...First Place

FIRST PLACE

Does this look familiar?  Well, there's a lot of soccer.  But there was a tournament this weekend, and the girls won first place.

But my favorite thing about watching this girl is her style, her endurance, her perseverance, her strength, and her form.

The season is coming to an end, so the soccer photos will soon be coming to an end, at least until the fall season.  Ha!

Day 179...Wide Sky

WIDE SKY

Whenever I'm at this place (the BF's in St. Paul) the view and the opportunity for photos seems never ending.  Tonight when I got there, it was raining and gloomy somewhat, though I truly don't mind the rain in the summer when it's warm out.  And then the storm started to clear and the sun came out and made for an amazing display.  

I took several shots, about 50.  And I know I've done a lot of shots from Floor 28 and specificially of the Capitol.  But it really was too beautiful for me to not do it again.

I really hope my friends aren't getting sick of this project and some of the shots I put that are similar.  I mean, I'm only halfway through it at this point.  There's a lot of great opportunities left of summer, some portraits, sports, flowers, festivals, market...oh, the possibilities.  Then there's fall...and I'm not going to say the W word.  

Again, if you read, thanks for reading, liking, sharing.  Love you.

Day 178...How to Gain Possession

HOW TO GAIN POSSESSION

I know this isn't some gorgeous sunset, landscape, wild flower, crazy sport shot, a cute little animal.  It's definitely out of the ordinary.  But my intention this evening was most definitely to get a great action shot of Tiana doing her thing.

As you can see by examining the photos, a single one of these shots wouldn't be that interesting.  However, when you piece them together, it's kind of fun to see the skill of Tiana gaining possession over her opponent, and I felt like it was a bit of a storyboard and the combination of all the shots together give you the idea of the action from the moment.

I know I'm taking some chances in the project because I wanted to go take a photo of the 35W bring in Minneapolis which is lit with rainbow colored neon this evening in support of Pride Weekend.  I know evening light shots, especially bridges, usually get lots of likes.  But one thing I've been loving about this project and experience is pushing myself to experiment and try something different and to sometimes step away from the cliche.

Day 177...Wildflower Frenzy

WILDFLOWER FRENZY

I don't know if it's because I'm doing this project that I seem to notice things I never noticed before, but it's that's a residual of this experience, I'm glad for it.  I'm not a big flower photographer, but I've noticed some of the coolest flowers when I've been riding my bike, or even just out at the soccer field near the wild patches of meadow.  

Tonight's photos are seriously flowers I'd never seen before, and when I got up close to look at them, I was amazed at how intricate, beautiful, and unique they all were.  I used a regular zoom lens, and very little color correction.  The soft lighting of the overcast night made for perfect shots.  Which one is your favorite?

Day 176...Hazy Daze

HAZY DAZE

Though it looks like a sunset, it wasn't quite that time yet.  The haze in the air added to the dreamy effect of the sky and seemed to kind of changed the color somewhat.  

I know I've shot this view several times now, and I'm trying to add stuff that's note the SAME every time, but I was limited with time, and this is the best I got for the day.  I don't want to cheat anymore if I don't have to and make up on other days, so I got the best shot I could.  

Not every day will be a blockbuster.

Day 175...Soccer Skillz

SOCCER SKILLZ

World Cup time...summertime...soccer time...happy time.  I love watching World Cup, but I love watching this girl play more than anything.  She tries so hard, and her team plays so well together.  

It was a little buggie out there tonight, but the temps were perfect, the sky was filled with billowy white clouds, and the sun began to set and illimunate the horizon with that peachy orange tinge of color.  

I know that the summer season is going to end before I know it, and I just don't want to see it end.  I'm hoping for a long run in the state tournament!  Go Blaine Scream, and Go Tiana!!

Day 174...A Painted Friend

A PAINTED FRIEND

Aw!  Isn't he cute?  I tell ya, I thought I had the photo of the day early!  I rode my bike on this most perfect of nights again.  Went through Bunker (again) and up to the stables.  The horses were being let out to pasture and it was a beautiful sight.  Thought for sure I would have that as my photo!  

Then I'm biking along, and I see these wonderful mushrooms out of the corner of my eye.  Surely they were perfect enough to take center stage for me....UNTIL....

This guy wander in my path.  He had me smiling the whole way home!  

Day 173....Summer Sunset Sensation

SUMMER SUNSET SENSATION

It's been a very rainy summer, record amounts of rain, in fact.  And all that moisture can be kind of depressing after the long hideous winters we suffer through.  That's precisely the reason I will forgo the hustle and bustle and feeling to rush sometimes just to take in a beautiful evening.  

Yes, I did have things I was in a hurry to get home for tonight, but it was another perfect summer night for photography, and as I was driving eastward home, I could see the sun setting in the rear view, and it was beckoning me as usual.  So I took a little detour on the way home, one I knew that would provide me with a good view of the sky.

This actually wasn't the exact spot I had planned, but it turned out to be ideal, which is just how my life works a lot.  The big leader is looking out for me all the time, you know.  

So maybe you're sick of sunsets.  Then just glance quickly and move on to the next day.  LOL.  I love sunsets, and I take advantage of them often, but I promise to not make my blog all about them, and I will stray occasionally from the sunset photos.  If you love sunsets as much as I do, then you're in luck!  

Thanks again for reading the blog!  Love you all.

Day 172...Stray Fluff

STRAY FLUFF

Took the bike out tonight for the perfect summer ride.  I went up through Bunker Hills Regional Park which is one of my favorite places to ride.  It takes you through the woods.  You can trail around to the stables and visit the horses, and you can take the trail through the golf course and along the railroad tracks.  

I went just before sunset tonight and the temperature was perfect for a bike ride.  As I was heading through the woods, I could smell campfires and bug spray, and then I realized people were tent camping in the park.  I could see the people through the openings sitting at their campsites.  The whole scene really made me smile and the smells of summer put me in a great mood.

Then as I strolled by the open fields, that's when the photographer in me kicked in.  The wildflowers were calling to me!  I wandered out in the meadows to get shots of the giant fluffy things that look like mature dandelions.  I don't know what those things are called, but I love them.  So this shot is actually the seeds after they've been blown off.  I love the intricacy of their threads.  

What a great night..

Day 171...Reflective River

REFLECTIVE RIVER

I'm certain that most of my photographer friends have this same shot, or one similar to it.  But I don't have one yet.  I do have one similar that is the same river but a few miles to the east, the one of St. Paul.  

But tonight I was out to dinner downtown, and my beautiful date and I had to part ways at the end of dinner.  The whole night we were out, we couldn't stop commenting how gorgeous of an evening it was.  So when I pulled away after dropping him off, I thought....YES!  A perfect time for me to get some great shots of one of my favorite places, downtown Minneapolis!  I was immediately drawn to the river.  

So maybe my friends have this shot, but I love the way it turned out and I'm glad to add it to my collection and share it with you.  I love nights like this one, and while I'm a huge people person and love being with my friends and family often, it is fast becoming one of my favorite times when I get to steal moments away to spend quietly composing my photos, and it's one of the great joys this project has given me because a significant number of the shots in this series have been done while I've been on my own personal photo walks.

Day 170...CITY SOLITUDE

CITY SOLITUDE

Sometime the "city" is just nothing but hustle, bustle, busy, chaos.  It always astounds me that often, the city can offer some of the best places to relax and escape from itself.  

One thing that I can honestly say has been a tremendous benefit from me taking on this 365 challenge is that I really have forced myself to find things.  I am a member of a lot of photography groups.  And I see some pretty amazing stuff done by amateurs and professionals.  At times I feel intimidated, but I do get inspired from many things I see, and I also want to try to attain some of those same shots of my own.  

I knew that there was a cool place to shoot the Minneapolis skyline from.  I've seen lots of different angles of the beautiful city, and since I haven't even made it halfway through the 365 days yet and I've posted less than a dozen photos involving Minneapolis, I'm sure there are a lot more anlges for me to search out. 

This one, however, is one I've wondered about for a long time.  I drive down Highway 280 nearly every day, and there's often a really lovely view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline, but during the morning and the evening.  I'm so tempted to just drive on to the shoulder of the road and start shooting, but I always contemplate that that's not really very safe.

So I did try to get a good shot of the skyline from the water tower in Prospect Park.  I think it will suffice...for now at least.

Day 169...Lovers in the Park

LOVERS IN THE PARK

I've been stung by love...a bunch of times.  But it doesn't make me a hater.  I still love a good love story, and when I see two people really enjoying each other, it gives me a happy feeling.  I watched this couple together in the park while I was waiting to meet with my own lover for happy hour.  They were so adorable together.

In street photography, often you capture people when they don't really know you're photographing them.  And I've said this in other posts when I've chosen to post street photography, but it's telling a story.  But each viewer may imagine a different story.  

What are the lovers thinking?  What could they be talking about?  Who are they?  Are they new lovers or have they been together a long time?

Best of all to me is that the evening was perfect weather and I'm happy to have my project OUTSIDE at this time of year.  

Day 168...Purple Ending

PURPLE ENDING

Sometimes it's kind of hard to believe, but the sky can actually just look like this.  Now, admittedly, I said I would take one photo a day for 365.  And I had a few slips because, forgive me, the most important man in my life died.  But I recovered and have been on a pretty consistent path.  And today, honestly, is not an exception to that rule.  I was outside on my lunch hour taking photos of the South American pan flute player and his band of other adorable Latino music makers.  

But when I took this shot yesterday, it was AFTER I had already taken the photo of the clock in the park and it was AFTER I had already posted it.  Now, this blog is certainly editeable.  However, I like the photo of the clock, and I want it to remain as part of this project.  But the photo above was too good not to include, and though the guys playing in the street band were kind of sweet, this photo ranked higher in likeablitity, at least for me.  

So the story on this photo is...if you read the blog post from yesterday, it wasn't easy to get a shot, and I pretty much assumed the day was over and settled for the clock.  Then I went on my merry way to the soccer field to endure the 30 to 40-mile-an-hour winds and the late-night soccer game.  But when I drove into the parking lot and looked to the west, this is literally what I saw.  I snapped a quick photo with my iPhone, and the result was so stunning that I threw the memory card back in my camera, snapped a few shots, and this was the result, one of the most tantalizing sunset evenings I can remember!  The sky was like a grape, strawberry, and tangerine smoothie.  Amazing.

And you see why I couldn't resisit using a photo I took yesterday.  Okay.  I'll treat you to the pan flute player....see below....

Day 167...TIME for Summer

TIME for Summer

I LOVE clocks, especially when they're old.  The crazy thing is that clocks with always remind me of my mom.  She is obssessed with having a clock in all the rooms of the house.  But I like when there are clocks out in the community and especially clocks that are interesting to look at.

Tonight there is LITERALLY 40 mile-an-hour winds outside, and I nearly got blown away taking this shot.  But it's again one of those days where I waited until the end of the day to get my shot and it was rainy and crappy this evening after a great morning of sunshine.  Tiana and I went to a movie over the lunch hour and when we came out, it was getting cloudy out.

But I'm not giving up on posting a shot every single day if I can help it.

Day 166...Highway Home

HIGHWAY HOME

The sunset was absolutely magnificent this evening.  It got better and better as it got lower and lower.  I actually took some other shots before this one that I thought for sure I would use, but this one just really grabs me.

After this one was taken, the sky started to turn a pinkish hue.  I was driving away from the sunset to get my daughter home and was tired but oh so tempted to turn around a find a good vantage point for the stunning clouds and sun combination.  

I'm okay with this post for the night.  The car drove right throught the sun as I shot this one and I think it looks super cool.  

Day 165...Stormy City

STORMY CITY

I've always, always wanted to capture lightning in a photograph.  Tonight was my chance.  I had the absolute perfect vantage point (obviously) and since I took this one through a window, I didn't have to worry about getting wet or struck!  This one might end up being one of my very favorites.

I love thunderstorms anyway, but to be able to view a storm from several floors above the city was really entertaining and capturing the lightning was an experiment that turned out to be fun and interesting.  

Day 164...Honey Moon

HONEY MOON

So it's Friday the 13th.  And in various places, I've seen stuff about this "honey moon" we're supposed to be having.  Now I've heard of the blood moon, and harvest moon, and blue moon, etc., but I've not ever heard of this honey moon.  So I had another hectic day, and on my way home, I figured, it's been nice out all day.  I'm sure the sky will be ready for me to photography this fabulous phenomenon, the Honey Moon.  

So I had my mom look up when the moon rise would come.  I didn't even know these things were documented, but they are.  So I headed out about 10 minutes before the predicted moon rise.  I drove east trying to get a great vantage point for this 9:40 p.m. moon rise.  At about 10:10 p.m., after driving for 30 minutes and seeing no sign of this elusive thing, I decided to go home, and I was figuring I would have to skip the photo of the day now since it was dark out and there was nothing to photograph.

So as I'm waiting at the stop light to turn home, I look over my shoulder (to the east) and peeking through the clouds, there's the darn moon beckoning me.  So I pull over, set the tripod up, and here you go.

Now keep in mind, I've shot WAYYYYY better moon photos than this, and the other shots I got of this moon tonight were under cloud cover so they were more eerie and artsy.  But this one does definitely show some of the cool spots on our globe of "cheese."  And it's what I ended up with at the end of the day.  If I come across the other shot I have which shows much greater definition of the craters, etc., I will edit this post at a later date.

Day 163...She Shoots. She Scores !

SHE SHOOTS.  SHE SCORES!

It was a fantastic game to watch tonight.  Our girls are just so good and so much fun to watch.  They have their passing game going so smoothly.  

Tiana worked hard core and scored twice.  I have other photos of her tonight that were just as great and some of my favorite ones are the ones with her face visible and you can see the utter look of determination in her eyes and expression.  I didn't choose those shots because they just weren't as in focus.  

I will have plenty more chances to get shots of her so I'm not worried.  

I swear, soccer season is the absolute best time of the year.

Day 162...Friendly Faces

FRIENDLY FACES

One of my very favorite things that happens when I'm out shooting is when someone asks me to take their photo and they always smile.  Nothing cheers you up quicker than a smile from another person.  This morning on my way walking to get my coffee, I was looking around to see what interesting things could be added to my repertoire.  And little did I know they would be driving by in a car and also standing right there on the sidewalk.  

These two guys were thrilled to have me photographed and I didn't ask them, they asked me.  Gotta love it.  And don't you think their smiles are simply fantastic?

Day 161...Fuzzy Fowl

FUZZY FOWL

Aw, they just look so soft and cuddly, don't they?  These little guys were right along the trail while I was biking today.  Their mama was cautioning them when I stopped and quietly took their photo.  And their siblings moved a bit away from me.  But I was harmless, and they didn't go too far.  

I'm not a big goose fan.  The big ones are obnoxious.  The poop everywhere.  They have horrible croaking honking sounds.  And they're not attractive birds.  But their babies sure are cute!  And often there are so many in their crowd and it's fun to see them waddling behind their parents.  

Day 160 ... Summer Reflection

SUMMER REFLECTION

Sometimes about an hour before the sunsets, you can just tell it's going to be great.  On those nights, I try to plan my location so I can get a good vantage point.  It doesn't always work out for me.  Tonight was one of those nights.  Had to pick my lovely daughter up from soccer and get her a bite to eat.  So I settled for walking a block down from the house and shooting over the pond in the neighborhood.  Turned out to be a winner.

I didn't realize until I got to the path that the water was still and it was mirroring the sky beautifully.  I did very little to edit the colors with just a little bump in contrast.  That's what I love about sunsets.  The colors just exist within them.  I've been seeing some great shots of sunrises, and I've said before, I'm just not a sunrise gal.  But I sure wish I could get up for them because they seem to have more purple which is my favorite color.  

Are any of you sick of the sunsets yet?  

Day 159...Sunset on the Grassland

SUNSET ON THE GRASSLAND

You all know it.  I love the sunset.  Can't get enough of it.  I saw the sun setting and headed out purposely to capture it.  It was weird because the sky just didn't look that interesting after I took the shots.  But I did really enjoy sitting in the grass near a swamp area and listening to the frog croaking loudly to each other.

This shot just gives me the feeling of a great summer evening.  The weather today was amazing all day, and to finish it off with a nice calm sunset capped it off perfectly.

Day 158...Forest Flower

FOREST FLOWER

I love it when I'm riding along on my bike, and I spy little things along the path and in the woods.  It makes me almost lose my balance sometimes when I'm daydreaming while I ride and looking off the trail.  I go biking for exercise, but I almost always bring my camera along and allow extra time to get off and shoot things I see.  My biking and photography are truly two of the most therapeutic things I do in my life.  

And look at this delicate cute little flower in my most favorite color!  

Day 157...Summer Paddler

SUMMER PADDLER

It honestly hasn't really sunk in yet that it's summer, although today this shot was taken at lunchtime and it was nearly 85 degrees outside.  It's just that those temps and sunny moments seem so fleeting and it took so long for these days to arrive that they almost don't seem real.  I know I should enjoy them at every possible moment, and I try.

I hit the path on the Nice Ride bike today during my lunch hour, and it was at the expense of me not eating a meal for lunch the second day in a row.  But I love being outside, and obviously I love biking.  Usually when I'm down by the river I take more time on my photography, but today I felt rushed to get back to work, and things just weren't all that exciting down by the river today.  

Admittedly, however, this guy was giving me a sense of envy since I also love canoeing, and today was a perfect day to be on the water.

Day 156...One on One

ONE ON ONE

The photos that always get the most "likes" are usually landscapes and whatnot, you know, sunsets, etc.  But I really love taking action photos.  It seems this summer hasn't shaped up yet for the really "action-ey" action shots yet.  Seems like I tend to position myself and the perfect shot is coming into the viewfinder, and then the ref runs in front of the lens.  Grrr.  

But anyway, I think you can still get the essence of Tiana's passion for the game in many of the photos I shoot of her.  There's still a fair amount of the season left for me to get some headers or something.  I love watching these girls play and I love shooting them.

Day 155...Capitol Sunset

CAPITOL SUNSET

Was at the boyfriend's apartment.  He knows I like a sunset.  He knows I like photography.  He looks out the window and says, WOW.  Look.  The photo of the day was inevitable.  Don't really know what else to say about it.  I guess I have to give him credit for it.

Day 154...Morning Spire

MORNING SPIRE

I know I already have tons of photos of Assumption.  But it is crazy how many different angles of it I see and it's always kind of a different feeling.  I think there is just something about the silhouette of the cross against the sky that really grabs me.  And the clouds are another thing that keep me fascinated.  I actually didn't even realize how cool the clouds looked in this one until I uploaded.   

Day 153...Hey, Little Blackbird

HEY, LITTLE BLACKBIRD

Out on my search to find things to photograph, I could hear the blackbirds in the trees above me.  I don't know much about birds.  I'm not a huge "birder."  But I love trying to spy them among the branches when they are chirping and singing and see if I think their voice matches the way they look.

I have an uncle, Mark, who can identify a bird simply by its voice.  That seems crazy to me.  But it's a passion of his, I guess.  Anyway, these guys seems either annoyed that I was near their territory or they were begging for my attention.  I decided to give them attention and take their photo!  

Of course, since a blackbird is plain black and not all together that exciting looking, I think it just does the photo more justice to be in black and white.  

Day 152...Field of Fluff

FIELD OF FLUFF

I know that the poor dandelion gets a bad rap.  But let's face it...everyone has at least a tiny bit of love in their hear for the little weed.  I know when you stand out in your yard, and they are everywhere, you want to curse them, and pluck them and stomp them out.

But we all have moments when a dandelion has brought a smile to our face.  Think back to childhood when you would see a field full of newly blossomed dandelions, and you would go and pick a giant bouquet of them to present proudly to your mama to show your love to her.  Remember running to the ripe ones that are white and puffy, and nobody can resist blowing the fluff off the top.  Or the ever popular poem children would sing while flipping the top off the dandelion off with their thumb, "Mama had a baby and its head popped off!"  Or can you remember sniffing the dandelion to see if they had a lovely scent, and then have your friends giggle at the golden tint on the end of your nose?

But as a grown up, the mothers of the world get tears of joy as their little toddlers pick bunches of the flowers to place on the dinner table.  And what grown-up can honestly say they don't still want to blow the fuzz of the mature flowers?

So let's give the dandelion the credit it deserves.