Tell me a Story: December 2014

The month has just flown by and since I knew that my photography month was going to be very short, I decided to start preparing myself for the end of the month.  I was pretty excited when my friend Jennifer called me and asked me if I would be willing to take her photo for her Christmas card.  

I was happy to do that, and it worked well for me because I needed images for my month end blog.  I had so much fun with Jen, and I hope that we get to do this again sometime.  

We headed down to a local beach and wandered along the boardwalk and took photos, and then crossed the road and went to the edge of the Intracoatal.  

Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice"

~ Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer:  A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.  

I hope that you enjoyed my photo's of Jen.  Remember this is a circle blog so don't forget to head on over to Orange Moon Photography / North Dakota - Melinda Sauvageau and see what she has for you this month. Remember to leave a little bit of love on each page.

As 2014, draws to a close, I have to reflect back and remember that we have been doing this group for a year now.  I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and have been so glad to be a part of it. I look forward to blogging with each of you in this coming year.  I wish you and your family a year full of good health, happiness, laughter, good friends and enough dreams to make you want to make them happen.  

And so from that wee bit of Irish in me, here is an Irish blessing for you in this coming year:

Count your blessings instead of your crosses.

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes.

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears.

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full times instead of your lean.

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth.

Love your neighbor as much as yourself.

If you are interested in seeing more of my photography take a look at my Facebook page or my Flickr Page or head over to my new website Sharleen N Stuart Photography

30 Minutes in the Life: December 2014

Time is a fraction, and mine is running out....This month has been a month of adjustments.  I started a new job which means my working hours changed, my travel time changed and I face a whole new learning curve.  It also means my photography time has been affected as well. Added to that I will be having surgery on my foot on the 18th of this month and so I decided to work ahead and take my photographs early so that everything was done and prepared for the upcoming blog.

Working in advance means that when 30 Minutes decided to make this month a Five on Festive, I was not on the same page.  Truth be told, I am not even doing Christmas decorations this year.  While it would be easy enough to put it all up, taking it down will be another story. Climbing in the attic on crutches will be impossible for me.  So I decided to get a Poinsettia and call it Christmas.  Presents can go around that this year.  So my blog will not be the same as the rest but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

A few months back I bought a macro lens, 85mm. The person I bought it from told me she never used it for macro but mainly for portraits.  I have used it for macro but never for portraits.  So when Amy came home for Thanksgiving I asked her to be my model while I tried out the macro lens. 

"Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure.  You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively, unless you can choose challenge instead of competence.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt, The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

This 30 Minutes marks the joining of a number of new bloggers and it will be exciting to see what they have for us in the future.  Don't forget to follow the circle and take a look at what the other photographers have for you this month. Stacey Markel Photography / Maryland Family and Child Photographer is up next.   I always love what Stacey has to offer and I am hoping to live Christmas vicariously through my fellow bloggers.

As this year draws to a close I have to thank all the ladies I have been blogging with this past year.  It has been a blast and I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this group.  There is amazing talent in here and each one has helped me grow in some way.  

May your coming year be full of love, peace, happiness and joy.  May you dream big and may your dreams be a journey that you constantly strive towards.  

If you are interested in seeing more of my photography take a look at my Facebook page or my Flickr Page.

Project 10: December 2014: Simplicity

Project 10 is a group that I have participated in as a guest blogger for the past year.  I really enjoy their choice of topics.  Sometimes I come up with something, sometimes I am totally stumped. Sometimes I come up with the topic after the fact.  This month was a good month for me.  I love to walk in the wetlands.  It gives me the opportunity to de-stress from my day to day job which has just changed again.  Same company different workload.  Another learning curve. That is all I seem to have done the past 2 years.  

Walking in the wetlands also offers me something else.  The opportunity to see wildlife in it's natural form.  Birds, gators, raccoons, bobcats (although I have yet to see it close up), otto's (them too).  I love it.  I grew up being taught to appreciate nature.  We had all sorts of critters in our home.  Taking this walk just really settles my soul.  

However, you can only take a Moorhen so many times and it becomes a little boring.  So when I walk I tend to look for different things and experiment a little with how I take the photo.  So here is the simplicity of nature as I see it through my eyes.  

"A withered maple leaf has left its branch and is falling to the ground; its movements  resemble those of a butterfly in flight.  Isn't it strange?  The saddest and deadest of things is yet so like the gayest and most vital of creatures?"

~ Ivan Turgeneve, Fathers and Sons

Thank you for letting me post in this group.  I have really enjoyed staying a part of it and I am glad I was able to get it done. I hope that you all have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year.  May you dream constantly, and may those dreams come to fruition in 2015.  

If you are interested in seeing more of my photography take a look at my Facebook page or my Flickr Page.