Welcome to My Camera and I! This is where I will post *some* of my thousands of photos, and write about photography, my life, my thoughts and views on various subjects, some of my stories, and just whatever I feel like posting. Feel free to leave comments, and if you would like to link to me, add me to your friend's list or copy something, please drop a note and ask first. Enjoy your visit! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:44:00 -0600 Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:44:00 -0600 Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   The farmers renting our fields finally harvested them!! I'm glad, because now I get all that land to ride on. Great spot for galloping *grin*. I think the farmers have dayjobs, because they did most of the harvesting at night. Dad and I had a fun time playing with my camera, getting shots of them in the dark. Tripods are a huge help *nodnod*.     Fun fun. I was standing out there in the cold- I had been in too much of a hurry to grab a jacket- and loving every chilly second of it ;-) And then even better-- they didn't finish the fields, so they parked their equipment and went home!! Of course I couldn't pass up a free photoshoot standing in my field, now, could I?   Earlier the sky had been a dull, cloudy grey...so I had to wait and wait. But in the meantime I rode Becky, so I didn't mind ;-)    Beans, beans, and more....beans.   Yes. It is huge. I felt like a two-year-old standing next to it. And no- I wasn't laying on the ground to get these shots. Our neighbors were outside in plain view and I didn't feel like making a total fool of myself at the moment. So I was "shooting blind", so to speak- I knelt down, put my camera right next to the ground and shot upwards without knowing for sure what I was getting.     This was the first time I'd been able to get an up-close and personal look at this sort of equipment. I had a blast with all sorts of odd angles.     Yes...it's the tires of a John Deere tractor *sheepish grin*. The light was too good to pass up. If it hadn't been for the lighting, it would have been B-O-R-I-N-G.     And again, I took this more for the lighting than the subject matter. I love how the backlighting makes all the little hairs glow...lighting is definetly a photographer's best friend!   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/742552/ Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:44:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/742552/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks! I saw this fun tag over here and decided to do it :-)   In Spring my favorite things are the soft sunshine, fresh blue skies and friendly wind. I love shedding my winter coat and pulling out my flip-flops and short sleeves. I love seeing the trees start to bud, the grass brighten, and the daffodils pop up. I love opening the windows, hanging clothes on the line, and laughing at the scruffy appearance of my shedding, muddy horse. I love watching the farmers discing the fields, and watching a haze of green appear over the acres of farmland.    In Summer I love spending long days in the sun playing volleyball with my friends, roasting s'mores, and eating cold watermelon. I love going on lazy bareback rides through the fields, barefoot so I can rub my feet against the slick warm hide of my horse. I love stuffing my shoes in my closet and wearing sandals everywhere, and then laughing at the tan lines on my feet. I love ice-cold peach tea,  watching my brothers chase butterflies, and taking pictures of them doing "boystuff". I like mowing with the lawn tractor, alone with my thoughts and the smell of the freshly cut grass. I love leaving my window open all night and falling asleep to the sound of the wind and the crickets. I love fireworks and going to the Symphony to celebrate Independence Day.   In Fall I love the cool, breezy days. I love the smell of woodsmoke, and watching the corn and soybeans turn golden. I love apple cider and historical re-enactments. I love the intense blue of the sky, and watching the trees don their fall colors. I love running my hand over my horse's thickening coat, and being able to gallop her without feeling guilty about making her work hard in the heat. I love working jigsaw puzzles with my dad and curling up under my down comforter at night.   In Winter I love waking up on the morning of  my birthday and feeling as excited as a little kid, and watching snow come drifting down out of a fluffy grey sky. I love coming in from the barn and finding a cup of cappuccino waiting for me on the kitchen table. I love the hint of mystery that fills the air, secrets about Christmas abounding, and being the main person that my family brings things to, begging me to "hide this until Christmas- and don't tell anyone". I love watching packages gather under the Christmas tree, and watching the boys pick what ones they think belong to them. I love sitting on the couch with the tree aglow and the lights turned down, listening to Dad read the Christmas Story. I love rolling in the snow, making snow angles and snow forts, and attempting to make good sled paths down our hill. I love the silence of riding my horse when several inches of snow covers the ground, muting the sound of her hooves and giving me the sensation of flight. I love the icicles, and observing how the light hits them in such a way that they glint and glimmer. I love curling up with a good book while a good ol' snowstorm blows, knowing that my family and I are all safe and sound inside. I love...waiting for spring to come again.   Now that I've completed this tag...I tag Nachoaveragegirl MaidenPrincess SimplyVintageGirl   Even if you aren't one of the three tagged above, feel free to do it anyway with a link back to my blog. Here are the rules of the tag: Rules of the tag 1. Tag at least three people after your post. 2. Post back to the blog that tagged you. 3. Post the rules of the tag and please don’t post the things you least like about the seasons, but what you like best 4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/736280/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:44:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/736280/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   The other night Mom found a really neat site- with a symbol I had never seen before. It is called "The Grafted In Symbol". It was found on a cave wall years ago, and symbolizes how we, as Christians, are joined together with God's chosen people- the Jews, and how we become one with Israel.   I liked it so much that I made this icon, and thought I would post it here for fun.   I found the symbol itself online, and then merged it with a background that I created. I then added the Hebrew text, which simply says "Grafted In"   Another reason I really liked the symbol is because recently I have had a growing interest in the Hebrew language and Jewish history.   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/735885/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:51:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/735885/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   Dad got this in an e-mail...and I thought I would share it :-)   THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER       This one is a little different... Two Different Versions!         Two Different Morals!                 OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,  building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.        The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.        Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.                          MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!        -----------------------------------------------------------------                        MODERN VERSION:              The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer  long, building  his house and laying up supplies for the winter.               The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.        Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.               CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide picture of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.   America is stunned by the sharp contrast.          How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?               Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing,  'It's Not Easy Being Green.' Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake. Nancy Pelosi & John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.        Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.                The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.               The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow.             The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.          MORAL OF THE STORY:  Be careful how you vote.   Lol!! 4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/733135/ Sun, 4 Oct 2009 13:55:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/733135/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   Even in a park and a cemetery. ;-) Well, my great-grandma's birthday was a few weeks ago, so we took her out for the day, along with my grandma, my aunt, and her kids. It was fun! GZ (nickname for my great-grandma) had been wanting to show us where some ancestors were buried, so we went to a cemetery. The boys thought that was really morbid, lol. Then we went out for lunch and went to a really nice park! And, of course, I had my camera. *grin*           (note: I have no idea who the person who's name is on that tombstone is... I just liked the lichen ;-) ) The cemetery was way out in the middle of nowhere, and very cool, for a graveyard.       I liked the...stark loneliness of these two photos...I don't know why, but they kind of grabbed me, begging to be taken.     And this was really fun :-) Great lights/darks, and I loved the repetition. I used a really shallow DOF, I love throwing things out of focus and leaving only one or two things clear.   So, anyway...we had a fun time.    4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/733128/ Sun, 4 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/733128/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   If you have never had to write out a skeleton for a novel, you have no idea how completely taxing it can be on your brain. I am at the point now in my One Year Adventure Novel lessons where that is what I am working on. Yesterday I actually threw down my pencil in frustration. Thing is, when I write, I jump in without a plan. Of course, I have a general idea of where it will end up, but that's it. So this is a new thing for me, because I have to have a basic plan of my story. I imagine it a lot: what goes on, who does what, etc. But not every scene! And it is so much information to take in from my lessons sometimes. Like I had never, ever thought about ideals until I started doing OYAN. Never. The thought about what ideals my characters would represent had never crossed my mind; or about the "Inciting Incident" and theme, or I have never dug deep into why my heroine wants/doesn't want to go after the story goal. Not consciously, anyway. It is one of the best and hardest things I have ever done. And I love it, even when I throw down my pencil and am tempted to cry from lack of answers to the questions.   I only have 7 lessons left before I begin the actual writing process!!! I am SO excited!! Yes, I have written some scenes on assignment (and on the side for fun), but have been going through the planning stage, which can get pretty intense. I've only had it for 53 days...and have already done 32 lessons ;-) I think I will be done a lot sooner than the approximate 9 months.  I am getting highly addicted to writing. I start to go crazy if I have to skip a lesson for lack of time ;-)   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/725866/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:22:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/725866/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   Lol. It's had me caught for a long time :-D     A beautiful bunch of flowers I came across when I went to Shipshewana with the girls in my family! It was such a hoot- seven people in one hotel room! At least it was only for one night, we got to laughing so loud so many times that my grandma was worried we were bothering other people :-)     Yep, it's a grain elevator! Also from Shipshewana, and a very common sight in the Midwest!! If you ever go to Shipshewana, you have  to go to JoJo's Pretzels. The best soft pretzel on the planet!     A hot-air balloon landed in our neighbor's field! It was really neat, and I got tons of photos. I like the graphic look of this one, it's a close-up of the balloon pattern.     Our other neighbor's Mustang, Dakota. He has a really sweet, friendly personality ( I want to ride their horses :-D ).     And their fence...*sheepish grin*. I used a wide f/stop, and got a pretty neat picture, at least, I like it! (No, I wasn't trespassing, lol. We had been invited to their house for a get-together)   Yeah...shoes. *even more sheepish* Grabbed this shot at a local park. We were wading in a creek (yes, I had my camera with me, and the tripod! I know, I'm bad...but the camera didn't get wet!), and Mom said "Why don't you get the shoes lined up on the rocks?" So I did, and I'm glad she suggested it!     Pilot Guy :-D I liked his stance, and took several candid shots of him...then found out they were fuzzy. So, I called him back over and made him strike the same pose! He wasn't too excited...but did it anyway ;-) (Thanks, PG!)   Well...I need to go feed the animals...and muck a stall. 4Him, ~Hannah   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/717134/ Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/717134/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   I haven't been blogging very much lately....I guess because I've started a writing curriculum and have gotten rather absorbed in that. I have been doing the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum, and it is great!!! But, I'm back :-D Things have been so busy here lately! We've been through shingles (my mom), and extremely mild cases of chicken pox (the three little boys), a girls' weekend out (fun fun!!), I got stung by a wasp, Dad smashed his thumb against a metal post with the handle of a sledgehammer...and just our normal crazy life!! Thankfully we have had gorgeous weather up until Saturday. I don't think I've ever been through such a cool July/early August. I'm really trying to balance out and use my time more wisely. I have a rather bad habit of going gung-ho into something and slacking off on everything else. So, I'm trying to change that. Photography is still rating high on my list, and I have some fairly recent pictures to post-up next!   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/716398/ Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/716398/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   For the past several months, I have been following a website via update emails. This website, hosted by China Aid and Voice of the Martyrs, is doing everthing they can to help free a human rights lawyer in China. Gao Zhisheng was kidnapped by Chinese police and is being held and tourtured somewhere in China. Gao is a Christian and has undergone several kidnappings before. He has been missing for 148 days. A petition has been written and over 105,124 signatures have been collected, asking that the Chinese government disclose Gao's location and release him. Recently the petition was delivered after 100,000 names had been signed. The Chinese government refused it, but the man delivering it left it at the door anyway. In China, leaving it there signified that it had been legally served to the government. How you can help: If you are interested in helping this persecuted brother in Christ, go here. You can sign the petition (I have signed it three times!), get names and numbers to call/email members of the Chinese government, read the complete story, or make a donation to help China Aid and VOM do their best to free him. You can also get names/numbers to call/email our own Congressmen, several of whom are taking a stand against what is happening to Gao.   Please help!! If the Church doesn't stand up to help, who will?   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/710480/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/710480/ Note: All photos, posts and stories on this blog are my sole property and copyrighted to myself and My Camera and I unless otherwise noted. They may not be copied for any reason without written permission from me. If you would like to copy something, please ask me first. Thanks!   I now have gotten 100 comments on this blog :-D I was going to make an icon for that, but I don't remember who the lucky girl is that left that comment; I delete those automatic emails saying I've gotten a comment, after I answer them.   So...instead I will post a photograph.     I had my photo software "stitch" together a number of pictures to make this panorama. I took the photos at the park several weeks ago, with this end in mind. For my first one, I am pretty pleased with it!!! Depending on your internet software (internet explorer, firefox, etc.), you might have to maxamize the webpage to see the whole photo.   4Him, ~Hannah http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/710061/ Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:37:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mycameraandi/710061/