2010

All New Macro Monday

October 18, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald Leave a Comment

And those are my offerings for the week. I love macro photography, but it can be quite challenging as I am learning. But I’m hooked, and I’m determined to improve. I intended to make these photos as large as possible for macro photos must be viewed in a larger format in order to really be appreciated. So if a particular photo strikes you, click on it to make it larger. It makes a big viewing difference!

Filed Under: Blog

Macro Monday

October 10, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 1 Comment

Inspiration: Not found, not so much. Effort: A for trying. Photographer: undaunted.

Here are pictures that limped to the finish line:

Ooops! This beachlifer is officially OUT of free Blogger storage and has had to purchase more so that she can continue to regale you with minutiae and mediocrity with the occasional brilliant photo or post thrown in. So… Macro Monday is being delayed until payments can be confirmed; please stand by. Your wait time may be up to twenty-four hours. So please, don’t hold your breath.

In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about creative inspiration. It’s no surprise I’ve exceeded my allotted space here on Blogger. I’ve already filled my hard drive and have had to buy a second external hard drive, all filled with images. I might not buy the kids’ requisite, overpriced school pics every year (please consult your yearbooks to see what you looked liked in your second grade uniform, kids.) For a girl who has more than 25,000 jpegs on her hard drive I’m just a bit insulted that the photo studio who shall remain unnamed (but seems to have a monopoly on all the area schools, both public and private) doesn’t even give us a choice of this picture or that one, and then bundles it into some exorbitantly priced “package” making me feel like Their Bad Mother when I let months go by without making the buy – but look! I have 19,000 pictures of them on this external, or the other. There’s certainly no shortage of pictures of my kids, and backed up well.

I even offer them their own photo shoots, but they eschew that (who wants their mom taking their photo again) and even when I resort to forcing them to be my practice subjects, naturally the attitude seeps through the lens and while I have captured plenty of lovely pictures, I’m building my portfolio by shooting other people; children or adults. I have one model in particular who stares right through the lens with that blank but pleasant look on her face; a face that I could never pull off without someone asking me, “Are you all right? Is something wrong?” I think it just comes naturally to some people, certainly models have it, and if you have it, you can learn to work it.

I photographed a lovely family on Saturday afternoon, collecting hundreds of images they’ll enjoy choosing from. Each time I do this I get new ideas on how to engage small children in photo shoots; with very small children who can’t sit and pose, candids are the way to go. I was very happy with the outcome of the family photo shoot. The subjects were wonderful to work with; the venues, perfect. Howell Park drenched them in a saturated green backdrop, while the beach provided that magical mixture golden afternoon light, and an azure sea and sky, the surf breaking with just enough white foam to provide the perfect horizontal contrast. I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.

I love nature photography in macro. A good macro / portrait lens has been the best addition to my camera bag and every time I pull the camera out my heart lures me in search of small images worthy of that extreme close up. Today, it was just breezy enough to keep moving my subjects and therefore my results were merely fine, but not spectacular. I want to feel that catch in my throat, that internal leap of excitement when I view my uploaded photos, and lately, in macro, it hasn’t happened. I hesitate to post them, but post I will, for it’s the only way to keep myself challenged; although I do hit the ‘publish’ button with less enthusiasm than I did that first time I published a set of macro shots from the garden. It had rained; there wasn’t any wind; the raindrops were hanging like a single tear was shed from the nascent bud of a June agapanthus.

That’s what keeps me coming back for more. The memory of that picture. That’s why I know I can do it.

Filed Under: Blog, Macro Monday

Hoodie Morning at the Beach

October 5, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 3 Comments

Hoodie weather has arrived at the beach.

For those of us not jogging in the morning, an early morning temp of sixty-four degrees has me eagerly sliding my arms into my snug black hoodie over shorts and a tee shirt. Children who rue the heat of summer and claim to long for a snowy climate are now complaining about the chill. For me, the delicious season is here: fall fashion weather.

I’ll never forget our affable realtor, the least cheesy realtor I’ve ever met, describing this climate when I’d called from the snowy and gloomy north, inquiring about life at the beach; the winters in particular.

“Winters here are Fall fashion weather,” he told me, a transplant from my region himself. “You can wear your sweaters and boots and fall clothes, but you don’t have the hassle of snow, slush and gloom for eight months of the year.”

I liked the sound of that. And now it’s here. At least, the hoodie-in-the-morning-weather part. The rest is coming, and I can wait.

I still yearn for one more day at the springs, swimming those cool, clear waters (and who knows, I might just get one more springs day in yet) Fall has arrived at the beach and I’m happy to put on my morning hoodie and go out to behold the beauty of autumn dawning at the beach.

Despite the snarling child in the seat behind me, annoyed that I stopped at the beach for a few minutes in lieu of waiting in an empty school parking lot for twenty minutes until school opened for business, I ignored her attempts to change my mind, and stood in the cool morning breeze and took these snaps.

Then I drove her to school and happily deposited her and her mood on their sidewalk. At least one of us enjoyed this spectacular morning.

All the pictures were the same photo with different iPhone applications. Photos were taken two blocks south of the Jacksonville Beach Pier.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Macro Monday

October 4, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 3 Comments

Filed Under: Blog, Macro Monday

Sunday Beachlife

October 3, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 1 Comment

It was a perfect early autumn Sunday. We gathered here, where all are welcome; come as you are, for Jesus sat and dined with the least of us. This is an intimate place, where you can experience Him and the glory of The Eucharist, before you go on to whatever the rest of your day has in store for you.

This is where I went:

I traveled this familiar pathway, a walk that never fails to ignite anticipation.

For at the end of this walkway, known as my beach, or, formally, the 20th Street Beach Access in Atlantic Beach, I set up my chair, books or magazines, dig my toes into this

and just relax, with this:

After a highly satisfying couple of hours, it was time to leave:

I’m truly grateful that this is where I get to be; that I can feel the sea breeze and hear the waves every time I go outside to do my activities of daily living.

I love being able to share my beachlife with you. I’m also truly grateful that so many of you seem to enjoy stopping by. Thank you for that; your comments mean more than you know.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Autumn Moon

October 2, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 4 Comments

She is the mother of a Chinese child.

As such, she is supposed to have a working knowledge of the festivals and holidays important to the Chinese people. As her parent, she wants to raise her daughter with at least a whispering of understanding of these festivals and holidays so that when she’s grown she can go forth with some grasp of her original culture.

She doesn’t try to be a Chinese mother. Her daughter already has one of those. Two, in fact. She is the third in her daughter’s line of mothers. A trilogy of mothers for her little one, to whom this matters, very much.

But as her daughter’s surviving mother, it’s her duty to familiarize her with the Chinese holidays and festivals and ensure that she sees other families like hers; and mixes in a world that isn’t dominantly Caucasian.

This mother does the best that she can. She doesn’t attend all the events and parties that the wonderful parents’ group sponsors. She misses out on the opportunity to know these other women; women who’ve found friendship among themselves, and deep bonds that surpass the initial reason that brought them together: the adoption of their children.

Last weekend this group gathered on the beach to celebrate the Chinese Autumn Moon Festival. This mother decided to go. How could she not attend a party on the beach, just up the beach from her very own, after all?

This mother had a glorious few hours on the beach, chatting it up with people who could be her good friends, if only she’d get a bit more involved in the goings-on. Her daughters – middle child brought along begrudgingly, with a school friend – had a blast; three smiling, sandy children were tucked safely into this mother’s soccer-mom-style minivan after the party was over … and then this mother turned and saw it: the autumn moon.

She gasped. Fumbled for her camera and took this snap. Whether or not it is the authentic Autumn Moon, it will suffice, for it is ours.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Red Brick Sidewalk

September 28, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 4 Comments

She loves living in a coastal town that has brick sidewalks. She loves peering at the inscriptions on the bricks. For years she’s meant to buy a brick that represents her, and her family, for she’s put down roots here and wants a ~~concrete~~ brick reminder of that; evidence that might in fact outlive her, that she lived and loved here, too. Brick sidewalks are charming, and lend ambiance to her community. The bricks are sometimes dusted by sugar-like sand that blows over from the beach across the street.

Now that her favorite store has moved to a different location, she doesn’t know where she’d like that brick to be placed. She thinks it needs to be on the Atlantic Beach side of her beloved Town Center, though she cherishes both sides of the street, and the people and merchants and visitors who come and go from here every day.

She hasn’t decided yet. She’s waited ten years, intending to do this, but her sense of place needs to be just right. She supposes she’ll wait a while longer, until she finds that sense of peace inside, the same peace she felt when she chose here to be home.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Macro Monday Autumn Garden

September 26, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 1 Comment

It’s becoming a wonderful time of year to be in the garden; perhaps even gardening at night — who knows? The weather’s slowly changing. We rearranged our outdoor fire pit this afternoon and readied the wood pile. Pinion wood: check. A few logs of pinion wood tossed into the pile makes woodsmoke so alluring I can pull weeds and putter in the yard for hours. There’s nothing like having a small campfire crackling in my own back yard, perfuming the air with its scent and the ocean murmuring in the background – daytime or night.

In the meantime, I’m clearing the beds of their spent plants and doing other chores a summer of neglect has wrought. Pulling weeds and taking pictures: not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

This is what I saw:

There’s a fungus among us.

Summer’s Agapanthus, gone to seed.

Queen Palm frond, its duty done. Behold bokeh.

Garden reader, a gift from my mother. Cherished.

Garden snail who left his shell behind.

Seed pods.

Seed pod from a variegated ginger plant. It blooms in June and remains lovely year round.

The End.

Filed Under: Blog, Macro Monday

Autumn Arrives at the Beach

September 22, 2010 By Jeannie Greenwald 4 Comments

Well, it’s the autumn moon tonight and I have to say, it is beginning to feel like Fall here.

What that means is: the light is softer, the air, though still warm, feels less moist, the sea breeze feels drier. It’s been windy on the beach, which accounts for the noise in the videos (so be forewarned – at a couple of points you’ll want to hit the mute button) but I couldn’t resist posting them as they depict the deliciousness of this day at the beach.

This video was taken with my new iPhone 4. With its video capability, the new iPhone was able to instantly upload this to YouTube and yes, I am very excited about the possibilities. I apologize for the wind but I wanted to show you how pretty it was out here today.

Oh, and don’t worry about iPhone 3G. She has gone to a new home, to someone who will surely jailbreak her and use her on a reliable cellular network somewhere in the U.S. I’m speculating on the jailbreak part, but whatever, I got a good price for her so everyone’s happy about that.

Next, I decided to take a video with the Little Canon Elph, to compare the two in quality. Obviously, the ability to wirelessly upload to YouTube or Facebook or to email a video to someone gives iPhone 4 the edge over the Little Canon Elph in many situations, but I’m not giving up on her just yet. As a point-and-shoot camera, she’s reliable and performs admirably under many lighting situations. She also is a sturdy little macro shooter if given half a chance. So the Little Canon Elph still occupies space in this beachlifer’s purse, and will, for the foreseeable future.

I just happened to have started shooting when the lifeguards showed up to take down the day’s flag, red, indicating the surf could be treacherous. God bless our lifeguards, and I mean it, but the fact that they got their little beach vehicle stuck in the sand for a bit was too cute not to shoot. So I kept the Elph going, they knew it and were a bit embarrassed but before long, they were on their way. Don’t worry, guys. I knew you’d get out of it!

It was such a lovely afternoon and although I did not spend any part of it reclined in my beach chair with the books I’m longing to read, I was thankful for the few minutes I had at the end of the day to visit the beach and breathe it all in.

Welcome, Fall, to the beach. We’re not out of the woods yet, hurricane-wise, but this beachlifer is sure hoping …

Filed Under: Uncategorized