Taking Better Photos~ What Bloggers Need to Know!

One of the added benefits I've found with being a rug hooker is the ability to notice colors, form, design, etc., around me with more of an artistic eye. The digital camera has aided this ability greatly and given these aging eyes an opportunity to see things in close-up mode and then study the subjects more intensely. A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I'd be sharing some of my photography tips with you. Now, let it be known that I'm no where near a professional photographer. My husband has taught me a few things along the way and the rest has come with my repeated efforts over the recent years to become a better photographer. So taking a ton of photos would probably be my first tip to those of you wishing to perk up your photography skills a notch or two. In order to accomplish this you need to keep your camera by your side, fully charged and ready to shoot at a moment's notice! My little Canon PowerShot A480 is always sitting nearby and I've begun keeping a supersized package of AA batteries within reach also! With digital camera technology we can delete immediately those blurry or strange photos and keep shooting to our hearts content. Sometimes I have shot fifty or more photos to get one of decent quality. I am learning to edit on my camera though as you don't want to unload thousands of blurry or strange photos needlessly onto the computer.






With camera in hand this morning I caught a couple of purple coneflowers in the garden. The slight breeze kept them in motion so I grabbed an old bench I keep near the garden and sat right down and angled the camera so the bird bath became the background. Be aware of the background and how your subject is showing up. A pleasing, soft background is what you're after. You don't want it to distract from your subject. Keep your subject in focus and don't be afraid to GET CLOSE to it. Try to take a few different angles. Sit or lay on the ground and shoot up! See what you get! Now if you're like me the hardest part is getting back up! Sheesh! What I won't do for a great photo! More great tips coming soon so stay tuned!







Smokey and Max showing off my latest rug. What can you tell me about this photo that sets it apart from just another completed rug photo?

A Secret Challenge and Garden Update

Have been waiting for this deep bergundy with white edge Royale Geranium to open. I talk to it each time I pass by but it doesn't seem to do any good.  It taunts me and says " when I'm ready I'll razzle dazzle you, in the meantime just keep me watered lady!"


I can't get enough of these limey green leafy vines this season. I love the black dirt showing in the planters until everything starts to fill in.


Here's my little bejeweled lizard buddy who helps me in the garden with the look of adoration on his face.  I love him for that.  It's nice to be adored.


Doesn't he  just kill you with that face?


Years ago we salvaged this huge old hog butchering kettle and Dave's father welded a support from old antique hay forks.  It greets visitors from the front side yard.


I replanted this hanging planter I bought a couple of  weeks ago. I kept the licorice plant and added those little bell shaped flowers that the hummingbirds really love. 

The black Iris is starting to bloom.  I'm fascinated with this plant.  It is even more dark purple in real life than the photos show.


The bumble bee's look gorgeous  on that color! Where were they when I wanted a photo?


The buds are more fascinating than the flowers!


Last but not least this is my Mom's tomato plant.  She spied it at a local garden center and said " how about this one?"  It already had a flower on it so that means a tomato should follow right?  
So the only other news I know is that I've joined the Secret Rug hooking challenge on Rug Hooking Daily.  The theme this time is Forest Secrets.  This is the first time I've joined any type of challenge for rug hooking.  The theme sounds interesting and fun.  The guidelines are it has to have a rock, a ring, and a touch of royal purple.  I am told these things are open to our imagination. The rug can be any size, shape and material that we chose.  The first few days after joining this challenge I almost went crazy trying to figure out what I was going to do. Pen to paper and paper to waste can seemed to be all I could come up with. Then one late afternoon I took the dogs for a walk on a wooded trail near here.  The ideas started coming fast and furious as I stopped and took  nature in from the level of a dogs nose. I finally came up with a design.  The only thing I can tell you it's nothing like what the dogs noses were sniffing that day. I have the design drawn and almost transfered onto the linen.  I really hate keeping secrets but this one will be under wraps until the July 30th deadline when we reveal our rugs to the challenge members and to the world.  Now I have to go dye some wool for the background and I will show you that!  I think that is allowed!