Fall has begun!

Judging from all of the blogs and facebook status updates that i've read this week, FALL has begun across the country!  It's just like one day we were groaning and moaning that we were tired of the 90 degree heat, and then BAM!  It's 65 degrees, windy and overcast and you have 3.5 seconds to pull out your fall wardrobe and get it hung up.  The family and I have a little walk that we have taken a couple of times recently that goes down our little street, down a little hill, and ends with a hopeful visit to a pony.  It makes my daughter's day when that pony is outside.  So I got brave and took both children by myself today, which is a task with only a single stroller.  My girl did great walking the whole way up and down the hill, but no pony was in sight unfortunately.  I brought the camera to photograph the little guy but ended up snapping some greenery instead.

leftovers...

these are some leftover side photos from various times that i've taken pics....


what i was going for before the grasshopper joined me...

this leaf got a little crowded...

my princess and her new princess dress...

aaaaand again...

and some more of my lil model's pics with her bear...

and i leave you in peace with a shot of my very active pup...

practice

Today i spent a little bit of time practicing my closeups and flower photos as well as my black and white editing.  I am such a fan of b/w photography but it's actually difficult to edit just right.  Some photos call for overexposure, others require filters to bring out certain colors as brighter white or darker black.  Either way this bright yellow flower created some good practice for me!

i was capturing some water beads on a piece of grass and the second i started to snap this grasshopper joined me.  He was so well behaved as i was within about 3 inches of him and there he just sat!  What fortune!!

spiderwebs

I need a micro lens like nothing else.  I love photographing the little things that you usually wouldn't pay any attention to.  A bug on a leaf, the center of a flower, the details on an interesting piece of architecture...etc..etc...
I do what i can with what i have though so i was tempted outside this morning by the interesting sunlight cast across my yard...

 so i thought i would practice my capturing of the sunshine, as i learned how to do that the other day...

As i was doing this i noticed an awesome spiderweb strung up between the grasses...

when i walked away i found another web in the grass with a spider currently working on it.  Again...i would LOVE to have a micro lens for things like this...but this is what i could get...

after the web i went back to focusing on different techniques.  Trying to capture some bokeh with the fresh morning dew was a challenge as well.  I am however loving getting to practice with my camera and learning new things!!

Lavender

My lavender that I planted last year and did absolutely zero maintenance to, made it through the winter and you could now say that I have a plethora of blooms.
Would you say I have a ple-thor-a?
Name that movie!!!
Anyways...I past it by when getting the mail the other day and just had to pick some and bring it inside.  Lavender is my favorite go to scent.  I love it in all things soaps, air fresheners, stuffed animals...you name it, I'll like it in lavender.