The Tropics: February, Week 1

Yeah, so sorry about January week 4.  That's just not going to happen.  Sorry if you were looking forward to that.  To make it up to you (my supposed readers), I'm posting two photos today.  Lucky you.  As many of you know, I just got back from a cruise.  I've saved my favorite pics from the trip for posting on the blog this month.  I  didn't even post these ones on FB, so you, dear reader, are special, because not all of my FB friends are my blog friends.  My blog friends are an elite group, or so I like to think.  Now, without further ado, here are this week's pics, both from Cozumel, the first stop on the cruise.

"El Diablo Beach"
Canon SX40HS
f/8
1/800
ISO100
1/22/2013
Cozumel, Mexico

This beach was gorgeous!!  The sand was so soft, and the water was relatively warm.  I didn't get in and swim, although I did wade in a bit.  How could I swim with pictures like this to be taken?!  I added the Orton effect to this one (thanks for the tutorial, dad!), and I think it turned out quite nicely.  I felt like this picture really deserved the dreamy effect of Orton.  It was definitely a dream to be on Cozumel!

"Mayan Sunstone"
Canon SX40HS
f/7.1
1/500
ISO100
1/22/2013
Cozumel, Mexico

This picture is the back side of a replica of an artifact called the Tortuguero de Macuspana Tabasco.  I don't know the significance of this particular artifact, but I liked the colors and the general look of the thing.  It was in the middle of the road  between El Diablo restaurant and the beach seen above. In fact, I took these two pictures consecutively.  You'll notice in the upper right of the picture, the stone has the Mayan, Spanish, and English words for sun.  I loved how the sun was in just the right position for me to catch some rays and flares of the actual sun on this stone depicting the sun.  The parallelism just warms the artistic corner of my logical and orderly little heart.

Home: January, week 3

"Subzero Sunrise"
Canon PowerShot A4000
f/3.2
1/80
ISO100
1/3/13, 7:45 am
West Valley City

Here's another shot right outside my front door.  I was just leaving the house on my way to work, and the sunrise was so amazing that I had to stop and take a picture.  The temperature may or may not have actually been subzero (in Farenheit, anyway).  All I know is that it was really freaking cold.  I'm glad I captured it, though.  Totally worth freezing my fingers to get the shot.  I only wish that the picture actually did it justice.

I'm cold just thinking about that morning.  Lucky for me, I'm heading to the tropics tomorrow.  Of course I have one more week of the "Home" theme, but after that, I think you know what you can expect to see for the month of February.  Some pictures of slightly warmer climes.

Home: January, Week 2

(click on image for larger view)
"After the Storm"
Canon SX40 HS
f/6.3
1/500
ISO100
1/12/13
West Valley City, UT
This is a panorama of 3 pictures I took right outside my front door.  This storm dumped up to 24" of snow in parts of the valley.  This is the tail end of it making its way over the Wasatch mountains.  This photo represents home because this is the view I see right outside my front door every day.  Stay tuned for more variations of this same view.

I'll be on vacation for the next two weekends, so week 3's post will come early, and week 4's will come late.  just in case you care.

Home: January, week 1

"The shed"
Canon SX40 HS
f 4.5
1/200
ISO400
12/25/12, 4:42 pm
Montpelier, ID

This is the old shed just out the back door at my parents' house.  It seemed old 30 years ago, but as far as rustic outbuildings go, I think it's aged pretty well.  I hadn't really thought about it much until I was looking at the pictures I took of it, but home wouldn't be home without the shed.

not just a monkey with a camera

i think that we've fairly well established at this point that i am not a blogger.  let's be honest.  anyone who can let their blog sit un-updated for 3 1/2 years cannot claim to be a blogger.  I'm okay with this.  there's too much pressure associated with maintaining a blog.  That's not why I'm posting again.  thanks to some idea stealing from Katie Corbin (love her!) and the image posted below, i've decided to take a more proactive approach to photography.

There are two reasons that i don't think i'm a monkey with an SLR camera.  First, i don't have an SLR camera.  Second, i don't think i'm a photographer.  I have two fixed-lens cameras and sometimes take pictures with them.  But i want to take better pictures and maybe brag and show off a little, so i am henceforth posting a picture each week.  I'm doing this for me, but if anyone wants to tell me how much they love my pictures in a comment, it may act as some positive reinforcement to continue with my little project.

Each month, I will choose a theme, and each weekend I will post one picture that has to do with the theme.  I'm loving some of the themes i've chosen, but you'll just have to wait to see what they are. If you have any suggestions for themes, feel free to make them.

school supplies

i'll be the first one to tell you that i'm really happy to not be starting school in just 3 short weeks. i will say, however, that i'll miss buying school supplies. that was always my favorite part, regardless of how much my books cost or whatever. if that makes me crazy, so be it.

the other day, sarah and i were talking about shopping for school supplies, since emery is getting ready to start kindergarten. when i was little, i always wanted the big box of crayons. you know the one. the one with the built in sharpener in the back. i got it maybe one time (it's okay, mom. i understand) and that was a happy year. those extra 16 crayons made all the difference.

today i met sarah in bountiful so she could borrow some of my books. she said there might be a treat involved. she was not kidding! she brought me this:

64 delicious colors of waxy goodness. i couldn't be happier :D

happies

1. alex stayner finally joined facebook!!! i know that means little to nothing to most of my readers. (do i still have readers? {chirp, chirp} that's what i thought). he's been holding out on us for about a year now, and quite possibly longer. my jaw hit my desk when i saw my friend invite from him. i don't know who jamie schram is, but he is now my hero. (he's apparently the one that got alex to cave on the facebook thing)

2. matt moses committed to movie night!!! this is the first time in the history of matt moses friend-dom that matt has committed to host an event that he did not in fact plan. it's a big day. we threatened to just show up at his house tomorrow night and wait for him to come home and let us in. for once our idle threats worked!! movie night tomorrow at matt's house :) yay!! (although i must say that i don't believe that our threats were actually idle. after walking into the frat house to wait for someone to come find us in the living room because no one answered the door, i can actually believe that we would sit on matt's doorstep until 1. he came home or 2. the neighbors told us to leave.)

3. girls night with julia and debbie. i hate it how married friends drop off the face of the earth. i'm glad that we've been able to successfully drag debbie back from over the edge periodically. good times at buca :)

4. the best ever recipe for molten chocolate lava cake. to. die. for. very bad for you, but very like an expensive restaurant dessert. you can thank/curse me later. i'll understand either way.

5. it's friday and i'm going hiking with jules tomorrow :)