Focus on Life: Check out - Wide Angle Photography

Heading into the Wide Open Spaces!

This week's Focus on Life prompt from Sally Russick was to check out W  I  D  E angle photography.  When I read this, I instantly thought of a feature of my camera I had read about, but never used. The Live Panorama feature allows you to take a picture while moving the camera (really a little video) and the camera processes it as a wide angle shot.  

What better time than this week to check this out!

I headed out to the Black Dirt farming area near where I work. You may remember the area from last year's Hope prompt. 

This year, in the beginning of March, you have to look closely to find any trace of farm fields. 

I have to say that the Panoramic views came out pretty great. 

And I had a little company. They thought it was funny to pose on the nearby bushes, then flit away.

 And did I mention that it was really cold out, with a steady wind? I forgot my thin gloves, and didn't wear a hat. What we do for our art.... 

Check out others' wide angles.

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life: Cabin Fever - A Collage of Love!

So Many Choices!

When Sally Russick sent out our assignment to create a collage representing things we love, I wasn't too surprised. It was a natural for the day after Valentine's Day. But how to make it fresh, and creative? 

I loved Sally's idea of plunking a big ole heart in there, and I kind of had an idea of adding some family pictures....

Ho hum. So I decided to just grab two pictures representing how I love when the sun comes out on a snowy day, and add two of my cats and a favorite beverage! 

So there you have it. Hope your Valentine's Day was sweet! To see what other people love, click on the thumbnails below. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Focus on Life: The Sun!!!!

A minor obsession of mine

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas

A gigantic nuclear furnace

Where hydrogen is built into helium

At a temperature of millions of degrees

Yo ho, it's hot, the sun is not

A place where we could live

But here on earth there'd be no life

Without the light it gives

We need its light

We need its heat

We need its energy

Without the sun, without a doubt

There'd be no you and me

-They Might be Giants "Why Does the Sun Shine?"

I love the Sun as a design element. So this should have been a natural for me. Sally Russick announced this week's Focus on Life prompt: "Catch the Sun," and I should have pulled out all my Sun Themed Jewelry creations..... but while I have a collection of sun themed jewelry, most are not my designs!

But never fear, I managed to snap a few shots.

First, there's my Jewelry collection.

My polymer clay experiments - commercial mold

Most of my collection of sun themed jewelry, and little boxes.The pewter moon box has a little sun, too!

At Lincoln Center

Sometimes you see the sun most clearly when it is shining on something far off. This was taken with my phone camera, while sitting in the shade of Lincoln Center in New York City. Buildings to the east of us caught the rays of the setting sun. 

Of course, if you are careful, a glimpse of the sun can be beautiful all on its own. 

Or behind the clouds.

The sun glistens off the leaves of an asparagus plant.

And lights up a milkweed. 

For more sunny shots, visit The Studio Sublime.