Day 55- With a Zig and a Zag

Day 54- Sun Doggie

I am not going to lie, I probably should have gotten a speeding ticket when I rushed home to get my camera to capture this rare sight. It was a rain free day and yet there was a rainbow circling the sun.

Day 53-

Day 52- Sunlight and Thistle

Thistles make look beautiful but I hate them... am sure glad this isn't my yard. 

Day 51- Sounds Like a Good Idea

The best advice I have heard all summer!

Day 50- Strawberry Lemonade Pedals

Day 49- Wading for the Tide

Day 48- Washed Up

While Lake Eire may not have crystal sands and turquoise waters, they do have a nice golden surf.

Day 47- Oh The Gull

Day 46- Noisy Neighbors

Day 45- Racing Towards the Sun

Clematises have always been a favorite of mine. While I haven't had any success in growing them, I do manage to take a pretty decent picture.

Day 44- Wide Open

First time playing with wide angle. 

Day 43- Stairway to Heaven

Day 42- If I walked Down This Road, Would I Find Jim Morrison?

“I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone stops, points up and gasps “Oh look at that!” Then- whoosh, and I’m gone…and they’ll never see anything like it ever again… and they won’t be able to forget me- ever." – Jim Morrison

Today, I was in the mood for some Jim Morrison and I decided that that man, broke the mold. He took freedom and grabbed it by the balls, dragging it kicking and screaming behind him. He looked at the world with defiance in his eyes. He may have been a spoiled child or a genius, but there is something about him that draws the world to him, maybe it is our own suppressed desire to live life unhindered by the chains of society. He may have lived life in a complete haze, but he had a unbelievably clear grasp on who he was and the principles he believed in.

Day 41- Mario

Day 40- Untitled

Day 39- Sign Here

Day 38- Liquid Gold

Day 37- Are We in Marlboro Country

Day 36- Industrial Wave

Day 35- Not My House

Day 34- I am Unhindered by my Gender

Out of all the books I was assigned to read in high school, only one stands out, The Great Gatsby. I have long forgotten the plot, characters and settings. One sentence is all that I can recall.

"All right... I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

Gatsby was written in 1925 and yet this one line impacted me so much 75 years later because for me, it was still true. I have always been a strong independent woman that follows her own path. I don't let the influence or opinions stop me. In this world, a woman cannot find the right path. People snub you for deciding to be a career woman, people snub you for wanting to stay at home with your kids. When I chose to leave college for a family, it was a waste... or so they said. I was too smart for the life of a housewife. It doesn't matter to the world that I want the best for my family and since I am "so smart" I think that I am the best for my family.

Women still hear you can't do that. Whether it is traditionalists or feminists, they don't want women to be capable of making their own choices. They want to guide them down the path that is the best roll for a woman in their opinion.

For me, I will live life with the male mindset and make my choices knowing that they are my choices. I will deal with the consequences and accept the responsibility. My life is not a waste and nor am I a fool.

On a side note, it was a blast to shoot these self portraits. I have to say I don't look too bad as a guy...

Day 33- Elite Aspirations- Aiming to be a Hero

Local Boyscout

These men were escorting the beam from the World Trade Center

I snapped this picture as the above men were heading out of town. It was really nice to see their bright smiles. These men have served their country and are surrounded by the sacrifices our countrymen have made. It was a nice reminder that there is still a lot in life to smile about.

High-school Band playing taps. I love his solemn expression.

This is the face of a boy who is looking down the path of how he wants to become a man. He is listening to a moment of silence, knowing that the path he chose isn't the safest. He has fears but faces them. Still in high school, yet deciding to put himself in harms way for the greater good. He is a future hero, he is a junior marine.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!! I hope you enjoy these patriotic photos. They were taken over the course of the parade and ceremony in front of our veteran's monument. It was a very emotional day for our town given that we recently lost one of our hometown boys.  As Americans, it is our duty to remember that freedom is never free. Freedom must be taken, when freedom is given it can be taken away by the givers on their whim. Thank you to all those that have served and sacrificed.

Day 32- Summer Lace

Doing these self portraits was a blast, other than the sweltering heat. I saw Tyra do a photo shoot on ANTM where she cast shadows over the models and I had always wanted to give it a shot. I used a piece of black lace and the sun as light. I really like how contradicting it is; a masculine shirt with a girly skirt, old fashioned lace with a hippy-chic kind of vibe, black and white. In the end, I think these pictures have a very Cuban feeling. Also, this is the first time I have photographed myself Au Natural. I am not wearing any make-up and my hair dried without me styling it or adding any products.

Day 31- Purple Dasiy

 

Love this shot!!! I really need to come up with a suitable title but nothing seems right.  That little bit of yellow really makes the photo.

Day 30- Singing for Supper

I saw this nest out of the corner of my eyes and new these baby birds needed captured. They were silently waiting with open mouths for their mom to return to them. I climbed up on the porch swing and balanced on one leg to get the right angle into the nest that was wedged on top of a giant wreath. When watching the hatchlings, I couldn't help thinking about my own children that are always hungry and begging for food.

Day 29- Lava Lamp Stakeout

Last night I spent 3 hours standing in my daughter's room in the dark trying to photograph the exact moment when the lava in her lava lamp separated. It is almost embarrassing to admit that. I really wanted to work on my night photographs because I don't really have a good handle on the settings I should be using. Then I laboriously sifted through the hundreds of pictures. It was tedious task and complicated because the colors were not very accurate. The whole project slowed my 365 day project down because the editing took so long. A lot of work went into these pictures, but every time I passed her room I had the urge to get some shots of the lava. I think the abstract photos turned out great and so I didn't mind the work one bit.