On Assignment with Towner Jones Photography

Towner Jones Photography is hosting a really cool photography contest for the summer months. For this contest, participants will first select and submit a theme, then at summer’s end provide a set of photos that relate to the chosen theme. The prizes are fantastic and include a $100 B&H gift card as well as merchandise/services provided by such sponsors as onOne Software, Borrowlenses.com, HDRsoft, 2 Bright Sparks, and WHCC. Please see the blog post On Assignment with Towner Jones Photography for all the details. How’s that for a fun summer project?

After the Hunt

Before the Bunny

Gothic Revival

Centre Block of Parliament, Ottawa.

Processed in Lightroom 2 using a preset from Wonderland Presets called Creative Catalyst 48, found HERE.

In Memory of Bob Jordan

In memory of Bob Jordan, of Canyon Rim Photography, who passed away a week ago today.

I wish Bob had been a friend in ‘real’ life, rather than only in this virtual world. He seemed a gentle man, always warm in tone and generous with praise. His images projected his love of the natural world and had a way of spreading his joie de vivre. The impression he left on me is lasting – I have certain spots I like to photograph which will remind me of Bob for a long time to come.

Today I will take a moment to spread the word that I think he wanted spread. If you are male, please see your doctor about screening for prostate cancer. And if you are a woman, encourage your male loved ones to do so. To quote Bob, “My message to you all is get regular checkups. Early detection is the best. I waited five years after people told me to get my prostate checked out even though I wasn’t having any problems.”

You will be missed, Bob. I know you are surrounded now by the most beautiful forests, friends, and old time music…

(I’m re-posting this image because it was one that Bob liked.)

This Year Has 365 Days

Some of you might remember that last year, I participated in a project called 366 Photos in 2008. The aim was to make 366 photos during the (leap) year, each of which was to satisfy a given theme. I loved a lot about the challenge and it introduced me to blogging. But, taking part had some negative aspects, too, and I gave up in September. Last month, some members of a forum I frequent inquired about starting the challenge anew in 2009. Since they needed a new theme list, I volunteered to create one and as a result of their tremendous enthusiasm, decided to do the challenge too. That’s my way of explaining how my posts here became so sparse over the last month – I was making up 365 photographable themes for the new challenge as well as guiding a group of 39 mostly new bloggers through the process of making blogs.

I’m looking forward to the new year and lots of challenge, both here on Borrowing the Light and on 365 Photos in 2009. Here is the first image from my 365 Photos in 2009 blog, satisfying the theme “Musically Inclined”. Just for fun, check out the themes and the guidelines, and if you know anyone who would like to participate, let them know – it’s not too late to get started…

This is my 89-year-old mother-in-law giving James a piano lesson. Playing the piano has been a significant factor in helping her recover emotionally from the effects of a series of falls and illnesses over the last 2 years. The power of music is amazing…

The 1 Minute History of the World

This coming Saturday, I’ll be joining at least 650 other photographers worldwide in photographing a single minute of our lives. This project is called “The 1 Minute History of the World” and you can find all the information HERE. If you’d like to take part, register in advance using the email address provided at the bottom of that page and you’ll get an email reminder of the upcoming event.

5 Things Meme

Mike Palmer of Mike Palmer Photography tagged me for the 5 Things Meme. Here we go:

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago

1. Learning to make pottery
2. Making play dough for nursery school
3. Reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
4. Chasing my toddler son
5. Watching “The Wiggles”

5 Things On My To-Do List Today

1. Walk the dog
2. Laundry
3. Hang around while contractor replaces windows
4. Pack for trip
5. Go to information meeting about high school program to which my daughter is applying

5 Snacks I Like

1. Chocolate
2. Chocolate
3. Chocolate
4. Chocolate
5. Chocolate

5 Things I Would Do If I Was A Millionaire

1. Buy all my dream gear
2. Upgrade computers to Macs
3. Take my son on an ancient Greece tour
4. Buy my daughter signed copies of the Harry Potter books
5. Invest

5 Places I Have Lived (For Various Lengths Of Time)

1. Dayton, Ohio
2. Santa Cruz, California
3. Ottawa, Canada
4. Poway, California
5. McLean, Virginia

5 Jobs I Have Had

1. Worked on a political campaign
2. Waitress in a Japanese restaurant
3. Substitute teacher
4. Economic Analyst
5. Mom

5 People I Tag

1. Lisa
2. Linda
3. Pat
4. Mia
5. Steve

Hardware

Practically nothing is more important to Kate than ringette*. For years she has played for teams that have not met with much success, but this year’s team is something special. I wish I could take you all to see a game because I cannot even begin to explain the speed, finesse, agility, and ferocity these girls demonstrate as they play the sport they love. It was to everyone’s delight that we watched them go without a loss in the round robin of their first tournament of the season this past weekend, then battle back from a 4-7 deficit to take the gold medal. These are the medals awaiting presentation to my daughter and her teammates.

*Ringette is a girls ice sport similar to hockey.

Folded Flag

This American flag, triangularly folded, honors my father’s WWII military service and was presented to our family for his funeral in 2003.