Go Giants!

I had the amazing experience of sitting right next to the field in the Corona Beach Club AT&T park.  It was so cool to be so close to the red dirt.  What I especially enjoyed was the space at the end of our area for taking pictures.  I brought my big zoom lens with a 2.8 f stop and was able to get some really awesome pictures.  I felt like a professional sports photographer getting a chance to get close to my favorite team!

I know this is the "other" team, but I was sitting right next to the bullpen and look at these photos!  When it was quiet, you could hear the sound of the ball as the pitchers warmed up.  I got a better understanding of just how fast their pitches are.

Even though we lost, it was a fantastic experience that I will always remember from these great photos. From a photographer's viewpoint, it was my favorite seat.  Not the best seat for trying to cheer my team to a win because I was always busy looking for that 'next great photo'!

Ladies Weekend

This past weekend I experienced my first ladies weekend as a mother.  It was the first time I was away from my baby girl overnight and it was hard to say goodbye.  It was harder to say goodnight by face time, but, it was an amazing weekend!  Sometimes you don't realize how much you need something until you are in the midst of it.  This was one of those times.  I rarely have girl time any more.  All my best girl friends are not mothers and have exciting, busy lives that involve late nights and exotic places.   I also rarely have alone time, which I suppose I could ask for, but I seem to feel guilty about.  I have no problem scheduling things with a purpose, but alone time seems selfish and unpurposeful.  I need to get over that.

The weekend was for one of my coworkers that turned 50 this year.  I was the youngest girl there, but everyone made me feel so comfortable.  There were about 12 of us that stayed in a really nice house on Dillon Beach.  Each day involved wonderful food and drink, beach time, great conversation, lots of fun and very little sleep.  It was fantastic!  The only downer was the sad football game where the Niners lost : (

I made the mistake of not charging my camera battery before leaving, so I had to be frugal with my picture taking.

 An amazing breakfast that involved delicious muffins, fruit and oatmeal. 

 The path we walked down to the beach.

 The house at sunset where I spent my fantastic weekend.

 I have a lot of pictures of sunsets. They are just so dang awesome!

 A delightful dinner.  We did not go hungry and had enough food to last another weekend!

 My favorite sunset picture.

 The view from our living room.  I could live here.

 Enjoying the beach barefoot.  I did not bring the right clothes for this weekend.  The last and only time I went to Dillon beach it was 90 degrees at my house and about 60 at the beach.  I was prepared for cold.  I brought pants and long sleeve shirts.  It was a toasty 70 each day!

 Cool surfer picture.

  Everyone has to get a cool footprint in the sand picture. 

Life moves fast

As a mommy of a 16 month old, time seems to escape me all too often.  I realize that days and weeks pass without me having done anything for myself other than going to the gym, which, I'll admit, is a great feat!  I used to take my camera everywhere.  Now, with a little one that has been walking since 10 1/2 months and who is a new climber, my camera stays at home.  I find it easier to just carry a cell phone that I can quickly pop in my back pocket when I need to. 

I slugged through hundred of pictures of my blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl to find out the last time I used my camera for something other than her.  It was my Aunt Teresa's wedding.  She asked me to be her photographer.  I was nervous and excited at the same time.  My composition skills are not too bad, but I lack any knowledge of post processing - where most of the work of wedding photography is done these days.  I post process, but it is literally just me playing around with the Photoshop software, trying something, seeing if I like it and trying something else.  So, I was only mildly happy with my results.  I'm hoping in the future that I will gain some real knowledge of Photoshop and surprise them with a couple of much better Photoshopped photos.

I was happy to help her out on such a wonderful day.  She married a man that is happy, kind, generous and an all around good guy.  I couldn't have been happier for her!  So, here is my point of view from her special day.

They married in Grandma's backyard and it was perfect in the shade of the tree.

Grandma and Grandpa holding hands.

My dad made them two coasters with their wedding date.

 

My little musician playing with one of Aunt Teresa's friends. 

Mom and Daughter.

It just had to be black and white.