Welcome, Clara Cannon!

As many of you know, dear Clover Cannon, my Rebel XTi broke Newton's laws and disappeared last Spring. I am still at a loss as to where she is, but I finally figured it's time to move on and started researching cameras a couple weeks ago.

I finally took the plunge and got a sweet little Rebel XS. She's quite the dear. Basically all the same features as my XTi, plus a little extra quality. Like I can take pictures in black and white (which I may have been able to do before but never figured out). And there's Image Stabilizer.

What this means for me: I get to take good pictures again!

What this means for you: You get to see my pictures again!

Win-win. Or in the world of Michael Scott, win-win-win.

Little Chelsea Lamb

I saw this picture this morning, and so many thoughts rushed to my head that I had to write about it. First off, it's at face value a powerful image to being lost and the metaphor of the Good Shepherd:

"I myself will tend my sheep and have them lay down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak..." (Ezekiel 34:15-16a)

In the photograph we can see the youth of the lamb. Perhaps he's still enjoying his adventure away from the others, but we can begin to see fear creep into its face. He feels lost and alone. He doesn't understand what's going on. He's looking around and doesn't see his mom. We know the Shepherd has a more aerial view, and can see the rest of the flock in the distance. He can bring the little lamb back.

Once I read the verse in Ezekiel, I thought about the common association the Christian community has with lamb and lost. It's probably because most verses deal with salvation (Psalm 119:176, Isaiah 53:6-7, Matthew 25:32). We have all heard that God "searches for the lost and brings back the strays," that He rejoices in the one found sheep (Matthew 18:12-13). The metaphor is usually used with evangelical undertones. However, the verse continues to say he "will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak." I myself don't think of him as a Shepherd often when I'm still in the flock.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:1-4)

There's no mention of being lost. Read it again, closely, especially if you've heard it before. The Shepherd is actually "with me". I feel with God right now- maybe not 48 hours ago, but yes, now. I had run ahead of the shepherd, and I'll be back in that green valley one day, but next time with His presence and blessing.

What I'm dealing with now is missing the valley. It is a good valley- why not go now? Why do the other sheep insist on sticking around here for so long? That is my valley. However, I hold onto the faith that my Shepherd knows what he's doing- and has the power to guide those sheep too, if he feels it's best. No matter how amazing that valley is (for it really is), it's not worth being there without my Shepherd.

Photograph by Matt Blakemore, http://www.flickr.com/photos/simpologist/142876597/in/set-1587781/ . Creative Commons licence: Attribution and Non-commercial.

A New Method of Packing-Procrastination

A photo tag from over at The Gilgours.

Tag rules:

1. Go to where you store your digital photo folders. Open the fourth folder.

2. Go to the fourth picture and post it.

3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people.

Well...

This picture was taken very shortly after I got my camera. I collect spoons (like, the tourist-y ones) and decided to catalogue them. This one's from Washington D.C. and was given to me by my dear friend, Bianca Z.

My four blog friends: Allison S, Rae L, Kevin L, and Ken C.

The HUB @ Camp Caroline

Our church's college/young married ministry (which I am included in- long story) had a weekend retreat to Camp Caroline, a peaceful multi-acre facility just south of Caroline, Alberta. I went to take a break from the city and rest. I had my Math 31 final Friday morning, and wanted to get away. Once there, I found several friends that I just don't see enough of and we picked out a room (the cozy one above the boiler room) :) . The speaker for the weekend was Steve McCready from Northern Ireland, and he did an amazing job going through the book of Jonah and discussing some of the heart issues that Jonah went through in his transformation. The rest of the time we had to play games, swim, tube down a snowy hill, and go on walks. I wouldn't call it restful (last night, a group of about 18 of us played water polo from about 11:30 PM -1:30 AM and have the bruises to prove it), but it was very relaxing to get outside and be responsible for nothing but myself. I met lots of new friends and got lots of practice with my camera. Here are some pictures from the tubing hill and from a walk around camp. Thank you everyone for a great weekend! :)

Good Morning, Beautiful!

What's this?

Comfortable, Lacey?

What are you doing sleeping on the clean clothes, ma?

First Snow Pictures

I took Ziggy and Lacey outside to get some fun shots in the snow. Not many turned out, as I am still trying to figure out how to deal with the lighing issues that snow creates, but here are a couple good ones.

And some not so good ones (so you can see the fun we had). If anyone knows how to fix this dull, seemingly underexposed look, let me know. It may have to do with ISO. If you'd like the settings that the picture was taken under, let me know.

Update:
I messed with the histograms (somehow?) a little, and liked the effect. Then I cropped the last one, so here's the updated version:

PhotoLife Contest

Hey guys! Hope all you Canucks had a happy Thanksgiving, and you Americans had a happy Columbus Day. Today was the [extended] deadline for Photolife's Image International contest, and above are the photos I entered. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! [Notice I took Hazel out of the photo with Paige. Oh lovely Photoshop]

Cameras Galore!

My school's photography club is all old-school, film, dark-room. Which is great! Except I didn't have a film camera. Notice, the past tense. :)

Yesterday I bought a Pintax MEsuper for $25. Amazing, I know. Especially after I cruised $200 ones on Ebay.

Pintax's birthday: somewhere between 1977-1984, aka older than me.

Also, I have decided to name my cameras, because I'm a girl and we like to name things. So I went to babynames.com. I decided the Pintax should be a boy, and the Canon should be a girl.

Lovely pictures that Clover took of Plato (no, I would not do that to my own children).

I would post the picture that Plato took of Clover, but it may take a few more minutes to process... :P

The funniest part: It has no battary. I took 15 pictures, trying to figure out how to adjust the shutter speed before consulting the manual (yes, I'm slow). Once there, it said that it was adjusted in the screen, through up and down arrows. I pushed, but nothing happened. So I read on, and apparently it works at a 1/125 speed on default without battery. I opened it up, and alas! I had just assumed it was working because it took pictures! Which kind of stinks, because I don't think any of my pictures were bright enough for that speed, but THAT'S SO COOL!

100 Snapshots

A Work in Progress: Right-side link again

1. Safety

2. Stale

3. Feathered: Seagull that was investigating a McDonald's bag on Prince's Street in Edinburgh, Scotland

4. Hot


5. Open


6. Forever


7. Love

8. Touch


9. Colorless


10. Blue


11. Smell


12. Growth


13. Irony: Bacon for supper in St. Monas, Scotland.

14. Wrong

15. More

16. Feel

17. Muse

18. Child


19. Within

20. Pale

21. Earth

22. Torn

23. Scars

24. Stray


25. Drops

26. Against

27. Dry

28. Fresh

29. Covered

30. Bold

31. High

32. Shadow

33. Concrete

34. Vein

35. Rush

36. Yellow

37. Empty


38. Cliché

39. Central

40. Loss

41. Wonder

42. Sweet

43. Poetry

44. Heavy

45. Fall

46. Chair

47. Statue

48. Kool-Aid

49. Dark

50. Breath

51. Garbage

52. Silk

53. Teacher

54. Cream

55. Wash

56. Corner

57. Rose

58. Field

59. Two

60. Red

61. Music

62. Rope

63. Decrepit

64. Chase

65. Dream

66. Dance


67. Smile

68. Smirk

69. Reflection

70. Soul

71. Lock: Entry to Roswell Chappel in Roswel, Scotland.

72. Key


73. Rust

74. Find

75. Lose


76. Drag

77. Wind: My kite on a September day

78. Rest

79. Swing

80. Meeting

81. Vacant

82. Hazy

83. Release

84. Gather

85. Swarm

86. Road

87. Wait


88. Stand

89. Distance

90. Trapped

91. Desk

92. Detach

93. Shatter

94. Home

95. Shy

96. Tackle


97. Begin

98. End

99. Time


100. Life

My Favorite Recent Pictures

I don't know how "recent" you'd consider these actually. They're from a two weekends ago, when I went to go visit family over east of us.

Monday, Wash Day

One of the best things about coming home after a long trip is clean, fresh clothes. I was doing my laundry from my trip this morning, and as I was hanging up my pj pants, I thought it would make a good picture.

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I got my Biology AP results today- 5/5! Goodbye, BIOL 233 (U of C)/BIOL 2474 (HBU)!

Another Opthamologist Appointment...

a) or b)?
Do we like c) at all? (I have nothing to compare it to)
d) or e)?



f)or g)?

Think of It as.... an Opthamologist Appointment

a)... or b)?
c)...or d)?

I have 5 more, but blogger's not cooperating. I'll do a seperate post for them.

Please Vote!

Update: Sorry for having to add word varification to comments, guys. I have been recieving increasing amounts of comment spam.

New Camera

I got a new camera. You guys will be seeing a lot more of my pictures! Here are some shots from the last week.

Lake Invermere

Beautiful British Columbia

Dutch Blitz

Wall Hanging in Progress

Food?

Brownies