Wishing you Much Wonder in 2010.

This photo was taken with the Canon Rebel using my 100-300 zoom lens. I came out blurry so I used a few textures and overlays, and feathered the edges in Photoshop. Turn blurry photos into something new! In my research, its important to lower shutter speed to allow in less light and shoot faster. I now have my tripod and a wireless remote, so I am heading out to see if it makes a different. Wish me luck!

Pictures I see may not be the picture you see...

Recently, someone purchased a picture from me. It was a picture taken at Bellows Beach on the island of Oahu. My home town. It was one of my older pictures so I was a little leery of the request. He wanted an 11 X 14 of the picture, and I was fearful that it wouldn't look as good as his expectations of my work. I am an amateur. I am getting better, and sometimes I get the perfect shot, but in my opinion this wasn't one of those times.

We talked back and forth and I learned that he had some very fond memories of Bellows Beach. It was his memories that made that photo beautiful to him. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say, and I have come to realize how true that can be. Each day when we pick up our camera, we are taking pictures of the beauty we see, or the oddity, or juxtaposition of the shot.

But someone else, is seeing a memory of their past, or perhaps a goal for their future. They are remembering a tale once told, or a song once rehearsed. Photos allow others the opportunity to relive or replay their own stories.

Its kind of wonderful when you think about it. Don't get so caught up in taking the perfect shot. Take pictures of what you love. You never know what memory you make wake up, or who you may inspire.

New Camera, Exercise, Turning 50 and FUN!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...I turned 50 this month, had a reduction in my job hours, gained 30 pounds and life just wasn't looking all that rosy! And then my birthday came. My Mom decided it was important for my 50th birthday to be special and so her and My Dad bought me a new camera. When I found out I was speechless. It was an amazing gift. You see I had been using my company's digital camera to explore and practice my new found interest in nature photography. They had approved it, but after the job situation I just didn't feel the same there. I didn't feel like part of the team anymore, and just couldn't use it any longer. So it was back to the regular 35mm camera, waiting for your photos to arrive to see if you got good shots. It was different, but I would survive.

And then this wonderful gift. And you know, I started really thinking about it. It was so generous and so wonderful, but it was much more than that. It was acknowledgement. My parents saw in me what I wasn't seeing in myself. They saw my passion. Here I was at 50 with my negative voice saying "Who am I" "What am I passionate about?" Feeling down and a little unsure. And they were saying: "You are so creative, wonderful, passionate..." Well, those are what I heard!! LOL. My point is, we spend a lot of time second guessing ourselves and those that love us are showing us in so many ways how great they think we are. Maybe we just need to believe in ourselves a bit more and hang around those that think we are fabulous!

Well, as for the 30 pounds and the aching back, yesterday my husband and I took my camera on a hike and we caught so many wonderful pictures. I walked farther than I realized, the back pain is a little less painful this morning, I feel great and I have a feeling this camera is going to get me up and running again! I can't wait to get back outside today!

I am posting a picture today of a woodpecker. Its taken right outside through my screen door. Its not the best shot, but I am posting it because that is what this is all about. Learning. It could be a little clearer, it would be awesome in a tree with greenery in the background. But I live in the suburbs in a little townhouse with a small postage stamp backyard, and he was coming to the feeder, which in and of itself is a little odd because woodpeckers are typically insect eaters. Perhaps he too is having to adapt?

So, what are you learning today? What fear are you pushing through? How are you embracing the changes in your life?

Live Life to Your Fullest. Dare to Be.

A dear friend of mine, Norma shared this poem with me a few weeks ago when I was being challenged in all aspects of my life, and wasn't sure how to deal with it all. I was overwhelmed with it all and in our prayer time, she suggested I take some down time and just read this poem, perhaps once, maybe twice and let it just sink in. And so I did. I have to say it changed my outlook and God really spoke to me through this poem. I want to share it with anyone listening, because I think if we all began to pay attention to what its saying we could change the world. Even if its just our own little part of it. I hope you enjoy it. Would love to get a discussion going on it, so please post your thoughts and let everyone know what you took from it!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightening about shrinking
so that other people don't feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.


It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
And as we let our own Light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

Author unknown

Learning with ETSY

Recently I opened a shop on ETSY. I wanted to try my hand at selling crafts, photographs, etc. so decided to give it a try. Its actually very easy but where I got stuck was in the loading of photos. I immediately went over to the ETSY chat rooms and sent a question out to the group. I was having trouble with blurry photos in the listing. I asked if anyone had any recommendations for how to correct this. I learned that photos have to be saved at a certain size. When you take pictures with a digital camera they aren't always taken at a level satisfactory for posting and in addition when you use a higher resolution camera sometimes the photos can be too large. To fix the problem you need to utilize software that allows you to enlarge or reduce the photo. This of course was all new to me. I have PhotoShop Software but didn't really know how to use it. I asked for recommendations and was immediately directed to this fantastic site! I highly recommend you check out http://www.picnik.com/. Its so easy to use and so much fun. I have played around with my pictures with this new site as well. Just look at the little spring geese I have made for cards and photos. I also recommend you upgrade for the cost of $24.95 a year so you can take advantage of all the features. If you are new to photography and want to have some fun creating and improving in the process, then this is the place to go. You simply upload the photo you want to correct, adjust or fit, and you are on your way. You can't harm the photo, as you keep the original on your desk top. Just make sure to change the title when you save it. I tried all the special effects, all the cropping, all the text (this can be used to add text (watermark) to protect your photo rights). If you sign up for the program please tell them you heard about it on the Born Barefoot Blog!

The Eagles have Landed

I wasn't lieing when I told you I am fasciniated with this pair of eagles. Each day I look over at the nest as if to say "hello, over there, what's going on?" This morning they were active! Searching for sticks and bringing them back to the nest. I caught this one in flight. Isn't it magnificent. Its one thing to see an eagle picture in a magazine, its a totally different thing to capture the moment yourself. If you want to see the series, log on to my Etsy site at www.sowingoats.etsy.com. It was a cloudy overcast day when I shot this photo but the effect makes it look almost as if the eagle was layered onto a background. I have been playhing with it trying to add a blue sky as a background. I will share my success later!

Spring is Here!

I carry my camera with me everywhere and watch as I drive along the Parkway to see where the serious photographers are pointing their cameras. Imagine my giddy surprise and delight when "I" the Photographer wannabe, with a camera half the size came across a professional photographer and his camera pointed high in the trees! Snapping away at a Bald Eagle. I immediately did a turn around and headed to the parking lot, grabbing my camera and "Click, click, click" I had my photo! Now to get home and Zoom it in the hopes of getting a photo worth bragging about. I think its pretty good, what do you think? Its a little blurry, but he was quite far away.

I am just amazed by these large birds. For me its a symbol of hope and survival at a time in the world where things are portrayed as so grim. Hope you enjoy it.