Nancy Carol-ncbPhotography

Lazy Susan Bright Yellow Petals      I walk through our yard in the early morning hours prior to the intense heat setting in.  I have a duty to check our pool's skimmer to rescue the little critters that tend to get stuck in the force of the current, typically frogs and toads, but we have also rescued turtles, rabbits, snakes, anoles, and bats among other things.  Last year a spider nest burst open in the pool.  Hundreds of spiders spread across the water.  Where is your camera when you need it?  I try to remember to look outside before I exit, as often there are deer, herons and turtles that you can capture an image of.  The gardens are full of life in the morning.  If you look closely, you see a lot of life in the small details.      This time of the year, natures' young are out in force.  A multitude of geese, birds and bats are learning to navigate the skies and the creepy crawly things ...

Lake Dog meets Pool Frog, "Who are you?"       Still working on a more serious reflection that involves Social Media relationships.Think about it, who do you allow to follow you and who do you block?  Where do you draw a line on individuals who may or may not be who they present themselves to be...it will be posted some day...meanwhile, it is a HOT Week!  I hope you will all stay COOL and Safe.  Keep Hydrated with water, I have heard news reporters explaining the compounded effect of heat on our bodies day after day, so find a place to keep Cool, pace yourself!  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Check up on your loved ones.

     I was ready to photograph the 4th of July fireworks.  My goal was to best an old favorite with my new digital camera, a SONY a6000 with a 4/18-105 all purpose lens.  It is difficult for me to hold the camera steady, so I was ready with my new JOBY GorillaPod SLR-Zoom & Ballhead tripod with flexible, wrapping legs.  I was debating where to set up, and decided to be low to the ground so I could gain some silhouette images against the glow of the fireworks.  This allowed my friend to shoot from higher ground as well.  We were both happy with our positions.      I followed the suggestions of Jim Fisher, in his PC Magazine article, "How to Photograph Fireworks" (June 23, 2017) by lowering the ISO to 100 and adjusting the aperture while setting the camera on a manual setting.  He additionally mentioned the Gorilla Pad tripod as well.  I was wishing I had more than one camera, as I was photog...

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary's first definition of APOLOGY is: a :   an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret a public apology      Like many of us, I have heard my share of apologies.  In the past decade, as a teacher primarily working with grades 9-12, I heard the statement of "I'm Sorry" rattled off so many times seemingly lacking sincerity, I began to reply, "Apology accepted upon your Changed Behavior".  This was my attempt, to have the apologizer, make a personal commitment not to repeat the action or behavior that had them mutter the apology in the first place.  My desire was to have them pause, think and embrace their responsibility for self control in the best way possible within their control and more importantly understand the ripple effect of their decision.      My injuries are a result of other's negligence and out of control behavior....