Fotoart Photography Photoblog

workspace {portrait photographer, victoria bc}

I am in the midst of getting my workspace done.  Colors to pick, furniture to paint, deciding what goes where, and browsing around in second hand stores.  So much fun.  More to come, stay tuned.

 

earth hour 2010

Last night was Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30pm.  If you want to find out more about Earth Hour, go HERE.  I also took some pictures of our participation.

Reading by candle light.

Cooking by candle light.

And having dinner by candle light.      

gems, rocks and treasures

We went to a Rock and Gems Show at the Leonardo da Vinci Centre yesterday.  So many beautiful rocks, gems and beads.  We learned how to pan for gold and even had a little go at it which resulted in finding a few specks of gold.  What a thrill.  We came home with many treasures which I have yet to photograph.  These few images are from yesterday's event.

 

film days {portrait photographer victoria bc)

I was going through some old photographs I took of my daughter way back when I was using film.  These images were taken with black and white films at 3200 ISO.  Remember the days when you could buy film with a set ISO on it?  We have come a long way since then, and these photographs are not even that old.  They were all taken in 2002.  

   

what a glorious day - portrait photographer victoria bc

We went to Vancouver for the day yesterday.  Wow, what a day of excitement.  To start out, the ferry was packed with foot passengers.  We took the 7am out and the 9am had a wait for foot passengers because everybody wanted to cross the water to catch some of the activities.  BC Transit, kudos, they did an amazing job in getting everybody around very efficiently.  When we left the ferry terminal, there were already 4 big buses waiting for all the passengers to take them to Bridgeport.  We bought a day pass and moved around easily with the Canada Line.  

Once downtown, we walked around to see what there was to do and see.  The line ups where impressive and with only a day on our hands, we did  not join in.  However, just being there and taking in the atmosphere was rewarding in itself.  And the weather was the best spring day in February we could have asked for.  

Here are just a few impressions from that day.

The Cauldron.  You would think it is not surrounded by a pretty tight fence.

But here is what we saw when we got there.  A fence with a little opening to take pictures.  And there was a viewing platform of to the left but a line up I don't know how long.

The Bay.  There was a line up since 6am to get into the store for the Olympics merchandise located on the main floor.

I took this picture on the 5th floor of the Bay.  This was the international merchandise and not as busy.

The zip line above Robson square.  Apparently the wait was 8 hours to get a turn.  Well, we did not join that lineup.  

 

And a close up of the start of the zip line.

Look at this picture.  Down to the bottom on the left  hand side are two guys working.

And that is what it looked like from further away. 

One more image from Robson square.  A big screen with all the live action.

So if you have a chance to go to Vancouver, it is a great trip.  Be prepared to walk lots, to wait lots but the energy in this city is just amazing.      

   

the new year and the resolutions

Yes, here we are, in the New Year.  Everybody has their list of New Years Resolutions, except for me, it seems.  So I did some soul searching this morning, quiet in the house, just me, the dog and the computer.  Here they are in no particular order, just popped into my head.  

visit Churchill and see the polar bears before they become extinct (if you have done this trip, I love to hear from you and your experience)

drink more green drinks and have more salads

move away from the computer and TYR to exercise more

be more of a social butterfly, yes, I am an introvert and need to work on this (any tips, please let me know)

reduce my and my family's carbon footprint - lots of info on the web on this

buy less magazines and get them from the library instead (I am a magazine junky)

take photographs I have never taken before, i.e. different subjects or objects, new angles

work on my list of places to see (trust me, that list is VERY long).  We put that list together as a family.  We had a book from the library, I think it was from National Geographic, about all the places that are a must-see.

be a better blogger and write more in my blogs

Well, I guess that is all for now.  I don't want to write down too many resolutions, that might become overwhelming.  Love to hear from you.  So easy to post a comment here.  And no post should go without a picture.  

I took this picture on the drive down from the interior.  The eagle was feeding on a dead deer (probably hit by a car) when we drove by.  We turned around and by this time, the eagle had flown off into the tree.

 

our winter wonderland holiday

We are back to grey and rainy Victoria.  Looking back at all the pictures I took, there is something said for living up north.  I loved the crisp sunny days and all that wonderful snow.  And spending Christmas with family is the greatest gift of all.  Because I loved our little holiday so much, I want to share some images with you.

This is the farm.  Lots of land, and so beautifully located.  The house is tucked in between trees way up top if you can see it.

 

 

My brother-in-law built this amazing sleigh which was drawn by his two draft horses.  This was a first for us, a sleigh ride in winter wonderland.

 

 

After the sleigh ride we warmed up at a small fire with roasted marshmallows and coffee.

 

Besides the two draft horses, there was Rasberry, a beautiful white horse.

 

Walking back to the house along the long wintery drive way.

 

And here is something we really don't get to do very often.  My very talented brother-in-law built this smaller sleigh as well.  His grandsons is having fun here.

 

And what would a trip be without taking some portraits.  And portraits I took lots of.

 

From our family to yours, have a Happy New Year and all the best for 2010.

 

winter wonderland

We are in the interior celebrating Christmas with family.  And we are in the middle of winter wonderland.  This morning we woke up to beautiful hoar frost.

 
 
 

last minute xmas gift

So after I exchanged many many emails with my friend I decided to post something about this on my blog.  My friend wants a nice lens for Christmas and asked me for advice.  I am no expert, but I had and have my fair share of lenses. :)  

She was interested in the 50mm/1.4 lens.  This little lens is very inexpensive, around $550 (I think for both Canon and Nikon) and is so great in low light situations.  It is small enough to handhold and can take images in a dark church easily.  As a matter of fact, some of the below images from the Indonesian Relief Event have been taken with the 50mm lens.  And if you shoot wide open, that is at 1.4 (some of them come even wider but they are more expensive), you get a lovely blur in the background.  That blur is called bokeh, so my friend told me.  Didn't I say I don't know it all.  But what it does, everything but the main item in focus becomes blury and bubbly at times.  Really lovely.  

Because my friend needed to see what this little lens can do, I sent her some test shots which I will also post here.  I should probably add that the image of the little angel has been taken with the 50mm plus a 12mm extension tube.  It is exactly what it says, a tube, no glass, nothing, but it goes between the lens and the camera and allows you to get a bit closer and looks like macro.  They are not very expensive and are a nice addition to the 50mm lens if you don't want to spend all that money on a macro lens.

So, if you need a last minute gift for someone special, here it is:  the 50/1.4

   

when kids are sick...

...everything comes to a standstill.  My daughter caught the flu last Sunday and lots of worry in our house.  Hence, I haven't really worked and I do apologize to all my portrait clients who are waiting for their images.  She is recovering nicely though and I hope to be back on track by the end of the week.  She felt so good yesterday that she set up a smurf world in the living room.  And good mother that I am, I took some pictures.

ocean discovery centre

We went to the Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney today.  If you have children, this is a very cool place to check out.  Even if you don't, it is pretty amazing.  I have never been up close and personal with an octopus, but being right in front of one, was pretty special.  My favorite aquarium was the blue one with the beautiful orange jellyfish.  Just the colors are breath taking, but watching them swim up and down is fascinating and makes for great pictures.   

 

detail shots

These are for my friend Debbie.

koko update

Our pup turned 6 months a couple of days ago. Still only 4 pounds body weight, most of it fur, well they call it hair in that breed. She is pretty cute and lots of energy.

Her favorite position, on her back.

Her eyes are so big and very dark brown.

beautiful inside out

I just had to post this image of my mom who is visiting from Germany right now. She is such a beautiful person, inside and out.

bugs are going around

Yucky stomach flu bugs and cold bugs made our way into our home. I have been taking care of my munchkin and now I am down a little. A million thanks go to my amazing friend D. who supplied me with all sorts of good drugs, help, advice and lots of TLC.

oh, what a glorious day

Spring has finally arrived. There is nothing better than to sit out in the evening and enjoy a lovely sunset without freezing. Just when the sun went down, I saw this cat sitting on the neighbor's fence. Not that I have my camera with me at all times, but I had to sprint inside to get my camera to catch that moment.

for all you puppy lovers

OK, here is another installment of our new puppy, the ferocious Koko. We went for a Mother's Day hike yesterday, and this little dog really surprised me. She ran up this sandy and rocky steep trail. I had to stop her so she would not hurt herself on the sharp rocks. She is officially a mountain dog now.

She made me step away from my computer today and play with her. Here are some snaps from that.

She is really tiny. She just looks big because I get so close to her when I take pictures.

Ready to play.

While I tried to get these shots she came running back with her toy and jumped on my back. She is more difficult to get a picture of than kids.

And a closeup.

happy mother's day

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

- Unknown

Update on Koko

As promised, here is an update and a new picture of Koko, the puppy. She had her booster shot yesterday and went from an exorbantly happy busy little puppy to an almost comatose stuffy. She hardly moved all day. But today she is all back to normal again. The picture below was taken yesterday. She stayed in her house all day long, sleeping and sleeping and sleeping.

meet our newest family member

Her name is Koko and she is just 10 weeks old. You will probably see more photos in the weeks and months to come. Stay tuned.

thoughts

January to March are usually quiet months for me. It gives me time to ponder on new projects and undertakings. I write everything down, my famous 'things-to-do' list. At any given time there are at least 15 items on it. I just finished one project. I made a book out of my blog entries. That was fun to do. It also gives me a nice record of what I have photographed throughout the year. The blogbook for 2006 is finished and I am currently working on the 2007 book. I am also working on new wedding and portrait sample books. Last year was so busy that I didn't have time to gather up all the images I took and show them off properly. So there is another big project. Now that it is getting nicer and the days are longer, I love to go out and take nature pictures. The flowers are just about to come out. This is also my time to get my garden in order. It is quite a mess right now because we worked around the house on and off during the winter months. But this is coming to an end soon and there are flowers to plant and vegetables to grow. You are probably wondering why I am writing all this down on my photoblog. Quite frankly, I don't know myself, just chatting today. Oh, and nothing is complete with at least a picture.

happy valentine's

This is an old card I made in 2004. Still love it and so Valentine's.

Have a happy one today filled with hugs, kisses, flowers and love.

happy holidays

 

out and about on the water

We were invited to go sailing yesterday.  What a treat to be out on the water on a beautiful day.  We sailed to Sidney for lunch and came back in the late afternoon. 

We even put up the spinaker and moved along really nicely.

Please forgive me, L., but I love this picture of you... the windswept look. :)

Back at the Oak Bay Marina in the late afternoon.  Lovely light.

I've been tagged...

...by my photographer friend Cory Ann.  So now I have to give you 8 facts about me and tag 8 more photographers.  So here it goes:

1.  I am originally from Germany and came to Canada in 1984 to work as a nanny for one year.  I fell in love with this great country and here I am.

2.  I am a sucker for romantic thrillers.  I love to curl up in bed and just read these.

3.  I hate the cold.  The older I get, the more I hate the cold.  25 degrees Celsius is about right for me.

4.  My house needs to be organized so I can concentrate and get work done.  If it is messy, I can't focus.

5. My car is really old, to be exact, 17 years.  I am in the market for a new one but can't make up my mind what I want.

6.  Cooking is not one of my passions.  If I had hired help, a cook it would be.

7.  I love to drive with really loud music.

8.  My favorite furniture store is Ikea.  Such a practical approach to organizing your life.

Here are my tagged photographers -  all amazing people and photographers:

Shannon Stewart

Karen McKinnon

Susan Carmody

Tina Wilson

Vanessa Hall

Judy Cormier

Amy Montgomery

Jennifer Wilson

happy mother's day

happy easter

going shopping

When I am working on the computer, playing with images, my daughter is close by doing her own thing, which is art.  Here is a picture of her and Oma (German for grandma) going shopping. 

reading with daddy

One of those precious moments I want to hold on to.

let it snow

We have a winter wonderland.  It snowed yesterday all day and some more during the night.  Victoria is not doing well in snow and the traffic comes to a standstill.  Schools are closed today and the kids can play outside.  We went for a little walk and took a few pictures.