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Copyright ©2017 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I hope everyone had a great holiday season, and the year is starting off well for you.

My year ended with laryngitis, and a cold. My voice is still a bit cracky, and now He-Man has the cold so, we’re off to a slower start, but I can’t complain too much it’s just a cold!

It’s also been raining here for nearly a week which has kept me indoors; except for a couple of short walks in between rain showers.  That has given me time to take down Christmas decorations, and play a little bit with my newest camera gear. For Christmas He-Man gave me The Core Set of lenses by Olloclip.  Olloclip makes lenses for cell phones.Olliclip Core Set The Core Set comes with 3 lenses a Super Wide, Fisheye, and Macro 15x.

Of the three the one I’ve been experimenting with is the macro 15x lens.  You unscrew the fisheye lens and underneath it is the macro lens.  Addendum: I should add that I use a 3rd party camera app called ProCamera. It’s my favorite camera app. 

Here are some images I’ve made with the macro lens,

Paint Palette BluesPaint Palette Blues

Paper towel blues

Macro 15x Papertowel

Poinsettia Pollen

Poinsettia Macro Olloclip 15x

Oh snap!

Oh Snap Macro

You need to get right on top of the subject then focus with this macro lens. The depth of field is teeny tiny.  Holding steady is tricky so,I need to get a tripod set up for it, and I’d like to get the Olloclip 7x macro lens for some working room and get more in focus.  GAS rearing its ugly head again.

I’m looking forward to getting to use this kit more as I go about my day in the house and out…that’s assuming I remember to grab my phone on the way out the door!

GAS= Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

iPhone 7 Plus| Olloclip macro 15x lens|ProCamera app| PS CC 2017

More to come…

National Bird Day 2017

Copyright ©2017 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

My photo friend Jan Timmons over on flickr pointed out that today is National Bird Day 2017.  You know how much I like birds so, to honor them on their special day here are some of my favorite birds. I made these images all in California during 2016.

Snowy Egret-Juvenile; pretty close to fledgling.

Snowy Egret- Juvenile

Clark’s Grebe w/chick and Fish-dawn

Clark's Grebe with Chick and Fish

The Elusive American Bittern- I’ve only seen these a handful of times.

American Bittern

and last but, not least our National Bird in the U.S.A. the Bald Eagle- Adult.  I’m so happy this bird is making a comeback in California.

Bald Eagle-Adult

Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2017

Happy National Bird Day 2017!

More to come…

 

 

 

Project 52: Wordless Wednesday 1/52

Copyright  ©2017 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Snow Geese in Flight

Snow Geese in Flight

Snow Goose in Flight

Snow Geese in Flight

Nikon D700| Nikkor 200-500mm @500mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| PS CC 2017

More to come…

Thursday Doors 52/52

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Here it is my last week of my Project 52.  I thought I’d end with some doors that I have wanted to post since making the images, but there have been issues that have caused me to put them in a “failed” Door image folder. What issues you may be wondering?  Poles, wires, people, and other stuff that obstruct or mar the door image I hoped to make. The bane of most photographers everywhere.

I thought hoped I might be able to “content aware” this man out of this image I made while at Legoland earlier this year.  Not happening with my meager Photoshop skill set.  I would also need to add some canvas at the top to give the flag pole more space. That I can do!

Legoland Red Door

So, I moved a bit closer and photographed the door. Then I had lens flare.  I could just crop that out later. (rolling eyes) I really wanted to show both the door and the whole building which I thought was pretty neat. I just wanted to show sans people.  BTW: It’s one of the places you can buy something eat in Legoland.

Why not just wait until it’s clear of people you might ask? I waited several minutes, but #1 Grandson. 🙂  The reflection in the door’s window is kinda nice. I should have just gone for that. Door Fail! Red Door Legoland CA

While birding in northeastern California’s Pacific Flyway I spotted a church steeple while driving on the freeway and asked my friend if we could take a side trip to check it out because, Thursday Doors!

The church is Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maxwell, CA. Here’s the original image.

It’s crooked, and there are both poles and wires in front and across it! I really wanted that cool partial reflection of the bell tower too.  I thought I’d try again to “content aware” out the pole and wires.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Maxwell CA

Always hopeful…but after straightening the horizon, removing the wires, and trying OH. SO. MANY. TIMES. to clone out the pole on the left side of the building I gave up and filed the image in the “failed doors” folder.  I should have just stuck with the reflections. Again.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Maxwell CA

For the History Buffs: Here’s a bit of history I found on the church’s website:

“Father Michael Wallrath established Sacred Heart Church in Maxwell as a mission in 1881. In 1911, Sacred Heart became a parish with missions in Williams (Church of the Annunciation, founded in 1892), in Stonyford (St. Mary of the Mountain, founded in 1896, and Arbuckle (Holy Cross, founded in 1899).
In 1917, a new church was built on its present day location at the corner of Elm and Olive Street in Maxwell.
Sacred Heart Parish has families consisting of two major ethic groups (English and Spanish speaking).”http://sacredheart-maxwell.org/our-beginings

Here are the Doors closer up.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Maxwell CA

This final door…I didn’t even think about cloning out the people. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it after my failures with the top two images.  I wish we had more time to shop in this store not to mention stand around waiting for a clear shot of the door. 🙂 Century 21 Department store… formerly River Savings Bank East.  I haven’t done any research on this door or building’s history, but the door is so unique and TALL!  I do like the sense of scale the people add to the image.

Century 21 Store side door

This wraps up my Project 52 of Thursday Doors, but I’ll still be posting doors in the year to come. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the theme, meeting new bloggers, and consider several friends now. Thank you Norm for hosting this fun, addicting, and often times interesting subject.

Until the next “doorscursion” have a wonderful, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This post is part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors.  If you love doors and would like to see the doors others are posting, or post doors you’ve photographed and join other door lovers from around the world click here.

At the end of Norm’s latest Thursday Door post is a little Blue Link-up/View button click it to be taken to a page with all the links to view all the posts, and add your own if you’re a door enthusiast too.

Nikon Df| Nikkor 17-35mm| Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2017

More to come…

My 2016 Favorite Images

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I’ve spent a bit more time whittling down my 2016 favorite images and I’ve got it down to 30 now.

Since there are so many still I thought I’d share those with you via a slideshow.  This is my first slide show here on WordPress.  I need to find and install a different slideshow plugin. I don’t really care for the slideshow controls and caption on my image. 😦  But, it was pretty idiot proof to use, and I am a pretty talented idiot when it comes to computers, programs, and software in general.

I hope you like the images.  Feel free to let me know which are your favorites.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I really have to give a “SHOUT OUT!” to my family for giving me so much free time. I was able to put this together a lot faster because they were on vacation and playing with #1 Grandson a lot. That really freed me up to cook, clean, and sort through thousands of images.

Update: I’ve linked this post up with Jim Goldstein’s annual “Best of xxxx” Photography Blog post. To see all the incredible photographer’s and their favorite images of 2016

click here.

More to come…

 

2016 Top Ten Most”Viewed” Images on Flickr

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

As we approach the end of 2016  I’m looking back on the year’s images; seeing which were the most liked by others, which images I love, which techniques failed,  or succeeded, and falling in love all over again with the places I’ve visited, and the people I met during the last year.

I made thousands of images in 2016 whittling them down to just 10 isn’t easy when I love so many, and divorcing myself from the emotional aspects of making the images and being purely objective is hard!

While going through my images I also took a look at my 2016 Top Ten most viewed images over at my Flickr site. Since those are easier to get to I thought I’d share those images with you again this year.  Most of these you’ve seen before if you’ve been following my blog this year. Voici!

1) Sunset Martin's Beach Half Moon Bay

2)Horsetail Fall 2016

3)Dawn in Manhattan

 

4)

5)Radio City Music Hall

6)Allen's Hummingbird Male

7)Swanson Creek Cascade

8)eyelashes-to-die-for_dmz1066

9)Anna's Hummingbird Female perched on a branch

10)Vermillion Flycatcher

Voila! The Top 10 2016 Most Viewed Images on my Flickr site.

I’ve whittled  down my favorites of the year down to 35. Getting that number down to 10-15 is my next task and I’ll share those images soon!

I hope those that celebrate Christmas had a lovely Holiday, and those celebrating Hanukkah are having a great one so far, and I hope we all have a fantastic week!

More to come…

Thursday Doors 51/52

Copyright © 2016 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Since this week’s Thursday Doors falls during Christmas week I thought I’d share some doors that are decorated for Christmas.

N°2259- Blue light special

N°2259

N°4925 The stained glass window pane has a whale in the sea theme.  I love this stone wainscoting that is popular around my area now.

N°4725

…and N°4758- my front door. It’s a bit sparse these last few years. After He-Man ruptured his Patella Tendon he wasn’t able to get up on a ladder to hang the Christmas lights.  I’m not one of those people that keep their Christmas lights up all year, but let me tell ya…these last few Christmas’s we’ve missed the lights!

This year He-Man has seen great progress with his knee recovery. He can climb a short ladder, and he can stand up in the saddle. A BIG DEAL for a Cyclist who rides up mountains.   However, since our home remodel the gables are higher than our ladder and he feels it’s still too high for him to climb, and we need new hooks all around the front of the house. I don’t know how to do that. I can’t even hammer a nail in straight, so we’re going without lights for the time being.  Maybe next year.

N°4758

Beginning Friday I don’t anticipate being online very much. Big Baby Boy, and Dark Haired Beauty are arriving Friday evening for Christmas.   Baby Girl, and #1 Grandson are staying home for Christmas. YEAH!

I’m done shopping but I haven’t begun to wrap, and I need to begin cooking for Christmas dinner.

For those of you celebrating Christmas I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!  Hanukkah begins the 24th I think. Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate that!

If you don’t celebrate Christmas enjoy the season, the lights, the joy, and good cheer that comes with the season, and I wish you a wonderful week-end!

This post is part of Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors.  If you love doors and would like to see the doors others are posting, or post doors you’ve photographed and join other door lovers from around the world click here.

At the end of Norm’s latest Thursday Door post is a little Blue Link-up/View button click it to be taken to a page with all the links to view all the posts, and add your own if you’re a door enthusiast too.

Nikon Df| Nikkor 17-35mm| Delkin Digital Film| PS CC 2017

More to come…