Cool Little App

Coloring for relieving stress works for me. Not only do I color now most nights instead of watching TV, I found this cool little app and am having fun with it.

There are lots to choose from in the Google Play store. If you're into coloring on the go, check them out.

Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'

Note to Self

I've been feeling the energies shifting for quite some time and it sure feels good. Something is changing universally but some folks still haven't picked up on it. That's OK. They will in their own time.

In the meantime, I found this on Facebook and it sure resonates with me. Thought I'd share it with you. Happy New Year!

Let's all have more FUN this year. Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'

Coloring Therapy

Sometimes you just need to find a way to feel good and for me that most often means creating something. (Although sometimes it's just simple silence ... ahhh). Sometimes it's getting lost in a good book. Don't you just love a good adventure novel that allows you to travel to places you may never see in this lifetime? Especially if the author is a skilled and "tuned-in to emotions" writer? Sometimes I just like to listen to really good music. Like right now, I'm listening to one of my favorites: Jackson Browne & Clarence Clemmons singing "You're a Friend of Mine." In my opinion, no one plays the sax like the late Mr. Clemmons. Wow! 

As a kid I loved to color. My Mom would buy me a coloring book and I would be in kid heaven! And I'll never forget my first box of 64 Crayola crayons. So many choices that, at first, I relied on the primary colors. But that didn't last long once I discovered I could blend colors and create my own spectrum. 

Someone, in their infinite wisdom, realized that we adults needed to have that "feeling" associated with coloring again so they invented coloring books for adults. They're being marketed as therapy, stress reduction, boredom killers, and even used to help combat depression. So I decided to give it a try. Yes, Virginia, it's all that and more. Of course, traditional therapy might be needed in some cases and traditional therapists might argue that this is just a fad and there is no benefit. I disagree but, again, that's my opinion and I get to say what I think because this is MY blog after all :-)

The image below is a shot of one of the coloring pages I just completed. I used colored pencils but one can use watercolors, colored markers, oil pencils, etc. 

So what can you do with these pages once you've colored them? Well, you can fold them up and mail them to people you love. Or you can use them to wallpaper your bathroom. Or use them to line the bottom of your parakeet's cage. Your choice ... your creativity. Surrender to the process. And most of all, have fun with it. Coloring is fun ... remember?

Take good care of yourself and each other.

Everyone Has an Inner Artist

View from the Bus

Had some more fun with the geese by adding a view from the old bus.

It reminds me of the old school bus my brother used to drive when he was a senior in high school. He would pick me up on the cold, snowy days in Nebraska. He wasn't supposed to because we lived pretty close to the school and the principal thought the kids who lived close didn't need to ride the bus.

But Mike picked me up anyway. I was his first stop and he had me sit right behind him where the heater was. Thanks, Mike! Even though you're gone, I still feel your love. Namaste'

Playing with Geese

There are always geese flying over our house and I love them! It just seems that I never have my camera handy when they make their pass. But the other day I had my phone with me and finally got a picture. And then I decided to give them some friends by doing a ghost image. I guess you could say I've been playing with the geese. Honk! Honk!

Some folks believe that Oregon is always rainy, cloudy and gloomy. Not so ... we've experienced incredibly clear blue skies of late and only about 99 drops of rain. Actually, I'm hoping for some of that wet stuff soon. Well, I'm sure we'll get our share this winter, but with the wildfires going on, it sure would be nice for Mother Nature to step up to the plate and rain all over the West. 

Namaste'

Big Blue

Update: Apparently the image didn't show up in this post for some reason, so here it is ...

 I took this image at a car show in Tucson and this car was my favorite. If it was mine, I'd put the top down and spend my evenings just cruising under the stars.

It's really fun to see how these vintage cars are restored and given such loving care. When I was in high school, my boyfriend loved to restore older cars like this. In fact, I learned to drive a stick shift in his '34 Ford pickup. Those were the days ...

Namaste'

Forever Marilyn

For those of us that are baby boomers, you'll probably remember Marilyn Monroe.  I think she is an icon of "branding"  Meaning she was unmistakenly distinct in all she did ... her movies, her own way of being sexy, and her special voice. 

I think if she was alive today, her message to all women would be to be who you are and love it.  Don't try to change anything.  Celebrate your uniqueness and oneness with everyone and every thing.

This image was one I took of her 26 foot tall statue that is on loan to Palm Springs, CA.  We love you, Marilyn!

Moving to Regina Chronicles

For my two followers at this blog, just an FYI.  I have accepted the Wordpress challenge for the 365 project.  What that means is that I will post a new entry into my other blog for 365 days, starting on January 1, 2012.  Whew!  What a challenge!

What that also means is that I am leaving this blog, so if you want to follow my 365 project challenge, go on over to THE REGINA CHRONICLES and click the FOLLOW gray box in the bottom right corner of the page.  If you have already subscribed, you don't need to go this again. 

It's been a lot of fun writing on this blog and sharing my photos with you but it will be hard to maintain two blogs, so I'm choosing to go with The Regina Chronicles.

Thanks and see you over there!

Up, Up and Away

I won't be posting anymore until later next week.  I'm heading off in the big silver bird to CA to spend my daughter's 40th birthday with her and an early Christmas with the grandkids.  Looking forward to better holidays this year. Lots of fun and love. Color me happy!

Until then . . . have a wonderful weekend and namaste!

The Adventurer's Oath

I just became a fellow adventurer of Mike Dooley and have taken the oath:

"In the face of adversity, uncertainty and conflicting sensory information, I hereby pledge to remain ever mindful of the magical, infinite, loving reality I live in.

 

A reality that conspires tirelessly in my favor. I further recognize, that living within space and time, as a Creation amongst my Creations, is the ultimate Adventure, because thoughts become things, dreams come true, and all things remain forever possible. 

 

Sunset at my house - 11.20.11

 

As a Being of Light, I hereby resolve to live, love and be happy, at all costs, no matter what, with reverence and kindness for All. So be it!"

 

Namaste!

Five Photography Tips for Everyday People

Anyone who can operate a simple digital camera is capable of taking wonderful pictures. Photography doesn't have to be done by a professional to be considered great.

Step One: Find a spot with multiple sources of shade and natural lighting, such as a grove of trees or even buildings.  Trees make a great backdrop for any picture of people.  The color green, whether in the trees or grass, seems to fit any mood or scene.

Step Two: Always try to take pictures spontaneously as opposed to having people pose. I've found that it's easier to get people to have a natural smile if you're having a conversation with them as you're snapping your photos. For example, what if you asked them to name their favorite dessert or their favorite funny movie. Both of those ideas will automatically bring a natural smile to someone's face. My other favorite is to ask "what do you love the most about your sweetheart?" or "grandchildren" or "child." You get the idea. Start a conversation.

Step Three: If you're just beginning to start your photography, get into practice by taking lots of candid shots. With a digital camera, there is absolutely no excuse for not taking tons of pictures. Challenge yourself to take one new picture a day. It doesn't matter what it is; just do it. Lots of candid shots!

Step Four: Most of the point and shoot digital cameras these days have many settings to assist you in getting just the right shot. Take a look at your camera's manual to see all the things you can accomplish using the various settings and then practice with each one.  I got a prize-winning photo (see above) with my Epson Point and Shoot of a flower that blooms only at night. I used the camera's macro flower setting and it was just gorgeous.  So find out what your camera's settings will do and then become very familiar with them.

Step Five: Only your mind can block your creativity. The other day I was chopping the end off of a bunch of celery and the bottom looked like a flower so I took a picture of it. Then I posted it on my blog and Facebook and asked people to guess what it was. Amazing the answers that came in; everything from a desert cactus to a crocheted slipper. Huh? Only the people who cook guessed it right. 

Remember not to analyze too much. Just let your natural talent flow. The point is to allow your mind to play and have fun with pictures by enjoying yourself and others will enjoy your photos, too.

Now that you've read the photography tips in this post, I trust that you will feel more confident in taking more pictures.

Seven Fun Photography Tips

Making photography fun while you're learning the basics is one of the best things you can do to get off on the right foot. If it's not fun, most likely you won't pursue it even as a hobby.

Tip #1: Decide on an interesting subject. One of the easiest subjects to photograph when you're first starting out is flowers. Why? Because they are beautiful, colorful, inexpensive to purchase (or find in the great outdoors), they don't blink and they don't fidget (unlike humans and pets).

Tip #2: Choose an interesting angle. Try not to face the bloom head on. In other words, maybe stand on a step stool and look down on the bloom, or look up from underneath it slightly. This works especially well with large blooms like sunflowers. Also try taking shots with several blooms in the same photo and  include the stems and leaves. Experiment with the macro setting on your camera for some really good close-up work. If you don't know what that is, stop right here and go read your camera's manual or look it up on the internet. Take your flowers outside and shoot in natural light as well as indoors. Most indoor lighting really doesn't lend itself well to flowers.

Tip #3: Be comfortable with using different exposures, either manually or using your camera's presets. The key here is to practice, practice, practice with different settings, which creates different exposures. With a digital camera, you can't go wrong because you can always delete the ones you don't like. No has to know but you and yet you get the benefit of knowing what works and what doesn't.

Tip #4: This is a big one - HOLD YOUR CAMERA STEADY. Most cameras these days have a built-in feature to help with camera shake/blur, but don't count on it. Take care to hold the camera with both hands no matter what your subject is. I've found that looking through the viewfinder on a DSLR (not a point and shoot or camera phone) is the best way to avoid camera shake. If you're using a point and shoot and find it hard to hold the camera steady, invest in a mini-tripod.  A tripod works wonders for shooting flower photos.

Tip #5: Be original. Find an interesting background for your flowers, i.e., if your flowers are yellow daffodils, get a piece of black poster board as a backdrop. Yellow and black make a stunning contrast. If you're shooting lilies, a black background would look great. If it's red roses, maybe a white or pale pink would look good. If your flowers aren't large, you could even use a piece of colored construction paper. Use your imagination and the ideas will start to flow.

Tip #6: Know how to use lighting to your advantage. There are so many ways to use natural light to achieve beautiful pictures. Practice with a person sitting near a window or use your flowers as the subject. Get creative with how the light shines in and what angles you can place your subject to take advantage of the natural light. Sometimes a person's face by a window with half of it in shadow can create a beautiful, dramatic picture. Experiment with it and have fun!

Tip #7: Be patient. Hopefully you learned something important that you can use today but above all, remember you don't have to be perfect.

To see samples of how flowers can be great subjects, visit my website and click the Galleries tab.

Namaste!

Tips for Taking Great Pictures

Almost everyone has used a camera at some point, but not everyone has used a camera correctly. Photography can be a really satisfying hobby or you can make a successful career out of it if you have the patience and willingness to learn. If you give yourself enough time, you are sure to see a vast improvement in the quality of your pictures. With today's digital cameras, you can literally shoot thousands of pictures and if you don't like them, you only have to press the delete button. Having a digital camera can really shorten the practice period for any budding photographer.

It's probably safe to say that almost all professional photographers started out with photography as a hobbyist and then moved forward as they learned the basic techniques and then became more creative.  One of the most creative ways to take beautiful photographs is to learn the art of identifying the right lighting for each picture you take.  For example, if you're shooting a photo of a landscape, it will look dull and flat if you shoot it at high noon, so use the golden hour(s) to your advantage.  What are the golden hours?  These are the hours when the sun comes up in the morning and when it sets in the evening. In the morning the sun's rays emit more blue and in the late afternoon and evening, you'll notice more golds and reds.If you're shooting a photo of a person, make sure they're not looking into the sun (so that they don't squint), or that the sun is at their back.  That will create darkness on their face because your camera will compensate for all of that back light. I suggest getting them into a place where there is some indirect light, which will give their skin a more evenly lit effect.

If you can't find some good indirect light and find yourself out in direct sunlight, you can use a reflector panel of some sort. These can be purchased at a camera store, online, or just about anywhere photo equipment is sold. Go online to see if someone is selling some used equipment. If you can't find one, you can always improvise by using a white poster board, which will reflect the light to fill in shadows on your subject's face. Have them hold the board or reflector on the side opposite of the sun's light so it's not in your viewfinder but close enough to their face to reflect the light. Take a picture with it and one without it to compare the difference. Practice with this and you'll be thrilled at the results.

One of the best ways to learn photography is to simply focus on your subject. I've always referred to this as "fill the frame." What that means is this: don't have a lot of background in your picture if you're photographing a person or a pet, for example. If you're at an event and you want to capture the essence or flavor of that event, then it's fine to have a lot of things going on in the picture. And don't forget to practice with your lens, moving it forward and backward to see what the shot will look like up close and further away.

Photography is a fun activity to learn and improve your creative skills. If you give yourself enough time, you will love the feeling of taking an excellent picture.

To learn more and see samples, visit www.reginaarnold.com

Can You Guess What It Is?

Can you guess what this picture is?  Hint:  it's edible. And I might have added a special effect :-)

Namaste!

Happy Halloween

This is great!  Even the animals in the Disney Kingdom get treated to some Halloween pumpkins:

Beware!  There might be a lot of trickery going on tonight.

Namaste!

My Favorite Ghouls and a Goblin

The moon will be full on Tuesday, Oct. 11, so I'll be out there with my E-420 and my tripod. 
Beware the full moon of October.
Here are my two favorite ghouls:

And here's my favorite Goblin:

 Just a warning - stay away from the graveyard!

Those Were the Days

A friend of my husband's sent these pictures of woodies.  Ahhh, remember these?  Almost every car manufacturer made their own version of a woody back then. 

When I was in high school, we would trip down to Santa Cruz on the weekends and go surfing (for those of us who could afford to have a board).  I usually watched but did try it a couple of times.  What fun! 

Surf's up!

This one is a Ford

Even the Brits had woodies! 

I'm thinking of getting a hula hoop. In the 50's I was the hula hoop champion of my school (4th grade).  The local newspaper even came and took my picture. So I think I'll go back to that because they're great exercise if you do it in two-minute sessions. If anyone wants to join me, post a comment and let's get this movement back into our lives. 

Back to the 50's, my friends.  Hula hoops, Pepsi in glass bottles, surfboards and woodies!  Doesn't get any better than that :-)

Namaste!