Flower Basket repeats done,
Fourteen Flower Basket repeats.
If a yarn over should happen to fall,
Thirteen Flower Basket repeats done!
That should sum it all up for you. Time spent: two hours (give or take a little) knitting ten rows. Two hours frogging two. Lace is a bitch – especially when you’re a bonehead like me. I managed to work my way back and have started the fifteenth repeat (which I think is actually the fourteenth repeat to be honest. When I’m done this repeat section I’ll have fifteen baskets.) I went to bed late. But I’ve already done a purl row this morning. I like to leave it by doing the first row of the next repeat so I can pick it up on a purl row. It’s like doing exercises at the piano – get my fingers all limber.
But the shawl is really taking shape. I was noticing all kinds of interesting things about it’s construction last night. Now that I’m almost finished, I’m finally SEEING the pattern. Have I mentioned that I love Evelyn Clark? I can’t wait to start my sock pal socks. This weekend for sure. Or next week. Depending on the kids.
Speaking of kids, I got all my work done yesterday. The photos are off to the printer and all I have to do today is clean! My bathroom’s in desperate need and the kids will need baths, so I’ve got to do that. Also, I have some errands to run before they get here tomorrow. And I’m on call in case my sister decides she wants company for the ride. Usually I take the train down and ride back up here with her, but she thinks she’s okay. So we’ll see. Better for me because I’ve got tons to do before they arrive.
I hope I wasn’t being too pedantic yesterday with my photography blatherings. I am a firm believer in “if I can do it, you can do it!” I thought as proof I’d show you some progress I’ve made over the years. My family gave me a digital camera for my 30th birthday – five and a half years ago. I had been interested in photography as a teenager – my parents gave me darkroom equipment for my bat mitzvah gift. It was never, ever used (and I really wanted the initial ring everybody else was getting.) The camera was a Kodak with 2.5 megapixels and I basically documented the first year of my nephew’s life with it. On his first birthday, I upgraded to my Sony DSC-F707 and I was off.
Almost every year we go to La Quinta. One year (I think 2001) while Georgie was playing tennis, I thought, why not take some pictures of the gorgeous flowers they have all over the property. BINGO! I was hooked. Every year we’d go back and I’d spend more and more time taking flower pictures. And every year they’d get better:
April, 2002 – Sony DSC-F707
May, 2003 – Sony DSC-F707
July, 2003 – Canon 10D
Over the years, I’ve taken (literally) thousands and thousands of pictures. Tens of thousands. With all of my cameras. (In fact, the shutter died on the Canon 10D after two years. They fixed it though.) I believe in practice makes perfect. 😉
I also thought I’d show you a before and after “developing” job. I like to underexpose my pictures a little so I can lighten them myself. Especially when I’m using a flash – it takes away the harsh flash light quite nicely. Anyway, here’s the same lily from above – before and after.
Before
After
The before picture is completely untouched except for resizing for the web.
I like to think I trained my eye to see things in a more pleasing composition. Don’t ever be afraid to get close! Macro lenses (and settings) are essential for this, but I think it gives a much better picture. Remember to look at the background – empty space can be your friend, but not when it’s cluttered and distracting. Most of all, experiment. There are many, many days when I go out to take pictures and get nothing. There are also days and when I go out, come back in and look, go back, look, go back until I get what I want.
Photographing kids is a whole other animal. Just shoot until you and the kid fall down from exhaustion. Cross your fingers and hope for a good picture. 😉
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day.
Oooo. Photography tips. Thanks!
Thanks for the little photography lesson. I’m trying to improve my technique and train my eye. Of course, judicious cropping and a photo editing program don’t hurt either.
Photography is something I’d like to get into when I have more time … like in a dozen years? Last night I spent 10 minutes on my belly trying to get a good shot of my pond toad. He was so green and he didn’t dare move! Our last house had a darkroom left by the previous owner. But then digital came along and I couldn’t imagine spending time in a dark closet inhaling stinky chemicals. Thanks for sharing, C.
Smith just told me about a camera he wants us to own. It would be marvelous to get up close like you do and also improve my landscapes. There is so much detail I’d like to show (like a huge snow basin that just isn’t visible from a distance).
It took me 3 FBS shawls to finally make progress without regress. Don’t you just hate frogging and having to pick up again? Thank goddess for the purl rows.
That’s an amazing difference between the two photos. You reallly have a gift for it.
I enjoyed your “shop talk”! Love your tip for photographing the kids — so true!!
I got my cuddle time with Mack yesterday (he’s grown!) so I know first-hand that you’ll have a great time with your weekend visitors!
I *love* your little photography lessons. It is very encouraging to me since I would love to get better in digital photography. Please keep posting on it :).
I have an FBS waiting in the wings. I need to start on it. I don’t know why I don’t I think I’m a little intimidated by the lace.
That’s wonderful, thank you! I used to be pretty into photography, darkroom and all. I even have a full set of darkroom equipment that has gone unused for years now, but back in college I did a little freelance for a local paper, some portraiture (so bad at studio!) and worked in a camera store. I’ve been doing the P&S thing for so long that when I got a decent digital camera (still p&s), I kind of forgot that I knew how to use it! I haven’t come close to transferring my film/darkroom skills to digital, so this is really interesting. My dad does some professional portrait photography, and he’s the king of the high-key studio lighting. I can’t deal with flash photography at all, I guess it’s a daughter’s rebellion. Anyway, I’m rambling, maybe I need to make this into a blog post of my own, but I wanted to say thanks, and I’m interested in how you underexpose a flash shot. Do you use an integrated flash or do you have slaves and all that? Maybe I don’t want to know–the studio lighting thing makes me tense just thinking about it. 🙂 You realize that now you’re making me covet a digital SLR?
Hey C, thanks for the tips–I could use more! So, do you really just take so many pics of your nephew and niece that you all fall down? 🙂 I know you are excited to see them!
I’m jealous–I’ve had one reasonably decent SLR [film] camera–a Canon Rebel–but still know next to nothing about taking “real” pictures, and all my digital cameras have been point-and-shoot. I’m jealous of the knowledge and all the options! But, you know, in a GOOD way.
Lovely shots – all of them. You’ve got quite a talent.
May the knitting needles be with you as you progress on the FBS – no more frogging 🙂
Your pictures really are lovely. And I don’t think if you can do it, anyone can do it. You’ve got that eye and it captures some beautiful stuff.
one thing that i love about my digital camera is the ability to take 100’s of pictures and just dump the ones that come out crappy. it’s definitely something that’s harder to do with a film camera and a limited budget. unfortunately my digital isn’t nearly as nice as my film camera. but one of the days i’ll upgrade. i just have to decide if it’s before or after i get the spinning wheel. ha.
Oh Cara, I got my husband to buy us a decent camera, and I don’t think I do exactly poorly, but would love to have the time to learn all of that stuff. I keep saying that photography classes are in my future….. I also have Photoshop Elements and a book/cd thing I bought to learn how to use it, but haven’t taken the time yet. I.will.do.this.
I *love* the photography tips — please keep them coming!
So, how would that flower picture look if exposed at automatic settings vs. the underexposed and then corrected technique? Hmmm. . .
I love that last flower, it’s … thinger… looks like a finger beckoning. What are those called? Staves? I can’t recall. Your photography is spectacular. Eye candy indeedy!
With the FBS, I thought I’d have more trouble remembering when to ssk or k2tog, but it’s the YO’s that I forget. Damn YOs.
I just found your site. I went straight for the ‘100 things’. I can’t believe you’ve only had your digital camera for 3 years and you already made a profession out of it. And you’re good at it!
Going to check out your blog from the beginning now 🙂
my favorite love song is ” Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers.
Very nice pictures… I love the progression. I’ve been taking a lot of pictures myself recently (a lot of flowers, too…). I’m lucky that I have a job that lets me indulge my interest in photography… learning slowly, and with access to people who know a lot more than I do.