Harry Potter Mania

The last book in the Harry Potter series just hit the shelves at 12 am today. I now have my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I will be busy reading it this weekend!

I read about the first Harry Potter book in a newspaper article. This was befor the book was printed here in the US. I still remember getting my copy of the first book. I couldn't put the book down because it was so cleverly written.

J.K. Rowling makes her character come to life right there on the pages of her books. I have enjoyed watching the Harry Potter movies, but I do prefer to read the books and let my imagination dictate what Harry's world is really like as well as what will happen next in the series.

As a school librarian, I have seen firsthand how the Harry Potter books have made an impact on children. The fantasy series have encouraged so many children to become better readers. I have seen reluctant readers devour the Harry Potter series and then go on to read such classics as The Chronicle of Naria series by C.S. Lewis.

Hopefully, I will be able to take a break from reading in order to take some more photos this weekend. We have had very pleasant weather lately and I want to get out with the camera before the heat and humidity returns.

I hope that you have a great weekend!

Summer Fun ~Family Style

I hope that everyone has had a good week. I am finally getting around to doing some more blogging. It has been a busy week!

I thought that I would post some recent family photos. My parents have an above ground swimming pool in their back yard. My nieces and nephews really enjoy swimming in the pool during the summer.

Recently, my little nephew Christopher had his first dip in the pool. (Christopher will be a year old tomorrow.) So, I posted a photo of my brother-in-law Chris in the pool with his children, Christopher and Rachel.

Christopher really loved the water. Here his is with his Dad.

The baby just squealed with delight in the water. He said, "more,

more!" when he was in the pool.

My sister was sitting on the deck watching all of the swimming

activitity. (I was circling the outside of the pool with my camera in hand, of course.) Christopher made sure that he got our attention!

Christopher had to get hugs and kisses from his mama when he got out of the pool. He loved being wrapped up in his beach towel, too. I think that he looked so cute in his first swimming trunks!

I can't believe that Christopher will be a year old already. Hopefully, I will get some good photos of his birthday party this weekend.

Saturday in the Park

We are fortunate to have several parks here in Utica, a small city in Central New York State. These parks were constructed during the Great Depression of the 1930's. It was a very difficult time in our nation's history because many people (including my grandparents) were out of work due to the stock market crash. So, the government provided people with such jobs as building and maintaining these parks.

I like to wander around these parks with my camera. The above photo shows Proctor Park. It is lush and green. This park includes walking trails, stone bridges, a stream, and benches underneath shady trees.

I make this photo using my trusty Canon point-and-shoot camera, a Hoya R72 filter and a tripod. I am fascinated with this type of infrared photography because I love the strong contrasts as well as the magical quality. The trees look fantastic when they look full and snowy white.

I would like to do some more infrared photography. It takes a lot of practice and experimentation to get it just right. I just wish that I could get a print of this photo that I am happy with.

Has anyone else had any experience with infrared photography?

Purple Rain

Flowers are another reason that I enjoy making photographs during the summertime. I can still remember all of those snow banks we had to deal with all winter long. It is truly a miracle to me that we have any flowers here at all. And all summer long I can photograph single blooms like this ones, or entire gardens.

One very important photography lesson that I have learned is that I don't need bright summer light to take photos. Fortunately, I realized (after much trial and error), that diffused light was better when using a digital camera in order to make the floral photos come alive with rich colors. I photographed this purple mum after it stopped raining one summer afternoon. It was one of my first photographs and I still enjoy viewing it.

Sweet Summertime

"Summer Sunset On the Barge Canal"

As you know, the winters here in Central New York State are snowy, bitterly cold and long. So, it is wonderful to enjoy the summertime while it is here. And to me, summertime means having more opportunities to take photos, of course!

Central New York State is certainly a lot different than the hustle and bustle of New York City.Our part of the State is dotted with small towns, rolling hills, and farmland. The beautiful Adirondack Mountains are just a 45 minute drive north from where I live. And we are blessed with many lakes, too.

I have always lived here in Central New York. Photography has given me a new way of creatively documenting the people and the landscape of this area that I call home. I can look over the Mohawk Valley and taken in the natural beauty. Sometimes I return to the nearby Finger Lakes region where I grew up, with camera and hand. It is exciting to find new subject matter to photograph amongst familiar places.

So, I will be sharing these, as well as other photos of the place that I call home during the upcoming summer season.

My Homeland

Happy Fourth of July! Today we are celebrating the birth of our nation. Yes, it is a day filled with picnics, barbecues, and fireworks. In my heart and mind, however, it is much, much more.

My ancestors came to this land in order to build better lives, especially my Italian an Irish ancestors. Their lives and examples serve as a lasting legacy to me and my family. They left us with so many lasting gifts: the pursuit of a better life, the value of education, the bonds of family, and, of course, freedom.

And during these days when terrorism is such a threat, I like to remember of the good things about this country: the hard working, patriotic citizens who are working to make a better life here, the freedoms we still enjoy as well as the beauty of the diverse parts of our nation.

I really like this song by Lee Greenwood. It is entitled "God Bless the USA". It has help us through some dark days in this nations history, especially after September 11, 2001. For me, it sums of the meaning behind the 4th of July, too.

Here is a link to the song: http://users.1st.net/teddi/index30.htm

Wildflowers

Here's another macro photo that I created using my Sigma 105 mm lens. These tiny flowers cried out to be photographed and I was pleased with the results. I focused on the front flower. I liked the blurred background.

Photography really does provide us with "new eyes". I am amazed at the fact that I can get really close to nature's miracles!

Photography also gives us a special way to look at life and God's creations. I had the following William Blake quotation in mind when I took this photo: "To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour."

I really enjoy visiting your blogs in order to see the different ways that you view the world. It is a privilege!