Day 41

Day 41- Pathway

Taking a photography class at UCI has really allowed me to get to explore their campus.  I love college campuses- the architecture, the landscaping, the general feeling you get being there.  I loved everything about my college experience so I also have good feelings about universities, in general.  I went to college in the desert, at ASU.  I really liked my four years at ASU's deserty campus and I have had fun exploring the very different looking UCI in the past couple of months.  Now I need to find another school where I can take another class or two...

Technical Info- ISO 800, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/1600

Day 40

Day 40 - Memorial Day

This evening I visited the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial.  This memorial honors American soldiers who lost their lives fighting in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is currently the only known permanent memorial for those who were killed in those conflicts. The memorial lists the names and ages of the thousands of men and women who died for our country in the past several years.  Most of those listed were under the age of 25.   It is astonishing to see the amount of men and women in my generation who have died in these wars.  For those who live in the area, I recommend you visit it.  For more information, visit their website.

Technical Info - ISO 3200, f/3.5, 1/10

Day 39

Day 39- Wedding Sparklers

We just got home from a beautiful wedding!  At the end of the night, all the guests lined up with sparklers as they made their exit... so fun!  More pics if you click the link below!

Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/10, 1/10

Click here for a few more wedding pics!

Day 38

Day 38- Vaughn

This is my fiance's cousin, Vaughn.  He is such a cute little guy! I'm so glad he was happy to model for quite a few pics! Lots more cute pictures if you click the link below!

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/3.2, 1/125

For more Vaughn pics, click here!

Day 37

Day 37 - Salmon Niciose Salad

This is what we made for dinner tonight.  It is one of my favorite meals to eat- just ask any of my friends! In this picture you see salmon, tomatoes, red potatoes, red onions, green beans, kalamata olives, mixed greens, anchovies, capers, and hard boiled eggs.  I follow Martha Stewart's recipe.  Yum! I've said it once and I'll say it again, food is hard to photograph!  Tips are appreciated!

Technical Info- ISO 400, f/2.5, 1/80

Day 36

Day 36- The Hawaiian Hibiscus

At school we are nearing the end of Hawaiian Week.  All of the pineapple eating, hula dancing, and ukulele music listening has got me seriously craving an island getaway.  But for now, this is the best I can do.  Now if only I could get our plumerias to bloom...That smell would really take me away to the white sandy beaches of Hawaii.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/160

Day 35

Day 35 - The Helpful Hummingbird

Today was one of those days when I thought I was really going to have to hunt for a picture.  I was out in the backyard, trying to find my picture for the day, concentrating on our lavender patch and some bees, when this little hummingbird buzzed up next to me.  I tried to snap some pics at him but my shutter speed was too slow to catch his fast wings.  Luckily for me, he seemed happy to help with my picture of the day and hung around the yard for awhile.  I followed him around snapping pictures in various locations- wishing i had a 70-200mm lens- but I got some fun pics.  More hummingbird action if you click the link below!  Thanks for helping me with my pic of the day little hummingbird!! 

Technical Info- ISO1600, f/3.2, 1/500

******Click here for a few more!********

Day 34

Day 34- Bubbles
My students were playing with bubbles during recess.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/500

Day 33

Day 33- Striped Cookies!
These are a close-up of my signature striped cookies.  They are a simple sugar cookie, but the stripes make them a crowd pleaser.  Photographing cookies is a difficult thing...but I love to bake, so let me know if anyone has any tips!

Technical Info- 3200, 50mm, 1/80

Day 32

Day 32- The Riviera Hotel
This evening my fiance and I had our engagement pictures taken!  I chose to have them taken at the Palm Springs Riviera Resort and The Parker Palm Springs.  Both places were amazing!  This picture is of a cool piece of art they had in the lobby of the Riviera. Click the link below to see what it looks like from afar.

Technical Info- ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/125

Click here!!

Day 31

Day 31- The 405 at Night
Today I drove over to "Downtown Irvine" and took some pics of the 405 at the VonKarman overpass.  I tried lots of different shots and was limited to certain angles because of a chain link fence along the overpass.  It was both scary and invigorating to stand over the 12 lane freeway as the cars went 70mph underneath me.  I used my new tripod which allowed me to expose the pics for up to 30 seconds! Click the link below for more pics and different angles!

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/5.6, 13 seconds

Click here!!!

Day 30

Day 30- Little Mike

This is a picture of my cousin Dina's adorable little boy Mike.  I really didn't do a good job of setting up the shop (notice the kinda busy background), but I loved the lighting.  He is such a cutie!!

Technical Info-3200, f/4.5, 1/500

Day 29

Day 29- Baby Capri
This is my good friend Amanda's baby.  Capri is exactly one week old today.  She was much more challenging to photograph than I thought she would be- especially since she's so cute!  So this is my first attempt at baby photography. Lots more pictures if you click the link below!

Technical Info- ISO 1600, f/5, 1/200

Day 28

Day 28- Balloon Bunch
This is a picture of the balloon bunch at one of my favorite places to visit- South Coast Plaza.  SCP is the  3rd largest mall in the country.  It is, by far, my favorite place to shop.  In the center of the mall there is a carousel and a balloon stand.  I always marvel at the fact that the balloon strings are all perfectly straight and not tangled.  Today, the friendly balloon guy let me take some shots at the base of the balloon strings.

Technical Info- ISO 1600, f/3.5, 1/320

Click below for different perspectives of the balloons.

Day 27

Day 27- May Rain

Tried to find a way to capture the feeling of a rainy day- without getting my camera wet!  I took this picture before I got out of my car at work this morning.  This rain in May is no fun!  Where is the sun?

Technical Info-  ISO 100, f/1.8, 1/250

Day 26

Day 26- Mom's Rose
This flower was growing on my mom's rose bush in the backyard.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/1.8, 1/200

Day 25

Day 25- Strawberry Season

These strawberries grow near my home.  I love to stop at the little stands and buy big boxes of just-picked berries.  It was hard to resist grabbing one of these little guys and popping them into my mouth!  But to get this shot, I was already trespassing on private property, so i figured I shouldn't start stealing berries also.

Lessons learned on these shots- take my time to set up the shot, move around to find fun angles, make sure to check and adjust my aperture after each shot.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/3.5, 1/1600

More strawberry/agricultural pics if you click the link below!!

Day 24

Day 24- Meet the Parents

These are my wonderful, amazing, fabulous parents who support me in everything I do- including posing for me so I can get some portrait practice! Thanks Mom & Dad!

Technical Info- ISO 1600, f/1.8, 1/250

An outdoor pic of Mom and Dad if you click the link below!

Day 23

Day 23- The World of Color
Watched the amazing World of Color Show at Disney's California Adventure Park.  This is a shot of the Paradise Pier area as we are waiting for the show to start.

Technical Info - ISO 3200, f/3.5, 1/20

Click here for more Disneyland pictures!!

Day 22

Day 22- Dirty Martini 

It was one of those days at work...

Technical Info- ISO 1600, f/5, 1/30 

Day 21

Sea Star-
This makes me want to go snorkeling in a warm tropical location.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/1.8, 1/200

Day 20

Day 20- Greenery
I took this picture on the UCI campus. I'm taking a photography class through their extension school.  I've found a cool little garden to go to if I have some time to kill before a class.  Its full of different flowers, trellises, and has a few little benches.  It makes you feel like you are in some lovely little English Garden and not in the middle of UCI.  And its FULL of bunnies munching away at the grass.

Technical Info- ISO1600, f/1.8, 1/1250

Click below for a a couple more garden pics! Next time, I will take some of the flowers.

Day 19

Day 19- Leaving The Nest
Today, my friend Ava (6 years old) told me about a bird nest full of baby birds that had hatched within the last week.  I went to take a picture of the birds and really couldn't get a good shot.  I told Ava I would come back later and take a better one from a different angle.  Well those little birdies had better things to do then sit around and model for me; within 5 minutes they had left the nest and were hopping around the ground! So, I wasn't able to get a better nest shot...this is as good as it gets!

Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/2, 1/320

Click the link below to see a picture of the beautiful mama bird and another angle of the nest!

Day 18

Day 18- In the Helmet
For Mothers Day, my mom wanted to go to the Angel Game.  This picture was taken in the middle of one of the big helmets outside the stadium!
Technical Info- ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/250

Day 17

Day 17- Ramona
Tomorrow is Mother's Day,  so today we took my mom and my grandmother to see the play Ramona.  This is something my mom has been talking about doing for years.  It is the Official Outdoor Play of California and the Longest Running Outdoor play in the country.  The pageant has been put on for the past 88 years!  The story shows California as it was in the late 1800s.  It is a love story and the Native Americans, Mexicans and American Settlers are all featured in it.  The play is held on a mountainside in Hemet and is truly a one of a kind theater experience.  Notice the men on horseback towards the bottom of the picture.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/320    I really really wish I had had a zoom lens for today!!

For more Ramona pictures, click any of the links below!!!

Day 16

Day 16- Colorful Lights

After a delicious dinner at our favorite restaurant- Pizzeria Ortica, my fiance and I wandered over near the Orange County Performing Arts Center.  This is a lighting/sign structure.  I liked the colors and shadows. 

Technical Info ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/13

Day 15

Day 15- Kingsley
This is my good friend Megan's dog.  Her name is Kingsley and she is an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  Kingsley is a sweet, friendly and extremely lovable doggy.
Technical Info- ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/500

For some more adorable Kingsley pics, click below

Day 14

Day 14- Palm Trees at Twilight
Took this while leaving the supermarket today.  I loved the combination of the sky and the lit palm trees.
Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/6

Day 13

Day 13- Rocky Shoreline
It was a gorgeous day so I decided to hike down and take some pictures in Corona del Mar.
Technical Info- ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/800

Day 12

Day 12- Lily
This week is teacher appreciation week.  Each of my students brought me different flowers and the end result was a huge, mismatched, gorgeous bouquet.  This was one of the flowers.
Technical Info- ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/500

Day 11

Day 11- A Hero's Welcome
This is a photo of our friend Daniel, a 1st Lieutenant in the Marines who recently returned from his second tour of duty fighting in Afghanistan.  Tonight we celebrated his safe return home.  He told us stories of his experiences, painting a picture of a world that is so different from ours. During his first couple of weeks there, Daniel was badly injured from an IED.  Shrapnel was lodged in his neck and after a couple of days of healing, he was back out in the fields.  As we were celebrating, we were surprised to hear the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.  Our group gathered around the TV to watch the president speak.  It was amazing to watch this historical moment surrounded by good friends and in the presence of a hero who had risked his life for our country.

I really wanted to share this photo and his story.  And I have to give props to his adorable wife and the adorable welcome sign she made!!   Click here to read a newspaper article that Daniel was featured in!

Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/15