Memorial Day Parade, Anytown, USA

"Curved Lines"

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"Motion"

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"Kickball"

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"Broken"

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"My love of Renaissance Faires"

The Monthly Project over at Photoblog Challenges is a "Free Project"
for July, and it didn't take much thought to come to the fact that I would
be featuring photos from my Renaissance Faire collection.

I've been to twelve Renaissance Faires over the years, and don't see
myself stopping. In addition to the fact that they are such visual feasts
for the eyes, they also offer great entertainment. The absolute only
thing I can complain about is the fact that the backgrounds are often
less than flattering, and almost guaranteed to be cluttered. Here though,
I've managed to find several that are not too bad:

There is always lots of music to be enjoyed...






And lots of fire...






And jousting and swordplay...






A storyline, with talented actors, that's always fun to follow
around as they perform different scenes around different locations...
(Here Little John enjoys the moment of Robin Hood's capture.)



And wandering improv that you can stop and enjoy any time...



And amazing sets (especially at the one in New York which has permanent
structures set up)...



And finally, either fun or creepy acts, depending on your perspective...






If you scroll down further, you can check out images of Renaissance Faires
that I've posted in the past.

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Photoblog Challenges and be sure to vote for your favorite!

"On The Street in NYC"

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"Carnival"

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"Fancy"

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"Sports"

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E is for: Eggs

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Photo-Heart Connection: June 2013

The idea: At the end of each month, review the images you worked with in that month for the one that gives you the strongest connection to your heart and soul. Write about that connection to the image in a blog post... then link into the monthly link up.



I adore flowers. Their beauty, and honestly even more importantly, their fragrance. And every year I tell myself I'm going to get up to Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT to enjoy their rose garden, the week before their celebrated "Rose Weekend" of course, since I can't take crowds.

Well this year I did it. I went by myself after my kids were in school. I got there around 10am so I'd have nice light, and as I walked around sticking my nose and camera in to all that deliciousness I noticed that the light had gotten really harsh; it was already after noon. I had stayed for over three hours and took over 700 photos.

I am going through a period of huge transition in my life right now. After homeschooling my two boys for nine years they are both in school, and I am finding myself with a lot of time on my hands. And yet I find myself feeling guilty for taking time to nourish my soul with a few hours of something I love to do, that my other family members would only bitch through if I had dragged them along.

I think I love this photo the most out of the 711 that I took because it is one single rose reaching up above the others. Reaching for the sun even as it beats mercilessly down upon it. It reflects how I am trying to deal with the mixed emotions I have about all the changes going on in my life. I am joyful that my kids are in school now, and that I have a few moments to catch my breath to rise above the mundane. But I am still a white rose in the midst of white roses and miss my kids terribly. The trick, I think, will be to learn to allow myself these moments of alone time without feeling guilty.

Photographically I like this image because it really is quite lovely despite that mid-day blaring sun that professionals are always saying to avoid for the best photos. I've had my digital SLR for almost a year now, and I am still adjusting to it. My last SLR was not digital and was completely manual, and I am constantly challenged to take advantage of the new auto functions (focus, for example) while manipulating them to get the results that I want. Having hours to take photos of still images enabled me to practice.

What a lovely day that was.

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"Woman"

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"Flags"

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"White Petals"

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"Low Key Macro"

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"Men"

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“Ugly”

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"Skillful"

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"B&W with Split Toning"

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