Photo Friday: contest prep

I'm getting some images ready for Holgapalooza. I need to stretch my contest muscles: Gather, prepare, submit. And since I've been in a toy camera frame of mind lately, it seems a good plan to start. I'm not sure I'll be able to use these images because the (only) prize is publication and I don't have releases from these kids. So, I figured just in case I'd share them with you. I'll either submit these under the category of "portrait" or "passion". Probably passion since the idea of travel to exotic places makes me happy.


Both these shots were taken at the holiest of holiest of happiest festivals in Bhutan. My dear friend Ken (see his website in my sidebar) and I attended on our last day in Bhutan. The Bhutanese are required to wear traditional costume during the day and they get out their best and brightest for the festivals. Ken and I dressed in the costumes as well. We had such a good time watching them watch us. I simply wanted to take this little girl home with me.




These two girls had become fascinated by my curls as the Bhutanese have stick straight hair. I could feel them pulling the curls to watch them "boing" back up. They would laugh so hard. Finally after one of the "boings!", I whipped around with my holga and they laughed even harder that they were caught. So sweet.

Sunflowers old and new...

I've been short on time for both Photo Friday and A Squid's Eye View from the Garden (I think a separate blog is in order and will work on that, um, someday soon). So, today I took a few garden shots with my iphone while I frantically watered. The phone has a green rubber protective cover with a Paul Frank monkey on it (to always remind me not to listen to what the buddhists call our "monkey brain"), but it sometimes leave a green aura around my shots. Hmmm, I wonder if that means lots of green is coming my way: cabbage, broccoli, money...I'll be happy for any of it!!


My gi-normous sunflowers are now bird feed. For every season....right?


But, new ones are on the bloom. This one is now taller than the corn. Totally different type of sunflower from exactly the same seed packet. Go figure.


And this one was me tripping on some clippings as I took it. But, I really liked how it came out and was actually bummed it was only on my iphone rather than my actual camera in RAW.

Three Perfect Pea Pods