Am I Blue?

Am I Blue?
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

Lots of Lilies!

Lots of Lilies!
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

Along with the Hydrandeas, lots of lovely lilies scattered throughout the garden.

Hydrangea Mania!

Hydrangea Mania!
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

Took a walk through the garden late yesterday afternoon, after picking up the mail. The hydrangeas are at their peak all throughout the garden...blues, purples, lavender, mauve (and sometimes all on the same bush)! Used the Fuji point-and-shoot because it's always in my purse. I should really go back with the Nikon D80 and a tripod. Maybe tomorrow.

Nanina's In The Park

 

 

Lovely garden next to the outdoor terrace at Nanina's. We were celebrating the administration of the oath of office to David K. who was appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of NJ. NJ's gain is our loss...as David has been our corporate counsel for more than 15 years. Couldn't get any good photos of the actual ceremony in the beautifully restored court house because there were some big (and big-haired) people in the seats in front of me.

Bzzzzy Bee!

Bzzzzy Bee!
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

My Sister's Garden (and Birthday)

Spent a couple of days in East Northport, celebrating my sister's 70th birthday. We started out at a tour of the Vanderbilt Museum with my two nieces, 5 grandchildren, and a visiting cousin. It's always interesting to get a kid's take on shrunken heads, stuffed birds and animals, marine fossils and an Egyptian mummy. We also saw a laser show in the Planetarium, but it had nothing to do with the planets...just laser animations timed to music from Broadway musicals, movies, etc. The kids range in age from 11 down to 3, and the older kids were disappointed...they thought they'd learn more about the stars and planets (a family of nerds...thank goodness!). Then my sister, her two daughters and I had fun at dinner that evening. I spent some time in her lovely little garden, and took a bunch of flower photos, along with those of some very busy bumblebees.

Call Me!

Street Walking in NYC!
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

A billboard along 8th Ave in NYC

Street Walking!

 

 

A walk down 8th Avenue on the way to the Music Box Theater to see "August: Osage Count." The noise, the crowds, the smells (from the street vendor carts), the colors, and the adrenalin rush from seeing all those huge construction cranes....there's nothing like New York City!

Firework Flower Warholized

Firework Flower Warholized
Originally uploaded by bellearielparis

Always fun to play!

Living Dangerously!

Our photography class went on a field trip to the weekly Farmer's Market in Washington Park in Newark (about 1 block away from the Museum). Despite the warnings about all the people in the US getting ill from tainted tomatoes, these looked so beautiful that I bought some. I ate them all, and since I'm still here, they must have been OK. Here I am in the "Garden State" famous for "Jersey Tomatoes" and where were these from? Canada! I thought the tomatoes, mushrooms, and blue boxes were appropriate for the 4th of July. As for the peaches and the red peppers...just practicing with the camera.

Fireworks on the 4th from the 14th Floor

Thought I would put to use some of what I learned at the photography class this week, and so I tried it all...used a tripod, shot in RAW, used manual settings for aperture and shutter speed (it only sounds like I know what I'm talking about), etc. First of all, the fireworks don't wait while you fiddle around with the dials; secondly, it's hard to see what you're doing in the dark. Still, I am really happy with these two "dumb luck" shots. They look like exotic flowers you'd find under the sea. I'm going to have to save the photos in Adobe Photoshop (another thing to learn!), so that all the camera settings are retained. I downloaded them to my freebie Picasa 2, and all it shows is the size, and seems to have automatically converted them to JPEG. According to our instructor Roberto, you always shoot and save in RAW, which gives you the most control over the printed results.