Orange Rays

I convinced my husband to go out for a walk on the beach on Tuesday evening. The sunset was so-so. We started to get cold and headed back to the car. Just then, the sunset started to change into an amazing one.

Valentines Day

I might not usually shoot people, but I love to shoot my husband and I. Just thought I'd share us before we went out for a Valentine's Dinner :)

Wheel of Time

I finished the last Wheel of Time book, The Gathering Storm, this week.

I started reading WoT in the summer of 2004 and devoured the books. When school started again, I started the 8th book and started slowing down. The series got a bit bogged down in book 7. I stopped about halfway through book 8 and never picked it up again.

Robert Jordan passed away in 2007 without finishing the series! But, it continued. Brandon Sanderson took over the job and is doing very admirably. C got his hands on the 12th book a few months back. He is not a very quick reader, but he finished the huge book really quickly. He raved about how good the series was getting and how quickly it was moving.

Well. I decided, just before Christmas, to reread the series. This time, I started off with the prequel, New Spring and read as many of the books as I could before Christmas break was finished. C reborrowed the 12th book again for me. Despite school starting, I continued reading.

Last weekend I started TGS and finished it Tuesday morning. Boy, it was a good ending. A cliffhanger, I guess, but a really good ending to this book.

Now I have to wait until this fall for book 13 and then another year for the final book!!

But, the series has gotten incredibly good and complex. I started reading a fan site and ran across a whole bunch of theories on what will happen in the next 2 books. Tying up loose ends and all kinds of crazy stuff. The past few days have passed with C and I theorizing together, and getting more and more intrigued.

Anyone else read the series? If not, I highly encourage you to. It's a great fantasy series!
The books on Amazon

Polarization

See the bottom of this shot? I was using my polarizing filter. It's awesome to be able to see past a reflection in a pool of water. Go invest in a polarizer!

Date: 2/20/10
Aperture: f/6.4
Shutter: 1/250 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 37mm
Tripod? Handheld

Ripples

After scouting for eagles, I went to my favorite beach. It was a lovely morning and I had some time to kill before I had to be at work. The wind was still and the sun peeked out enough to keep it a little warm (40+F!)

Date: 2/20/2010
Aperture: f/6.4
Shutter: 1/500 mm
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 46 mm
Tripod? Handheld

When the Boss is Gone...

When the Boss is gone, everything goes wrong. Without fail. She left yesterday and I worked by myself today. Some of these things are just annoyances, but on top of the main drama today, it made today quite draining.

My first task of the day was to fax the previous day's report to HQ. Fax machine proceeded to blink all 7 lights at me and insist on being turned off and then on. Then it had to reconfigure itself for a few minutes. The second try, the fax went through without a hitch! *phew*

First customer of the day runs in and in a rush grabs some sauce jars and rushes to the till. Wants bubble wrap but I declined it. I'm glad I did. She was in too much of a hurry. I put a stack of packing paper on the counter to wrap her jars in but she insisted on doing it herself and proceeded to run out the door as soon as I handed her the receipt. Bizarre.

10 minutes later, my coworker came in and announced she was taking the only daily report paper away. She had noticed the night before that it was the last blank one available. Boss had not copied anymore for us and the copier...is temperamental. Coworker takes the paper to the college to get it copied to make it through the weekend and returns with them, then goes home.

Then the weird customers started trickling in. Usually one person in each group was strange or eager to chat with me. I usually don't mind that, but each one today was just odd. An overweight girl in hot pink leggings came in wanting a job application. Unfortunately, Boss did not print off anymore of those either.

Shipping company driver showed up. I was distressed, because that meant I would need to move my car. Turns out he parked in the middle of the parking lot and did not have a pallet for me. Unfortunately, our local drivers have a history of being...stupid...when it comes to being careful at my work. Youngish driver unloads three boxes onto a dolly and rolls them to the porch. Instead of using the ramp, he proceeds to try to pull the dolly up the lone step. I started getting concerned, but then, he gave another yank and a board from the step breaks off. He apparently took the hint and went around to the ramp. I open the door for him and he starts making chit chat with me, but not a word about the board. As soon as he was out the door I raced to the phone and called my boss, quite rattled that our porch step was no longer safe to step on.

More weirdos come in. Two creepy guys came in right after the porch incident. They did not help me calm down. I did not have a sample tray out and they wanted samples. I told them that I could get them one. "Well...I just wanted a sample. It wouldn't be ethical for me to ask you to get me one specifically when I'm not going to buy anything." After asking me some strange questions and making strange comments, they walked out the door.

A lady came in with a long spiel about wanting a donation. We hate donation requests.

Soon, Boss's husband's employee comes to fix the poor step. 2 minutes flat, it was done. *phew!*

The last customer of the day kept talking to me about random things (tropical fish and snorkeling) and I scooted him and his wife out the door right at 5pm.

I sighed a huge sigh of relief once the door was locked. Surely tomorrow will be better!

No Camping

Went out to the Spit to see if I could find and eagle to pose for me. This one sat on the "No Camping" sign the entire time I shot from my car. I was pretty close to him, but didn't want to bother him.

Date: 2/20/2010
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/800 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 300 mm
Tripod? Handheld

Winter Carnival Parade

On the 13th, Homer had its annual Winter Carnival parade. The theme was "Snow Matter What".

Down Pioneer Avenue.

Checking out her bag of goodies!

Valentines Day

C and I had a lovely Valentine's Day :)

I frantically washed and curled my hair before C came home. I'm not too great at curling my hair, but it turned out good :) We both got dressed up and then we were off.

Went to a restaurant we don't usually frequent, but had some delicious food. It was a good time :)

A Short Survey

Hello everyone! I am working on a case study for a marketing class I am taking and it is based on Michelle Simpson Photos. If you would please think about and then answer these questions, I would be grateful!

How do you view Michelle Simpson Photos?

How does MSP compare in your mind to other landscape and nature photographers in the area?

Most people reading this will be considered a customer, whether you intend to purchase or not, but if not (i.e. not interested in photography, not interested in purchasing prints at all, etc.), how do you view MSP?

What would encourage you to make a purchase?

Is there anything I can do to make your experience better?

Any other comments?


Thank you for taking the time to read and possibly respond! If you want to leave a comment with answers, that is fine. If you feel more comfortable, feel free to email me at disappearing_mist @ hotmail.com

It would be great to get some answers from someone who has no experience with me or my work at all. Feel free to share this survey with family or friends!

Valentines

Valentines Day 2007

Are C and I one of the only couples that isn't getting anything for Valentine's this year?

Let me explain.

My poor husband does not think in gifts. Sometimes he brings me flowers he sees outside, and he is more of a "just because" giver. Christmas gifts for me are like pulling teeth. So are birthdays. I have given up trying to be surprised, and instead set him loose on my Amazon wishlist each year now. It's also hard because each month after Christmas has an "event": January - C's birthday. February - Valentines. March - My birthday. April - our anniversary. All of the big things, one after the other.

Growing up, my mom always made sure I went to school with some surprise in my backpack. A stuffed animal, candy, whatever, it was always fun. I think when I first got into a relationship, I assumed Vday would be some incredible day or something. It's not.

I would love to get chocolate or candy, but since I work in a candy store...the novelty of it is not there.

Fine jewelry? I don't need it, and there is very little chance he would pick something without my approval.

He hates stuffed animals (thinking they are a waste of space) and therefore will not get me one.

Meanwhile, there is nothing I can get for him. He does not appreciate chocolate. Could care less. Candy as well. Maybe we'll end up with a bouquet of flowers from one of us to the other! Seeing the amount some people spend on a Valentine's gift sickens me.

But one thing that can always be counted on: I will want to dress up and go out to eat. And C is usually amiable to that idea with little to no prodding.

So, come Sunday night, we'll be out on the town, dressed in semi-formal attire, eating a delicious meal, and stopping somewhere for a photo shoot. And I won't be whining over not getting a humongous paper heart box filled to the brim with chocolate. I'd take spending time with him over any gift he could give me!

The Kitties in my Life

I spent some time at my in laws' house today and a majority of that time was spent petting their cat Tigger. I thought it might be fun to introduce "my" kitties to you all :)This is Petunia. Her mama had her and two brothers in my parents' yard in the summer of 2003. They were wild, but my friends and I managed to catch them once to pet them and stuff. One of them was never seen again, along with the mom, but when two got older, Mom and Dad let me keep them...after I caught them. Tunia became my kitty. A big sweetheart who liked to sit on my lap, and also liked to drool on me. She was always skiddish, but after I moved out, she adopted Dad and is much less afraid of people. One of these days I need to get a great photo of her :)
Luv was born in 2000. We got him and his brother from a friend of mine. Ebony contracted feline leukemia in 2003 and so we had to put him to sleep. Luv is Mom's cat, rubbing up against her and loving on her. He's quite talkative, but a big sweetheart.
Orange Boy is just silly. He's Tunia's brother. He is quite jealous of the attention Luv gets, and when anyone pets him, OB comes running and butts in. He was always Dad's cat, but when Tunia switched her affections, OB became more reclusive. He's a huge fluffball. :)
Tigger is my in law's cat. C called him The Vampire for a long time because he was woken up by Tigger biting his neck sometimes. He's mellowed out a bit in his old age, and I think he has been ignored quite a bit there lately, because when I come over he won't leave me alone. Helps me get my kitty fix!
Lastly, this is Lily. She's silly too, in that she won't let you cuddle with her, pick her up or anything really. She's awfully soft, but she just runs away when you try to love on her. BIL5 is the only one she really "likes" and even he can't cuddle her sometime. At Christmas this past year she actually came and sat on my lap for some reason...We weren't sure if she was feeling ill or is just getting older ;)

Meme

Your favorite food? Spaghetti. And ice cream!

Your favorite drink? Chocolate milk!

Your dream/goal? My goal is to finish school. My dream is to do photography full time...

Your hobby? Photography, obviously. Reading, scrapbooking, and a bit of web design

Where were you last night? At home reading a book!

Something you say all the time? "Rawr!"

Something that you’re not? Studious :(

Wish list item? A nicer camera, a wide angle L lens. Just bought a macro lens today :)

Last thing you did: Cooked a couple of meals. Now sitting down for dinner :)

What are you wearing? Jeans and a tanktop

Your pets? None, just plants :(

Friends? I pretty much only have one girlfriend that is local at the moment. Unless you count my small group, then I have several around :)

Missing someone? Family and friends

Something you're not wearing? socks

Your favorite store? Amazon.com! Nah, bookstores are just fascinating, any and all.

Your favorite color? Teal and a deep cerulean blue

The last time you cried? A few days ago

When's the last time you laughed? Today while cooking

One place that I go to over and over? Work. And the beach!

Where do you eat? At my computer desk. *Hides face* I'm a slow eater, so it's easier for me to get stuff done while I eat.

Two

Last one. These two are on a pile of dirt. Definitely glamorous! :)

Date: 2/1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/320 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 300mm

Young Regal

Definitely my favorite from the day.

Date: 2/1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/400 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 271mm

Looking Regal

Unfortunately, these photos have trash or industrial equipment in them. If only they were a bit more natural looking!

Date: 2/1/10
Aperture: f/5
Shutter: 1/1000 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 238mm

Random Thoughts

We went to go see Avatar on Tuesday night. We were pretty impressed. I definitely want to buy it when it comes out on DVD. I was definitely enthralled with the loveliness of the graphics. And the Na'vi people were pretty intriguing as well!

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I have been having the hardest time concentrating at home to force myself to focus on my schoolwork. It's not even the distractions of Facebook or the internet. Just being in my house is a distraction, since there are tons of other things I could be doing besides schoolwork.

To combat this problem, I have decided that Monday morning/afternoon, I will go to the college and work in the commons and the computer lab and see how much more productive that makes me!

I've been saving up for a netbook for the past 7 or 8 months and I technically am close to being able to get one at this point. We'll see how Monday goes and I may decide to make the plunge to buy it after that. I would love to be more productive while there, which would be fantastic if I was on my own computer.

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C and I are watching Inuyashas again. It's a Japanese anime cartoon. We watched them before we were married and watched over 140 of them before the story stalled and we just stopped one day. Since finishing Voyager last year, we have not had anything else to watch. BIL1 was supposed to lend us some shows, but it did not work out. So now we are watching the last 20 or so more of the Inuyashas to finish the series. It's strange watching a childish show again!

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I also am wanting to get a macro lens for my camera. However, I can't get both that and the netbook at the same time! I have a lot of wants and not much of a budget for my desires...Or rather my budget can't keep up!

---

This semester of school has me way over my head already. It's pretty challenging in a couple of my classes, and one of them is pure, obnoxious busywork (and TONS of it) Time will tell how I do...

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We took BIL3 and his wife out for pizza last Saturday night. We had a good time of catching up. :) And I'd been craving that pizza like crazy, so that was good!

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment!

Immature Eagle

The rumors were saying that the eagles were all at the dump. I hit the jackpot this day! 3 more to come.

Date: 2/1/10
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter: 1/800 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 300 mm

Pastel

I used to love doing pastels in junior high and high school. I have not done a pastel since my senior year. The other day, I had an idea of a photo I'd love to do and it involves starfish and the beach. I will not be able to fulfill that idea for a while, but I was inspired to attempt to do so in pastel. This is not quite the way I want it for the photo, and I am really not an artist...But it was fun to do, and pretty relaxing. Felt good to be drawing again! I plan to pick it up again soon.
It's definitely not perfect, and this picture of it makes it look pretty awful =/ But it wasn't meant to be amazing. :)

Tiny Walkers

Now that we are getting more daylight, the sun is setting later. I ran to the beach after I got off of work and took some shots. This ended up being my favorite. It was warm enough out that there were quite a few people out on the beach.

Date: 1/30/10
Aperture: f/4.6
Shutter: 1/80 sec
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 161mm

Full Moon

The full moon the other night was obscured by clouds here, so I could not see Mars until the wee hours of the morning. I tried some shots and worked with this one in particular. I'm quite proud of how this one ended up :)

Date: 1/29/10
Aperture: f/4.6
Shutter: 1/40 sec
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 168mm

Moose Walkin'

Had another moose in our yard this week :)

Date: 1/28/10
Aperture: f/4.6
Shutter: 1/320 sec
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 141mm