My backyard in December through my Nikon D7000 and 85mm/1.4g lens (Danville, CA)

my lemon tree

My 855mm/1.4g  lens I hadn’t unpacked in over a year since we moved to California!  Yikes!

Love our planet and all creatures big and small (dolphin – Big Island, Hawaii)

Celebrate the earth by taking care of this planet that feeds our hunger, quenches our thirst, and gives joy through playful dolphins, stunning sunsets, and colorful flowers.  This dolphin played in the wake of our catamaran earlier this year on the Big Island in Hawaii. The sight of this dolphin reminds me how much I care about keeping our oceans clean for our creatures to swim, play and be part of our lives. Our planet takes care of us and it’s up to us to conserve, keep our waters clean and our soils healthy and free of toxins.  How will you celebrate, show gratitude, and take care of our generous planet today…and every day?  When we take care of our planet, we take care of ourselves.  Love and light…

Happy Earth Day 2015 – Common Dolphin – Big Island, Hawaii

365 Project: Mt. Rainier Sunrise – landscape or portrait? (Seattle, WA)

Mount Rainier sunrise – landscape crop (Nikon D7000, 50mm/1.4G)

I posted this sunrise pic with my iPhone and am just getting around to checking out the shots using my Nikon D7000. Which crop do you prefer? Landscape or portrait? Thanks for your input, shutterbugs!!

Mount Rainier sunrise – portrait crop (Nikon D7000, 50mm/1.4G)

365 Project: Walking a fallen tree

After a relatively painless family photo shoot, using my tripod and self-timer, Nora finally was unleashed to climb logs, play, and explore. I shot this when she climbed up high on a fallen tree and she flashed me her sweet smile. Love…

365 Project – 236: Nature’s canvas – wispy clouds, air-brushed sky (August 30, 2013)

365 Project – 233: Ruby Beach playdate (August 21, 2013)

Olympic National Park boasts gorgeous beaches on the northwestern coast of Washington state but, not all have sandy beaches like Ruby Beach. It’s an easy stroll from the parking lot and if you go left (south), there’s a big stretch of fine sand, as opposed to the more typical coarse sand or rocks found on many ONP beaches. Time it at low tide to enjoy tidepooling, and plan on staying late to catch a stunning sunset. Ruby Beach is a gem we often enjoy with our family and friends. 🙂

p.s. For our family, a few of our other favorite fine sandy beaches are Shi Shi Beach and Third Beach but, they’re not as accessible as Ruby Beach. In comparison, Rialto Beach is absolutely gorgeous and has amazing tidepooling and the famous “hole in the wall”, but, the beach is strewn with rocks and it’s often very windy and thus, colder. Rialto is also a favorite for our family but, if we’re in the mood for swimming and making sand castles, we opt for Ruby Beach or Third Beach. 🙂

Tidepooling before sunset

Yup, the ocean is “warm” for these Pacific Northwest girls! 🙂

365 Project – 232: From the tip of my kayak on Lake Crescent – Port Angeles, WA (August 20, 2013)

The wind had picked up and I wasn’t at all concerned about tipping over but,  I was concerned about keeping my Nikon D7000 dry while I took this shot! I protected my camera in a waterproof bag but, everytime I extracted it, the bow of my boat would veer away from center, ruining my intended composition.  At one point, I suddenly found myself  parallel to shore, with the waves crashing across my spray skirt and my boat scraping against the rocks. Quickly I raised my camera and clumsily stuffed it back into the safety of my waterproof bag, then turned back into the waves to try again to get my shot. This was probably one of the most stressful shots I’d ever captured just because of my camera-protective anxiety, but, I loved every second of it!!  🙂

365 Project – 230, 231: Me and my “Sparrowhawk” – kayaking on Lake Crescent (August 18, 2013)

When I’m on the water in my Wilderness Systems’ Sparrowhawk, I’m in my happy place…

365 Project – 221: Flight of the bumblebee (August 9, 2013)

Summer with my kiddo at home and my yoga teaching schedule has kept me from photo blogging much but, today I took my D7000 and 85mm/1.4 lens out for a spin, while a ton of bees were buzzing around my lavender.  I stayed calm, believing that bees could smell fear, because I’m allergic to bees.  I squatted down, played with my settings on Manual with 1.4 aperture and the Sports setting, and became mesmerized by the bees buzzing between the lavender stalks.  My eye was drawn to the contrast of the striped black and yellow bumble bees, although another variety of predominantly yellow bees were also buzzing about; they just didn’t make the cut for the photo shot! LOL

I quickly became obsessed with capturing these bees in flight. With my lens set for continuous shooting, I aimed, focused, and shot four hundred and fifty one frames! Here are ten of my best shots…capturing bees in flight is hard!!  I definitely have an increased appreciation for action and wildlife photographers!  Enjoy and I hope your weekend is buzzing with excitement, fun and adventure! ;D

365 Project – 142: Tilling the soil (May 22, 2013)