Sorry that I have not posted in a few days, I have been down with a really bad cold. Much better now! Our renovation of the CPS Club Room is still on schedule and on budget thanks to Rob Erick and Dan Le Hoty with their careful attention to detail and staying on top of everything.

I have finished processing all of the photos that I took for the Cleveland Diabetes Association’s Walk and for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Association’s Light the Night Walk. Both of these organizations have raised lots of money to help fight their particular deseases. Here is a couple of shots from the two events.

As we look ahead this week there are lots of thing going on at the Cleveland Photographic Society. CPS has their Quarterly Business Meeting this Friday evening at 8:00 pm at the Broadview Heights Municipal Center in the City Council Chanbers.

Saturday, at noon Tony Berling will bring us a special Speaker and Photographer, Monty Sloan. Monty works at Wolf Park in Indiana and is a naturalist and wonderful photographer. Everyone is welcome!

Thanks for visiting my new blog. It was created to share my photography and experiences. I additionally, want to use this blog to provide insight into the Cleveland Photographic Society (CPS) for which I am the current President.

I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I hope I will. There are so many great people out there that help me every day, I just never know how to thank them all enough. 

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida is “one of the world’s preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants…” The 83-acre garden has been accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1981, and now you get to experience it for free. Yes, FREE admission on Sundays for the month of August!

Almost 70 photographers from Shoot Miami descended on the historic gardens this morning. It was my first time visiting the gardens, and the mix of horticulture was quite striking – exhibits range from rainforest to arid, there is a sunken garden, butterfly garden, and even works by Chihuly are spread throughout many areas of the site.

After a few hours of wandering on our own, or in small groups, everyone met back at the Garden Café for some much needed rehydration and shade while we discussed our findings and different camera techniques. Overall it was a great day – hot, but fun.

Come and buy some smokies.

Food is taken to a different level when sold on the streets.

It develops a certain character which is only understood by the palette.

Fun. Yum.

I have always been amazed by the beauty and serenity of the mountain.

The road up may be difficult but the peace and calmness felt

when the top is reached is priceless.

 Christmas is a season for love, hope and peace.

A wonderful time to celebrate family and friendship

and

sing Christmas carols with sheer harmony.

heart

you are my heart’s joy.

I am ambivalent with how I feel about the rain.

I loved it when I was a child.

However, I sometimes hate it now.

Darn rain. You confuse me at times yet you bring life to my world.

I would have to admit that I do like you too.

Rain drops. Reminds me of cozy fun conversations, warm blankets and hot chocolate.

Reminds me of little pools of water and wet shoes too. Darn.

It is good to pause and think amidst the fast lane that we call life.

In a reflective kind of solitude, we find peace.

“Play needs direction as well as work.”

                    – Elbert Hubbard

I’ve been running like a madman since returning from vacation.  I didn’t get to pose the fur shot I had hoped for, but this was taken on Saturday and I think it fits well.  Given the conent of my photos last week, are you surprised?

I give you fur…and nose.

Be sure to see the other SAPCC entrants:

Russ

Chris

Conni

Pat

Smack?

Next week’s theme: phobias

Image created by Alf Rollings

Shot on a Canon digital compact – a620 and then 4 images were merged and cropped to create this Panorama. Great Job!!!

Oh Sun, you fire up the world with your light.

Even the moon could not help but bask in your brightness.

You can view the latest updates and information about the Photographic Society of the University of Central Missouri at the following link:

“I can’t change the direction of the wind,

but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

– Jimmy Dean

{Water is} the one substance from which the earth can conceal nothing; it sucks out its innermost secrets and brings them to our very lips.

Jean Giraudoux (1882-1944), The Madwomen of Chaillot, 1946

Susan says…

When you just want to look at some delicious food without the temptation of eating it, do what any red-blooded American would do: turn to Food Porn. 

Flickr is an internet site where you can upload and share your photos with selected people or the world, for free!  You can search the photos on flickr by photographer name, tags, or location.  People with similar interests form groups where they share photos in the same genre.  Joining groups on flickr is easy and many groups ask you to post photos in their group without commitment.  Others, like the Hit, Miss, Maybe group requests you vote on the three photos prior to the one you are posting to give your opinion about each of them.

Check out some of the photos in these groups:

Food Porn

I Love Food

Professional Looking Food Photography

FOOD: I Cooked/Made This

and for all the sushi lovers out there, Japanese Food

If you try it and find flickr useful and fun, you can upgrade to flickr pro for about $25 a year which will allow you more downloads and more flexibility to organize your photos.  With an upgrade to pro, you get 10 free Moo Cards – another great way to share your photos of food… or whatever.

Perhaps this will encourage other people to start toting their cameras to restaurants with them like we do!