Nature Macros

  • November 28, 2009 2:35 PM

When I lived in the US, my favorite thing to photograph was macros nature shots – for some reason, I don’t do this in Belgium. It’s very relaxing and peaceful to focus on a single object and block out everything else around it.  This week in the NC mountains, I’ve been able to wander around and capture some nature macros again. Here are some of my favorites:

My creation

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I took these all on the hike with my Aunt and Cousin-in-law from my previous post. You can see the rest of my photos on Flickr:

 

Photographing Waterfalls

  • November 28, 2009 1:14 AM

This week, Thomas and I are staying in a cabin with my family in Black Mountain – a gorgeous area in the NC mountains with a view like this.

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Yesterday, I joined my aunt and my cousin-in-law for a little hike along a river. I got to practice a little trick for photographing waterfalls – shoot with a longer shutter speed.  Instead of freezing the water, it captures the movement with a smooth, blurred look.  The article says to switch into shutter priority, but I did the same thing in aperture priority, while adjusting the aperture.  Note:  Be sure to use a tripod.  I balanced my camera on a rock for these.

Here’s the same photo at a fast (F4.2, 1/320) and then slow (F29, 1/10) shutter speed.

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It was a really easy trick and I was really happy with the result.  Try it out!  Here’s a couple other waterfall shots I captured in the area.

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The Big Trip Home

  • November 20, 2009 3:54 PM

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We’re going home!  Not home home, permanently, but just for a couple of weeks.  It’s my first trip back to the US since we moved about a year ago.

So far, we’ve packed:

  • 3 cartons of Speculoos spread
  • 8 bottles of St. Bernardus Abt 12 beer
  • 20 Liege waffles
  • and 8 lbs of Neuhaus chocolate

I hope we have room for some clothes in our suitcases too.  :)  We’ll be spending a week in Black Mountain, NC, a week in Mt. Hood, Oregon, and a week in Mountain View, California.  We’ll also be passing through Atlanta and Raleigh with just enough time to visit our friends, family and favorite stores.

As we’re making our whirlwind tour, do you have any recommendations on things to see or do in those areas, or even more importantly…fabric shops to be sure not to miss? :)

I think we’ll have Internet throughout our trip, but in case we don’t, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Trees Quilt

  • November 19, 2009 10:47 AM

My month is coming up for Another Quilting  Bee 1, and last night, Sarah, came over and helped me figure out what to do for my quilt.  I have all these orangey fabrics that I want to use, and I had thought of requesting long tall stacks that would resemble trees (kinda like this), but I couldn’t figure out the logistics.

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But then, Sarah suggested that if I want trees, to just ask for trees.  Now, I’ve got this quilt in mind.  Each person will make a tree and I’ll put them together on a white background.  I’m a little unsure how the trunks will work, so if you have any suggestions on how to make it easier, let me know.

A Future Quilt?

If you remember my quilt for Sew Connected 3, I haven’t finished it yet.  I get all caught up in my other activities, and never put aside enough time to quilt.  And since each block is so different, I have no idea on how I will quilt it.

What kind of winter craftiness have you been up to?

Slumber Party in the Netherlands

  • November 18, 2009 10:47 AM

This Summer, I went on fantastic trip – a girl’s overnight to Volendam, Marken Island and Alkamaar in the Netherlands.  Reid, her 2-year old daughter, and I drove up there for some touring and girly time without our guys.

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Boats off of Marken Island

Our first stop was Volendam and Marken Island.  Volendam is an adorable little tourist town, just across the water from Marken Island.  We caught a ferry over to the island and wandered around.  Marken is a picturesque fishing village lined with little wooden houses.  I loved the fresh seafood stands selling along the water.  Delicious!

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Reid and Connor model the traditional garb

Since we had a toddler with us, we headed back to our hotel for an early night.  We settled into our pajamas, opened a bottle of wine, and watched The Sound of Music (my first time ever).  Reid is a big fan and sang along to all of the songs, and teared up when her young daughter got into the movie too.

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Cheese girl in Alkamaar

The next morning, we headed up to Alkamaar where they have the weekly cheese market.  Big wheels of cheese are brought in and people in traditional clothing run them around on rockers to be weighed.  It was a very touristy show, but the cheese we tasted (gouda) was delicious.

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Cheese runners

It was a wonderful short trip.  If you’re looking for day trips from Amsterdam, I recommend Volendam/Markem, at the least. I’ve posted more photos on Flickr: