Brain freeze- Snaphappy playing & learning

[piperbarb]

I think Spring decided to skip us this year

We're still waiting.

 

[snaphappy]

Foggy moon

So last night/ this mornings poor attempt at the lights again. Handheld and after some polar ice so I may not have been as steady as I thought I was....

 

[WhiteLight]

Could you have your northern lights visit us here for a few days??
With all the craziness in the weather all over the world I wouldn't be surprised if it does.. Or if we get snow!

Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk 2

 

[snaphappy]

LOL sorry Whitelight not within my talents If you want to see lights you gotta freeze your butt off hehe I'd never seen the lights until we moved up here 3yrs ago Always lived more in southern and coastal Canada so it was pretty great to see even these little green lights. But I have seen a couple of shows one in particular that I would have LOVED to know how to take pictures. Although there is no lens wide enough to take it all in at once the entire sky was dancing and absolutely stunning. Nature is magical

Today was exciting to get a parcel! Teacher showed me how amazing bouncing flashes can be so got myself a sb-700 and while I was at it found a used 50mm f1.8D (fabulous condition I think), a tiffen CPOL for my 70-300mm and a 496 ball head for my tripod! The tilt head that came with my tripod is great and I'm keeping it but it just wouldn't tip straight up for sky pics. Tonight it is POURING rain so no trying it out tonight but I had fun taking pics inside with my 50mm and flash. My 5yr old is in huge trouble this week after making very scary choices so I haven't done much camera stuff but today he got volunteered as head shot model as I played with my sb-700.
Tomorrow I'll get out manuals and do some learning but tonight I had a great time just playing and seeing what happens.
I had ordered a 28mm f2 that I was incredibly excited about someone snatched it up before me probably while I was checking reviews etc too bad

​New toys after I unpacked them

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

i love package day. I have the SB-700. It is an amazing flash.

 

[snaphappy]

Here's a couple from the last couple of days.
Freshly hatched using window light

Finally the snow is melting still not gone but getting close
​

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Here's a couple from the last couple of days.
Freshly hatched using window light

Finally the snow is melting still not gone but getting close
​

I like the freshly hatched ones. Now the million dollar question. What do you do with all the geese / ducks?

 

[snaphappy]

3 adult geese are my duck security guards and protect them and my eggs very well from overhead predators. The ducks are weed eaters and bug catchers that lay eggs for us. We sell most of my sons chicken eggs and keep most of the duck eggs for baking and eating. In summer we have big gardens and the ducks make sure we don't need any pesticides because they take care of that for us. The geese make sure the ducks are safe from horrid murdering ravens while they're out. I hatch a few ducklings and hopefully this year a few goslings so hubby doesn't complain about my winter feed bill so much Those ducklings have have already gone to a new home where they will lay lots of eggs over the next few years. Ducks have very few diseases, lay more eggs for more years, are waaay more personable than chickens and baking with duck eggs is fabulous! But chickens sure taste good.....

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

3 adult geese are my duck security guards and protect them and my eggs very well from overhead predators. The ducks are weed eaters and bug catchers that lay eggs for us. We sell most of my sons chicken eggs and keep most of the duck eggs for baking and eating. In summer we have big gardens and the ducks make sure we don't need any pesticides because they take care of that for us. The geese make sure the ducks are safe from horrid murdering ravens while they're out. I hatch a few ducklings and hopefully this year a few goslings so hubby doesn't complain about my winter feed bill so much Those ducklings have have already gone to a new home where they will lay lots of eggs over the next few years. Ducks have very few diseases, lay more eggs for more years, are waaay more personable than chickens and baking with duck eggs is fabulous! But chickens sure taste good.....

That is great. I have often wished I could have a few ducks / chickens for the fresh eggs. I live within city limits and we still are not allowed. The next town over, which is ten times our size, has recently started allowing a certain amount of chickens in back yards.

 

[snaphappy]

rain finally stopped this afternoon so worked on trying to use "M" better still not quite got it but I'm trying
pup on my thawed out deck and evening sun going down

She's so droopy eyed its impossible to get catch lights in her eyes LOL I tried to get some of her lumbering along in action but it's just extremely unflattering hehe

 

[snaphappy]

She's so many varying shades of her weird greyish brown so thought I'd try B&W maybe not as distracting?

​Better?

 

[Marilynne]

She looks good in both color and B/W.

 

[snaphappy]

Thanx Marilynne learning can be so frustrating at times

Today head cold is kicking my butt and so did "M". Sigh pics look good on my LCD then on computer waaaaay too dark.
Anyways, little visitors flew away so had to make do with these. Sun was setting and lovely golden light but all settings I tried were wrong

Look brown (yucky but at least its not white) and little pond thawed but backfield still white but lots more ground showing up

 

[snaphappy]

watching

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Head cold still has my brain turned to mush so really just wanted to sleep! Picked up kids from school and a few mins later got the news that school was on fire. Everyone out no injuries or health issues but each classroom had at least 2 pets and it seems quite a few passed due to smoke so kids will be sad. No school tomorrow but I'm guessing this week will be chaos. I don't know what they'll do
still in chaos nearly an hour later

watching

My daughters school entrance

Lightened the mood by telling her she was definately going to need more school sneakers since hers would have been immediately inside that charred door.
Fire was up into the roof and smoke coming out on the far end by my eldest sons class and over on the opposite far side by my youngest sons class so going to be alot of smoke damage

Glad everyone was ok. the school can be repaired.

 

[snaphappy]

I've checked in a few times but I'm waaay behind in reading posts so will take me a bit to catch up
After checking out the school we went down to the river for some fresh air and a little relax. Funny though how pics can match your mood of the day
Watch your step
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​

 

[snaphappy]

Damages are far far worse than it originally looked. Very busy week but opening a school that was closed 10yrs ago and kids/teachers headed back to school next week! Structure unstable so everything inside is write off and we'll have to start completely new but they'll be together
I tried my hand at Backdoorhippie style but failed miserably. HDR would have made some of my pics better I think and kicking myself for not grabbing CPOL but dodged security to get close to building not sure I could have pulled it off again.
Sons exit on other side of school

Classroom window
​

 

[Rexer John]

Just read your post about the school fire, glad all the kids are ok.
Scary.

 

[snaphappy]

My other sons exit those aren't tinted windows

My daughters class was in middle of school at the front by the ignition site so no windows and her exit was the ignition site so they'd have had to scramble for another door. Fire started only 20mins after school dismissal no talk of foul play so it could have gone at anytime. We're very lucky

 

[snaphappy]

My style is more bright and happy pics
We found some growth in the school veggie garden Also had rhubarb growing so have a fabulous portrait of them with the colourful rhubarb coming up