I had to laugh when my son commented on Facebook that a visit to our house typically includes your involvement in a play, a concert, or a photo shoot. This is actually true, particularly if you are a guest of one of our middle kids. You may well find yourself swept away into a throwback fantasy world – at least for a little while. It's all good fun.
If you visit, dress warmly.
We may end up hiking over to the cabin at the pond…
There is one instance in which it is actually less than desirable to be 'centered'. That is, when it comes to your photographs. (Actually this applies to all forms of visual art.) It is generally accepted that a composition is more pleasing when the subject is slightly off-sides rather than dead center. For a couple hundred years now this has been referred to as the rule of thirds.
If you imagine a nine-patch quilt square superimposed over your image, you want to try to position your camera so that the subject is roughly near one of the four points on the center square. This can be done during focusing or later in editing. There is a trick to doing it in camera however because most point and shoot cameras tend to hunt for a center object to focus upon.
First things first, you need to track down the way your camera is currently set to focus. Does your camera have face recognition? Does it have flashing boxes in the viewfinder letting you know what it is selecting as focal points? These are important things to know because whatever is outside the little flashing box(es) may well not be in focus, particularly if you are in Aperture or Portrait modes.
Next, get your subject into a focus box and press the shutter half way down. This will lock your focus and exposure. Many people don't realize that your camera needs a half second there to do that. If you routinely press the shutter button completely immediately without that pause you aren't allowing your camera to focus properly.
So, you have your subject locked in. Now, move your camera slightly one way or another to frame the scene and then depress your shutter button the rest of the way. If this takes too much time you can always play around with cropping in your photo editing program. They all have that. I would suggest making a copy of your image first and then try cropping it different ways for comparison.
This one is pretty obvious.
In this shot the tunnel is centered, but you can see that the girls themselves are aligned at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks. This makes for a more symmetrical composition than Aidan's but still works.
When she was solo, however, I moved Tess slightly left.
The Rule of Thirds doesn't apply only to portraits. Some gorgeous examples of landscape and still shots here.
Weekend Challenge: learn to identify your camera's focus indicator and practice holding the shutter halfway down and recomposing your shot. Alternatively, choose some of your older photos and play around with cropping. (remember, always edit COPIES, never originals – cardinal rule of editing)
"There are many who want me to tell them of secret ways of becoming perfect and I can only tell them that the sole secret is a hearty love of God, and the only way of attaining that love is by loving. You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so you learn to love God and man by loving. Begin as a mere apprentice and the very power of love will lead you on to become a master of the art."
– St Francis de Sales
Little love apprentices at work around here this week.
Those of you who were interested in our multiplication mat might want to visit Montessori Print Shop. Jennifer has graciously shared actual lesson pages from her primary math manual to use with the mat. These run through a typical multiplication presentation, complete with suggested scripts.
Enjoy!
"The best medicine in the world, without any side effects, is a smiling face."
We are hoping this saying holds true. I had the privilege to photograph some of my favorite people this week and we had a blast. Lots of smiles and laughter during the session. Some more sober thoughts and lots of prayers while editing. You see, the pictures of these beautiful faces are going to be hung in their father's ICU room, where he is in critical condition. Visits are limited so we bringing a little bit of home to him this way. I would ask you say a prayer when you see this post for a gentle man and the woman and children who absolutely adore him.
"The lens of loss and trial has a way of bringing blessing into sharp focus. It is the the relative ease of the uninterrupted daily that muddies the water, allowing discontent to filter in. It can make it hard to see love, to show love, to feel loving. How often we become farsighted as marriage ages, seeing clearly that which is beyond our reach, while what is right there before us blurs and fades from our sight…"
please visit Suscipio for the rest of the story
I apologize for dropping the ball on posts this weekend, but there will be a new Weekend Photography Tip on Saturday next. God bless.
"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I will give between me and you…'"
Rainbows aren't always overhead, in sun-splashed parting clouds.
Very often they are right there underfoot, in the midst of our messy spills,
the sticky spots.
You just have to look for them.
My sweet girl, getting older but holding tightly to childlike joy. Never lose that.
Joining Ginny for Yarn Along again this week:
Alannah has taken up the needles again and has undertaken an ambitious first project – an infinity scarf, ambitious more for the size than the difficulty. We found several patterns online, but none exactly right for our yarn and skill level. We ended up modifying a pattern. She cast on some couple hundred stitches onto the largest circular cable we had. Then has been alternating knit and purl stitches every three rows to make gently rolling ribbing.
Of course it had to be white to contrast nicely with her red wool peacoat.
Noteworthy reads this week include the Little Housekeeping book I quoted yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed this one although I feel the need to go scrub something with turpentine now. <g> I think my favorite part was the discussion amongst the tutors as to whether to cover laundering in the lessons, it finally being decided in favor, however unlikely it was to come up.
A few children’s books we loved this week:
The Beethoven book has architecture so very like what we see here. Snook was a story of a dog who belongs to a monk. He is left behind on an island for some time. In the course of the story a great deal of naturalist information is imparted. This seems to be a theme because the Audubon book describes the journals and specimen collections of the famed artist. Inspires me to get everyone back out and collecting. Well, maybe when the temperature inches above 20 degrees anyway. Brrr.
That weather has made Aidan’s celestial navigation course a challenge but that course is prompting a great deal of astronomy related reading for everyone.
In other news, I picked up Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot. I have long loved Elisabeth’s sensibility. I have been pleasantly surprised and encouraged to see so many saints quoted as the basis of her essays in this volume.
One passage really spoke to where I am at this moment:
“There are times when the entire arrangement of our existence is disrupted and we long then for just one ordinary day – seeing our ordinary life as greatly desirable, even wonderful, in the light of the terrible disruption that has taken place. Difficulty opens our eyes to pleasures we had taken for granted.”
I don’t mean to sound pitiful when I say that plenty enough such disruptions have visited me that I have come to truly relish and delight in the ordinary. I spent two hours ironing my husbands work clothes this evening. What a wonderful blessing it was: the steam, the rhythm, the quiet after little people had settled into bed, the old Ozzie and Harriet episodes keeping me company. A very good night ending with a quiet heart.
I’ve many a cross to take up now,
And many left behind;
But present troubles move me not,
Nor shake my quiet mind.
and what may be tomorrow’s cross
I never seek to find;
My Father says “Leave that to me,
and keep a quiet mind.“
– Anonymous
I can’t say this has always been my MO, having been as perpetually preoccupied with tomorrow’s crosses as I have often been. I do feel convicted that this must be the course to set from here out however.
Slipping away from the screen on that note.
Starry Sky Journal 