Pam's Week 24: Don't Just Stand There, Bust a Move

There were so many songs that popped into my head for this week's post.  Sharon stole the line "I like to move it, move it" but there was also "Swing low, sweet chariot" and a 1992 favourite, "All I wanna do in zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom and a boom-boom" from Wreckx N-Effects "Rumpshaker".  Anyone who knows me well, though, knows that "Bust a Move" is my jam.  I know all the lyrics, it's a tune guaranteed to get me on the dance floor and I even have a shirt with the lyrics to one of the verses on it.  Clearly, it was a no-brainer.

This has been quite a week.  It started out beautifully with my accidentally stumbling across the perfect photo for one of the topics when I took Danica and her friend, Ila to the park last Sunday afternoon.  I was sure this was going to be the week where all my photos were done ahead of time and not left to the last minute.  Boy, was I mistaken.  I had googled some ideas for one of the topics but never got around to attempting to execute it until last night.  Some of the others required a photography dictionary as I really didn't understand what effect I was trying to achieve.  To make a long story short, Sharon texted me yesterday to invite me lupins stalking with her and essentially acted as my tutor and dictionary and helped me take most of the pictures.  Maybe my mom will be happy to know that I didn't just procrastinate while she was paying for my education; it's a life trait!

Between last night and today, I have spent approximately 8 hours organizing and cleaning the playroom, including steam cleaning the area rug (thanks Dad!).  I want to get started on my room and cleaning out my closet but felt like taking a moment to write and post this blog would give me a much needed break from dust and thinking of how to rearrange and organize things.

Usually I try to post the pictures in the order they are listed on the schedule but I'm going to shake things up a bit today.  I thought maybe I would start with my first photo taken this week as it may still be my favourite, and not just because it features my daughter...

Swings

I honestly was trying to think of alternative meanings for the word in order to be more creative but since this blog is PG, I thought taking a photo of swingers would be frowned upon.  Besides, where would I find swingers willing to pose?  There are many rumours of people who do such things in town but I'm not about to ask any of them if it's true and if I can document it with photos.  The thought makes me a little sick, actually.

Luckily Danica and Ila wanted me to push them while they were on this swing and I just couldn't help but whip out my phone to take a picture of the two of them.

These girls are seriously the cutest.  They have been friends for about 5 years now, which is an accomplishment when you're only 8.  They met at preschool and were basically the first friend each other ever made on their own (as in not family friends).  They've been in the same class ever since and even their teachers comment on what a refreshingly nice friendship it is, especially for girls as the girl drama starts so young these days.

Zoom In

You wouldn't believe how relieved I was to learn that this topic was just as simple as it sounds - zoom in on something.  I do this all the time!  I can do this!

While we were at the lupins last night, there were dragonflies and huge bumble bees that were flying among and landing on the lupins.  After waiting patiently for far too long, one bee finally cooperated and started taking the nectar from lupins that were nearby.  I've included two as I like the clarity of the bee and how you can see his wings in the first photo but I like how he's flying towards the lupins in the second.

Motion Blur - Object

Yep, this is the topic I needed translating and tutoring for.  Apparently Sharon was thinking there would be a nice breeze that would make the lupins move nicely and allow me to capture some nice motion blur.  Unfortunately, for the first time ever it seems, the air was still with nary a wind to be found.  Sharon then thought if I slowed my shutter speed and opened my aperture as far as it would go (I think that's what we were doing), I might get some nice blur; that failed miserably as too much light was allowed in with my limited aperture opening and I just ended up with white.  Not to be defeated, Sharon then pulled out her tripod and using her good shoulder (but bad elbow), she helped me set up my camera and proceeded to create lupin movement that I attempted to capture as blur.  Who knew this was so difficult?  I thought I was good at blurry photos!

S

I was just telling Sharon how I envisioned scroll work in an s-shape and voila - one appeared on the post outside someone's house in Echo Bay.  We stopped and in spite of feeling rather self-conscious standing in a stranger's driveway, snapping photos, I took a couple and then deciding the view from the reverse side would be better, I snapped another.  I then, of course, had to figure out how to flip it as I am no longer a young child who is making her 's's backwards still.

Peeling Paint

Like Sharon, I had an image of multiple layers of paint peeling back or at least an interesting looking peel but it was not to be found.  Reality was actually just fading paint or lots of rust, not at all how I pictured it.  Then I remembered that our front post is in desperate need of repainting and with Sharon's help holding back our overgrown burning bush, I found proof that we need to repaint the post.  I liked the effect of the black and white with the accent colour of the petunia.

Citrus

This is the topic I had googled for ideas and finally tried  to execute last night.  It didn't work out as I'd planned.  My microplane thing wouldn't slice through the lemon or lime skin and I couldn't slice it thin enough by hand.  I am also not blessed with a light table like Sharon so tried to create one using the glass out of a picture frame and a flashlight.  I should have gone ahead with the joke photo I'd sent Sharon earlier in the week of one of my other LCBO purchases a couple of Fridays ago.

Wildcard

This afternoon I decided to take Riya for a walk at Hiawatha as I love this part of the Pinder trail and I needed a wildcard photo and figured it would at least be something different for once.  I forgot, however, to bring bug spray and the mosquitos were out in full force.  I also realized I needed to pee and was not wanting to try out my "Whoa, Bear, I'm a human" line out in reality and had visions of getting lyme disease (thanks, Maxine).  Needless to say, the walk was much shorter than anticipated.

I was also kind of happy with how this lupins photos turned out so decided to include it here too when it could have counted as "zoom in".

Just a rather interesting aside (or I thought it was anyways), when looking through my lupins photos, I realized that I caught a spider on one of the lupin petals when attempting to catch the bee.  I hadn't realized it when I took the picture yesterday.

I guess I've been procrastinating long enough now, though, and should return to cleaning my room and closet.  Wish me luck!  Have a great week!