And it doesnt get done.

I am so behind on destinations now that even deciding about which parts to write about just adds a straitjacket to my already snapola-paralyzed mind.

If you still dont feel sorry for me, I just spent 3 hours going through shots from our time in the mountain village of Khao Kho in Thailand and still dont have the post about it. Its dark, everyone is asleep bar my laptop lit face and its 2:33am. I have achieved nothing of what I wanted to. Feel sorry for me, darn it.

I am a stubborn one though and tonight just couldnt sleep without ticking at least a little box somewhere. Frustration might bring the best of me, I hope.

Voila – I have a panorama shot from the scenery of the mountain in Thailand. Click on it to enjoy it in its full glory.

The post that goes with it? Whenever I manage to wrangle and win the monstrosity of pictures I have created.

Enough of that, lets dive into Thailand:

______

Important Note: Whining and explanations for lack of blogging is a no-freaking-no in the rules of engagement for any self-respecting wanna-be important blogger.  That might explain why after 3 years, I am still mostly talking to myself. If you are a brogger and dont want to end up like me, please stick to the rules provided kindly by successful online writers  and leave the complaining to me. And god damn, feel sorry for me.

I think I really need to go to sleep now.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs, Thailand Post tags: khao kho, thailand, whining

Beautiful pictures can come out of the least expected nooks and crannies around us, and I am not just saying this because it sounds so romantic and encouraging, I am uttering it, because it has held true for me. That moment when the light is seemingly horrible, can turn into the most romantic shot ever. The blurry shot, can be even more emotive than an extra sharp glimpse at the world. Same goes for the over/under exposed pictures, which become the signature of certain photographers.

I am sorry to say, that this does not actually mean that we can glue that finger on the camera and swing it around every which way feeling creative and inspired with the mangled mess that will result. New age photography, maybe, but its not what I am suggesting  here.

What I am saying is that with the right approach, even the lost cause of a shot can be interesting.

Case in point: Rembrandt effect

Its early evening in Lovina and the Dod collapses on me, or simply falls asleep. Of course he looks cute and daddy wants to document the moment, so grabs the camera and having learned something from living with me, has a hunch that the light is not enough, thus gives me the hopeless look of what-do-I-do. I set the camera and he starts taking pictures.

The light is horrible by any standard – weak and barely there. But falls on us just the right way.

Mr.Blab is awestruck by his creation and keeps on keeping on, the fancy photographer that he has suddenly become.

“Aaaah, that is good” – his lips quietly muster. “Rembrandt, baby, Rembrandt”

Not bad…punk, but who set that camera up for you, huh? – I think to myself, but encourage the man, because he is doing some pretty nice work there, with my camera in his tingling hands.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Bali, Photo Blabs Post tags: light, moments

Then yesterday I was taking  random pictures and noticed something, the camera was front focusing. What that means is that if I focus on your eyes and take the picture, it will be your lovely pointy nose that will actually be in focus with the sparkle in your eye in a lovely blur.

To make sure I took some more test photos.

Like here, I was focusing on the furthest slat of the frame of the chair and the actual sharp point is about four slats closer to me.

Nothing seems wrong with this shot:

…until you know that I was actually focusing on the leaf at the back.

Its quite an unpleasant feeling, sitting there with your new camera in your hands, knowing that its not working right. A slightly sinking sensation.

I walk sulky in the house and head over to the Internet to look for some information and hopefully solution, and best option of all, an easy solution.

I find that the camera has a setting in the menus with which you can adjust the focus point.

AF fine tune

I find it and start adjusting and shooting to see if things can improve. After a few minutes to and fro, I have a lens and camera which seem to be able to focus.

At a little car:

At a branch:

At the N of Canada:

I relax a bit and just figure that I will have to keep this in mind from now on.

Some shots a bit later make me wonder whether things are ok, like this one

Seems good at this size, but if you pay attention, its his fingers that are in real focus, not his eyes/face.

Then in the evening I brought the camera out again to make sure that things are good and, crapola majorlita, the front focus is back! A few frantic worried shots later, I confirm the issue is back with full force and requires me to crank up the af fine tune all the way to the max to get a properly focused image and collapse on the floor and kick like a mad toddler.

(focusing on the C of Children renders a shot that is actually aimed at the L)

Then I spend the rest of my night sorting stuff out with returns and shipping and whatnots, because I cannot risk leaving with a non-working camera in 3 weeks.

There were more useful things I could have done with my night, but alas, luck was on holiday.

And here I am again, without a new camera, crying crocodile tears on the floor. Yikes.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs Post tags: camera

So, I got my new camera. So, you get a picture of my old camera with my new camera, because that is what was on hand when I opened the box. So, I spent the first day of Flybruary taking ridiculous, nonsense pictures to play around with it.

I love my old baby. It felt a bit like cheating to not use it. The new fella is just that little bit not quite right, not quite how I am used to my camera to be. This button is a bit raised, this wheel is a bit softer, that thing there is weird, the bump here is unfamiliar… you get the picture. This will all settle, but for now its still new.

- What in the world is Flybruary, chick? – mumbles a voice from the blog’s corner

It the month we are in,dude. It says so on my fridge, right there:

See ninjas, geishas, airplanes, houses, balloons, storks…stuff? It has it all, this Flybruary. Thats it, next month we wont be here. Next month we wont be even near here. Wow, its sure feeling very real right now. I am expecting the scary, fearful period to hit me any time now.

But back to the ridiculous pictures one takes with a new camera.

Like, the fan in the bedroom. Fascinating.

The fan with the inbuild flash with rear curtain setting on.

A foot with a flash on.

A foot in natural light.

Two feet lit by natural light.

Hand and foot to finish the set.

The camera has video too, but I will spare you the footage. I am sure I am pushing the limit as to how much insanely fabulous imagery people can handle at one sitting as it is. Dont leave, I promise there will be some good stuff coming up.

The whole thing continued until the dawn of the first day of Holy-Cow-its-Flybruary.  What a waste of button presses.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | Still a monologue | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs, Preparations Post tags: camera, snaps

I have saved one of my favorite sets of pictures for the eve of the new year. The new year that we hope will bring us a lot of adventure and wonderful experiences.

It was the dawn of a summer day and we had opened up the house to get some air in. I took my cup of coffee and got out in the front veranda to enjoy the view. Two naked kids and one big one followed.

Flowers kept on collecting next to me – gifts.

Those make a perfect…snow too.  So I grabbed a few handfuls and threw them at the little one.

He liked it.

He liked snow a lot.

My coffee was getting smaller and the piles of gifted flowers was growing, about as quick as the smile on my face.

It was snowing – the girls were bringing it, the boy was loving it.

When you want snow, make it.

When your hair calls for white speckles of fun and wonder, dont pretend you dont hear, deliver.

There was a saying that life is not measured in the breaths we take, but in the moments that take our breath away.

Happy New Year!

I want to wish everyone a lot of breath taking moments for the incoming year.

And for every year that follows.

__

Its easy. Let it snow!

©Snaps & Blabs, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Life with loved ones, Photo Blabs Post tags: fun, moments, new years, outside

Happy Holidays everyone!

Thank you for your company and support, it always means a lot to me. Thank you and to those that never join in. I hope you decide to break the ice and make my day at some point, but no pressure. Just a holiday nudge.

All the most wonderful wishes to every single one of you.

Big, sweaty hugs from me!

x

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs Post tags: autoportrait, snaps

I am sure a lot of you are wondering what in the world our dwelling looks like in the night from the outside. I know, I know, I can read minds, dont worry about it.

So having this in mind and the fact that words have been not my friend these days, I grabbed a tripod and ventured out there in the wild at 11pm one night.

Now I want to be able to read the stars, cause I think I saw the Big Dipper.

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs Post tags: outside, snaps

I did. I wanted to play.

And this was a lot of fun, I only wish I knew before I actually started taking the pictures, because it took me some time to get going. My brain needs time to simmer, though, I like to stew on my ideas for a bit – few thoughts here, few there and mostly at night, right before I drift off to sleep, it seems to be my creative time.

The first idea started from a pile of toys the girls have, I have wanted to do something with them for awhile now, and it was their time. Miss Fab was not very sure about my idea, but went along with it. We started positioning the toys and laughing all the way through.

Then she took her position and became my first model. The toilet guy is my favorite (ejection lines courtesy of Miss Fab).

The second idea started with the background material. I just knew I wanted to use it, just had to think of how. I really liked the shots where the the kids are used in full body and achieve a flying effect, but my material was limited and I had to think of something else. Something that will need just part of Little B’s body, my second volunteering model.

After some stewing, the plan was made and we put it into motion. Then it went a bit wild and some other ideas were born along the way.

There was some monkeying around…

And Little B couldnt help but join in the fun.

I knew where this was going

but before I had time to send a parental warning…

… WHOOOSH

..and it was too late.

Now I want to do more

This approach is so versatile and open that the options are limitless. Sometimes it makes it harder to have the sky as your limit, but it can be so much fun.

Too bad your beast is still sleeping, or maybe it led you somewhere else, somewhere more exciting…

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs Post tags: fun, snaps

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | Still a monologue | Add to del.icio.us
Photo Blabs Post tags:

Maybe before now you thought that you liked ice cream. Its all soft and creamy, sweet with pleasant chill to the mouth and always yummy. Who doesnt like that?

Well,  ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to continue liking ice cream, stay away from this post, because I am about to bury you in photos of my child eating ice cream. BURY you! Like, there is you, under all those photos, but we dont really know you are there, because you are buried, probably gasping for air and definitely sick to your stomach when someone mentions ice cream…or photos.

Ok?

Lets do this, for those brave of you that think they can take it.

Things start slowly with slight drip from the mouth.

And getting to know the new friend.

The new friend is our first attempt at making proper ice cream without an ice cream machine.

For the curious out there, the recipe is quick and simple:

3 egg whites + 4tbs sugar (mix to soft peaks)

3 egg yolks + 2tbs boiled water + 4 tbs sugar (mix to stiff peaks)

2 cups of cream (mix to soft peaks)

Combine all three mixtures and that is the base of the ice cream.

Add in flavour + 2tbs of alcohol (to keep the ice cream softer).
I used melted frozen blueberries and melon Midori.

Freeze.

Give to someone to enjoy and eat shortly, because this baby has no stabilizers – it wont last.

Luckily I had enough volunteers in the house to test the merchandise.

“I can sense somebody is watching me”

“Oh…whatever”

And then…

then..

PLOP!

Most of the ice cream ended up on the bricks.

Ok, how cute are those leggies with those Cons and big t-shirt?

A bit cuter if I told you he is butt nakid under there?

Or does this work only for me?

Sorry to tell you, but this unfortunate accident did not spell the end of the barrage of pictures that is coming your way. Not at all. Because now the task was a bit trickier, but there was ice cream to be gotten and this boy was determined to get e-ve-ry last bit of it.

Then it was time for the finger.

And nothing could distract our hero from his task, not even loving kisses from random relatives passing by.

Yummm..

For a bit of a change of scenery, here are those leggies again.

Ice cream eating..in profile:

The face by now has been smeared and rubbed and wiped and dried and smeared in ice cream again.

The hair, the shirt and most of the backyard bricks are well marked with ice cream.

But this is not the end, sorry.

I love this little grubby boy.

If I could, I would eat him, with or without a belly full of ice cream.

“Ok, mom, I think 200 pictures of me eating ice cream are plenty ENOUGH”

Sorry, son,

they absolutely are NOT!

©Snaps & Blabs, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Life with loved ones, Photo Blabs Post tags: Dodman, food, icecream, mess