Birds and Sophie on Monday

I was well enough to go to work today, but I’m still getting rid of my cold. After work Sophie and I went outside for a longer walk around the yard than we had yesterday. There were not a lot of birds around, but I did see a dove on the wire out front. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200.

Then I spotted a bird at the very top of the largest tree in the back corner of my next door neighbor’s yard. I couldn’t tell what it was but I took some photos. I could have guessed what it was–a mockingbird, a bird I see all the time that loves to perch up high. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200.

I stood up on the pool steps to get a better view of the Mockingbird, and while I was up there I took some photos looking down at Sophie as she was lying in the yard in the late afternoon sun. Settings were f/7.1, 1/125, ISO 200.

A Few Outdoor Photos for Sunday

I’m feeling much better than yesterday but still suffering with this cold. I did go outside briefly this afternoon, which made Sophie so happy–though she was disappointed that I didn’t stay out longer. The bright-colored fall leaves on this branch across the street caught my eye as they were hit by the sun, and it was my first photo for today. Settings were f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 800.

The tomato plants were full of ripe little tomatoes, since I haven’t been out to pick in a couple of days. Here’s part of today’s harvest. Settings were f/9, 1/200, ISO 320.

And here’s Sophie as we were walking around the yard together. Settings were f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 250.

One More Twinn Boy for Saturday

I’m sick. I’ve come down with a nasty cold I’ve been trying to fight off all week, and I spent most of the day in bed. But I did get up and take an indoor photo for today in spite of that. This is Logan, another one of my My Twinn boys. He has the Ariel face mold, which is one of the most common faces, but he has a Denver-era head and beautiful Denver eyes. Settings were f/3.2, 1/25, ISO 800.

There are some less common variants of the Ariel face mold–one has wider-set eyes, and another has a narrower, slightly peanut-shaped face. Logan has been mistaken for the wide-eyed variant, but it’s just his eyebrows that make him look that way. The different variations of the Ariel face mold have different dates and head markings, and based on his markings he’s definitely an ordinary, everyday Ariel. I’ve always really liked this little guy and he’s one of my favorites, even though he’s not a rare doll.

I’m hoping I feel better tomorrow and can get outside with the camera!

Ball-Jointed Doll Song for Friday

It’s after 11:00. I went to the Homecoming football game tonight, and our team won with a touchdown  in the last 40 seconds of the game. It was fun and I’m glad I went, but it left little time for photography after I finally got home. I had considered taking my camera to the game, but I had my doubts about the ability of my lenses to capture action shots at night under the stadium lights. I decided not to try to experiment with the camera tonight, but just to enjoy the game.

So when I got home I took a few quick indoor shots of one of my ball-jointed dolls, 43 cm Resinsoul Song. He is an elf sculpt with pointed ears and a very soft, thoughtful expression on his face. Resinsoul is not one of the really expensive BJD companies, but I really like Song better than a lot of more expensive dolls.  Settings were f/3.2, 1/15, ISO 800.

Two More Twinns for Thursday

Homecoming week is continuing to take its toll on me, so I resorted to two more indoor photos of My Twinn dolls for today. These are my other two boys with the Jessica face mold. It’s interesting to see how different the same face mold can look with changes in skin, hair color and style, and eye color. This is Ryder, a blond, blue-eyed boy with a scattering of freckles (the freckles were not my addition–he came with them). Settings were f/3.2, 1/25, ISO 800.

This second boy is Michael. He has very dark hair and eyes and an olive skin tone. Settings were f/3.2, 1/15, ISO 800.

Sophie is missing our late afternoon rambles around the yard, but Homecoming week is almost over and soon we’ll be back to our usual routine.

My Twinn Boy for Wednesday

This is Homecoming Week at school, a week filled with dress-up days and special activities. I’m tired already, and we still have Class Colors Day, Powderpuff football (girls play, boys cheer), a carnival, Spirit Day, the big Homecoming football game, the announcement of the King and Queen, and probably some more that I’m forgetting right now. Oh, and there’s the door decorating contest–we decorated our door, but so far no one’s come around to judge it, and I’ve got to get someone to at least come in and admire it while the kids are there.

Anyway, when I finally got home tonight (after picking up some carnival supplies on the way) I didn’t get any outdoor photography done. I took an indoor photo of one of my My Twinn boys for today’s post. Corey has the Jessica face mold, one of the less common but not rare faces from the prime Denver years of My Twinn. He has light tan skin, curly brown hair, and brown Denver eyes. I used my 50mm f/1.8 lens for its ability to take indoor photos without flash, and I set a custom white balance before taking pictures. Settings were f/3.2, 1/20, ISO 800.

I actually have three boys with the Jessica face, all totally different. Ryder has fair skin, blond brushed-back hair, and blue eyes. Michael has olive skin, straight black hair in a bowl cut with bangs, and very dark brown eyes. And then there’s curly-haired, tan-skinned Corey. This is one of the things I like so much about My Twinn dolls–even with the same face mold, each doll is an individual.

Sophie and Lulu on Tuesday

Sophie and Lulu were my most available subjects this afternoon after work, so I took some photos of my girls. Here’s Sophie sitting in the shade with a single ray of sun across her face. Settings were f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 500.

Lulu, in the meantime, was having a snack over at the tomato plants. Settings were f/7.1, 1/80, ISO 320.

She gets up on her back legs and stretches up into the plants to pick tomatoes. Settings were f/7.1, 1/60, ISO 400.

A Few for Monday

It was quiet again today out in the yard after work. I saw the crows circling again–these were the only birds I saw. Over on the tomato plants there are still ripening tomatoes. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200.

The big pine tree was catching a bright gleam on its needles as the sun moved lower in the sky. The pine cones are growing bigger. Settings were f/7.1, 1/1000, ISO 200.

Sophie lying in the grass. Settings were f/6.3, 1/80, ISO 250.

Sunday Photos

It was a sunny pleasant day today, and things were quiet out in the yard. Aside from one little Ground-Dove up in a tree, obscured by branches, the only birds I saw this afternoon were a flock of crows circling in the sky. Here is part of the flock–there were a lot more crows than this. Settings were f/9. 1/400, ISO 200.

I was sitting in the blue lawn chair in the yard, looking up the palm trees overhead, and I took a photo of some palm fronds with the sun shining on and through them. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200.

I was glad I had Sophie with me. She is always willing to pose, and seems to deliberately turn her head in different directions when she sees me pointing the camera at her. This is alert Sophie, watching vigilantly for squirrels and cats. Settings were f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 250.

Sophie striking a pose for the camera, turning her head the other way. Settings were f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 250.

And Sophie looking at the camera, probably checking to see if I was finished taking photos of her. Settings were f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 400.

 

Palm Warbler on Saturday

There were Palm Warblers in and out of our yard all day today, and I got a few photos of them. Here is a Palm Warbler on the pool steps. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 200.

This one was on the fence. Settings were f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 800.

And this Palm Warbler perched on one of the tomato plants for a few minutes. They are such tiny birds that even a small top branch of the tomato plant can easily support one. Settings were f/7.1, 1/100, ISO 500.

There are still plenty of green tomatoes on the plants, but the weather is getting chilly at night and I don’t know how long they’ll continue to ripen. Settings were f/7.1, 1/500, ISO 200.

The leaves of this tree are turning brown around the edges and starting to shrivel. Settings were f/7.1, 1/800, ISO 200.

The last photo for today is the Mockingbird that landed on the pool steps this afternoon. The sun was glaring on its face and white feathers in front and I couldn’t tone that down enough to get rid of it, but I still like the photo. Settings were f/7.1, 1/400, ISO 640.