I actually took my camera out today and enjoyed shooting a bit. A few flowers, a few critters and even a weed or two. I’ll be posting them on my photoblog and will be using the auto upload feature to add one daily over the next five nights. I hope it works!
After many years of only gathering for a death in the family, my Dad’s nephew and his wife organized a family reunion and held it at their home. While I did get a few random pictures of people looking through old albums or simply visiting, the ones I took of old photos in an album are one of the best parts of the day.
The young, barefoot boy on the left is my Daddy’s Dad. This is his huge family which wasn’t that uncommon back in those days. Pa, as the grandchildren came to call him, was born in 1893, Bea had this photo dated 1903 which would have made him around 10 years of age. I had never seen this picture and was amazed to see how much my Dad looked like his Dad at that age. In fact, I can see many family resemblances in his siblings and parents to my family members alive today.
This picture was surely taken in 1935 since the baby, my Dad, was born in the early fall of 1934. This was probably a springtime photo considering the clothing worn, the size of the baby and his birthdate. My dad’s mother, his brother and two sisters are pictured here. The two sisters are the only ones living at the present time with Beatrice at 83 years young and Jo Marie is soon to be 78.
Bea had this photo dated 1943. The oldest child, Max, Jr., would have been serving in the Army and of course, not present when this picture was taken. Daddy would have been around eight to nine years of age. They were a handsome lot and I was thrilled to get a copy of all of these. Pa lived to be 91 years of age, Mamaw was 82 years of age when she died, Max, Jr., was 73 years young and my Dad was way too young at nearly 55. Those that have gone on before us are never far from our memories and thank goodness, we have these wonderful photos to remember them by.
My father-in-law’s old cat is still hanging in with us out at the old house. Patches has made a few appearances on my photo blog and I managed to get another shot of her that I really like. That blurred background with her in sharp focus is a hit with me. The blur is known in photo circles as bokeh, meaning, the Japanese-originated concept of the difference between out of focus areas of an image due to lens design. I know, gobbledy-gook if you aren’t the least bit interested. However, that background blurring or in fact, the quality of the blur is an enhancement, believe it or not. Oh, let me stop rambling and let you take a look at the latest picture of Patches.
See what I mean? There’s a lot more to explain depending on your lens choice, the aperture setting and a few other technical aspects that I don’t fully understand myself. I’m just happy that I’m finally grasping why parts of a photo being blurry can be a good thing.
What in the world has the attention of these beasts? Whatever it is, they are intent on figuring it out.
We have had an abundant amount of rain in this area. So much, in fact, that all of the pools, ponds, lakes, rivers and creeks are full to the brim. But, I’m not complaining… no, not me! I vowed never to moan again about the wonderful, wet stuff (remember the two summers we watered cattle?). However, I would appreciate it if you complain for me, how’s that?
The creek out at the farm where Ed grew up is pictured below. Normally, it looks like this photo taken back in the winter; calm, rocky and only ankle to knee deep. This afternoon, it was flying under the bridge I was standing on to take the picture and was probably waist to neck deep or deeper.
