Saying goodbye (or starting to)
I said goodbye to some of my babysitting kids the other night. It was sad, I've known them since the oldest had just turned 2! So I've really watched them grow up. I spent almost every day in the summer with them for years, I've known their teachers, friends, and family. Of course I'll see them when I come back home for vacations, but still.. They're going to grow and I won't be there! They know my program is 3 years, so when I was leaving they said (from oldest to youngest) - "see you when I'm 11!," "see you when I'm 9!," and "see you when I'm 18!!" Lol. I don't know where she got 18 from, she's only 4. But at least I can take comfort in the fact that I'll be gone for 3 years and not 15! Lol.

We took some pictures so that I'd have one of the three of them to put somewhere in my apartment, and just had a really fun night.

I couldn't get the colour right on this one, but I still love it. I may go black and white I guess.

30mm, f/2.5, 1/100, ISO 200

What do you think of the conversions on these next 2? I know they're sort of dark, I was trying something new to go for a more deep filmish b&w look. Well, sort of trying, sort of accident. Feedback would be great :)

30mm, f/2.5, 1/200, ISO 200

Of course we had to try out the self-timer.. This was the only semi-decent one, I don't like it of me but the idea of it is nice lol.

30mm, f/5.0, 1/100, ISO 400

I know he looks a bit goofy here, but I still love this one.. His eyes in it are so cool! I finally believe the people who say they didn't do anything to the eyes, because I didn't do anything here. The blurry gray thing is his sword :)

30mm, f/2.5, 1/200, ISO 200

Poor C had to get her hair cut off due to the recent lice problem. It looks pretty cute though, and luckily she loves it!

85mm, f/2.0, 1/250, ISO 400

A decided to get out her camera, so I had to shoot her shooting me :)


Then we had cookies.. Mmm, cookies...


And then we played Sorry. I was in a moody/grainy b&w mood when I processed these. Her pj's have been through all 3 kids, and she was playing with her feet for the whole game. Love this kid!


I'm going to try to post once more before I move on Friday! Working hard to get *OUT* of the funk for good. Thanks for all your encouragement!

I'm here, alive, etc.
Hi guys. I keep putting off updating because I kept hoping that the next day would bring something more exciting photography-wise. Well each tomorrow has turned into another boring today, so I figured I'd might as well stop in and let you know I'm still here! I don't want to stop blogging and I've still been stalking your blogs without commenting much. It's all just so beautiful and creative and.. Sigh. I don't know. I'm obsessing over decorating and moving and all those kinds of things right now.. I'm moving in less than two weeks (no, I'm not there yet Meghan, but there will definitely be pictures when I am) and it seems like I have everything and nothing to do, all at once. But please know that I'm still thinking of you guys and wondering what you're up to, and stalking you. I've just been avoiding commenting in the hopes that you'd think I was on some exotic vacation or something :)

Here are a few shots from my backyard on the weekend, just because I liked the colours and light. All with the 30mm 1.4, at around 1.6 or 1.8:





We took a trip down to Chicago to check out my apartment again and to sign into the country/school officially. We left Toronto at 4am (!) so I had to capture a bit of the sunrise as we drove. I hate getting up early, so this was not a good day lol. All taken out of the car window with the 85 1.8. There was so much fog and colour in the sky, if we could have actually stopped I would have gotten some great shots! And none of the others in the car (the 2 ladies I live with, like extra moms, and my best friend) would let me take a photo of them for the entire trip. Nice, huh? Haha. I'm hoping to catch my friend for some practice shots before I leave though, so watch for those (although don't hold your breath, she's been avoiding me for months..)




Thanks for visiting and for all your awesome comments on the last post! I know I've been tagged a bunch of times.. I'm having trouble coming up with 8 interesting things about myself, but I'll think about it more and post it sometime.

And if anyone has a picture that they still haven't sent me for my photo display, there's still time! ellen314@gmail.com.