Like it or hate it...I'm having a blast.

I'm not very good at making my figures fly through the air but I thought I'd try a leap.

The easiest way to do this, is put a small piece of wire up their bum and position it so it isn't too obvious. Then take it out in post process. You can actually see it a bit in the upper shot, but it looks so close to the grass I decided just to get rid of the obvious bit.

I am however one of those that are always curious no matter what. I recently got a great deal on something called a Lensbaby. This is considered an 'Art' Lens. These lenses have always fascinated me and I've always wanted to try one. I went with a used Sol 22. It is tiny and it can be a real pain or really cool.

It is a manual focus lens with only an f3.5 aperture. In short, it demands your attention when using it. Many photographers don't see the point of this kind of lens and then there are those who absolutely are wild fans of them. Many say ... well I can just do this post process!

But what it you don't have to do any fancy work? What if it is enough to challenge yourself and try something out of the norm?

All I did here was crop the photo just a bit. The orangish color is from the Ulanzi lights I used to help set the mood to a color to highlight the feeling of rusty junk behind Wall-E and Eve.

I picked these 2 up at a Dollar Store over a year ago and couldn't for the life of me figure out what I wanted to do with them until I felt like experimenting with the Sol 22.

The lens let me make Wall-E the focus of the subject matter with his sad looking face. Eve is obviously there and comforting Wall-E. She is part of the 'story' yet not the main focus.  Anyway, that is how I see it.

This next shot is of Donder. He is a Luggan and I really am not sure what his back story, but he comes labeled as a Luggan from 'Acid Rain'. Apparently in the future, the world as we know it is washed away and destroyed by Acid Rain. There are a lot of figures created around this story.  Donder was interesting and bizarre enough to catch my attention.

In my story... Donder hooks up with the MiniBots to create or find a way to get out of horrors of the world that has gone nuts. 
He and the MiniBots find worm holes and rips in time to transport themselves and anyone else who is willing to pay to leave.

Of course worm holes and rips in time aren't things you can predict....but Donder doesn't really care.

I thought I'd use the Sol 22 with Donder and try something out of this world for lighting. The Lensbaby would focus on Donder and the rest would ... well you can see...

I had a crazy idea of using bubble wrap with mini lights taped to it as a background.

The result was so amazing, that I had to use it in a few more scenarios.

Here is my favorite shot of the experiment.

I used side lights of a yellowish glow to highlight Ailie.

Ailie and Rabbit at the Worm Hole... [not shot with the Lensbaby lens]

One thing led to another and now I'm taking this mini lens with me to figure it out. Manual focus can be hard as well as composing with this lens. In fact there are a LOT of times I wouldn't use it, but it is great for slowing down my thinking process and making me more aware of compositions while using it.

Last but not least. A landscape shot with it.

I didn't like it at first. But it does give me a feeling of huge expanse of the ridge I visit often.

I am embracing this new challenge. Quite fun.

Fun fotos...

Just because...it is after Christmas and I have a bunch of fun fotos from the month of December.

Santa's Relief Driver????

My all time favorite
ornament!

...I collect horsey ornaments. This may be
the most photographed ornament I've ever had.
I've had it for over 30 years. 
It was a cheap plastic one I picked up in
some second hand store so 
many 
years ago!

A much newer addition to my collection...

My tiny Button jointed Teddy Bears I made

years ago. Still up to no good!

Even Dragons celebrate Christmas?

I can't help it.

I think Dragons are cool.
New addition to the dragons!
A Baby Lego Dragon!

And then there was Mini-me
and Charlie doing last 

minute errands in the Village...

Little Bear and his wooden friends gather on

Christmas Eve at the Chair.

[These are old toys gifted to me

over the years.]

My ever changing toy display next to

the Christmas Chair.
It is made up of Vintage Boxes 

and

an old nesting box for hens.

I really didn't want to take down my cheery fun 'display'. I've had so much fun with it this year. 

But eventually the party ends, right?

I took down the Christmas Chair, the North Pole, and the Christmas Village and traded out the Lego buildings for the Medieval Village. I wanted to take a break from Lego so...

...before the rains hit, I grabbed some of my of my action figures and headed out. 

Ailie and Rabbit came out to play. I added the snow in post.

Time for a change up...

Story Times...

Meet Glenda...she runs
a Lego animal 
sanctuary...

in my Succulent Garden!

 

You can probably guess that she stays pretty busy.

Let's not forget to check in on Joe and Dog. They are still wandering about exploring this wonderful world that is not The End of All Time. I don't think Dog is too impressed with the pond they are going to cross.

Nor do they know what else they may find.

Ailie and Rabbit... transported from a Starship in the somewhat distant future.

There is a Lego Photo Challenge this month, that I will be participating in. Wouldn't it be fun to get the project??? I can only try. 

So you could see some fun Lego shots here as I work through that 'assignment'.

Submit photos of LEGO subjects in interesting environments to apply for this On Assignment project. The selected photographer will receive the Space Construction Mech 60428 to create a series of at least 5 photos.

The Annular Solar Eclipse 2021

Yes, I studied for this one because I'd had such good luck with the partial moon eclipse so I thought.

Why not?

I used a free online app to help me decide where to go.

After trying several spots with the little pin, I also used Google Maps to read the height of each of my prospective areas. I knew the rock where I'd shot the moon earlier wouldn't work as there was no clear place to photograph from without trees and a steep drop off.

I drove to the areas at sunrise the day before to scope it out. Lucky for me, there are a few good spots on the ridge yet that allow a decent view. That will change once the corn is 8 ft tall.

I settled on a place that I have used often. I also knew that the owners of the land near where I parked wouldn't get excited when they saw my vehicle there. They are used to me parking near their cattle pen before dawn. 

I brought some friends to watch with me. I had a watch party.

[Well, no one else was willing to get up early and go with me....]

At least they were quiet. I told them not to look at the sun directly. I did grab my sunglasses out of the car but Bear kept dropping them off his face.

Rabbit said they tipped him over.

I've always wanted to do a little thing like this...Pointing UP☝

It is a series of shots through a solar camera filter. ND 100000. 

The other shots were neat also, as you can see the details of the land where I was taking the photos.

Another member of the audience:

Just above an old homestead.

And then what we all were waiting for.

The Annular Solar Partial Eclipse of 2021.

My friends were gleeful and properly awed.

We wrapped up and went home.

It started for us at 5:26 and ended at 5:39 AM.

I am glad I put the extra effort into figuring out where and when I would be and that the weather actually cooperated with me.

Is it too early to plan for a partial Lunar eclipse in November of this year???

A Story

This is a pretty simple one.
Just follow along.

Bear and Rabbit

Hello Bear, I am Rabbit.

Rabbit to Bear: Don't be so sad. I will always be here for you.

Rabbit to Bear: I wish I could fix it.

Rabbit to Bear: Isn't it nice being outside?