Boys in a Tree



Nicky, photo by Harold Davis.

On Saturday we went exploring and found this tree. The kids had fun. Nicky is above, Mathew immediately below, and Julian is far below. After a while, I took their portraits.

As I watched the kids play, I mused that parenting alternates between terror (as Joseph Conrad’s Kurtz might have exclaimed in Heart of Darkness, “The horror! The horror!”) and magnificent wonder.

Mathew

Julian

Posted in Kids, Photography

Unchain My Ladybug Heart!

Christmas Eve was mostly sunny. A week of rain had come before, and a sloppy wet day was to follow on Christmas. We took advantage of the interregnum to get the somewhat cabin-fevered kids out to the playground.

This ladybug landed on Julian’s thumb. He wanted to take it home and put it in a jar. We told him that ladybugs wanted to be free. He reluctantly accepted this (particularly after she flew away).

I was trying out my new AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. The production version of the lens is just available in the U.S. It features vibration reduction, a huge zoom ratio (more than 10:1), a reasonably light weight, and small size. Altogether an incredible lens, with a hefty price tag (about $700 retail). I expect to write more about this lens when I’ve fully tried it out.

I slammed a 36mm extension tube behind the lens, and took this macro hand-held. When I reviewed the photographs, I saw the shadow of the ladybug formed a “heart.” Coincidence, or a plea for freedom? (Is the Ladybug pleading, “Have a heart!?”)

Here are a few other photos of the munchkins playing on Christmas eve.

Nicky:

Nicky

Julian:

Julian

Mathew:

Mathew

Best wishes on this holiday to everyone from all of us!

Christmas eve ended in a red sunset with the dark sky warning of the next wave of impending rain coming in from the Pacific. A lone sailboat enjoyed the twilight colors:

Christmas Eve Sunset

Posted in Bemusements, Kids, Photography

The Naked Moth

This moth flew into our bathroom last night around 10PM. The moth was naked. So was I. But I had to photograph him (he had landed on the bathroom mirror).

So I got out the Canon Powershot and put it on a tripod. These LCD digital cameras are really better for quick photo macros than the SLRs anyhow. Here’s a picture of me taking the picture:

Self Moth

The bathroom seemed awfully quiet with just me and the moth. Maybe that’s because I had photographed Julian earlier as a ghost. Thanks to the miracle of bounce flash, his motion is partially captured. A neat effect:

Julian as Ghost

Posted in Bemusements, Kids, Photography

Yoda and Emperor Palpatine

Yoda and Emperor Palpatine contemplate the fate of the world…or is it a marble?

A metaphor for our times? It’s wild how Star Wars has built a mythology that works in current times and appeals to kids (and the young at heart).

Posted in Bemusements, Yoda