One more week of school and then 12 whole days of footloose and fancy freeeeeeee.
This weekend we got our first real snow fall. By first real snow, I mean it was the first time we had to go out and shovel the driveway. Do I love it? No, but kind of yes. I get in this ho ho ho spirit when I’m out there and just power through it while singing Christmas music quietly under my breath. I would sing them louder, but sometimes wonder what the neighbors might think. The shoveling gives me a back-ache and I seriously get SO hot and sweaty, but the coming inside after to hot chocolate part makes it all worth it. Oh, joy. It snowed a little bit early last week, and certainly stuck in most places because of the cold, but the storm this weekend was the real deal– the white all over, magic kind of morning. Today I didn’t even make it outside except to wrestle with the mounds of heavy white fluff in the driveway. Other than that it was present wrapping, and movie watching, and a stay-in-your-pajamas all day sort of Sunday. And I didn’t feel guilty one bit and that is the best part of all.
On Saturday my sister and I went to Harvard Square and had a full day shopping and eating and loving that little gem of a place that is part of our city. Before we were leaving the house I grabbed my camera and discovered that {what I thought was the lens} was cracked! The lens cap was on, but it seemed that I had jammed it on improperly and when I took the cap off I discovered THIS. Oh, no. I thought to myself. No no no no no. So I did get sad, but I didn’t panic. I looked up the lens and found that it wasn’t too expensive should I have to get another one, and then I looked up a camera store in Harvard Square and I grabbed my small lens {50 mm} to use that for the day and off we went. LUCKILY I discovered at the camera shop that the lens of the camera was actually fine and that it was just the filter that had cracked. HUNTS PHOTO SAVED THE DAY. And my heart. Also, the plus side was that I got to play a little more with my 50 mm lens, which I haven’t done as often as I’d like. I still find it a little tricky for me to focus and I often find later that my pictures aren’t perfectly crisp. Any advice from the photographers out there? I’ll post some of my photos later this week, but that’s going to be one of my goals for 2014, which is an ongoing goal for me in general. Keep on keeping on.
Besides being excited about Christmas soon, and snowfalls lately, and giving gifts to people I love, I’ve also been really excited about my instagram following growing rapidly these last few weeks. Instagram has always been my favorite– I love how it is an extension of this blog, how truly it reflects me and my life, and my love of photography, and more than anything I love the connections it gives me to friends near and far. I spend a lot of time curating my feed, not to make it seem perfect, no not that at all, but to make it feel real. Be YOU, I always hear people saying, and this is me being me absolutely. And I know that having lots of followers doesn’t matter in the bigger picture of life, but I do like the idea of a community, a community of friends and nice people that feel connected and so hooray for growing a following– for people appreciating my photos and my words and just all around for KINDNESS and LOVE and LIFE. Amen.
I hope YOU had a happy weekend and warm wishes for a quick work week!
9 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS! JOY TO THE WORLD!
//
P.S. for those of you that have asked, I edit my instagram photos with VSCO cam.
I’d been thinking of doing a tutorial, except for that I recently found one by Mary Beth that is AMAZING. So just go visit her post and she wonderfully explains it all.
Happy picture taking!
Anna I love your new blog design! It seems just like you, which is the best kind of blog design to have. And how fun to have a real snow, especially this close to Christmas! We had a rainy weekend, and while I stayed in and baked and read Christmas magazines and stared at our beautiful Christmas tree, part of me was wishing we could instead have a snow day. We don’t really get those in South Carolina though, so I’m hoping for some snow when we head to Virginia this weekend. Hope you have a great week!
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you too!
And thank you! Glad you like the new design! I love it so much too! :)
I did the same thing with my lens over the summer! I had a heart attack lasting a good couple of hours until, while sobbing on the phone to my dad trying to figure out lens warranty information, I discovered that it was only the easily-replaced filter that had cracked into a bazillion pieces – not my precious glass. phew.
also, just out of curiousity, if the 50mm is your alternate, which lens is it that you use the most?
Yes! I am so glad it was only the filter! Ahh! Also, the new filter I bought is higher quality, so hopefully that won’t happen again!
Here is the lens… just the basic one that came with the camera, but it works well enough for me at this point in my life.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Camera-Lenses/2170/AF-S-DX-Zoom-Nikkor-18-55mm-f%252F3.5-5.6G-ED-II.html
aha! yeah, I really like that kit lens for its useful zoom range, although I do wish it could go wider with the aperture for situations that have less light. I tend to use the 35mm f/1.8 most often because I LOVE its blurred background capabilities – I’m turning into a bokeh addict; I probably need professional help. the prime lenses definitely take a bit more creativity in terms of where you place yourself to frame your images, but the results can be so, so fantastic.
I just found you on instagram and LOVE you and your feed. So beautiful, positive and real. It’s my favourite place to connect online these days as well. Mostly because it’s quick, visual and still has a big impact. I’m still working on the overall look of my feed though, as I’m def not a professional photographer…
Heather, I’m so glad you found me! :)
Instagram is just so easy. You can post something and be having a conversation with people in seconds! I love that about it.
Heading over to THAT tutorial because maybe it’ll help me get better outcomes with VSCO (not that I don’t think my pictures are fly, they’re just not as fly as yours). But I’m glad it was just your filter! Phew! And I’ve found that the 50mm just takes a lot of trial and error. When you think something is crisp, adjust again because you might see something different. Also maybe Janee can just help us out.
Oh, I love your instagrams, Alex! I always think they are fab!
and yes, I need to just practice more with that lens! Will get there someday!
oh def going to check out that tutorial…thanks!
You are welcome! :)
DON’T GIVE UP WITH THE 50MM. I love my 50mm. It can be a little funny–not focusing when I feel like it should, dammit! But everything it produces is magic. I used it for our Christmas tree farm pics recently and remembered how I love it so much. It’s not as versatile as a zoom, no, but it is so good. One day, the 1.2 will be mine. But for now, the plastic fantastic will do. So glad your lens wasn’t a goner!
PLASTIC FANTASTIC. How wonderful is that.
PHEW!!!!! I was thinking it might have been the filter :) And yay to the 50mm! Just keep using it. That and my 35 are my faves. Happy 9 more days!
Yes– practice practice practice. Thanks, Smita!
Hi Friend! Sounds like you had the perfect weekend! Magical indeed. I am so happy to hear about the lens, Travis and I were very worried. T was the one who broke the news to me. I think he was actually more worried. Anyways, wish I could have been strolling around Harvard Square with you and Meg. Looks like you two had fun. Miss you both. XO Moe
Thanks for thinking of me, guys! And I wish you were here with us, too. We will see each other soon enough. Can’t wait.
You’re the second person’s blog I’ve read who did that to their camera! Thank goodness for filters! Also, I have a lens that I feel doesn’t focus as well as my others. At first I thought it was me, and I started doubting my camera skills haha but then I started using the other lenses more and they were fine.. I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with the lens. I keep meaning to bring it in!
I wonder, which one is it? I think the 50 mm is just sensitive. Will keep practicing!
Okay, first of all, I am still totally bedazzled by the loveliness of your new blog design, so I was super extra excited to see you had posted something new today. So, yay! :) Also, I’m so happy to see you’re talking about photography more, something I’m interested in myself. I have my eye on a Canon DSLR camera that’s under $700 on Amazon, but unfortunately I just don’t have the money for it right now, and I have no idea when I WILL have the money for it. Sads. :( I’m thinking about taking a break from blogging entirely until I get my bills paid off and can afford to have the blog I want to have and the camera I want to have and the relief I want to have from not having anymore insane credit card payments. That’s really what I want to focus on right now is getting those puppies paid off. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed your post and really look forward to seeing your photos later this week! <3
Haha, bedazzled, I love it. I am too!
And don’t stop blogging! You got this!
BUT, of course, I will understand if you decide to. Just be you. I think you’re super. :)
yay for time off soon! you deserve a nice long break after joining the new school. it also has started to totally slip my mind that some people have driveways to shovel. crazy!
OH MY GOSH! I wish I didn’t! And ours is a big driveway too!
I love your new blog design, it’s so amazing! I wish that there was snow where I lived, I’m super jealous that you get it. I miss going on snowy walks and starring at all the trees covered in snow!