Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails,
That’s what boys are made of.
With dirt on his nose,
and scrapes on his knees,
the throwing or rocks,
and the climbing of trees,
with pockets of frogs,
and jars full of bugs
makes a sweet little boy
full of kisses and hugs!
-Revised By Trina Nemecek
Category Archives: Photography
Be Still
Self Portrait: Bathroom Mirror
A new category is being added: Self Portrait. It may seem a little strange but I enjoy taking pictures of just my camera and I in different places. So here is my first…
This was taken in the basement bathroom of a downtown sporting goods store in Ann Arbor, MI. It felt like more of a scary closet with a toilet and sink added.
Intricate Details
Sundae for Sunday
Corner of Solitude
If it looks like a duck…
Perspective
I love how much a simple thing like perspective can change everything. With this simple change you can go from taking ordinary and average looking pictures to ones that look much more interesting. Instead of taking this portrait from a standing position (above the subject), or sitting (at the same level as the subject), I took it from below the subject’s level. In this case that meant laying on my stomach, in the snow. Thankfully, I was prepared with all my snow gear on!
My only complaint is that this picture cuts off the top of his hat. Not bad though.
Grand River
Despite the lack of snow for Christmas this year we still took advantage of the opportunity to be outdoors as a family. We went for a beautiful walk in the park enjoying the sunshine and mild cool temps.
I couldn’t get over colors of the blue sky reflecting off the river.
This was taken at the railroad bridge that crosses the Grand River in Fitzgerald Park. (You can even see the blue Grand Ledge water tower in the distance.)
Latest Favorite Apps
This is a continuation of my previous post, Photography Apps.
I hate paying for anything I can get free, so I can’t bring myself to pay for a photography app for my IPod, even if it is just $0.99. Maybe I’m holding myself back, I don’t know. But for now I’m exploring my free options.
This all started as a quest to see what else is out there other than the built in camera. I researched the top apps and then downloaded and tested several different ones. Over all the camera on an IPod is nothing compared to my Mama sized Canon. But you can’t predict when you’ll need to capture a moment, so in pinch I’m happy to have any camera at all.
So after all my testing, which apps are my favorites?
PS Express
After several disappointing downloads I was pleased with this simple camera and basic built in editing tools.
I took this photo today and knew that the IPod camera wasn’t going to capture the snow and cloudy sky perfectly but I wanted to see what I could come with.

After I took this picture I proceeded to change the contrast to 20%, made the saturation 100%, and then went to “Effects” and choose “Vibrant”.

I was pleased with the final result considering what I started with.
Microsoft Photosynth
This app does a great job at stitching together several pictures to make a fantastic panoramic. My favorite so far was taken from the rooftop of a parking building in East Lansing.
To really see what it will do you’ll have to download it and try it yourself. I’d have to say, I think it is worth check out.
Camera Art FX
This app had a variety of effects to use in the camera. They play in real time on the preview allowing you to make instant decisions based on what you can see already. Some of my favorites were the vintage and poster effects.
I don’t expect to be giving up my Canon any time soon but I think the built in camera app has been replaced.









