Birthday at the beach

Part of the reason Bammy came down to visit was to celebrate her birthday with us.  So on her actual birthday last week, we thought we would spend a little bit of time digging our toes in the sand and splashing around in the ocean.   Some shells had just been washed upon the shore.  So the dumplings had a blast checking all of them out too.  Fortunately for us, the surf was also pretty calm that day.  So we all ventured into the water.  It was such a fun and relaxing afternoon.

 After the beach, we cleaned up and headed out to dinner. I snapped just a few photos of Bammy with her grandkids while waiting for our food to come out.  Madeline has been wiggling her very loose tooth a lot lately.

 Then I thought I would get a photo of Bammy with Patrick and the dumplings...except Havi seemed to miss the memo.

 As we were driving back home, I could tell the sunset would be pretty over the river.  So as soon as we crossed back over, we pulled off to the side to snap a few photos.  It was soft and pretty, just like the night before.  I wanted to capture at least one of my kids along with the sunset; Havi was the only one who took me up on the offer.  I guess she wanted to make up for her lack of participation in the previous photo. lol  Since the sky wasn't completely lit up like the amazing sunset from two summers ago, I tried to expose for the sky, mostly, but without underexposing Havi too much.

It was such a special day with Bammy.  We're so happy she chose to celebrate her birthday with us.  Today is her last day here.  And I know there are going to be lots of tears.  Havi is going to miss her "Nammy".  And I know Caleb and Madeline are going to miss her too.  We've enjoyed this time so much.  We will have to make sure we do it again before too much time slips away.  I do have a few more photos I want to share during her stay with us, but I will get those up in the next post.

The beach at sunset

The other night we decided to hit the beach for some photos of Bammy with her grandkids.  It has been so long since we've gone to the beach at sunset to snap a few photos.  I think it was probably the first year Caleb was home, and he's been home 6.5 years now.  Patrick and I made a mental note that coming to the beach at this time of day is something we need to do more often.  Although we live on the east coast of Florida and consequently don't have amazing sunsets over the ocean, what we do get at sunset is still a soft, pastel wide open sky coupled with muted water and sand.  A dreamy combination indeed!  And now, I just might have to actually plan a shoot with the dumplings in the future.

One day

It didn't occur to me until I uploaded my photos from shooting one day last week that I pretty much shot all day long, from early morning to sundown.  I guess I really wanted practice at lugging around my new, super heavy lens.  It sure is a workout.  No doubt my arms will thank me later.  So, here's the day...

Caleb likes to hit the tennis ball against the house.  He does this every day. And don't even get me started on how grown up I think he looks here.  Somebody tell time to slow down.

I took some selfies with Havi.  I just love how sometimes the focus is off or soft.  The images just so seem so raw and in the moment.

Madeline got a new delivery of ants for her farm.

Then  we headed over to the tennis courts for a little practice and match play.  I took all these shots through the fence, on purpose.    So that is why they look a bit soft.  I also forgot the lens hood.  Still, I like how bright and airy they are.

I love this shot above.  It looks like he's looking right at me.  In actuality, he's looking at the point of contact. 

 Next up, his Raffa follow through.

I tried to capture a little flare and fun on the playground with Havi while Caleb was on the courts.
Really, she did have fun. lol

Then Havi and I headed home while Patrick took Caleb and Madeline to the store.  As I was sitting outside with her, she pointed to the sky.  I turned around and saw a rocket being launched.  I quickly ran into the garage and grabbed my camera.  I didn't even change the settings from earlier and just started snapping.  That worked out fine as I tend to underexpose my shots at sunset to capture more color in the sky anyway.

Those black specs in the photo above are actually birds.  Then I snapped a few shots of Havi as the sun was going down, all on auto white balance.  You can see the color of the light change over time.

Then it was time for some sunset snaps and silhouettes.

Patrick had made it home with Caleb and Madeline by then.  So I asked Caleb to do a jumping shot.
Not bad for a first try in this location.

Anyway, I really enjoyed shooting that day.  My new lens does pose a problem with my beloved camera backpack.  You know, the one I bought for our China trip but still use every day?!  It can only fit if the lens is attached to the camera body when stored.  So that means shifting some things around.  With this lens, though, I'm finding that I'm only bringing one extra lens with me, my 35mm f/1.4, leaving my other two prime lenses at home.

Well, this weekend Caleb will be playing in yet another tennis tournament.  I'm so excited that Bammy will be able to watch him play.  Be looking out for a monthly tennis recap, as it's been a busy one.

One last bit before I go...I want to give a big Happy Birthday shout out to Bammy!  She's turning 39 again.  And we have the privilege of celebrating with her.  Have a great weekend.  And keep cool! We will be hitting the beach!