Twenty Four At Heart

Fall Colors in Orange County

I have three small Liquid Amber trees in my yard.  They're one of the few types of trees that "turn" in Southern California (due to the warm climate here).

I was so excited to see I finally had fall colors in my yard last week.  I took this photo on Wednesday:

Falls colors.

On Thursday we got hurricane force winds, with gusts exceeding 100 mph, here in my little canyon.

The leaves, with their beautiful colors, all got blown off the trees.

It was so beautiful for the short time it lasted.

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Flower Shots

I've been participating in some photography groups these past few months.

For some reason, people like to do a lot of photography events requiring floral shots.

Personally, I think flowers are one of the easiest things to photograph (if you've got a few basic pieces of equipment).  

What equipment?

Some of you photographer-types may want to know ....

•  If you're serious about taking good quality flower shots, you should have a tripod, a macro lens and a cable release.

Photo of a dahlia.

I don't find flower shots to be very challenging, but I do think they're pretty.  (No offense intended to worldwide floral photographers!)  

I do know most people love to view flower photographs.

Yellow flower.  Don't ask me what it is, I don't know.  It's just pretty!

The above photo was taken at the beach recently.  I titled it Feeling Centered.

Which beach was I at?

I don't remember ....

I roam a lot of different beaches.

While on one of my beach trips, I also noticed some orange-ish/pink-ish bouganvilla winding it's way through aloe vera plants.

Orange bouganvilla.

I have bouganvilla at my house, but it's the more common BRIGHT FUSCHIA PINK bouganvilla.

Speaking of my house,

Flowers are easy to photograph even if you're stuck inside with bad weather.  In fact, it's kind of fun to change up the look of flower shots now and then ....

White spider mum photographed on black background.

This next photo always makes me start humming the lyrics to Red, Red Wine ....

Red rose photo, taken recently at Descanso Gardens.

Sometimes I have to look really hard to find something new and unusual to photograph in the flower world ....

I wouldn't want to fall asleep at the camera, after all.

Photo of a very confused flower.

Other times, the beauty of a flower reaches out and seems to beg me to lend it my lens ...

Photo of a beautiful pink rose.

How could I ever say no to a flower?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Aaaand ... Tis The Season?

If you live in the US, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend.  Actually, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend wherever you live, and whether or not you celebrated.

My last guest leaves this afternoon.  I will then look around my thrashed house, freak out about The State Things Are In ... and begin the process of guest-recovery.  I'm sure I'll get everything back in order just in time for the return of family and guests in three weeks ....

Here's a look at what I've been doing the past several days:

•  Cooking, cooking, cooking.

•  Eating and drinking too much.  Stretchy pants have never felt so good!

•  Hanging out at the beach.  We've had 85F/29.4 C weather.  Crystal clear skies - so beautiful!

HDR photo of the beach last weekend.  And no, I don't like HDR photography but I was playing with it anyway.

•  Car shopping.  I hate car shopping.  Hate, hate, hate!  However, my current car is leased and the lease is up in a couple weeks.  I need to look at cars in spite of the fact I hate doing it.  (And no, I have no idea what I'll end up getting.)  What a waste of beautiful weather, don't you agree?

•  A little Christmas shopping ... primarily for/with my daughter while she was in town to try on clothes.

•  A little online shopping ... to avoid the malls as much as possible.  I'm a hermit at heart and I hate shopping in crowded malls.

•  Managing a really bad pain flare-up.  (Is there such thing as a good pain flare up?  I think not.)  I'll try not to bitch too much, but ....?  Whine, whine, whine!!  Also?  OUCH!  I think I'm on the downswing of it now ... thankfully.  It, quite honestly, knocked me on my ass for a couple days.

Unstable bluff area - stay clear!

I felt like I should walk around wearing the above sign, or something similar.  "Extreme pain flare-up, resulting in UNSTABLE moods, STAY CLEAR!"

•  On the positive side, all three of my kids were here for Thanksgiving.  It was so nice.

Sunset at the beach, pelicans flying.

Did I mention it has been absolutely spectacular here lately?

I love the fall in Southern California.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Almost Tropical

Sunset a couple weeks ago ...

The sunset looked and felt tropical when I took the above photo.

In fact, just looking at this photo makes me want to hop on a flight to Hawaii.

Sigh!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Bourbon Roses

I mentioned I'd try to dig up a photo of a Bourbon Rose.

Since, I'm (sort-of) taking the Thanksgiving weekend off I thought it would be a nice thing to share today.

Bourbon Roses, photo taken at Descanso Gardens.

Aren't they pretty? 

They look so different than "normal" roses!

© Twenty Four At Heart

MIT

When I was in Boston a few weeks ago, I suggested visiting the famed MIT campus in Cambridge.  My host seemed a little baffled by my request.

I come from a family of rocket scientists and assorted other engineer types.  Most of them have been to MIT, repeatedly, for one reason or another.  I've heard about the campus for years.  (By the way, I hate math - aren't genetics a funny thing?)

I'd also been told the campus is like an amusement park for photographers.  

It is!  

I could have spent days roaming around MIT with my camera.

The Strata Center, framed by a red sculpture.  MIT, Cambridge, MA.

Architect, Frank Gehry designed the Strata Center.  He must have had a lot of fun doing it, too.  

I kept expecting Dr. Seuss to pop out of a window.

MIT with a few funky photography effects thrown in for fun - not that the buildings NEED any special effects!

I also knew I wanted to visit Simmons Hall while I was on campus.

Simmons Hall

As it turns out, it was a long, long, walk to Simmons Hall.  I wouldn't have minded if I didn't already have a zillion blisters covering my feet.  It was worth the walk though ... I had to see the different colored windows.  

But ...

I kept returning to Strata Center like an addict to his drugs.  So many angles ... so much fun and funkiness!

Strata Center

I also really enjoyed climbing inside Plensa's sculpture Alchemist.

Photo taken from inside Alchemist

People did look very puzzled seeing me crawl around inside Alchemist.  I can just imagine their thoughts, "Well, she's got a big camera - maybe she's supposed to be crawling inside the sculpture?"

I had SO much fun photographing MIT for a few hours.  I highly recommend you visit the campus if you ever have the opportunity.  Make sure you bring a camera.  (Even if you're a novice to photography, you'll want to take a few shots!)

P.S.  Thank you to the very friendly and helpful engineers who kept pointing me in the right direction when I got lost.  (I'm sure my friend Neil is wrong and you have seen cleavage before!)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach

Crescent Bay, in Laguna Beach, is known for its beauty.

Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach

I took this photo about a week ago, the day after we got a little rain.  It couldn't have been a prettier day.  The water sparkled; my guests were astonished at the clear aqua color.  It was truly a breathtaking day.

© Twenty Four At Heart

November

Brrrr!!

It's been chilly here the last couple days!

Beach Cave

Did I mention brrrrrrr?!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Descanso Gardens

When I was a kid, my parents "made" us (my brother, sister and I) go on weekly hikes.

We hated it.

The other kids got to hang out and play (or watch TV?) while we were being forced to enjoy nature.

My paternal grandparents lived very close to Descanso Gardens, so if we weren't hiking in the mountains, canyons, or beaches - we'd "have to" go there.  (This was almost always followed up with dinner at my grandparent's house.)

Soooo boring!

On a whim, I recently drove one and a half hours to revisit this place from my childhood.

I loved it.

Really, really, loved it!

I can't understand how I wouldn't have loved it as a child too.

(This is the part where my mom laughs her ass off, right?)

The beauty of Descanso Gardens, begins in the parking lot.

I don't know what kind of tree this is, but it's beautiful and I want one.  And yes, people did stare at me strangely when I laid down in the parking lot to take this shot.  (I'm pretty sure this is the same type of tree they have growing on Rodeo Drive/Wilshire in Beverly Hills - such pretty pink blossoms!)

Due to my schedule, I didn't have the entire day to spend in the gardens - which means I'll have to return again very soon.  I didn't have time to explore more than half of what I wanted and, you know me, I can't leave anything half done.  (Of course, if I wasn't taking nonstop photos of everything in my path, I might have covered more ground.)

Bee enjoying adorable little white flowers.

I spent a lot of time in the rose garden.

Roses in the rose garden at Descanso Gardens.

I've never considered myself much of a rose person.  I like roses, but there are other flowers I like more.  

But, oh the pretty!

Pale yellow rose.

There were so many different types and colors of roses!  (Have you ever heard of a Bourbon Rose?  It looks nothing like a "normal" rose.  I'm sure I have a photo of one around here somewhere ....)

Instead of following the map I was so kindly provided, I wandered aimlessly.  

Minutes after leaving the rose garden I found myself in a forest.

Entrance to the Descanso Gardens forest.

I encountered a beautiful, huge, deer.

"You aren't supposed to be here eating in the gardens, are you?" I asked her softly.

The deer smiled at me, all the while looking at me doe-eyed.  We watched each other calmly for several minutes, and then she turned and disappeared into the trees.

While walking around in the forest, I heard the sound of rushing water.  I followed the sound and it led me here:

Waterfall at Descanso Gardens.

There was no one at the waterfall, but me.  There was a little bench nearby.  I could have sat there - by the water, and hidden by the trees, for hours.  

Maybe next time I will.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Sunset With a Splash

Fishing boat at sunset in Orange County.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Winners and Other Stuff

•  Thank you to everyone who participated in my give-away yesterday.

The winners are:

DrLori71 with her comment:  If I win I'd love to buy myself something. But I'll probably just end up buying more Legos for my boys lol.

And -

Annette with her comment:  Perhaps a new pan to replace the one I burned up!

Congratulations - you each will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!  

In other news -

•  The programming of my bionic arm and shoulder has been corrected.  That's right, I'm no longer corrupted.  In addition, I now have two new programs added to my arm.  All five of my programs have been adjusted to be more effective than what I've had since I became bionic.

So far, it seems to be helping quite a bit.

I also have a very interesting new side effect from the bionics ... I'll tell you all about it next week in a separate post.  It might involve at least one nipple.

•  Several of you have contacted me wanting prints for the holidays.  The goal is to have my new site (including the photo ordering piece of it) up and running by the end of November.  I'll be spending most of today working on uploading photos to the new site in preparation to go live.  Thank you so much for your patience.

•  I re-visited a haunt from my childhood this week with a visit to Descanso Gardens.  I'll have more about this special place next week.  

For today, I'll share just a few photos from my visit there.

Garden bench in a nook created by vines.  

Heaven!

I think I could "hide" in the nook for hours.  I might read, or I might just HIDE!

Also, I was pleasantly surprised to discover beautiful fall colors here in Southern California.

Fall leaves

Fall foliage isn't something we get a lot of here.  I think it's SO pretty!

Of course, there were a ton of beautiful flowers in the gardens also.  I didn't have nearly the time I wanted to explore, but I was able to find several I considered photo worthy.

Orange, yellow, and red rose

So much beauty!

I can't wait to make a return trip when I can spend a little longer roaming the gardens.

Congratulations again to today's winners.

I hope all of my readers have a great weekend!

© Twenty Four At Heart

It's a Beachin' Life

* I'll be doing a give-away tomorrow!  Be sure to check back. *

We had rain here last Sunday.  It was kind of nice.  Briefcase lit a fire in our fireplace and I spent the day getting caught up on a lot of "inside" things while he worked.

We have our first (supposedly) big storm arriving on Friday.

For many of you, this would be no big deal.  A big storm for us is probably small by the rest of the world's standards.  But, we don't get that many storms so .....

OMG.RAIN.OMIGOD.WE.MIGHT.GET.WET!!!

I've been planning accordingly.  I've been ignoring most of my responsibilities and getting as much photography time as I can while the weather is nice.

And yes, that has caused a bit of a pain flare-up. 

And yes, I did see Dr. Painless yesterday.  I'll tell you more about that in a different post. 

For now,

Here are a few of the shots I've taken in preparation for rain ....

(Because when it rains, Orange County-ites tend to hibernate and avoid the outdoors at all costs.)

Beach cave at Treasure Island

I love the above cave.  Why are we drawn to holes in rocks??  Is it something left over from caveman days?

There are still plenty of flowers blooming here ...

Yellow flowers

Aren't the flowers pretty?  I'm not sure what kind of flower they are, but I saw them right near the sand.  They're so bright and cheery.

The birds of paradise are also blooming like crazy right now.  There's orange and purple everywhere in Orange County, or so it seems.  I have better photos, but this one is right in front of me so I'll share it:

Bird of Paradise

We've had some unbelievably beautiful evenings too.  Many times the sunsets are so intense, so vivid, I feel like everyone will think I've completely saturated the color on the photos I take of them.

"This looks fake even though it's real," I mutter to myself.

Do you mutter to yourself?

I seem to mutter a lot, especially as I edit photos.

And, although I do love spectacular sunsets ...

I love "dusk" at the beach just as much.

Dusk at an Orange County beach

Make sure to visit tomorrow so you have a chance to win my give-away!!

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Treasure Island

I don't want anyone to know about Treasure Island.

I'm going to tell YOU about it, but let's keep it our little secret.

When I need alone time, when I want a romantic walk with Briefcase, when I have friends in town visiting ...

Basically, anytime -

Treasure Island is where I hang out a good deal of the time.

Laguna Beach

Treasure Island is in Laguna Beach, but a lot of people who visit Laguna never discover it.

(And that's perfectly fine with me.  Please note the empty beach in the above photo.)

The beach is pristine; the water is clear.  It's so much prettier than most Southern California beaches.

Tidepool Educator

There are hot men who work at Treasure Island also.

Having grown up on Southern California beaches, I laughed out loud when I first saw a Tidepool Educator.

For someone who has lived on the beach for years, the concept is funny.

BUT ...

A lot of people who visit here know little or nothing about our beaches - especially about preserving them.  Visitors think it won't hurt to tromp all over the tidepools and/or to take home a "souvenier" from them.

Wrong people!

If everyone takes home one or two beautiful shells and a couple hermit crabs as pets - soon there are none left.

So ...

The Montage Resort is providing funding for the Laguna Ocean Foundation to monitor the nearby tidepools.  A Tidepool Educator answers questions, provides information about the plants and critters living there, and keeps people from doing anything to destroy the marine habitat.

Have I mentioned the Montage Resort really wants to invite me as a guest so I can tell you about their beautiful resort?  No?

Well, I'll work on that ....

Treasure Island, Laguna Beach

In the meantime, 

If you're trying to track me down -

There's probably a very good chance you'll find me (and my camera) at Treasure Island.

© Twenty Four At Heart

I'm as Normal as I'm Going to Get

I spent a good chunk of my weekend getting my computer set up the way I want.  It might not be 100% there yet, but I'm getting close.

I even managed to carve out some photography time this weekend.

I'm so happy to be getting my "life" back to normal now.  I'm sure a lot more efficient when I have a laptop - especially a speedy one.  (Any computer is speedy compared to the one I was working on these last few weeks!)

Unrelated aside: I've had several requests from people wishing to purchase photos.  I haven't uploaded any for awhile.

Why?

I'm in the process of working on a re-design for Twenty Four At Heart.  (Actually, I'm working with a web designer - she's doing the hard part!)  Part of the re-design involves streamlining the photo purchasing piece of this puzzle.  I'm making some big improvements.  I want things to be easier for you, and hopefully simpler for me.  

If you feel like you absolutely "must" have a particular photo right now, let me know and I'll make arrangements for you.  Otherwise, I'm holding off on uploads until the re-design is complete.  (Having no computer for a couple weeks slowed down everything.)

My son went to his high school homecoming dance over the weekend.  I was asked by a few of the kids to be "their" photographer.  I almost strangled an obnoxious OC mom in the process, but I used amazing restraint and didn't.  

Homecoming photo.

Pretty shoes.

The above photo is my son's date.  All the girls had really high heels on.  Ouch?!

As soon as I was done with homecoming photos, I drove straight to the beach.  I arrived with just moments to spare.

Tripod set up on the beach for sunset.

Two women approached me as I was taking photos of the sunset.

"Are you going to take a photo of the sunset?" one of them asked.

????

"Do you think I should?" asked my Smart-Ass Self.

"It's very beautiful tonight," nodded one of the women as she eyed my camera mounted on a tripod staring straight at the sunset.

I nodded back at her.

"Sounds like a good idea," I responded.  I continued clicking away then, ignoring her.  She hovered at my side for quite awhile.  Eventually, the two women wandered a few feet away, sat on some rocks, and watched me take photos until the sun set.  Once in awhile, they'd give me helpful tips like, "Did you get THAT?!"

Sunset at the beach on Saturday evening.  (Photo titled:  You reach for me; I melt into you.)

"Yes," I'd answer.

Yes, I did ....

© Twenty Four At Heart

Simplicity

Sometimes, the simple things are what we treasure most.

I found some cute little "olive oil" jars while in Boston.

They make ideal vases for single stem flowers.

White flower in vase

It's amazing how something so simple can be so beautiful.

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Charles

I thought you might enjoy a few more shots from my trip to Boston.

On my last day visiting, I went for a long walk along the Charles River. 

The Charles River

It was so beautiful!

I loved seeing the buildings reflected in the river.

(Sheesh, it's so nice to be able to share photos again ....)

© Twenty Four At Heart

Light at the end of the Tunnel

I (dare I say it??) have a working computer again!!

Wheeeeeeeeeee!!

Laguna Beach sunset.

I got it back from Apple last night.

They, successfully, transferred my contacts, email accounts, and music from my old laptop.

However,

I still have to transfer Lightroom and Photoshop over before I have access to my photos.  I can now check email, hop on Twitter and write ...

But I still can't edit photos.

(The sunset photo you see above is one I had saved in iPhoto for some strange reason.  (I don't usually use iPhoto.)

Anyway ....

I hope to be somewhat "back together" by Monday.

Thank you for hanging in there with me.

I hope you have a great weekend!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Happy (Early) Halloween!

Spooky, scary - !!

This is a REAL haunted house next to a REAL graveyard in Salem, MA.

Salem, MA graveyard and haunted house.

In real life, it's even creepier than it looks in the above photo!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Spooky Spider

In honor of Halloween, I'll be posting "spooky" photos both days this weekend.

Have I ever mentioned one of my biggest fears is SPIDERS?

Spider in its web.

Spiders have way too many legs ...!!

Spooooookyyyyyyyyyy!!

© Twenty Four At Heart

New England

I've been back in California for one full day now.

So far, since I returned, I've done the following:

  •  Tried to sleep, and failed miserably, thank you mega-steroids.

  •  Fought with my dying/dead/failed laptop for hours - upon hours, upon hours, in an effort to get a minimal amount of work done.

  •  Ordered a NEW laptop which should arrive sometime next week.  (Happy early birthday to me?)

  •  Fainted a few times at the cost of laptops.

  •  Thanked the Pain Management Gods for emergency doses of steroids and the desperately needed pain relief they're temporarily providing.  (Thank you also to Dr. Painless for encouraging me to do what I love and finding ways to help me do just that.)

  •  Reviewed some exciting plans for Twenty Four At Heart's upcoming update/redesign.  (Hopefully, coming soon to a blog near you - !)

  •  Been overwhelmed with gratitude and amazement upon discovering over 11,000 of you are now following my photography on Google Plus.  (Thank you - so much!!)  

**  Thank you also to famed photographer Thomas Hawk who published my name again this week on his coveted list of Kick Ass Photographers.  He's an AWESOME, supportive, mentor to so many photographers.  **

Well,

Okay then ....

My daughter called to tell me I "got out of Boston just in time" because they're expecting snow during the next 24 hours.

(She's not very happy about the idea of snow in October.  Or, to be honest, snow in general.  Have I mentioned she'll be moving back to California by the first of the year?)

I honestly don't know what I would have done if it had snowed while I was there.  

I'm not snow-savvy, to put it mildly.

The weather was a little brisk, but so beautiful for my visit.

Boston sunset.

And yes, I did come home with one thousand new photos.

Why do you ask?

(Pain management?  Say what ....?)

I promise I won't make you look at all of my New England photos.

This one's a favorite though:

Boston in the fall.

Fall has always been my favorite season, even though colors don't change here in Orange County.  Being in New England for five days, in October, was such a treat.

Pumpkins on the steps of a Boston brownstone.

I must have squealed with delight a million times as I submerged myself in New England charm.

I was especially excited my daughter took me to visit the town of Salem.

Salem ... as in witches (!!), churches, graveyards, etc.

!!!

I'll have more about Salem in upcoming posts, but I wanted to leave you with this photo of the church in Salem.  (Make sure to notice the "witch" in the photo - she's walking down the street toward the church.)

Salem, MA

What could be more fun for a California girl than visiting Salem just prior to Halloween?

© Twenty Four At Heart

So Can She Write a Blog Post While on Drugs?

Hi!

My name is Suzanne.

Many people know me as Twenty Four and/or Twenty Four At Heart.

I'm being forced to take drugs in the form of pain patches.

I've been reassured they won't make me into a heroin addict.

I'm not sure if I believe that.  

I still have concerns.

If I become a heroin addict, it's NOT my fault.

OK then ...

So far, I feel okay on the Fentanyl Patches.

I'm starting with a low dose patch and supposedly going up in dosage in a few weeks.  I get occasional waves of dizzy-fuzzy head, but feel normal most of the time.  Feeling normal is a good thing, right?  I did feel verrrry sleepy for awhile yesterday afternoon, but supposedly I'll get used to this drug in time.

The pain is still very vivid at times, but less intense at other times.  I have "breakthrough" pain drugs I can take, but I'm trying not to.  I'm trying to see if I can handle a day or two with only the pain patches.  It hasn't even been 24 hours yet ....

I have noticed I'm all of a sudden getting hot flashes.  (No, I haven't begun menopause and no, I don't normally get them!)  I'm assuming the hot flashes are from the pain patch?

We'll see.

So -

Yesterday I went shopping for a few things for my upcoming trip to Brrrrr-Boston.

I looked at some pretty coats but they cost $800-$1000!

I'm sure there are cheaper coats, but the expensive ones were right in front of me.

I didn't buy one.

I'm so glad I don't have to buy coats ... more money to save for lenses, ya know?

I did buy two pairs of Gap skinny jeans - one dark jean wash and one black.  They'll tuck into the boots I already own much better than regular jeans.

I also found a cute cream colored "shawl sweater" on sale at the Gap for $35.

It looks sort of like this one, but with longer sleeves:

Shawl sweater.

I think it will look cute with jeans, boots, a scarf ... and oh yes, I suppose a shirt of some kind.  Hopefully it will keep me warm enough?

Wouldn't it be funny if I forgot the shirt and just walked around the east coast with a sweater and scarf?

I don't want to spend money on clothes I won't be able to wear here in Southern California.  Right now weather predictions are for 50s to low 60s F (13-14C) while I'm in Boston.  That's positively bone chilling by my standards, but I think I can just layer up while I'm there.  I might wear four shirts at one time and look very rolly-polly, but ....

I've also found a camera roller bag that looks ideal for use around The OC, and also is a perfect carry on size for travel.  Most of the roller camera bags I've found don't have a laptop compartment and I NEED to take a laptop with me when I travel.  (Obviously, if I'm shooting locally, my laptop can stay at home.)

The Lowepro Attache 50x bag appears (online) to be the best at potentially meeting my needs.  If you have any interest in a carry-on size bag on rollers, you might be interested in watching the video on how this bag works. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time to get my hands on one prior to leaving on my upcoming trip.  (I checked already and no local stores seem to have this bag in stock.)

Also?

Camera bags are outrageously expensive, including this particular one.

I can hear Briefcase swearing already and I'm only thinking about buying one.

© Twenty Four At Heart

I Haven't Been Myself Without You ...

Macro photo of a dahlia

© Twenty Four At Heart

Wishing You a Happy Weekend

Orange County beaches are at their finest this time of year.

You can guess where I'll be most of the weekend ....

I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Photography Friday: Your Questions, Answered

As I recently promised, I'm going to answer some reader questions regarding photography for today's Photography Friday post.

Laguna Beach night photo.

•  Do I have to take a class to improve my photography?  No, you don't.  Some of my favorite (and some very famous) photographers are self taught.  By the way, self taught doesn't mean they just did whatever when shooting - they made a concentrated effort to learn and improve.  There are all sorts of ways to learn photography and a classroom is just one of them.

Photography is a journey.  Even the best photographers never stop learning.  By the way, photography is an expensive journey.  (Just warning you!)  Picking up good condition, used, lenses, etc., is a great option.

•  What do I need if I'm just starting out?  I get asked this question repeatedly.  I would start off with a basic DSLR (digital) camera.  Learn the camera inside and out, and add a beginning software editing program as soon as possible.

Ahem, it bears repeating, learn your camera inside and out.  It does no good to have tools you never use, right?  Good photographers can operate their cameras on different settings at night in the dark, without thinking twice about it.  Can you?

(Also, Photoshopping something to death doesn't begin to make up for a bad photo.)

•  Do I have to shoot in RAW?  No, you don't have to.  You don't have to do anything.  The majority of professional photographers shoot in RAW though, and wouldn't consider doing otherwise.  If you don't have photo editing software, jpegs are the way to go.  There are other situations when jpegs are helpful too, but if you're trying to learn and improve you should understand RAW and the benefits it brings.

•  Why do I need photo editing software?  To answer that question, you need to understand how a digital camera works.  In film days, the photos were taken and then developed in a dark room.  How they were developed impacted the final look of the photo.  The same is true today with digital cameras.  The camera does some of the work, but not all of it.  If you really want to "finish" the process, you need photo editing software.

•  Do you ever use manual focus?  And if so, why?  Yes, I use manual focus frequently.

Macro photo of purple flower.

It isn't possible to take photos like the above purple flower on auto-focus.  Manual focus is your friend - acquaint yourself with it.  It's really very easy, I promise.

•  Can I use Lightroom if I don't shoot in RAW?  Yes, you can.  Lightroom is a great tool for organizing and sorting photos.  It also allows you to do some basic photo editing adjustments.  It doesn't allow you to do everything Photoshop allows you to do, however.  

It's a limited tool, but a good one.

•  What do you use to edit your photos?  I use Lightroom and Photoshop CS5. 

Photo of Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA.

•  People say I take nice photos, can I make money off of them?  Possibly.  A lot (!!) of people take "nice" photos though.  In fact, there are many amazing, spectacular, photographers making no money.

Be your own biggest critic - how can you make your photos better/special/different?  Start noticing photos you love - in magazines, in the newspaper, in books, on the Internet ... and then ask yourself why you like them.  

•  Nikon or Canon?  Either.

•  Finally,

Photography is art - find your own style and have fun!  

© Twenty Four At Heart

And How Was Your Weekend?

Today, at some point, I'll be driving my daughter to the airport and saying good-bye.

Before I do that, I'll be spending a very (!!) long several hours in:  La Crescenta, La Canada, Pasadena, Montrose, and Los Angeles.

Did I mention I have a brain-splitting migraine too?

Ugh!

I'm pretty sure it's tied to my injuries/disability/muscle spasms/horrible pain I'm experiencing right now.  Because all of that pain is not enough, without adding a migraine to the mix.

I hate good-byes.

Good-byes suck.

Especially good-byes to people I love.

Yes - even in this case, when I know I'll be seeing my daughter in Boston in just a few weeks.

We've had a busy visit, leaving me with very little writing time.

I thought I'd share bits and pieces of what's been going on ....

•  I saw a woman over the weekend whose eyebrows were permanently residing at her hairline.  Plastic surgery gone bad ...!  I'm sorry, I don't have a photo.  There was no discreet way to take one.

•  I've given up my husband for a new lens I've fallen in love with.  (Shhh - don't tell him, he doesn't suspect a thing!)  It's the Canon 135mm f/2 and it's razor sharp and we create magic together.  

Photo of swing taken with Canon 135mm f/2 lens.

The 135mm lens isn't for everyone and/or every situation - but it's my current crush.

•  I also have another crush.  I love dahlias.

Do you love dahlias? 

Do you know what a dahlia looks like?

Macro photo of a dahlia.

I tried to capture just a small touch of dahlia beauty in the above photo.  They make my heart so happy ...

(No, I didn't use the new lens for the dahlia photo.)

I might buy myself a couple dahlias on the drive home from the airport today just to cheer myself up.  

•  I went hiking in Peter's Canyon on Saturday.  It was hot.  (Doesn't that sound like a porn movie?  Peter's Canyon ... Peter's Canyon was very warm!)  

By the way, Peter's Canyon looks pretty much exactly like "my" canyon.

Snort!

I'm unintentionally cracking myself up today.

Peter's Canyon is, of course, further away than my canyon ... it's in the city of Orange.

As I was hiking, I came to a fork in the road ...

Fork in the road, trail at Peter's Canyon, Orange, CA.

Life is just one big fork in the road, isn't it?

(I'm SO deep today!  Just call me The Philosopher Named Twenty Four!)

By the way, I ended up taking the path to the left.

I wonder what would have happened if I'd gone to the right?

In any case, I hiked up some very steep trails.  

And down them.

I now have a slightly sore ass from excessive steep-hill-hiking.

•  Did I mention it was spectacular here this last weekend?

Orange County coast.

I love the month of October in Orange County.

It's breathtakingly beautiful right now.

Did you have a nice weekend?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Selfie Sunday

Every two weeks, Google Plus has "Selfie Sunday."  Participating photographers post a self portrait.  People are quite elaborate, setting up tripods, time release cables, etc. all in an effort to take their own photo.

I could have done that, and maybe I will next time -

But today, I took a self portrait the (sort of) easy way.

Self portrait - Suzanne Haggerty

© Twenty Four At Heart

You'll Always Have a Place in My Heart

© Twenty Four At Heart

Birds of Prey

Last week, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to take the "portrait" of a very special someone.

Owl portrait

The above owl, is one of several birds of prey working at the Montage resort in Laguna Beach.  The Montage is a very fancy, super exclusive, outrageously expensive, drop-dead gorgeous resort here in South Orange County.

The resort spends (supposedly?) around $1,000 per day for a falconer to bring his birds to hang-out (work?) several days each week.

Falcon

Why?

Having the raptors visibly present at the resort, scares seagulls away.  It's considered a humane way to rid the grounds of the general peskiness, and messiness, of seagulls.

(For those of you who have never spent time by the ocean, seagulls will "steal" food right off your plate, are very messy, and a general nuisance for beach-goers.)

The various birds of prey do get to fly, they aren't always tied to their perches as they are in my photos.  They have constant access to water and are treated well, as they should be.

Guests love to see the birds up close.  They ask the falconer questions about his raptors continuously.  The falconer, and his birds, are a huge point of interest for tourists.  (They've even appeared in newspapers and on TV.)

I loved having the opportunity to photograph these beautiful birds.

Also?

If I was a seagull, I wouldn't want to mess with them either.

Bird of prey

These birds give a whole new meaning to "hotel security."

© Twenty Four At Heart

Orange County, California - Love!

It was hot, but beautiful (!!) here over the weekend. 

I love the month of October in Orange County.

My weekend actually began on Friday afternoon when I had a photography project or two to take care of.  

Orange County was in all her glory for me ....

Stairway to an Orange County beach.

(I'll tell you a little bit more about my Friday projects in a future post.)

My weekend was marred by only two things:

  1)  My neighbor was doing LOUD construction work at 7:00 a.m. both weekend mornings.  (Really dude?  Also ... yawn!)

  2)  I went into a bad pain flare up on Friday.  I didn't let it stop me, but it definitely slowed me down.  I walked around with clenched teeth for a good part of the weekend.  Can you say thank.you.pharmacist for Percocet??  

Saturday morning couldn't have been more beautiful.  I drank coffee out on my patio in the sunshine while being entertained by hummingbirds.  We always (year round) have several hummingbirds living in our yard.  

Saturday was different though.  

Dozens, upon dozens, of hummingbirds (migrating from the Pacific Northwest) had stopped in for some food.  I have three feeders in my yard, and I had to refill all three of them by mid-morning.

Hummingbirds feeding.

I've spent my whole life around hummingbirds and I've never seen so many in one place, at one time.  Hummingbirds are highly entertaining birds to watch.  They dart, they dodge, they chase each other ... they're a blur of constant motion.  It was amazing to see so many together at once.  (The non-local hummingbirds have now continued on their journey to Mexico for the winter.)

The second highlight of my weekend was doing a "night shoot" on the beach.

It was such a beautiful evening.

It was magical ...

Really, there are no words for the beauty I'm surrounded by.

Sun setting at the beach, silhouetting palm trees.  Orange County, CA

Being out with my camera on such a breathtaking evening (and night) was so good for my soul.  It lifted me up when the physical pain I was in would otherwise have been overwhelming.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Happy To See Me

I posted this photo of about-to-bloom cactus on G+ awhile back.  I snorted out loud when someone left a comment warning me to "be careful of the second one."

© Twenty Four At Heart

Fearless Friday

I think I'm going to start writing Fearless Friday's along with Photography Friday's.  (You know, just on the Friday's when I feel like it ....)

I've been getting a lot of questions from readers lately.  Usually if one person has a question, other people are wondering the same thing.

So ...

Keep sending in questions if you have them and I'll do my best to answer as many of them as fearlessly as I can.

Here goes:

•  I circled you on G+, but how do I let you know without sounding like a stalker?  First of all, I love me a good stalker.  Second, all you need to do is leave a comment on one of my G+ photo posts, or send me a private message if you'd prefer, and tell me you're one of my blog readers.  (Hi, I read 24. Or: Hi, I'm one of your readers.)  If you want, you can just follow me/my photography all quiet and secret-ish.  I get a notice when people follow me, but to be honest I rarely have time to look at the notifications.  I assume my friends/readers/people I know will "talk" to me and then I'll circle them.

Warning:  I don't write on G+ very often ... right now it's primarily my photography place.  Some of my photos will show up there and here - some will only be on G+.

•  What do you think of medicinal marijuana?  Do you smoke it?  Is it helping?  No, I don't smoke it.  Smoking anything is bad for your lungs.  The Weed Doc (who is actually a real-live anesthesiologist), told me to use a vaporizer and so I do.  A vaporizer is a new-ish invention and it gives you the pain-reducing effects without smoking.  I haven't tried eating pot brownies/cookies/etc. because digesting it affects your body a little differently and takes longer to work.  I don't use weed often for the same reason I try to avoid most pain killers.  I like to be alert, and mentally present, in my life.  I use it when I need it, and yes - so far it seems to help (but not eliminate) pain.

•  There's a marijuana clinic in Money Town?  There was.  It got shut down yesterday.  I'll have to drive a little farther next time.

•  Did using marijuana make you paranoid?  Believe it or not, pot is a lot different than it was years back when the dinosaurs roamed.  For one, it's a lot stronger - they grow all sorts of "hybrids" now.  Also, there are a lot of different types.  Some types are more likely to cause a paranoid side effect than others.  I'm not using those types, so I've been fine.  

•  Can I put you in my Friends circle on G+ even though we've never met?  Yes, you can.  I would be honored.  You can, in fact, put me in any circle you want.  I don't see what circle I'm put in, only you do.

•  Why would you lay down in the middle of a road to take a photo?  Well, let me show you where the road was:

My canyon - Orange County, CA.

There is nothing there.  Nothing! 

Ever.  

(Except ...?  For this one time, apparently!)

•  I'm on G+, now what do I do?  Well, G+ is not Facebook so I suggest you think of it differently from the very beginning.  You can make it what you want.  But ....

I really suggest you follow strangers.  Yes, strangers.  You can make a circle for each of your interests and put total strangers in it.  Find the "experts" in whatever it is you like and see what people "in the know" are saying.  You don't have to share a thing about yourself with them.  Look at it as a learning experience.

(You can also have a circle for friends, for family, etc.  Each circle only sees what you want them to see.  You probably don't want to bore all your circles/interests with news about running out of coffee filters or your home life.)

For me, I followed a lot of the top photographers in the world.  I learn by looking at their photos.  Sometimes they publish interesting posts related to photography, but I learn a lot just by looking at what/how they're shooting too.  I'm nosy - it's fun.  Surprisingly, some of those "strangers" are now becoming friends.

You can also have a "hangout" and talk/videochat with people of similar interests.  You don't even have to tell them where you live - in case they're secretly an ax murderer.

If you're looking for fantastic photographers, I'd be more than happy to share a few of my favorites with my readers.  Just let me know ....

•  Last, I've received several photography-related questions.  I'll try to put the questions and answers together and write a "Photography Friday" post soon.

Thank you all for being so great and so supportive!

(Once again, you can find me on G+ by clicking here.)

xo

© Twenty Four At Heart

Apparently I'm Dead in the Road

I never seem to stop having unusual experiences.

I attract perverts and strange encounters like a moth to a flame.

I've been trying to post at least three photos per day on G+ (morning/afternoon/evening).  Some days it doesn't happen, but it's my current goal since I have a chunk of new photography-enthused followers.

(Unrelated aside:  If you follow me on G+ please let me know you're there so I can follow you back.  I often miss people in my notifications, but if you let me know you're there I'll make sure to follow you back!)

I've recently had a lot of technical problems and sometimes, if I'm rushing, I don't have a lot of time to pull out my external hard drives and find the photo I want.

So - I've been taking a lot of new shots.  (That's my excuse anyway!)

The other day I decided to take a walk with my camera in my neighborhood.  

Remember, I live in a canyon - lots of unexpected critters to come across, etc. 

Prickly pear cacti

I noticed the cacti were bearing fruit.  They looked so pretty in a cactus sorta way.  I was on a little back road in the canyon and it was eerily silent.

Kind of creepy really.

I expected a mountain lion to suddenly appear and eat me.  (It has happened before here - not that far from my house.)  

I was having a silent tug-of-war in my mind:

Internal Voice #1:  Take your time, take lots of photos.

Internal Voice #2:  OMG - get out of here fast! THERE'S NO ONE AROUND.  You will get eaten by a mountain lion and no one will ever know where you went or what happened to you.  

Do you ever have conversations about mountain lions eating you inside your head?

No?

Anyway, it was right about then I noticed some pretty yellow flowers along the road.

I had a wide angle lens on my camera and I just couldn't get a good shot of them -

So I layed down in the middle of the eerily quiet, totally deserted, road.

I was there for awhile.  

I was concentrating very hard, because I was having a difficult time getting the angle I wanted.

And then,

Out of nowhere,

There was a truck behind me and a group of Hispanic men talking frantically and the word "muerto" (or something like that) kept being said.

My immediate thought was, "I'm about to be run over by a truck."

I scrambled to get up, and out of the way, as fast as possible.

As I was doing so, I realized the truck had actually just stopped a few feet behind me.

When I jumped up, the men inside it looked startled and frightened.

That's when the word "muerto" sunk the rest of the way into my brain.

In Spanish, muerto means dead.

Apparently the men inside the truck thought they had come across a dead woman in the middle of the street.

A dead woman, in the middle of a deserted street, clutching a camera in her dead hands.

After their initial shock, the men seemed relieved they didn't have to deal with a dead body.

I was a little flustered by the encounter myself ...

First, thinking I was about to be run over by a truck -

And then hearing I was actually dead in the middle of the street.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Squeeee!! (Also, Get Your Ass on G+)

Yesterday morning, when I first checked-in on email/Twitter/G+, I noticed the number of my G+ followers had gone up overnight.  I thought it was a little odd since I wasn't posting any photos while I slept.  (At least, not as far as I know!)

It seemed even odder when I got on G+ and realized my G+ followers now outnumber my Twitter followers.

Then I found out why ...

Thomas Hawk, who I just mentioned in my post yesterday, published a list (his circle) of "250 Kick Ass Photographers."  My name was on his list.  People who would never otherwise hear of me, are now following me/my photos.  

I need to go on a little tangent -

  •  Holy shit folks!  Thomas Hawk!!

  •  I told you he was nice.

  •  Yes, I DO know I still have a lot to learn about photography.  (The more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn ....)

•  I'm honored, and at the same time humbled, by being mentioned on the same list as so many photographers I really, really, admire.

  •  Being able to "share circles" on G+ is the coolest invention since sliced bread!  (You can follow all the same photographers, or whatever, as your friends - with just one click!)

  •  Those of you who have been reading me for any length of time know what I've gone through in recent years.  The terrible car accident, the resulting eight surgeries, the loss of use of my dominant/right arm, the chronic severe pain I will live with for the rest of my life, my new "bionic" arm, the loss of my ability to hold a camera for years - it goes on and on.  

It's been five years of fighting and overcoming odds and fighting more (and more, and more!)  ... and Thomas Hawk put me on his Kick Ass Photographer List.  For other people, this might be a "little" thing - for me, it's huge.  

(He has no idea, except maybe now he will - if he sees this post.)

After all I've gone through, how is it even possible?  

I am the woman who would never hold a camera again ....

I really hope you'll come join me on G+!  It's the new happenin' place.  

You can follow me on G+ here, and while you're at it - you should also follow Thomas Hawk and his amazing photography.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Inside My Petals

Macro photo of a sunflower, photographed by yours truly.

I've been very busy lately.

Here's a glimpse of some of what's been going on with me "behind the scenes" lately.

•  One of my girlfriends is moving out of state.  It makes me sad to see her go.  I took her out for a farewell lunch.  I cried saying good-bye to her.  Life is full of way too many good-byes.

•  My son's college roommate recently asked why I had not yet sent back my famous homemade banana bread.  How can someone I barely know make me feel so guilty?  I baked two loaves and got them in the mail yesterday ... sheesh!

•  I've been walking a lot.  Walking, and walking, and walking.  My ass has fallen to the ground (who invented gravity?) and I'm trying not to drag it behind me as I go.  If I walk long enough, it clears my head too.  Sometimes we all need a good head-clearing, right?  Why does that last sentence sound sex related?

•  I've been spending as much time as my bum arm will allow on photography.  When I can't shoot, due to pain, I study.  Yes, I'm studying everything I can to improve my skills.  Have I mentioned (four bazillion times) photography is my passion?

•  In case you don't already know, G+ is the place to be for anyone interested in photography.  Where else can you "talk to" and learn from the top photographers in the world?  (And, I'd like to add ... the photography community on G+ is NICE.  I can't believe how encouraging everyone has been.  Thomas Hawk even sent me a link to his playlist for photo editing tunes.  Nice guy even if he is absurdly famous.)

•  This is what Los Angeles looks like from the LA Live area at the end of the day:

Los Angeles

•  This is what Orange County looks like at twilight:

Twilight in Orange County (Can you see the moon in the sky?  The sun hadn't even set yet.)

•  I got a "medicinal marijuana" license from a well-known weed doctor in Orange County.  It was all I could do not to laugh while I went through this formality.  He was quite serious, and I wanted to giggle the entire time I was there.  (By the way, he told me I probably should also use the Fentanyl patches my pain doc prescribed - but I'm still trying NOT to.)

•  Later that day, I visited a "Medical Marijuana Dispensary."  It happens to be located in the same building complex as The Torturer, my ex-physical therapist.  The irony of this is not lost on me.  I wasn't tempted to giggle while purchasing my medicinal marijuana because the guy selling it to me was.  That's right - he kept giggling.  He was as high as a kite.

•  That night my friend, Nike, texted me and asked, "Well???"  I texted back one word, "Floating!"

•  P.S.  Saturday Night Live is suddenly SO funny.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

I spent a day in Beverly Hills last week, primarily on Rodeo Drive.

(The sculpture in yesterday's post stands in the middle of Rodeo Drive.  I'm in love with the sculpture, and would take it home with me if I could.  I would name it Naked Pain and put it ... I'm not sure where.  Maybe Naked Pain would have to stand in the middle of my kitchen?)

Rodeo Drive street sign.

I hadn't visited Rodeo Drive in awhile, but little has changed.

Did you know very few locals actually shop on Rodeo Drive?

It's primarily a tourist destination.

Now that summer has ended, it wasn't too busy.

Rodeo Drive - palm trees and Mercedes Benz.

One of the shopkeepers talked to me for a long time.  She was bored because the bulk of tourists are gone.

Rodeo Drive is charming, pristine, and arrogant about flaunting its materialism.

The above photo of a Beverly Hills storefront is slightly out of focus.  I was running from a security guard when I took it.

You think I'm joking don't you?

(They are damn serious when they say no cameras allowed!)

I met a French photographer who spoke little English.

He was very handsome, but he creeped me out.

He kept following me.

It isn't uncommon really,

A photographer spots another photographer and thinks,

"If he/she is taking a photo there, then I should too."

Except ...

He kept following me, and following me, and following me.

Finally, I told him he was scaring me.

He then tried to have a conversation with me, but it didn't go too smoothly.

Maybe he just wanted American-Woman-Rodeo-Drive sex?

Who can say ....

He didn't speak much English, and I only know about three words of French.

 

Did you know the entire (very famous) area of Rodeo Drive is actually a very small shopping area?

South Orange County is a lot like Rodeo Drive, except on steroids and with a lot less charm.

The intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Rodeo Drive.

I apologize Orange County ...

But, you know, it's true.

© Twenty Four At Heart

I Bared My Soul To You

© Twenty Four At Heart

Counting Sheep

We had a beautiful sky to gaze at yesterday.

Thank goodness, because it was sort of a shitty week.

Next week has got to be better, right?

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Stories Will Be Coming ...

Yay - my blog is back!

I think ...?

Let me try posting a photo -

Tour bus filled with sunburned tourists in Beverly Hills.

Did it work?

Can you see it?

I spent yesterday cleaning house, where "house" means my laptop and "cleaning" means deleting and moving files.

As you can imagine, I have a lot of photos.  I'm also a music junkie which means more files.  I keep crashing my laptop by attempting to put too much on it.  (Also, it's three years old and the average lifespan of a laptop is two years.  I'm on borrowed time and I think it's tired of me using and abusing it so much.)

I bought, yet another, external hard drive yesterday and spent a good chunk of the day moving files, etc.

If any of you would like to buy me a Drobo, I could really use one.  (A drobo is a file storage device, in case you aren't familiar with it.)

I've had a lot of adventures lately.

For today, I will share the following:

•  When someone hugs you from behind (unaware you're damaged and disabled), they might rip your injured arm right out of your body and leave it on the ground.  At the time, you will do your best not to scream in pain.  You will try to act normal even though the sensation is similar to being shredded alive with knives.  (Not to mention, you no longer have an arm!)  Then you might walk around out of your fucking mind in pain for a few days to follow.  

Hypothetically.

•  If you're interested in photography, and ever have an opportunity to learn from Scott Kelby, you should.  The man is not only a master of his craft, but also highly entertaining.

•  There were models at the photography seminar I went to.  One extremely hot male model was named Alvin.  Yes, ALVIN - like the chipmunk.  He was so drool-worthy, I could forget his chipmunk-y name in a millisecond if only I could  jump his bones  meet him.  (Alvin, who?)

•  Did I just say type that?

•  Alvin took his shirt off, but I hardly remember that part.

•  Venice Beach has medicinal marijuana shops everywhere and they're dirty and sketchy looking.

•  Orange County has a "famous" doctor, located in a very exclusive neighborhood, who will be happy to give you a medical marijuana license for more than twice the cost of the Venice Beach doctors.

•  I've encountered "Hollywood" celebrities my entire life and they mean nothing to me.  Nothing.  On the other hand, when Thomas Hawk marks one of my photos with a + or leaves me a comment saying something positive about a shot I took, it can turn a bad day into a good one.  And when Scott Kelby sends me a private message on Google Plus?  I positively swoon ...  

Who knew I was so easy?

© Twenty Four At Heart

Is It Just Me?

I'm still having technical problems, but I was able to upload this photo from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Bulgari store on Rodeo Drive.

Well ...??

Is it just me?

© Twenty Four At Heart

I've Got My Eye On You

Mural at Venice Beach, CA.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Hiding in Plain Sight

This hummingbird has made a permanent home in a tree by my patio.

I think I should name him.

Any suggestions?

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Last Days of Summer

It isn't officially fall yet, but my kids are back in school and fall is almost here.

I'm noticing little things that signal the change in seasons ...

The sun is setting lower on the horizon.

A couple arguing at sunset on Laguna Beach.

(What do you think they're arguing about in the above photo?  I had some people make pretty funny guesses when I posted that photo on G+.)

Even though the weather is still warm/hot it feels different these past few days.

No stopping sign.

When I go for walks, I find myself less likely to walk with my feet in the water ....

Ocean and beach framed by palm trees.

The ocean is feeling a little colder.

Fall colors are showing up in my yard.

Yellow flower in my backyard.

Dusk is arriving noticeably earlier.

Silhouette of a hummingbird at dusk.

It might not officially be fall, but it's feeling like fall in a lot of little ways.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Laguna's Historic Lifeguard Tower

© Twenty Four At Heart

I Always Thought I'd Hear From You Again ...

© Twenty Four At Heart

Orange County in September

A lot of people don't realize, this time of year is often the hottest in Orange County.

In May and June (and sometimes even into July) we get foggy mornings along the coast which serve to keep the weather a little cooler all day.  Come August and September, (and frequently into October), it gets hot, hot, hot here!

Tuesday's temperature.

Over the last week the hot weather has been intensified by humidity which we rarely get.  (There was "tropical moisture" in the air according to our Local Weather-Barbie.)

What does this mean?

Why am I talking about something boring like weather?

Well ....

Orange County sunset.

I took the above photo from my driveway on Monday evening.  (And yes, the colors are REAL!)

That same evening, just a bit earlier, I took this photo from my backyard:

Mountain sunset in Orange County.

The sunset(s) have been unbelievably beautiful as a result of the extra clouds and moisture in the air.

On Tuesday, early evening, I decided to go for a walk along the beach cliffs.  I was hoping the air would be a little cooler right by the water.  It was still hot, but it was definitely cooler than at my house.  Of course, as always, I took my camera.

It was such a beautiful evening in Orange County.

The bluffs in Laguna Beach.

I just love "the golden hour" before sunset.  It's my favorite time of day.

I made my way along the bluffs, until eventually I arrived at Laguna Main just in time for sunset.

Laguna Beach sunset.

Oh my!

I do love living here, even when it's (too) hot.

© Twenty Four At Heart

The Most Beautiful Sunset Ever

This is such a beautiful sunset photo from Maui.

Maui, Hawaii, sunset

I could sit on this particular beach every evening, for the rest of forever, watching Mother Nature's light show.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Beauty

Succulent

There's beauty everywhere, if you take the time to look.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Important Questions; Half-Ass Answers

I'm answering questions from readers today.  

These are questions I've had emailed to me, or perhaps left in my comments section recently.  If you aren't interested in one question, just skip to the next and see if you can find something more to your liking.

•  Is it expensive to get a blog/business name trademarked?  No, it isn't.  You can do it yourself.  I had a lawyer handle it for me because he was also handling some other legalities for Twenty Four At Heart at the same time.

•  Do you have to rinse the salt water from your pool off the dogs after they swim?  Um, no we usually don't.  They don't have any skin problems either.  They do look all fluffy and cute after they dry off though.  (The salt content in our pool isn't any higher than it needs to be.)  They do sometimes battle swimmer's ear - especially our Golden Retriever.

•  You've never been to a Farmer's Market before?  Yes, I've been to many Farmer's Markets before - I had just never been to the one at the OC Great Park before.  (It's great!)

•  Will dermaplaning cause you to grow whisker stubble?  No, it won't.  The explanation is long, but the soft little hairs that grow on women's faces are different than the hair on men's faces or women's legs.  It is recommended you get a dermaplaning facial every 3-4 weeks for the best results.

*  Was dermaplaning done in a doctor's office?  Yes, dermaplaning must be done in a physician's office.  It cannot be done (legally) in a salon.  A dermatologist or plastic surgeon's office is your best bet.

•  Did dermaplaning irritate your skin?  No, my skin is extremely sensitive and it was not at all red or irritated.  In fact, a "regular" facial often bothers my skin and dermaplaning did not.  (Dermaplaning on a regular basis would bother my wallet though.)

•  I want to fly out and take photography lessons from you, can I?  I was shocked the first time I got this request, but I get it a lot now.  I do give private lessons, but I've discouraged people from spending a lot of money on travel to come here.  

But ...  

Several of you really seem to want to do this.  I'm considering putting together a weekend photography workshop.  I'm trying to find a way to make it affordable.  I don't have details worked out yet, but I'm interested in hearing suggestions.  I'm also interested in hearing from you if it sounds like something you'd like to participate in.

•  What's in your camera bag?  

Ahh ... a lot.  

But, because of my bionic arm, I usually only have two lenses with me at any given time.  I've accumulated a lot of photography equipment, however.  

If you're just starting off I still stick by the advice I gave over a year ago.  

On the other hand, here's a recap of what I've used a lot this summer:

     •  Canon 7D  (Which I love, but I will be eager to get a MarkIII if they come out with one soon.  Yes, I want to have two bodies to use.)

    •  Black Rapid RS-W1 Women's Camera Strap - a must with my bum arm

    •  Lowepro Fastpack 350 camera backpack

    •  Speedlite 580 EX II, with a diffuser

    •  Canon 24mm/1.4 lens

    •  Canon 24-105/1.4lens

    •  Canon 10-22/3.5

    •  Canon 70-200/2.8

I do use other lenses too, but the ones listed above are the ones I've used the most during my travels, etc., this summer.  

•  Is your blog going to change now that you've incorporated?  Twenty Four At Heart is always changing because it's a reflection of me, and my life.  Twenty Four At Heart is going to be getting a "facelift," in upcoming weeks - but it's long overdue and was already in the plans.  The content here will continue to be as random as ever.

•  How's your arm?  Aack - I'd love to say perfect, but it's not.  I've been experiencing quite a pain flare-up for the last week.  Pain and disability are something I will deal with for the remainder of my life.  I do really appreciate all the support you've given me though.  I get strength from you, always, when I seem to need it most.  

I am so grateful to each of you.

•  What mode do you shoot in?  Well, that depends on what I'm shooting.  The majority of time I shoot on manual and I shoot RAW.  But not always - it depends what I'm shooting and what the circumstances are surrounding me at that moment.

•  What's the latest with the kid at your son's school?  This is the (bad) soap opera that just won't go away.  In one form or another, it keeps haunting us.  As of today, Problem Kid is out of the country and not attending college with my son this semester.  I believe he's received some mental health care.  There's a lot more to this story, but that's where it stands as of right now.

I think that answers a lot of questions for today.  If you're interested in a Photography Workshop weekend, or have suggestions on ways to make it affordable - let me know.  (A lot of people requesting this are from out of state.)  

If today's post made you think of even more questions, feel free to leave them.

© Twenty Four At Heart

Somewhere in San Diego County

I've been very active with photo sharing on Google Plus.  I recently realized, a lot of photos I've shared there (primarily with other photographers), I have yet to share with you here.  Of course, you're more important than anyone else.  And yes, I sincerely do mean that. 

Today, I'm going to share a few photos I've taken in the San Diego area this summer.  San Diego is about one hour (driving time) south of where I live in South Orange County.  By Southern California standards, that means San Diego is pretty damn close to where I live.

San Diego beach near the Hotel del Coronado.

I normally like photos with a more realistic look to them, but I was playing with the above photo and had fun stepping out of my normal comfort zone while post-processing it.  (And for you photographer-types the above is not an HDR photo.)

Speaking of stepping out:

Oak wine barrels.

I took the wine-barrel photo at a wine tasting store in Carlsbad.  I'd tell you the name of the store, but I must have tasted too much wine while I was there because I don't remember it.

Alcohol and the city of Carlsbad, (which is in the northern part of San Diego county), seem to go together:

Liquor store.

I fell in love with this old, funky, liquor store.  I took a lot of photos of it while my husband looked on questioningly.  Have I mentioned I love old and funky?  (Especially when it comes to photography.)

I was walking to dinner in the Gaslamp District with my friend, Neil, one night when we both stopped dead in our tracks.  A man was crossing the street in front of us, his guitar in hand.  I immediately knew I needed to take his photo.  (Neil and I were both on the same wave length in this regard.)  We asked the man if he would mind stopping for a moment.  He was more than happy to oblige.

Mariachi player.

San Diego, the city itself, has such a pretty skyline:

San Diego skyline.

I took the skyline photo while hanging out with some blogging friends on Coronado Island.  We were waiting for a ferry back to our hotel after having lunch at the Hotel Del.  The people I was with were in awe of Southern California weather, plants, topography.  We went to Coronado specifically for them to put their feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever.  It made me realize how much I take for granted my beautiful surroundings and beach lifestyle.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of San Diego, and San Diego county today.  

Tomorrow I'm going to answer some reader questions I've received.  If you have anything you've been wanting to ask, feel free to leave it in the comments section today even if it isn't related to today's San Diego photos.  If you're too shy, you can also email me directly.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Maui, Yet Again

© Twenty Four At Heart