Heyo! It has been nary a month (maybe almost 2) since I have picked up the camera and gone out for a stroll. Typically this is one of my favorite solo activities, but I've been hitting a block lately. I've been getting tired lately of taking the same old shots and trying to turn something I find vaguely interesting into a cool shot. I know, I know...practice makes perfect...or something along those lines, but I had hit a wall and needed to break through. I went for a walk through the neighborhoods first and ended up (as I usually do) at the lake. I sat for a while and stared at the water. I even took some pictures of the sky/lake, but I have far too many of those to even begin to get excited about them.

So, eventually I got up and began walking home...feeling refreshed but with nothing to show for it. While taking pictures of the sky, I had set my camera for a long exposure time of 3 seconds

(exposure time??? - this is the length of time the shutter stays open). As the sky grew dark, I walked home with my camera in my hand, hanging loosely at my side. I randomly decided to snap the shutter and see what would happen. As luck would have it, some bicyclists with lights were riding by at just that time and I got some cool light burn (Side note!!! - If you set your camera for a long exposure time and point it at the street at night, you will find that the cars disappear, but the lights are bright enough to burn into the image). Obviously, I then decided it would be not only awesome, but ESSENTIAL FOR ALL HUMANITY, that I continue taking shots while waving my camera frantically about dancing in circles like the crazy person that I am. (Side note - bacon...sorry, I'm hungry...you know you want some right now). These images are the results of what was at first an accident. However, through experimentation I was able to choreograph the lights a little bit (though definitely leaving room for surprises!)

Final note - None of these images have been modified in any way shape or form...whether by digital manipulation or haphazard wizardry. Enjoy. (Oh, and for more of them, check out my facebook page!)

Happy Birthday, Nation!

Hey everyone! It seems like people typically begin there blog entries with, "Wow, I haven't posted in forever!". So instead of doing that, I'm just going to say that people often do that. Sweet...fact stated.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. If you were in Minnesota, however, you would have

needed NO fireworks as the sky was a display enough. I have done nothing to enhance the 2 sunset shots I posted. It was literally a blaze of red, white, and blue (and some orange, but lets keep with the theme...). We had some friends over for dinner, then thought we were going to call it an early night as, up here in the north, fireworks don't start until 10. This is not very conducive to toddler bed times. However, as we discovered around 8:45, TODDLERS are not conducive to toddler bedtimes. So we broke the rules, grabbed Laiden out of his room, and headed out for an unplanned stroll. We ended up hanging out on the beach and were getting ready to head home around 9ish when we began to notice people showing up. Turns out our beach is a PERFECT viewing stage for not 1, but 4 fireworks displays (and no crowds either!). It was an awesome night, and to think we almost spent it at home watching a movie...lame!

I've been doing some thinking lately about what this day means

to me. I heard a radio broadcast a few Fourth of July's ago that really turned me off to the idea of American-ism. It was all about how we were the pride of the world and how everyone pretty much wants to be us or move here...yada yada yada. So I called in and...shared my opinion :) But there it is (no not

there...over THERE!)...America is not about WHAT you believe...it is about HOW you believe it. Our nation was founded upon the belief that all of us are called to be passionate people...to be passionate about our beliefs and what we hold dear, and to strive for those goals that we are most passionate about. And yes...there are many things wrong with this nation, but its our voices...shouting, debating, encouraging, pleading, advising...and our ability to remain open to new ideas (and to be reacquainted with old ones) that makes our country great. It is the day we fall silent, the day that ideas and beliefs cease to be exchanged, that we should fear. It is our voice that gives us power and ignites our passions. Without it we have so little, but with it we can change the world.