My First RAW Shot

As an aspiring photographer, there’s just some things that you have to at least try before you can call yourself informed.  One of those things is shooting in RAW.  I’m not about to make a joke of myself by attempting to explain what this means, but I can say that shooting in RAW gives you much more freedom creatively, with the price to pay being way less storage space.  I value my storage space and my time, but I can see why people go through the trouble.  The original photo was taken in pretty horrible lighting conditions (dark, backlit, and then some), but a little tweak in Lightroom and voilá, you can see the difference.

S.O.O.C. (Straight out of Camera):

After:

That said, don’t expect the same thing in all future photos, as I’m just figuring it out… one naptime at a time.

Tempe Train Day

These days, it seems like we manage to be busy all the time.  I love having full days, but then again, sometimes it would be nice just to not have anything at all to do.  Even weekends in our house can be hectic.  It’s a different kind of hectic, like we need to really rush around just to make sure we’re done with breakfast by 11 or whatever, so that we can eventually have lunch and naps and fit the regular routine stuff into the day.  Somehow, even losing a couple extra hours to sleep in on Saturdays can make you feel behind the 8 ball for the rest of the day, even when you aren’t trying to accomplish anything.  So in the rare event that we can manage to steal a couple hours to burn as a family, one of our favorite ways to spend it is by taking the Lightrail train down to Mill Ave. and seeing what “city life” (Tempe, that is) has to offer our little brood.

We did this one of these January weekends, and we might have given up altogether on naps in the process, but it was worth it.  Breaks from the norm are most definitely an essential component to maintaining mental health… speaking for myself.

After disembarking the train, we went to Tempe Town Lake to pounce around, and then we ate lunch at Five Guys burger joint with Marci and Leah.  I am so grateful to have my sisters.  They are truly my best friends, and I don’t have a clue what I’d do without them. 

I used Lightroom on a couple of my photos this time, so the series doesn’t look uniform but I was just experimenting.  Which photos do you think look the best?          

Daycation: Canyon Lake

I’m embarrassed to say that we overslept and missed church last Sunday.  Early church (9 am) is something I can do… really.  It is better for the kids’ schedules and for the day overall.  I just need a few tries to get it down pat.  And though we missed the boat on that endeavor, we decided to make it a great day anyway and see where the wind took us. 

It took us to the desert.  You may be thinking, ‘yes, but you live in the desert’.  Ah, and that is true to a degree.  However, to the real desert; the beautiful, prickly, wide and wild desert we rarely ever venture.  On Sunday, we did.

About once every six months or so, we skip the naps, skip the church, skip every item on our to-do lists, and we go somewhere crazy.  But only for the day.  And then afterwards, we somehow feel exhausted and rejuvenated at the same time.  Much the way one does after a vacation.  This is like that, but only way more manic and short… a Daycation.

  

Our goal was to have a picnic on a beach somewhere.  Canyon Lake may have felt more beachy if it weren’t for the abnormally cold (in the 50’s) weather we’ve been having lately.  Weather in the 70’s may have tempted us to get our feet wet, but this time, we were just in it for the beautiful scenery and, of course, the ducks.

  

The ducks have apparently been well-treated by humans in the past, because they had no fear.  They got close.  Real close.  If you don’t believe me, maybe the next few pictures will put things in perspective.

 

Jake scared the ducks only to have them swarming back two minutes later.  He did this several times.  Those were some persistent little buggers.

  

Just because she can’t walk yet doesn’t mean Ari doesn’t want a little freedom.  That’s what washing machines were made for, right?

On the way to the lake, we passed Goldfield Ghost Town.  Even from inside the car, the kids could tell that this was a place they wanted to be.  Maybe it was the loud whistle of the locomotive that called out to them as we passed.  Maybe it was the cluster of cowboys moseying along on their horses that we sped by on the road.  Whatever it was, we knew that the day couldn’t end without stopping back there.  We made them a promise to return, and we made good on that promise before heading home.  And I think it was well worth the trouble of a truncated car nap.

The highlights:  Cowboys and cowgirls.  A pirate (the hangman looked pirate-like to them).  A store that only sold cowboy hats. Tchotchke western stuff wherever we looked.  Ice cream cones and country fried steak sandwiches.  Oh, and that train I mentioned didn’t disappoint either.

The kids made a friend.  The precious things this little girl said to my kids made me fall in love with her.  I meet nice, pleasant, friendly people every day.  But once in a while, you meet a truly kind person.  She was one of those.

We got a scenic 20 minute ride through the desert and past the Superstition Mountains, while the train conductor told us his own blend of tall tales and real history.  I still can’t hardly say for certain which was which… which made it all the more fun.

   

The sun in Arizona is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been.  It’s intense and rich and strong.  I crave it.

After a beautiful day, it’s back to the weekly grind!  My last week of winter vacation before I start spring semester, I might add.  I'd better go enjoy it!