Back roads & Sweet corn

August is the month of Sweet corn here in Ohio. Locals always know where to find the sweetest corn.

Today's theme takes us to that place where childhood memories despite the gap of years, are shared by many.

Back Roads & Sweet Corn...

This is not the best shot but I adore her smiling face in it. Being a preteen, capturing that relaxed & happy sincere face has become far & few. I guess it's not cool to photo model for your mom.

 Simply marked by wooden signs on the edge of gravel drives.

 A time old method of Honesty Box payments are still found. Simply drop your money in and make change if needed.

 There is something so pleasurable in the scent of fresh sweet corn released as you pull the green husks. It's silk clinging between the rows of milky kernels.

Country back roads provide some of the most cherished memories of childhood.

Sweet Dreams,

~Tammie

* This practice session was used to experiment with white balance, the golden hour of sun & framing in the shot. Not mastered but with each session another lesson is learned. Many thanks to my oldest daughter Panda for indulging me as the model as well as wearing a dress for the shoot.

My first practice session with the DSLR

I had become frustrated with myself using the camera in manual mode. I just can not seem to get things in perfect focus. Not to mention using a viewfinder is a learning curve in itself. So after a chat with my SIL, she suggested I just kick it in auto for a bit so I can practice framing the shots, getting use to the unfamiliar method of a viewfinder. It has helped a lot in my frustration and I will kick it back into manual during the session just to play around. I'm still not getting perfect focus but I am getting better with the viewfinder.

I had found a most inspiring spot in College town Ohio along the river. I decided my youngest daughter Z {5 yrs old} whom is a superb willing & patient model, would be the ideal subject for the theme I had in mind.

What do I see for improvement in this shot? It's a bit over exposed, particularly in her face. I also wish her far eye/face was turned a bit more towards me {or that I would have been brave enough to step in the river for a better angle of it}.

After a little tweaking, this was the best I could do with the knowledge I have.

All she wanted was to get in that river. She loved our time here and has asked for us to do it again. I can not wait to get back out there and try a few other ideas.

 I see areas I need to improve upon and I see things I want to try differently. All in all, a great first session. I feel a bit more confident as well as seeing what style of photography I am leaning towards.

This spot would also make an amazing Tom Sawyer theme shoot! Maybe on our next outing I will have my son as a willing model.

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

Tip of my day..or... Lazy Beekeeper

So it has come time to add another super box to the Beehive. Actually, I should have put the next super frame on a month ago. Donning head to toe garb in 100 degree weather was my lack of motivation. Today I decided I would at least peek inside to see how things were coming along before I dragged everything out. I mean, it is their first year. Maybe they wont need that 5th box?

Yeah. My tip of the day? Yoga pants with rubber bands around the ankles and a tight sleeve shirt might cover the body but without a face net you are left vulnerable to all dive bombing Bee's. It also helps to not go in their space unless armed with the smoker.

I did not even have the interior cover off before one of the lil bugger's flew straight out the lid hole & right INTO my temple. A death blow to it. A throbbing reminder to me.

My Dear Captain was left laughing as I come out from behind the hive yelling "Get it out! Get it out!", motioning for him to scrape the stinger out of my temple. In case ya didn't know, Never squeeze the stinger with fingers or tweezers. ALWAYS scrape it out otherwise you can squeeze the venom sack, releasing more through the stinger, into your skin. That causes more pain and the intense swelling some experience when stung- not the same as an allergic reaction degree of course. My poor Z ,{5 yr old daughter}, was stung while playing & decided to "catch a bee with her hands". It did not end as well as she thought it would. Those little fingers were fat sausages for 2 days. People who are NOT allergic to bee's can experience drastic swelling in the area where they are stung. The difference is that those whom are allergic, experience swelling in spots NOT in the sting area as well their airways constricting & much worse.

Anyway, I quickly made my way back to the house for some tobacco to place on the sting site. The tobacco helps draw out the poison that was injected when a Bee stings you. I have found if you IMMEDIATELY apply slightly moistened tobacco to the site and use medical tape to hold it in place for 30 minutes, it reduces swelling & pain drastically in comparison to even waiting 5 minutes after being stung. Yep. We get stung here a lot, so it's a proven method in our house.

I grabbed my smoker and headed back out with white tape on the side of my forehead. I still managed to get hurt, but this time it was burning my fore arm on the smoker. {I just can't win!}

The final super is now in place. The Bee's have calmed down. And I swear to never be a lazy Beekeeper again... Maybe. Can I reserve the right to strike my last sentence?

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

The New Beginning

Welcome to my Enchanted Crush!

After 5 years blogging under another name with my subjects surrounding what some would call a homesteading life, I came to the decision to start anew. I had become rather burnt out on the subject as a whole. It was time to walk away and start a new chapter.
Oh it's still all here. The chickens, the children.A hive full of buzzing bee's.
 My bursts of sewing & crafting. My spontaneous road trips. Even this years rain & weed ravaged garden. I have even added a part time job working outside our home.

With the purchase of my first, much anticipated, DSLR {Nikon D3100} a new home was in order. Pictures have always been a big obvious in my old world home and here they are a major subject. A feeling of relief comes with my new site. No deadlines. No worrying. Just me and my camera. Doing what I want & enjoy without the expectations & pressures of what came with the old world.

So lets start from our new beginning, shall we?

Within the first 24 hours of having my new camera, I ventured out with my oldest daughter & a few of her girl friends to the local rail crossing/ under pass  A challenge indeed with 4 preteen girls as well as my inexperience with a Manual camera. A few decent shots came out of the hour while getting a feel for how to operate my new toy. 

Instant adoration for how the sun & haze produced this feeling of a vintage effect shot while my daughter {Panda} & her friends chatted, walking down the track side. Purely a test shot, adjusting the camera for the 5 O'clock Summer sun. This produced the lesson to always carry a notebook for jotting down self notes such as settings.

There has always been a great pleasure with my camera play. Using a digital Point & shoot {P&S} I would take a picture from my mind and try to capture it in reality. I ADORE photos with theme. I like a story within the picture. Props, costume, atmosphere. My children have become accustomed to my photo shoots. Their patience with the new camera which involves more time for settings has not gone over as well.I am still learning how to focus the lens while trying to capture them in moving action. So staying still produces the face of a child rather annoyed. Especially on a hot day, when interrupting their climbing of trees.

 Not a day has gone by my hands are not wrapped around my camera. I am determined to master this with the kit lens but realize the style of shots I see with the photographers I adore will come only with baby steps. And the addition of different lenses.

Goals? I really do not have any set goals. I prefer to take this, one bit at a time, so as not to feel overwhelmed. I will lapse. Oh yes indeed. I will want and wish. I might even aspire but refuse to set a long term goal. I have those dreams one entertains. Maybe I will reach a day where someone will actually want & pay for my photographs. An intimate wedding here, a family session there... Maybe...

Hey, a Gal can entertain what she likes. For now it's about just enjoying the ride with it's scenery. Where it will lead me I have not a clue. So no promises will be made. And if you can keep up with my ever bouncing of subjects, it's sure to bring a few laughs and smiles.

Enchanted Crush is not just about the Photography. It's our life Adventures with a new element. A new chapter with a fresh beginning.

I am not blogging for others to critique. I do it for my self, tracking my personal progress, notes and pleasure.It is one thing to give a Friendly bit of advice but it is another to critique without Respect & Value of how others may receive your words on something THEY have created. It seems so many in our society have been raising their offspring with a lack of respect & morals for more then just one generation. I see it so much more as my children have more & more friends coming to our home. On one side you realize your kids are not so bad but on the other you are saddened this is the world they are a part of.

To sum it up, we may be adults but we still have feelings that can be hurt with mindless actions & harsh words. This is my world and you are a GUEST in it. You are welcome as long as you behave. As with my old world blog, I will oust the villains to keep peace in my kingdom.

Sweetest dreams,

~Tammie