10: GRATITUDE
MASTERCLASS & CHALLENGE
Add your challenge images below in the comments field
This challenge ends on the 20th (so that we can have magazine published by Christmas). I’ll review your image from time to time and give you personal feedback. Best images and feedback have a chance of being featured in following month’s Photo BootCamp Magazine. Good luck!
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Remember to be nice, be positive, be encouraging & have fun! 🙂
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https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d2f488fe8fb212fe70cd0b1cf3a06bdf179fe2dee065317b60e4ca2020306333.jpg The explanation for this is going to be a little long. I am grateful for my husband and his cents of humor. (I had to, sorry.) Tonight as he was switching laundry loads, he hands me this penny and says; “Penny for your thoughts, I’m laundering money.” As my day was not the greatest, his attempt at humor brightened my day, made me smile and giggle. Some days I just shake my head at him, but he is my best friend. After 25 years, he still gets me, I am forever grateful for that. So in the name of context, I put the penny back in the washer and took a picture. ISO 400, 78mm, f/5.6, 1/8, handheld, priority mode.
Brilliant – love the humour. It’s the little things we’re most grateful for. Brent
Brent, thank you. My husband has always had that quirky humor and the ability to make me smile.
I love it Sara.These are the little things in life that mean so much.
Juan, yes it is the small things. It’s nice to be reminded of that. Thank you.
Laundering money
Brilliant
At least he made you laugh – my wife would probably roll her eyes! lol
Nick, I might have rolled my eyes also. Thank you.
This is great Sara! I love this! My husband leaves a lot of stuff in his pockets that go through the wash so I will remember your story when I am emptying them from now on.
Chris, thank you. The penny was nicer than the hunting crud in the fall, stick and leaves being pulled out of the wash-but at least it is clean. 🙂
Nice image Sara. I am sure there are more coins to come and he will always bring wonder specially when you least expect it. Nice composition.
Thank you Romy, I appreciate it.
Hi Sara. What a lovely shot and story. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Well done Sara. We all need that and what a bonus finding change LOL.
Keri, if only it was more than a penny 😉 Thank you.
Oh Sara, that’s so clever! Yes, a little humor is always appreciated. 😉
Deby, thank you.
Nice one, Sara! Great story…Love it!
Thank you Kerrie.
Hi Sara – a lovely story to start Bootcamp this month!
Tessa, thank you. I just had to share that. It was literally within 15 minutes of watching the video and contemplating what I should shoot.
Great story, Sara.
Thank you Peter.
Sara, Love and even just one cent of humor is a winning combination ! Thanks for sharing !
Thank you Richard.
Well done Sara! Sometimes it is the simplest of things that remind us of how fortunate we are.
Sara, it is nice being married to your best friend!! My wife & I have been married for 33 years, & were friends for 20 yrs before that!
Hi Sara, I love this type of pun – well illustrated with this photo!
Sara, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
I can relate completely to this, Sara. My husband makes me smile every day. I like the simplicity of your shot. Great idea to support your comments.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d4480f80af9d19d11c455256a4b1e82e2b4f6b77f092e3763e82406891a13920.jpg
I am very grateful to have such a wonderful mother. She raised me to be a great man and a great physician to be able to help people. She is still very young at the age of 72 and is suffering from dementia. I am grateful for every single day that she still remembers me and calls me her “baby”. I know sooner or later this will change.
I am also grateful to all of you for all of your support and the family we have created on Bootcamp over the past year under the leadership of Brent.
That’s so nice. Enjoy every moment with her that you can.
Agree, she is a wonderful woman. Thanks for sharing Juan and so glad you’re part of Bootcamp too. Can you give us more details about this image, the settings and why you chose this image? Thanks, Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/394eae9f6448e246fbffe3696bbc3afb8191aa12f9c1b991d0d9418b2b53cd58.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/74d8cb2e42ab91e89d732c33fadd567ff9861b5ba398a4a6a0a173155888db86.jpg There are other photos associated with this picture. We went out to the Outlets because she wanted to buy a jacket. When we got there she decided that she wanted to sit on a concrete bench and wanted to see if she could whistle because she could not understand why she could not do it for the past few weeks. I asked her If I can take her picture and she agreed to do so. So I was able to capture her whistling and then captured this picture which really captures her calm demeanor and the glow she has in her eyes every time she sees me and tells me that she loves me.
Great image, a keeper. well done
Hi Juan. A very wonderful woman she is, indeed. I am sure she raised you to become the man you are now and she must be very proud. Very nice photo, Juan. Well done
Thank you Romy
Hi Juan, What a great shot. Mothers are great people. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Hi Juan. Before even reading anything I knew this was someone who was special to you. Lovely capture.
Thanks Keri
Beautiful, Juan.
Thanks Deby
This image really moves ne, Juan. I love your mum’s gaze, and that I can see your reflection in her eye..That’s just precious. I lost my Mum to Dementia 8 years ago, and I regret not capturing images like this. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks so much for sharing Kerrie. my selfish self worries that one day she will not remember us and it breaks my heart.
Juan, …even though in the future it may appear outwardly, that she does not remember you. but she will always know your voice, your touch and your scent. She will always know when you are there. My love and thoughts are with you.
Lovely. We often take the people close to us for granted, thank you for this lovely image reminding us not to.
Thanks Sara. I always wanted to take pictures of my grandmas and grandpa’s pictures but could never afford getting a camera. But it is never to late.
This is a beautiful, characterful portrait Juan – lovely!
Thank you Tessa
What a beautiful tribute to your mom, Juan.
Thank you so much Peter
Juan, You have created a beautiful portrait of your mother, and every day must be a treasure. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Richard
A beautiful picture and beautiful sentiments. If we are all grateful for what we have rather than what we don’t, aspire to do something different or better but not have regrets if we don’t achieve it, but enjoy the journey and live life to the fullest we can, to me that is happiness. Your mother Juan does sound like someone to be grateful for.
Thank you Andrew
Great portrait, such good detail. Treasure every moment and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Valerie, and yes I have always treasured every day.
Thanks for sharing
great photo – what does your mum think of it? just curious as it seems that the expression is ‘I’m doing something for my son and I’m happy to do so.
Have you tried to see what it looks like in B&W?
Great shot
Hi Juan, you are indeed fortunate to have such a wonderful mother! You have captured her image splendidly. I can see that the way she looks back at you she cares for you deeply. I also like the “whistle photo” below.
Just wonderful Juan….you have captured the eyes, that are telling a very deep story! Your Mom’s face speaks volumes! Very special indeed!
Juan, Good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thanks for sharing your story about your mother, Juan. I know from personal experience that those good days when the memory is fine are truly special. You’ve captured some lovely portraits here.My mother died 3 years ago, and I think about her every day.
It’s wonderful to have a mother to care for us while we’re young and to guide us when we get older. I took this photo in Monkey Forest in Bali amazed at how parents, mothers specially, take care of their young. This is true, mostly, I guess, in all forms in Kingdom Animalia. Our heartfelt gratitude to all mothers. I call this photo “Training Them Young” . Aperture priority, ISO 100, 80mm, f4, 1/30s handheld
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a0b99fdb36f386a997e82d256b3a1284eb1360724570ecd0d16c9e2c7ba379e1.jpg I
Hi Romy. Lovely shot. The care and attention is well captured.
Thank you Denis. Much appreciated.
Romy when this image popped up I first smiled and then started to laugh when I realized that momma has a firm grip on this little guys tail and he is not going anywhere until she lets go. That might explain the expression on his face! :O
Haha. Hi Gina. You noticed it too. Indeed mothers have clever (or wily?) way of controlling and disciplining their children. Thanks for your comments.
Fabulous photo Romy.
Many thanks Keri.
Great capture Romy – I’ve been there too and those monkeys are quite cheeky too. Like the expression on the little one’s face looking out of the frame, wanting to get away while the mother grooms him. Like how you’ve converted to B/W to remove distractions from the background. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent. Your comments are much appreciated.
What a wonderful picture Romy. It reminded me when I was 8 years old and y whole second grade glass got infested with lice. My mom was checking me out until they were all removed. Black and white works well with this photo.
Thank you Juan. Much appreciated.
Juan your comment about grade school lice infestation took me back 30 years when my children came home with the dreaded note from “The School Nurse”! Oh the challenges of motherhood…. that experience added knew meaning to the expression “nit picking” !!!
That is great
Such a beautiful black and white image of these 2 cuties. So fitting for this challenge. Really good choice and such a sharp, clear image.
Hi Deby. Thank you. Glad you liked it.
Wow, Romy…the young one is so sharp. Beautiful capture of the interaction between mother and child.
Thanks much Kerrie. Much appreciated
Romy, wow! Great job. Lovely comments, as a mother, I appreciate them very much!
Hi Sara. Thanks much. Glad you liked it. Much appreciated
Wonderful image Romy! I love the composition and the story it tells. Not being a mother myself I can relate to it as an Aunt. It takes a village as they say. I just can’t stop giggling at the little guys face. It’s such a typical adolescent response….”Mom, stop! Leave me alone.”…lol.
Thanks much Amber. Yes, the image says a lot. It’s funny, everytime I look at it, it reminds me of my teenage years and the times I thought I knew everything only to be proven wrong in the end.
I think that carried through with me in my 20’s…lol.
Great shot Romy. You’ve captured a wonderful moment and I love the expression! Well composed and great focus on the eyes – particularly well done to achieve this handheld at 1/30 sec!
Many thanks Tessa. The monkeys were barely over a foot and a half tall. I had to sit in lotus pose to keep the camera close to their level and steady. Of course the 5-way IBIS of the camera helped a lot.
Very nice sentiment, Romy. Is the baby monkey saying “Stop nit-picking, Mom” ?
Hi Peter. I guess so, haha. But there’s no way for him to escape that mom’s firm grip on his tail. Thanks so much.
Romy, This image tells a great story of caring for the young. I love the way she has her foot on his tail to prevent escape.
Thank you Richard. Glad you liked it.
Romy I love this! Super sharp, well composed and your comments are superb! Great photo.
Thanks much Valerie. I’m happy you liked it.
Romy….this is a fantastic….love the interaction you have captured…..great ‘Family pic! 🙂
Thanks Christine. I tried to look for a family photo but I think I left the hard disk in Manila. I will be with my family when I go home in December. Then I can post a family pic maybe as my last submission. In the meantime I have to post photos that symbolize the ties that bind families and keep them together.
You did brilliantly….this mother and child are showing a very strong bond! 🙂
Beautiful! Lovely photo.
Thanks much Chris.
Romy, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
I really like how you have captured a mother’s care in this image. The B&W treatment works really well, too.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f0bd224481ca459eefdb64df45ae4084342c0b502ec8343644e179e7c08f352.jpg
I am grateful to Bootcamp, @brentmail. I understand that may sound conceited but Bootcamp has allowed me to go way beyond what I thought I was capable of. I mean I have got a long long way to go. I don’t understand terminology and I don’t have Photoshop or light-room and I know that this picture is far from perfect and that’s ok because but I am trying different things. When I first made the magazine and it said “Photographer – Keri Down” I cried because I don’t call myself a photographer. I just say I take photos. I will be forever grateful for being given the opportunity to learn from you all and be inspired by you and Brent…Thank You.
For some reason I don’t have specs on this but I had overexposed the heck out it by accident with lens @ 250, hand held is all I can tell you.
Hi Keri. I love this overexposed image. Nice to hang on a wall. Photography is an art and the photographer is the artist. For as long as the photo jogs our memory of something meaningful to us then I think, to a certain degree, we have already accomplished our objective in taking the photo. There will always be room for self improvement and all the members of Bootcamp are friends to everyone and always ready to help. To me Bootcamp is our second family and for that we are grateful.
I completely agree.
Well said Romy! I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be part of this Bootcamp family.
Keri, I share the same sentiments in regards to bootcamp. This is a great photo. That is the great thing about photography in that you just need to go out and take photos that are under exposed, over exposed and we get great artistic picture like this. Great job.
Keri…This is an awesome image! To me, this is fine art. The colours work so well, and I congratulate you for trying something different.
I mirror your thoughts about the bootcamp experience, ,it has opened up my world also.
Don’t under estimate yourself, Keri…you are a great photographer.
Hi Keri. Very nice sentiments. Whether by design or not very good shot. Has a nice feel to it. Well done.
Keri, well said and I love the picture. I agree with Romy’s comments. As long as we, or someone else, enjoys a photograph we took, we are photographers. Keep up the good work!
Kari I love this image! It has a real painterly quality. I understand you don’t had PS or LR but if you did I’d brighten it up a bit. I really think it’s frikin’ cool! 🙂
Keri, Sometimes accidental shots make the best images. This looks like it could very well be a painting which of course would not be an accident. Thanks for posting the photo.
Keri this is a really neat photo that you have created. I am glad you posted as I took a similar picture of some trees and marked it to delete but will now go back and look at it with a different perspective. Well done.
Thank you Valerie
Thanks for those kind words Keri – I was hoping that BootCamp would turn out the way it has, and that’s because of you and all the others here. Without you guys (BootCamp members) there would be no BootCamp. I’m genuinely grateful to everyone here, and feel like we are all family now. As for your image – like @disqus_VMEwMaCfC1:disqus said sometimes mistakes make for very interesting, arty images. Thanks for sharing. Brent
Dear Keri, Photographer!
What an extremely interesting image and a lot of your images have been very interesting. I mean this in a ‘wow’ kind of way
Most of our images can be enhanced in post processing in some way – with me it is usually that the horizon is crocked (which is probably why I notice it in other peoples photos) and that the shadows can be brought out a bit.
Might I suggest that you look seriously at some post processing software. I’m using Affinity Photo, as I decided I didn’t want to pay Adobe a monthly fee
Hi Keri, As the others have said, if you look at a photo, and it stops to make you think about what the artist was saying, then you have have accomplished what you had set out to do. As a small animal veterinarian, this photo reminds me of the cold winter day in 1977 when I was on my large animal rotation. It was the dead of winter in Ohio, and we had to got to an Amish farm at night to deliver a calf. No heat, no electricity, no lights other than kerosene lanterns, and no hot water. My hands were BLUE and so was the COW. The calf lived !!! That was the day that I truly decided that I was going to stick with dogs and cats. Forty years later, I’m still doing it.
Keri, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Hi Keri – this is wonderful image! You are more than a photographer; you are an artist. Like you, Bootcamp pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone and that helps us all grow in mastering our craft.
Is it ok to post a photo that we previously shot or does it have to be current (new)? Hope that made sense? Thanks in advance.
Hi Deby. From watching the video it is my understanding that we are to go out and shoot new stuff. That said it may not be possible for you to do that for what ever reason. In such circumstances I am sure Brent would not mind an old shot.
I shot new, though I doubt that it matters in the great scheme of things
Hi Deby. There are those of us who are in situations that prevent us from taking new photos related to the challenge because of our jobs and other circumstances beyond our control. So we resort to the next best thing- photos previously taken that convey the message across. I am sure Brent and the Bootcamp members wouldn’t mind.
Hey All…It’s been a insane couple of months. I think I spent a whole week home in November. So happy to jump back into this fantastic group and continuing sharing. I wish I had more time to dedicate to my craft. Like many others I am grateful for this bootcamp to keep me motivated (and accountable).
My first image for this challenge is my heart. My nephew Cade is the love of my life. I am grateful to my sister and brother-in-law for creating this wonderful human.
24mm, F3.2, 1/100 sec ISO 100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94963528cf54b44853475e3c31b3f31d1a55b501d330abe6a0988315fe091f64.jpg
Hi Amber. Lovely shot. Great capture of the eyes in particular. Would it be worth cropping in a bit tighter. Just a thought. Well done.
Thank You Denis! I took your advice and cropped it.
Amber, what a charming boy. I agree with Denis on a tighter crop, a bit more off the sides. Great job!
Thank you Sara…I took your advice. I do like the tighter crop as well.
Welcome back Amber. Look a that smile and those eyes. Very engaging.
Thank You Keri! Good to be back. He is pretty awesome!
Cool B&W
I like the eyes and facial expression
he looks happy to be the subject of your photographic prowess
Thank you Nick! He is always happy to be around his favorite Aunt…lol.
Beautiful capture Amber…..i love how you have developed over the year!
Thanks Rerro! That means a lot coming from you! I still have a boat load to learn. I think my brain might explode sometimes.
Amber, I love the innocence of a child’s smile. He looks so happy !!!
@peterbrody:disqus I do too! He is a very sweet little boy. I hope he always stays that way.
Nice Capture Amber, the black and white really brings out his smile and bright eyes.
Thank you @va@valerieworthen:disqus !
Hi Amber. Beautiful photo of your nephew. And it’s great that you converted it to B & W. No distracting colors. I suggest to crop in portrait mode. Try to crop to fill the frame with the face. That will make the photo appear zoomed in. It will appear more personal too. Have it printed in wallet size so that you get to keep one in your purse or use it as wallpaper on you mobile. Great shot.
Thanks for the advice @romy_villanueva:disqus ! It does draw you in more.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbf77db9507446e2b8966fd8057b21ee3eaa6c582eef2f92a7f2cda7ece972e9.jpg
I cropped it into portrait mode per your feedback. I like this one as well. I kept it in landscape as he is sitting between his Mama and Daddy. I do think the portrait draws you in more.
Amber, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
The simple joy expressed in a child’s face is so uplifting. I bet you have a ton of fun with this little guy. Thanks for sharing, Amber.
Thank You Judy!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/786941075ee2809e7c164653f66f872507f33b09c6ee25e56c53af649950fb62.jpg This is a picture of my family together last year on vacation in Ixtapa, Mexico. My wife, Ellen, and I just celebrated our 31st anniversary. We are flanked by sons Eric on the left and Matthew on the right. Ellen gave us the travel bug from her years of working at Northwest Airlines. We love traveling the world together. I am so grateful to have such a great family.
Peter, Thanks for sharing this photo of you and your family. It looks like traveling agrees with all of you, and by the way, it’s a nice photo.
Thanks, Richard. Matthew is graduating in April from Physical Therapy School at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He is also turning 30 March 7th. We are in the process of planning a family trip to Rio and the Brazilian Amazon for next May. We are grateful to have visited many places with them to experience first hand about different cultures all over the world.
Lovely family Peter.
Thank you, Sara.
Great family you have Peter – good looking sons too. Love the warmth in your image – thinking that maybe upping the shadows in everyones faces will help here too. Brent
Thank you , Brent. I will work on it. I am grateful also to you for setting up this great family of Boot Campers. I have learned so much from everyone’s encouragement and suggestions. Have a great Holiday Season !!!
great family photo
Ixtapa – keep it quiet, my wife will add it to our bucket list otherwise
Thanks, Nick. Puerto Vallarta is nice, too.
Well aren’t you a good looking bunch. Really nice and warm photo. Can shadows maybe be upped a bit otherwise it’s lovely. More about the feel.
Thanks, Keri. It was taken with an iPhone with a bright background at a restaurant. I will try to play with a bit.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/416c0202c69c62ad3097f5c159001242dde263205e927b6a96237ce8a2e47c0a.jpg Here’s my re-do. I tries to lighten the shadows, but it started to wash out the boys’ black shirts. I did make the background look a bit better. Thanks, Keri.
I think the lighting is a little better here, Peter. This is a great family picture. So nice to be able to spend vacation time together!
Hi Peter. What a family shot to have. Great.
Thanks, Denis.
Hi Peter. Lovely family photo. It’s great that the whole family love to travel. Here’s a wish for more years of togetherness for your family.
Thanks, Romy.
Lovely family Peter! So fortunate to be able to spend those trips together!!
I really am fortunate. Thanks,Valerie.
Can’t get better than that! Family pic’s are so cool!
Thanks, Rerro.
Great photo, lovely family. Everyone looks happy, relaxed and healthy. What more could you want?
Thanks, Chris. We had a great time together.
Peter, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
I am grateful for my husband, Robert, and the city that allowed us to find each other 50 years ago … I’m the one with the yellow cap ! This shot was taken in April 2018 by a friend with my Leica Q, 28 mm fixed lens, 1/800 sec @ f/3.2, ISO100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1379553b4fd103676c083439f194c58ed2770085a8dd456f738773deb92bfcda.jpg
Great photo!
Great shot Richard and thanks for sharing. Love that background – think maybe a radial filter on yours and Richards face and then upping the shadows and reducing the reds slightly would really help this image. Brent
Brent, Here is the re-do with your suggestions … I am grateful for your help !https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5aa063ba5f5a435e6c8da003f16d239d00d25a416567baf5ade2751ea9d42cc3.jpg
Nice photo Richard and I like the updates you made in the coloring.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Richard… you guys look so great together..I love Robert’s slightly crooked smile Nice edit lifting the shadows and the reds..
You guys look so happy together !!
Yes, very nice and such a beautiful background for your portrait.
very nice Shot Richard. Always wanted to take a picture there bt it was always cloudy when I got there.
cool
thanks for sharing
How wonderful. Thank you Richard.
Hi Richard. A great shot and lovely sentiments.
Great photo, Richard. You look happy together. Here’s to more years of happiness for both of you. Cheers !
Hey, I know that spot, Have taken many a picture from the Marin Headlands, but always of the bridge, never people. Great shot!
Richard, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
50 years – Wow!! This is a lovely casual portrait, Richard. Thanks for sharing with the Bootcamp group.
This is my 16 year old special needs son. I am extremely grateful that circumstances allowed for me to be at home for a lot of the formative years of his life. He loves the water and I take him to his swimming lessons most Sundays. He has become an extremely good swimmer, especially when he is focused, He’s a natural at breaststroke. He has an older brother, whom you’ve seen grace these pages in the past. I’m also very grateful for their mum, my wife, not really sure how she puts up with me!
Bootcamp: I really didn’t know what to expect and initially was quite cynical about the idea, which is why prevaricated and I joined up at the last minute back at the end of Feb. I have found it very rewarding and feel privileged and grateful to be amongst you good people, who give constructive feedback and praise when appropriate. I might not always agree with the feedback – especially regarding my own photos … but dammit you are all quite often correct
Whoops forgot the detail: 1/200s, f/2.8; iso 100 at 98mm (found the zoom ring on this lens!)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/34381e7319b32621ecb4c2a98291b0956d3ce635268d3887556ec9ebadb295ff.jpg
Great photo Nick. Love the water just running off his face. And the feedback you give is always productive and you have a funny sense of humour. Thankyou.
Thanks muchly – I think his mum has already grabbed a copy for his album.
re the humour, life’s too short to be too serious all the time
What a great image….and what an inspiration your son is for us all.
Nick, you have become a good mate….and i hope we stay in contact.
By the way….this is an awesome image!
Hi Nick. A very good inspirational shot. I just hope Bootcamp continues.
You can bet it will – I’m loving BootCamp and everyone here. Brent
Brent, you are our inspiration and we are grateful that you created Boot Camp. LGS
Hi Brent. That is music to my ears. I am really grateful for all the work you put in. It is a most enjoyable forum and it has brought me out of my shell as it were. Wishing you and family a very happy, peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Thanks Denis -glad you’re loving it too and thanks for all you contribute. Brent
Hi Nick. Great shot. I can relate to you as I also have a special needs brother. He is living independently now in a house just a hundred meters away from our house but being the eldest sibling, I had to make sure that he is well taken care of.
Great to be part of this Bootcamp family.
Great photo and awesome story! Love the water pouring down his face.
Bootcamp: I look forward to al the feedback, as I am with you, not always agreeing with it, but find it is so often correct.
Flashback, (dare I admit it), 47 years! You would have found me in the pool at the same age, practicing the same stroke, my fave actually :). I like the details captured in this image… I hear the sound of the water as he pushes through it , breathing is paced. The water reflects the light above and and is so clear you have a view of the tiled bottom, and the bright red lane line completes it all. This is a great shot. Thank you for sharing something so meaningful!
Nick, I love this image with great detail of the water dripping from his face and the tiles on the bottom of the pool … you have captured a very special moment ! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Nick great action capture! The story behind it makes it just that much better! Very well done! Just know you are a special person and your son is fortunate to have you.
Nick,
Thank yo so much for sharing. That is very inspirational. You captured him perfectly.
Hi Nick, beautiful image of your boy! Great composition with the diagonal lines of breaking water and the red lane guide framing him. I really love the refracted light bending the lines of the tiles on the glassy water in the foreground.
just a thought…maybe the reds could be lowered a little…his bottom lip looks a bit over cooked (?)
lovely shot Nick, we also have a great grandson with special needs.
and they indeed very special people.
What a great action photo of your son. The pride you have in him shows in this photo. I appreciate you sharing this with all of us. Loving everything in this photo.
Nick, thank you for sharing this wonderful picture. He truly is special to your whole family. I can tell you are very proud of him !!
Hi Nick. Great shot. I can relate to you as I also have a special needs brother. He is living independently now in a house just a hundred meters away from our house. Being the eldest sibling, I had to make sure that he is well taken care of.
Great to be part of this Bootcamp family.
What a wonderful shot and lovely story to go with it!
Your photo made me smile. I run an agency that works with children with special needs and they never fail to amaze me. What a great swimmer! You must be very proud.
Nick, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Great image Nick! You can see the concentration on his face. Love the water effect that you captured
What a great portrait of you your son doing something he loves. The focus on him is perfect and the action captured here is crisp and fresh. Thanks for sharing this story about your family, and thanks for your wit and insight, too, when commenting on our creative efforts.
Thanks for sharing Nick – and yes I don’t know how your wife puts up with you 🙂 I’m also glad you joined BootCamp and have found it helpful. I feel like I’m getting to know most of you BootCampers really well now – almost time for a real-life meetup. Brent
My first image in this last challenge for the year is a picture of someone very special to me. Without her, i would not be here….she gave me life, and guided me through ups and downs through my life. My Mum, my best friend, a very special person that i am very grateful for, and love unconditionally.
This was taken out and about this morning 1/400 sec. f/3.2 70 mm ISO100 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca072b8f07ea64e8e57c225d4a161eae32c0c9f3962f452383e6e11f28219387.jpg
Hi Christine. What lovely sentiments and shot. Mothers are very special people.
Thanks so much Denis….been great having you around the bootcamp this year, really enjoyed it 🙂
Many thanks Christine. I have learned a lot from you over these past months and I look forward to your continued involvement in Bootcamp. Wishing you and your family a peaceful, happy Christmas and New Year.
And a Happy and a Holy Christmas to you and your family Denis xxx
Hi Christine. Great shot of a lovely lady. I wish more years of togetherness for you and your mom. Enjoy her company while you can.
Thank you so much Romy….she is indeed a very lovely lady…..thanks for all you comments over the year. They are much appreciated.
Christine, what a lovely photo. Mom’s really are special. I hope you have many more years enjoying each others company.
Thanks so much Sara, and thank you for being part of boot camp and giving very helpful comments and guidance.
What a lovely tribute, Rerro. You are so fortunate to still have your Mum with you. Cherish every moment.
Thanks so much Leila….i do cherish every moment. Thank you for being part of boot camp and for your comments over the year.
Rerro, Great portrait of your Mum … I love the way you have separated her image from the blurred background.
Thanks Richard…..as i love how you have such a wonderful background in your image below.
Christine, lovely photo with good detail. Nice location for the background! Well done.
Thanks Valerie, and thank you so much for being an active part of BootCamp over the year
Rerro, great shot. And you know how much I appreciate the Tribute to MOM’S.
Juan….you sure do….and such a wonderful tribute you have for your Mom too. Thanks for all your comments and participation over the year on BootCamp!
Great capture of your Mum, Rerro…she looks so natural, happy and relaxed in this setting. You have exposed this really well in hard light, well shot
PS…the resemblance between the two of you is astounding!
Yes indeed….a good pickup Kerrie…..we are quite alike! And yes, it was 11am in the morning on a very sunny day….so the light was difficult. I think i managed to get the best out of a tricky situation.
Rerro, your Mum has a great smile. It’s nice that she lives close to you to see her often. Enjoy and cherish that special relationship !! The blurred background is a great contrast to your Mum”s portrait.
Thanks so much Peter for all your comments over the past year!
Rerro, thank you for all your advice, too. Your thoughtful comments have helped be a better photographer.
Really nice, Rerro. Such a beautiful portrait of your Mum.
Thanks so much Deby!
Beautiful portrait. You look just like her. Love the soft aqua ocean in the background.
Thanks so much Chris, for your kind words……and have really appreciated all your comments over the past year.
Very sweet image Rerro! She looks very proud of you!
Thanks Amber 🙂
Christine, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
This is a delightful portrait. I see a person who is clearly enjoying the day – that is truly a friendly face. My mother died 3 years ago, and I miss her every day. Our mothers are truly special people.
I am grateful for my youngest grandson, Jack, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d959e9b55beacd8c76ad591809864176450d79a53b5e2c5813c8a0a5e7f1fb80.jpg seen here at the local model trains holiday display. We waited 10 years for him to finally join us and I can’t get enough time with him ever. The wonder in his eyes as the trains whizzed past and he pushed buttons to light or move the little buildings was a joy. IPhone X; 1/13; f/1.8; ISO 100; 4mm.
Leila, You have captured this moment perfectly. The reflection of the boy’s face in the glass is great.
What a wonderful capture of fascination! Well done.
Great photo! The reflection of his face is just right. So lucky to be able to share these moments. Well done.
Great shot Leila. and you see the best camera to own is the one you can carry everywhere so you don’t miss moments like this.
Beautiful capture Leila. Love the reflection! This is a special moment..I’m being a bit picky…but maybe you could crop out, or try to reduce the brightness of the large rectangle above Jack’s head.
Here is the cropped version. I was trying to catch the glass enclosure to explain the reflection, but this version may be less cluttered. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3b7986ed425be44a3c9a985063727a9bfae1ec8ad40d6393effe626f8d1df253.jpg
Nice crop Leila. Great capture of the moment. Such a handsome young man too.
– Romy
Nicely done, Leila…it is less cluttered, though I do understand you wanting to include the glass enclosure in more context. You are the artist, do what feels right to you 🙂
Hi Leila. This is a lovely shot. I would love to be there myself and let the child come out in me.
Leila, I love the sweetness in his eyes as he focuses on the train passing by.
Leila, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Leila, I really like how you have captured his fascination with the trains.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b889be145af384d2a8c3e9fb08b839c434f0a7daa36c36f6c868c3a37579924.jpg
I am grateful for my friend Skip and his dog, Smokey. 1/160 , f/6.3, Iso 250 , 50 mm
Hi Doris. Great capture here. Well framed and shot.
Great photo, they both look very happy.
Hi Doris. Nice shot and framing.
Well done.
-Romy
Doris, good candid shot.
Doris, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Thank
What a nice portrait of Skip and Smokey.
Thank you
Like all of you I am so grateful for my family, good health, friends and home. I don’t live near any of my family so I am posting a picture of the current season here in Idaho. Every change in the seasons reminds me of our lives and the stages we all travel through. I am grateful that I have been and continue to enjoy the beauty of each season. (I must admit that this is not the best focused photo as at -1 degrees Fahrenheit I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on getting just the right shot :). Settings: 1/100 sec, F8, ISO 800, 200mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/196d53cfe8328381bdbeee00d712ab4e88b29e8e3030f07b90c5581a4ce127d8.jpg
Wow Valerie, it looks cold.
Thank you Juan.
Great composition, Valerie. You have captured the season beautifully, and I love your comment about life stages. I like the combination of the strong horizontal lines of the bench juxtaposed against the freeform branchlets of the tree. I love this image !
Thanks Kerrie. Your comments are really appreciated.
Hi Valerie. Love the shot and sentiments you expressed. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Love this shot Valerie…..i can feel the cold and the composition is great.Looking at the image on the big screen really brings it to life….the iced branches and the dust of snow on the bench, which the icy lake in the background….with some very cold ducks! Brrrrr……you have captured winter!
Thanks Christine! Funny thing I actually like this time of year even though it is very cold.
I have never witnessed snow before……but this image takes me right there and gives me the sense of winter…PS….i love cooler weather too…..:)
Valerie, When you have a great composition like this, you don’t necessarily need sharp focus. It looks more like a painting.
Thanks Richard for your comments as I can be pretty hard on myself.
Really nice photo, Valerie. Yes, it looks really cold but what wonderful memories you cherish.
Thanks Deby.
Man that looks cold. Nice.
Thanks Roseann, it has been exceptionally cold for this time of year. Makes you want to stay inside.
Valerie, this is a nice composition and I love the lighting and the textures! The focus is certainly more than good enough. Very attractive image!
Sig thank you for your nice comments.
Where did summer go? I love the texture the ice created on the picnic table.
What a beautiful image. It’s serene and still and lovely. And looks very cold.
Thanks Chris.
Hi Valerie. Such a lovely image. Very fitting for the Christmas season. I like the cool colors that echo the low temperature of the season. Like you I am away from my family because of my work but I will have the chance to be with them for the holidays. Thank God for family and friends. Great capture.
Romy
Thanks Romy for your comments. Enjoy your time with your family and have a wonderful Christmas.
I think this is a very beautiful shot Valerie! I can completely relate to the seasons being from Nebraska. I even think the slight “fuzzy” focus adds to the image. It brings a sense of cold to it. Like looking through your breath of air.
Thanks Amber. I appreciate your feedback.
Valerie, Looks like southern Minnesota! We have not had temperatures that cold quite yet. A lovely shot-it’s patiently waiting for warmer weather.
Thanks Sara. Be glad you haven’t had the extreme cold as it sure makes it hard to get motivated to grab the camera and go out and about.
I love this shot Valerie. Striking and calming at the same time.
Thanks Keri.
This is beautiful. The table looks like it is covered with a lace tablecloth. For those that don’t live in this type of climate, catching the frost on the trees has a very limited time span. A little bit of sun and the frost disappears. (Unless it is a Hallmark movie). Great job catching this shot at the right moment!
Thank you Kathy for the comments!
Valerie, god picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
what a gorgeous setting Valerie
Great capture Valerie!
Truly beautiful, Valerie. I also appreciate the beauty of winter. I see peace in this image, and can imagine the sound being softly muffled by the snow and frost.
Great image! I too can feel the cold in this one.
This a very appropriate challenge for this time of year, when we all turn to the ones we love
past and present, for me our new addition to our family, our 13th great grandchild, with her
Mum Amelia. A new born never fails to amaze me of how lucky my wife and I to be able share.
ISO100, fl56mm, f4.5, 1/250sec
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What a beautiful picture John. Her eyes are beautiful and sharp
Thanks Juan
A beautiful portrait of family. I love that the baby’s focus is on the camera that her great grandfather is holding.
Thanks Karen
Oh, those big blue eyes! Families mean so much to us, don’t they.
Thanks deby, they really do.
Hi John. You never spoke a truer word. Lovely capture.
Thanks Denis
Thanks Dennis
Precious! Fun capture, very nice.
Thankyou Valerie
Thankyou Valerie
You created a beautiful memory, John. I hope you live close to her by to watch her grow.
Thanks Peter, yes we are lucky to have most of our family close by.
Beautiful photo, and congratulations.
Thankyou Chris
Congratulations John. A lovely addition to your family.
Thankyou Rev
Beautiful moment in time….rich treasures our families John….and yours just became richer! Fab shot too 🙂
Thanks Rerro
What a lovely memory! They grow so fast-it’s amazing watching babies grow. I hope you are able to enjoy many, many moments.
Thanks Sara, yes we are lucky, most of the family live close.
John, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Great capture John
John, this is a lovely portrait of this family. It is so appropriate that the baby is curious and looking st her surroundings while the parents are totally focused on her. Well done!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/502261febd87f421300aa574466c33082b34fc076d2d23adc699f0c0f1ed38c6.jpg
I created this image a few years ago. This wonderful woman who was praying on a wall of The Synagogue, which is located in Capharnaum, Israel. She was battling cancer so was feeling very grateful to have made this long journey to The Holy Land as this had been one of her dreams to visit Israel. Meeting her really touched my heart. (She was not posing for me as she didn’t know I was photographing her. She does know now.)
Canon EOS 6D, 24-105mm lens at 45mm. ISO 100. f.9, Shutter 1/60.
Wow Deby.
What a great story and capture. It would not have the same impact for me if she would have posed. Very nice indeed. What was her reaction when you told her that you had taken this photo?
A very kind smile and hug. She was actually on the same group tour so I gave her a photo after returning home. Thank you Juan.
Hi Juan,
Her daughter purchased a few small photos of our trip from me but I don’t know what her thoughts were on this photo. We live in different states in the USA. I would love to know, though. Thank you for asking.
Hi Deby. Great story and capture.
Nice image well composed and the color of her shirt against the grey wall draws your attention to her. The story of her journey is powerful.
Deby, this photo sends a very powerful and emotional message! The image is well composed and I like the relatively pale colours. Well done!
Deby, your story gave me goose- bumps. This is what telling a story with photography is all about. Thank you for sharing this image.
Hi Deby. A very nice story and capture. Great candid shot. Well done.
Such a powerful, moving image Deby. I think this one will stay with me forever.
Wow, incredible emotions from this image Deby….we have so much to be grateful for!
I love the story behind this image and of course the image itself. Very powerful. I love how you muted the colors as well. Well done!
Deby, what a wonderfully poignant moment captured. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful photo Deby. I can feel the emotion.
This is a very emotional photo. It drew me right in. I love what you did with the colors. Beautiful.
Deby, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Very powerful image & story!
I find this image very powerful. I can’t begin to imagine how thankful this woman was to be there given her health battles. It is very humbling.
Thank you very much Judy. I just found your comment. I’ve been having so much trouble navigating around Disqus.
Happy New Year to you!
This guy came into my life when he was needed. Love him.
ISO 100 50mm f2.5 .4 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3304c2c403a7d105611633e03ba194659688dcc2b40538249cdf79c9b8327ca.jpg
Hi Roseann, this is a beautiful dog. Many of us have pets too that we consider as part of family.
Nice image.
-Romy
Hi Roseann. Lovely shot.
Great shot Roseann….these guys give us so much unconditional love….so glad you found each other!
Lovely, glad you found each other!
Amazing how they can become such an important part of our lives. Nice photo.
Roseann, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Our furry friends add so much to our lives. This guy looks very content. Lovely shot!
I have so much to be grateful for that it is difficult to know where to start. First of all, I am eternally grateful to my parents for the upbringing they gave me. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us so I cannot photograph them. Of those close to me still living I am the most appreciative of my wife. She is a wonderful lady and a very caring and positive person, who also keeps me on the right track when I stray off course! She is my everything, especially my best friend and an awesome companion. Unfortunately, she is not a fan of being photographed, so a stole a shot while she was napping. I did tell her though that I’m posting this. She reluctantly agreed. Settings: 194 mm, f/6.3, 1/30 sec and ISO 3200. The photo is a bit grainy and the focus is softer than I would have liked. Shot handheld with dim window light only. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/058c1d8d100f0b437e83b8c1c4bbb019d280b6b630c189312aa85386f8e10311.jpg
Hi Sig. Great candid shot. Nice. Here’s to more happiness for the two of you. Cheers.
-Romy
Thank you Romy!
Hi Sig. What a lovely shot and sentiments.
Denis, I much appreciate your comment!
Sig, wonderful words about your loved ones….and a great sneaky image of your wife…hahaha. Thanks for being such an active part of bootcamp, its being great to have you here!
Hi Rerro, thank you very much for your comments on this image and on many others! I am thoroughly enjoying participating in Bootcamp – it’s an awesome photography community and I feel privileged to be part of it. I appreciate the high level of proficiency in the group, but most of all the supportive environment. Bootcamp is a great place to learn!
Great candid capture of your beautiful wife..she looks peaceful in her rest.
Kerrie, thank you so much!
Lovely. She looks to be enjoying her nap.
Thank you Sara! Yes, she usually enjoys her nap.
Sig, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank you very much Christian!
Great candid portrait Sig!
Lovely use of soft light, Sig. Sometimes we have to be a bit sneaky and grab these candid shots.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d1e4a77033f14369f7619ddf1d638921f7330d2b03a6efc884d15a42eaeccab3.jpg This is a photograph that I took at sunrise of the port of Puerto Vallarta. I am grateful for my health and that I can get up every morning to welcome another sunrise as I walk my dog. I am also grateful that I love my career of forty years and look forward to going to work each day to help make sure my dog and cat patients are as healthy as they can be. I took this shot with my iPhone 7, ISO 20, 6.6mm, f/2.8, at 1/500 sec. I tried to decrease the brightness of the sun, but it looked weird, so I left it bright.
Great capture Peter. Such a nice sunrise image. I agree with you, it’s such a wonderful feeling to wake up to a beautiful sunrise. Thank God for the chance to spend another day with our loved ones. Well done.
Thanks, Romy. I actually do thank God each morning for letting me see another sunrise, as Kevin, my dog, and I look at the sky.
Hi Peter. What a lovely scene well captured.
Thanks, Denis.
Great photo, yes the sun is blown out a bit, but hey you got the shot.
well done
Thank you, John.
Gorgeous scene to wake up too Peter….and a wonderful career working with cats and dogs for 40 years! How marvelous…..and you image….i like the sun the way it is too….great shot with the iPhone!
Thanks, Rerro. It was a great way to start that morning – truly like being in paradise. The mist on the mountains was magical.
Looks very relaxing Peter! I love the striking orange softened by the browns and greens. I don’t mind that the sun is blown out. I can almost feel the heat of the day. I think it is well balanced as well.
Thank you, Amber.
Wow…Beautiful welcome to another day!
Thank you, Kerrie for all your advice though the year. It has helped me become a better photographer.
What a great way to start the day! Beautiful shot.
Thanks, Sara. It was a great day in a beautiful place.
Beautiful photo! I like the way the sun is framed by the clouds.
Thanks, Rohn.
Awesome image Peter!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/30ba7688c2baaab86c392f3b53d422ad17944d52035f874edaceeaf2bf4bebf4.jpg
Hi all, I am grateful for many things but I thought my first image should be of my husband. He is a willing helper when I am out taking pictures. Just the other day I was doing a photo shoot in a local park and he was hauling around all my stuff and scouting out locations. He’s a lovely man, all around good guy and I am fortunate to be marred to him for just over 29 years.
Hi Chris. Nice photo. You are both fortunate to have each other. I wish you more years of togetherness. Cheers.
Hi Chris. Very nice shot. I wish you both many more years of happiness. Well done.
Fabulous Chris…wow 30 years….what an achievement you two. Wising you both a very Merry Christmas 🙂
Great shot of your husband, Chris. I love how the colour of his top ties in with the colour of the foliage!
Great colors. My husband is always willing to stop the car, hike, or whatever we are doing so I can take a photo. It means so much when we have that kind of support.
Chris nice photo. Congrats on 29 years as that isn’t as common as it use to be.
Chris, congratulations on your great relationship with your husband. I wish you many more years of happiness. I like the way the foliage leads your eyes toward your husband.
Chris, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Sounds like you have a great guy there, Chris. I like how you have positioned him to have a splash of dappled light on his chest and how the background foliage is a similar tone to his t-shirt.
Truly grateful for where i call home…..Perth, Australia. having immigrated here 11 years ago from South Africa. I am blessed to have this magical ocean to visit when time permits!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ee2ae67fb2d3c5fdad4ac48f74b982690a827a5de224dc412d635a590df1687.jpg
We are both blessed to call Australia home – I left South Africa 22 years ago. Never been to Perth – got to come visit sometime that water looks so inviting. Like how you’ve broken your image into 3 parts, land, sea and sky. Awesome. Brent
Thanks Brent! 🙂 I wanted to use the 3 elements to draw the viewer into the shot as well as creating depth
A kind of Triptych
Very serene picture. Rerro. Brent , the surf looks too calm for you and your surfboard !!
I haven’t been to that side of Australia but it is a fantastic country! Wonderful composition. I usually struggle with a solid blue sky but this is very well balanced.
Thanks Amber….time to visit the best side of Australia….West is Best!! hahaha
lol…I’m not sure my Australian family would agree…but I must form my own opinion…correct…lol.
hahahaha…..I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas x
Hi Christine. I agree. I am sure my brother and sister and their respective families are saying the same thing about Perth. Time for me to start planning my trip there. Great shot of such a nice place.
Would be great to meet up when you visit Romy!
That would really be great.
Hi Rerro…or should I call you Christine?…Beautiful capture of the ocean, the light on the water is beautiful. Love the layers and the colours! I miss these magical colours of the Indian ocean .
You may call me either…..Christine is my name….Rerro my nickname. Thanks for the comments Kerrie, and for being such a great part of bootcamp. Have really enjoyed your progress.
Hi Christine. What a magical shot capturing the serenity of location.
Christine, another spectacular shot! It’s great to have such a wonderful place to visit close by.
Thanks so much Sara….i am blessed indeed!
Beautiful shot looks like a postcard! I too am so thankful to be able to enjoy where I live and what I get to see every day.
Thanks Valerie….yeah we are blessed with our surroundings.
Just beautiful Christine. Sooooo pretty and I would be grateful for that too. Blessed with blue skies, blue seas and sand and beauty.
Thanks so much Keri, and thank you for all your comments over the year.
This is beautiful. I need to travel more! The colors of the water are so inviting. I can’t imagine being able to see that on a regular basis!
Kathy….thanks so much….the world is your canvas!
I love the colors in the ocean & sky! It looks especially good right now, because there is snow on the ground where I am at.
Thanks Rohn….i would love to photograph the snow one day!
Rerro, As always you offer all of us your splendid images and I’m grateful for the inspiration that you so freely give. Your contributions to Boot Camp are invaluable ! Thank you.
Thank you so much Richard – that is very kind of you. I am always happy to inspire and help where i can.
Christine, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Beautiful Christine! Looks like it could be a travel poster.
Beautiful! I used to live in Brisbane, and I do miss the beach. This is very inviting and peaceful. The colours are so intense.
Thanks, Keri.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d5beda586be88961b81a7167dbe8806ed58061992441f5de3414d18787929552.jpg This will be my final entry as December is a busy month for me. This is a picture of my dog, Kevin, visiting a patient at a local hospital. He is a certified Therapy Dog. Every Monday afternoon, on my day off, we visit a local hospital and a nursing home. We have been doing this for the past 5 years. Kevin is now 8and 1/2 years old. He is a Border Terrier. His breed comes from the border of Scotland and England, but he has an Irish name. Most terriers are very high strung and hyper. Kevin is the most laid back dog I have ever seen in all my years of practice. I can lay him on any patient’s lap and and he won’t move. He just love to be stoked – the patients just smile in amazement. They laugh at his name. The nurses love him, too. I am so thankful for all the joy that he brings to people. The flip side of his leash is Superman’s logo. He is my “Super Hero”.
Peter.. I can see and feel the joy in this woman’s face. The world needs more people like yourself and Kevin. Thank you for sharing this, it tells me so much about yourself. Love it!
Thank you for your kind words, Kerrie. Making people laugh and smile is what Kevin does best.
Hi Peter. This is a beautiful shot and shows your sentiments to the fullest.
Thank you, Denis. The joy he brings to the people he visits is priceless.
How adorable! What a delight for you to take Kevin to the hospital and a nursing home and see the happiness he brings to the patients. Keep up the good work Peter:)
Thank you Dianne. It is truly amazing how he brightens up everyone’s day. I am truly blessed to have such a special dog.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5baa0e339b0bab06eaccf960a809034020e78c8aaa1a1accb28f2809b8ce8a3e.jpg These are extra pictures of Kevin taken last month at a fund raiser for Canine Companions for Independence that I sponsored at my animal hospital. His hoodie says “Let’s Get Lit”, with a menorah celebrating Hanukkah. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/35bdb83c79c6706d1ea029723d81239bb1be9eccc932062acd94644675d0918e.jpg
Great shots. It’s great to be able to share your pet with others! He is so cute!
Thanks, Sara. He really is a pro at posing for pictures.
Love it. I wish my dog would be like that. I can see how he can cheer up people. 🙂
Thanks, Point. He just lays on everyone’s bed or lap and loves to be pet.
Hi Peter. Great shots.
Thanks, Denis.
Wow, I like this Peter. Great shot.
Thanks, Romy. He will do anything for a biscuit.
So great that Kevin can help patients. Thank you for sharing him.
Thank you, Sara.
Peter love all the photos. You and Kevin are very special and all those you share Kevin with are very lucky people. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Valerie. He brings smiles to everyone he meets. They always remember him.
Oh Kevin. What a beautiful gift you have to share Peter. Very selfless.
Thank you, Keri.
Applause to you, Peter, for caring for others and sharing the unconditional love dogs, like Kevin, offer to us mere mortals.
Thank you for your kind thoughts, Kathleen.
Peter, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
What an awesome outreach Peter! Go Bucks O H I O ! Merry Christmas!
It’s very clear to me that this lady is enjoying holding Kevin. I think your visits are a fabulous way to give back to the community. Thanks so much for sharing this with Bootcamp. It makes me feel very happy to look at this image.
Hi fellow Bootcampers. THANK GOD FOR FAMILY ! Finally I was able to retrieve a copy of the photo of my family taken last year during our annual reunion in Nasugbu a nice place south of Manila. It’s only during Christmas season that my siblings, now living in Perth, Australia come to the Philippines for family reunion. I am really grateful for having such a wonderful and caring family. I am the one in black shirt seated, leftmost and with missing left pinky. By the way, I am not a member of the Yakuza, lol.
Settings: ISO 100, 31mm, f13, 1/60s, tripod
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/21bf2b1cab276bdd1283fdf60cb81159331a4f9c00bac830c2cbd6c061a85166.jpg
Hi Romy, wow, what a great family shot! I really like your composition with the curved wall. Everyone looks so happy and natural.. It is so nice to put a face to your name. thanks so much for sharing this.
Thanks much Kerrie.
Hi Romy. What a wonderful shot and celebration. Well done to you all.
Thank you Denis.
Aren’t families wonderful! Great to see the happy smiles in your photo!
Hi Dianne. Thanks so much.
What a great looking family….so good to see! Merry Christmas to you and your whole family Romy!
Thank you Christine. Merry Christmas to you too.
Awesome picture of your family. It’s great that you can all get together for Christmas.
Thanks much Sara. Christmas family reunion has been a tradition and we intend to keep doing it while we can. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Lovely family. So nice so many can be together and enjoy each other.
Thank you Valerie.
Fabulous Romy. Such happiness captured here.
Thanks so much Keri.
Thanks much Keri.
Wonderful, Romy! A celebration of unity and love.
Thank you so much Kathleen.
Romy, it is so great that all of your family can celebrate Christmas together. Such joy !!!
Many thanks Peter.
Hi Romy! Oh my goodness…I love knowing you are from the Philippines! As an RN in the US, I have had the most amazing privilege to work with co-workers from the Philippines. My only grandchild is half Filipina and we are happy to have her mother Ann as a beloved member of our family! She has cultivated in us a love for pancit, lumpia, and Soju 😉
Thanks much Gina. I am happy to know that. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Romy, What a fabulous family photo ! I know how difficult it is to get over two dozen people to pose for a photo. You have a beautiful family and they are all in focus. I spent over two years in the Philippines in the early 1960’s at Clark Air Force base and enjoyed every minute I was in your beautiful country. The warm hospitality and the food was fabulous – except perhaps for balut ! I am grateful for the time I had there.
Thanks much, Richard. Were you with the US Air Force stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the ’60s? That’s nice. I spent a week there in 1972 for the physical and medical exams after I passed the qualifying exams for US Military Academy at Westpoint. Great to know you enjoyed your stay in the Philippines.
Romy, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Awesome family photo! What strikes me is everyone looks so happy. They all look like they are having a great time.
Lots of energy and happiness in this photo, Romy. It is a pleasure to look at.
Hi all. Gratitude – I find it hard to know where to begin. Firstly to my late parents for their patience with me during their lifetime. You see I caused havoc during my alcoholism and yet they stuck with me. For my Brother and two Sisters who have done likewise and continue to do so. Both of my sisters suffer from cancer, one Breast and the other throat. However the prognosis at present is positive and for that I am very grateful. It shows me how fragile life on this earth really is and how important it is to cherish and love all those around you. I am grateful to myself and my inner strength that during these trials I did not have to revert to alcohol to cope. Families come with all sorts of dynamics and difficulties but what I have learned over the last 19 years is the need for us all to pull together, support each other in times of need, and allow each other the space to live. I am so grateful to my Family for showing all that to me. My fellow Boot Campers you have been part of that also. Over the last number of months your encouragement has been magic. You see there was a time I could not take a photograph let alone post it anywhere without first resorting to alcohol. So to be doing what I am doing today is magic and I thank you one and all. I also wish you and your families a very happy, healthy Christmas and PEACEFUL New Year. I am looking forward to conversing with you all in the New Year. My first photo is off my youngest sister. Taken last August just before her illness showed itself. Family Wedding. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a269211daf43c8b29d3a2e64f21bbef2442da698cfa75e577a3b402b3af6658.jpg
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Gratitude with us. You and your family have had some struggles but it appears that the strength of family ties have been very positive and supporting. I’m fortunate that our family also shares these values and love. This is a wonderful photo of your sister and I’m sure one you treasure. A happy and healthy Christmas to you and your family!
Hi Dianne. Many thanks.
Denis, i thank you for having the courage to share your story with us. Times have been tough for you and your family, but you have come out the other side. You have shown all of us that the impossible is possible, and we thank you for that. I know that i am truly grateful that you are part of bootcamp, and look forward to your comments. I am honoured to call you a friend. A very Happy and a Holy Christmas to you and your blessed family xx
Hi Christine. Many thanks.
Denis, thank you for posting this very expressive image of your sister – well captured! She looks like a person with much “joie de vivre”. I am impressed that you were willing to “bare your soul” to us. You are very courageous! Personally I suffered from anxiety disorder for many years, so I also know about debilitating conditions. This month’s Bootcamp is turning out to be very special and drawing us all closer together, which is wonderful. I am impressed and proud of you for having overcome your addiction. That is really great news! I am of course sad to hear about the challenges your sisters are facing, but encouraged that the prognosis is good for both of them. Yes, family is very special and it so important to support and love each other. Of course, that goes as much for friends and anyone else we come in contact with. As you I am very fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive and loving family. That is what I am the most grateful for. I wish you and your family a Blessed Christmas and good health in the New Year!
Hi Sig. Many thanks.
Denis, thank you for having the courage to feel comfortable with us, your photo family, to share the challenges that you and your siblings are facing. There is such joy in your sister’s face. May this holiday season and the coming year bring all of you peace and happiness.
Hi Peter. Many thanks.
Denis, thank you for sharing your story and your photos. Blessings to your family.
Hi Sara. Many thanks.
Thank you, Denis for sharing about yourself and your family. Your sister looks so happy. I am grateful that you were confident to share your ordeals with us. As I say to my little girls at bedtime, I rest my hand on their head and say “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” I pray the same for you.
Hi Point. Many thanks.
Lovely picture of your sister. Thoughts and prayers for all of you. May the holidays bring you many blessings.
Hi Valerie. Many thanks.
Hi Denis. Thanks for sharing. Many if not all of us have experienced ups and downs in our lives. Sometimes depression sets in but then the love and support showered upon us by our family help us to get through it. The important thing is we managed to get up everytime we fall with the help of our family and friends. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Hi Romy. Many thanks and how very true your words are.
Denis, Thank You. You are courageous and incredibly brave to share your story and this picture…… Beautiful. I know the fight is constant but you are living proof that it is possible. Hats off to you and your family of strong, defiant fighters. Sincerely, Keri xxx
Hi Keri. Many thanks.
Hi Denis, such a great capture of your sister. I remember when you went to that family wedding… thank you so much for sharing your story..you are strong and resilient, and really I value your input and presence here on bootcamp.. I send you peace, love, inner strength and happiness.
Hi Kerrie. Many thanks.
Dearest Denis,
Thank you for sharing. Remember, one day at a time, one photo at a time (well, unless we are set to Continuous Mode). Your Sister’s smile makes me smile and I wish her all the best.
Hi Kathleen. Many thanks. How right you are – one day at a time.
Denis, I love to hear stories of overcomers. You have been that and are inspiring others to do the same. It is one of the things I love about photography. We have the honor and privilege of inspiring others with the awesome discoveries we capture through our lenses. Keep on, friend!
Hi Darryl. many thanks.
So glad you posted this Denis – well done for avoiding alcohol. Great expression from your sister, I bet she’s saying “Denis, darling – why have you got that camera out again?” Brent
Denis, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Denis, thanks for sharing! I have really appreciated all of your constructive comments about my submitted photos.
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As I was reading through other photographers stories about what they are grateful for and I had to actually stop reading them because I was too emotional. It is so good to focus on being grateful, especially this time of year. My photo isn’t perfect, it isn’t one of my best but I am so grateful for family, especially for my 84 year old mom. One of my memories as a child, was my mom making lefsa at Christmas time. (Go ahead and look it up, it is a Norwegian treat). I asked my mom to teach my sons the art of making lefsa. We had a great time, learned so much and I am very grateful that we had this moment in time, to learn from her.
ISO 1000, 40mm, f4.2, 1/125
Hi Kathy. What lovely sentiments and what a lovely shot. well done.
Hi Kathy,
I think this is a great shot! Your mom’s face is so expressive and then there is the “lefse”. More about that below. The way this month’s challenge is turning out it seems to be as much about expressing gratitude verbally as it is about expressing it pictorially. I find that to be interesting and also very wonderful. Our group is certainly made up of some very caring people. As such, I feel very privileged to be part of Bootcamp!
OK, then there is the lefse, which I eat a few times a year when we visit my mother-in-law in Wisconsin. Her parents were both born in Norway and came to the U.S. in the early 1900’s. However, my experience with lefse extends back further than when Peg and I were married. I was also born in Norway and came to Canada when i was in my mid twenties. So I have known lefse all my life and of course like it a lot! We actually have a lefse iron, but so far have never used it. (shame on us!) We should try it soon while we still have an experienced lefse maker in the family…
Kathy, I remember making lefsa with my grandmother when I was a kid. It seems like it’s not Christmas without it. 😉 It may not be your best, but if it is meaningful to you-that is all that matters. She looks like a lovely woman.
Kathy nice, natural photo. She reminds me of my grandmother and some of the traditions she started with me. I haven’t heard of Lefsa so I did look it up and it sounds pretty good!
Kathy, I find this shot very warm and endearing. Well done. Same sentiments on everyone’s comments. Very touching.
Hi Kathy, such a great capture of a memorable moment. In this challenge, we set aside composition rules and other technicalities. That’s not what this challenge is all about. We post photos that make us happy and help remember our family and friends that touched our lives. Happy holidays.
Kathy, this is one to cherish…your Mum’s relaxed, happy face..and those breads spread out in front look soo lovely! It’s a beautiful thing that she taught your sons this art. This is what keeps culture alive.
Kathy,
Your Mom’s smile makes the photo beautiful.
Kathy, photographs are capturing a moment in time that we want to remember and share with others. Your Mom’s smile will always be with you.
Kathy, I agree with many of the previous comments. Photography is not always about the perfect composition and focus etc. Capturing moments to remember is the real treasure of photography.
Kathy, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Yes, it is just a picture of a very happy six year old girl. However, this wonderful daughter of mine is autistic. Anytime that I can get a shot of her showing happiness makes me very grateful since this is a very difficult capture to get of her. I am grateful that she loves to cuddle which is very rare for many parents with autistic children and I’m grateful that she is part of my life.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2430574e506598ccd1f430a8d5489da9d3cc1ea5d6fdea1e32d2706d9c15ca40.jpg
Point, it is not Just a picture of a very happy six year old. It is a lovely picture! Every time we can capture a memory, it is very special. Well done.
Beautiful capture of a beautiful young lady!
She’s just devine.
Point, great capture of a beautiful moment with your beautiful girl. Love it, thank you for sharing.
Hi Point. She is adorable. You certainly captured a precious moment . Happy holidays to you and your family.
Hi Point. What a beautiful young lady and photo. Great capture.
Hi Point,
Your picture makes my heart happy!
I love this. I work with children and adults with disabilities. It brings joy to me to see their smiling faces. Even her eyes are smiling!
Awesome photo point, looking happy & not inhibited or shy at all ,I hope you enjoy all that life brings .
Point, this is a beautiful picture and a heart-warming story.
Point, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Really nice portrait!
What a beautiful month. Thank you to all of you for such heartfelt stories and photos. This is the shot taken from my phone 31/2 years ago that showed me I was capable of taking photos. My partner Pete said to me at the time(we hadn’t been together long), what’s your hobby and I didn’t have one. He said I think we should get you a camera. And look at me now. Sharing shots with people all around the world. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3a2aeef0c5a1ba776092e1a1c99bc836d27243adee224ee02bd202e2be2de19.jpg
Hi Keri. Great shot. Good natural colour to it.
Hi Keri, great panoramic view. Where was the photo taken? I like the contrast between the mountain and the sky.
Hi Peter. This is Uluru (Ayres Rock) It is an amazing, spiritual place in out back Australia in the Northern Territory. It’s 860m tall and I think about 10km around. Every face is different and it is a truly magical place. It is sacred to the Aboriginal people and a truly awe inspiring place to visit.
Thanks, Keri. This looks like an amazing place to go and meditate. So peaceful. Thank you for sharing.
A place on my bucket list for sure! A great beginning to a fascinating and magical hobby. Well done Keri. The support of partners is an awesome gift.
What a nice panorama. Great shot Keri. Happy holidays to you and your partner.
Nice panorama Keri! You have a lot to be proud of with your photography! Keep sharing!
Keri, Your husband was right ! Your eye for composition deserves a camera of equal caliber.
Keri, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Great shot & story Keri!
Wow, shot with your phone, impressive! Yes look how far you have come since then. I’ve never been to Uluru but going in April so hope to get an image like this and to feel the energy from this place. Thanks for sharing. Brent
Good morning. Following on from yesterday this second shot is of my eldest sister and her husband. They are looking on as their daughter has photos taken. You know how it is at weddings – click, click and more click etc. I like this shot as I think I managed to capture that moment of gratitude on their faces as they look on. Not staged – I turned, shot – and the rest is history. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4046dead8dfb738261e8d82174ce6c483139c45ee809265b2a284d53a7512ace.jpg
I love the bright blue in this photo! Very well coordinated. Dad looks a little bit sad or maybe nostalgic. They years go by too quickly. A perfect capture of two very proud parents!
Hi Kathy. Many thanks.
Great capture of the emotion of the moment, Denis. Their expression does look nostalgic. Well shot.
Hi Kerrie. Many thanks.
Denis, the focus and warmth in their eyes brings out the pride and joy of the moment.
What a magical shot! You can feel the love they share.
Very nice shot Denis. Great capture of the expressions in their faces.
Hi Romy. Many thanks.
Nice shot Denis. I really like the contrasting colors. Well done.
Hi Valerie. Many thanks
Denis, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Great image Denis!
Thanks to Everyone for your words and pictures. It is not a Challenge this month, it is a Champion — displaying our Gratitude for all to see!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/53b0ac30e5e126467df391e2a2074c230b15343ff82127efb16ddeb68172f222.jpg I am grateful for parent who taught me the values that I have lived my life by, & for their 65 years of marriage we were celebrating in this photo.
Rohn..How beautiful it is to see so much love shared between your parents. 65 years is to be celebrated.
Thanks Kerrie. Yes it is!
Hi John. What a lovely shot of yours and their celebrations.
Thanks Denis.
Awesome Rohn ,My parents also had a long marriage of 68yrs & both lived into the there 90s
Thanks.
Great moment to celebrate, Rohn.
Thanks Peter.
Awesome! I have been lucky enough to have had long marriages in my family also. It is a sight to behold and you captured it very well.
Thanks Sara.
Hi Rohn. Such a lovely photo. Great capture.
Thanks Romy.
Nice photo of a special moment. What a great accomplishment!
Thanks Valerie
Rohn, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Awesome Rohn!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f502ed2c557502f91ea9f63bffc79b3a060494917710374670470cae47a131b2.jpg Hi all, I’ve been watching and admiring all of the posts, which have been awesome. The images and comments have left me feeling really emotional about this challenge- as I have felt that I had nothing to share as yet. I don’t have the ideal family situation, and my access to my Grandsons is somewhat limited…for reasons beyond my control, and not involving myself. It breaks my heart that I am not allowed to be the Nanna that I want to be. I feel that I have so much to offer these boys, not in monetary terms..but in showing them all that nature has to give.
Anyway, I got to see them today – for which I am truly grateful, and managed to get a “snap shot” of my 2 most special people in the world.
Noah is 7 yrs and Kai has just turned 11
1/250 f7.1 ISO 100
Hi Kerrie. What a great shot. You have captured a moment of real joy and happiness here. They have a very infectious smile that draws me into the shot.
Thanks Denis…it was a very happy day getting together.
Kerrie, you will always have this special memory, and they will, too. Over time, they may end up reaching out to you on their own.
Thanks so much, Peter..I think that they probably will do that when they can. I just need to be patient.
Always let them know that you will be there for them.
Kerrie, I love their smiles. Grandkids are the best, I’m sorry you don’t get to spend more time with your’s! We don’t get to spend as much time as we would like with our grandson, but that is because of distance. I hope things work out for you to spend more time with them in the future.
Thank you so much, Rohn. Yep…grandy’s are the best time of my life. I hope for that to happen, but also appreciate and cherish what time I have with them.
Kerrie, What a fantastic shot! Great smiles.
Thanks Sarah…they are great kids..
This is a great shot Kerrie. I am sure when your grandsons become family men themselves this photo will bring back memories of their happy childhood together. They will cherish this photo and feel grateful to you too for capturing the moment. Happy holidays.
Thanks so much, Romy…Happy holidays to you too.
Great shot Kerri, I love their expressions!
Thanks Valerie! Noah is the Joker, and Kai is the thinker.
Love the smiles especially Noah’s. It’s because of family situations similar to yours that I created this gratitude challenge – to move away from what’s not working and focus on what we do feel is good in our lives – what we’re grateful for. I’ve got a few close friends (and family) who are going through some major struggles right now and it gets even more challenging near the end of the month. I’m glad you posted this image and have shared your story with us because it highlights the choices we all have – to choose what we focus on. Since I started writing down what I’m grateful for each day – and focusing on that for a short time, I’ve become ever so slightly positively biased and as a result I’m happier. Oh, and also congrats on the magazine cover! Brent
Thanks so much for your understanding and thoughtful words, Brent. I want to take this opportunity to thank you and all of the bootcamp family for the ongoing help and support which as helped me grow in my passion. I find so much joy and solace in just getting out there and shooting.
PS if I could give you a hug, I would!
Lovely photo of the Boys Kerrie ,I think this shot is just fine ,& congrats on the Magazine Cover
Thanks Peter, was a quick snap…and congrats to you too!
Kerrie, This “snap shot” is a fabulous composition with tack sharp focus on the boys with a beautifully blurred background. I hope that you get the opportunity to spend more time with them. And, I think you should get “switched on” to taking pictures of people. Your subjects will be very grateful !
Hey Richard, thanks so much for that feedback…I’d like to get more “people shots” but it will take a lot more courage from me…
Kerrie, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
thank you, Christian
Kerrie,
I hope this photo brings you joy. It definitely warmed my heart, especially after you shared your gratitude thoughts. And like other Campers have said, you should expand your focus into portraiture-well done!
Thanks so much, Kathy!
Great image Kerrie. Grand children are such a blessing! We have two.
Thanks so much, Jim. Grandies are awesome!
Hi All, This is a photo taken at a Grandson’s wedding, here his bride
is been given an emotional hug of gratitude from her father.
ISO400, fl56mm, f5.6, 1/125sec
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0067d6b2829400ad63c76085d33cff20efd1db23eaf7d0f74b8778435ac2fafa.jpg
So much emotion in this, love it John. Beautiful capture!
Thankyou Kerrie
Hi John. A well captured shot of the moment. I much prefer these shots as they tell a true storey.
Thanks Denis
Very nice shot, John.
Thanks Peter
Lovely moment captured. I am sure they will cherish this shot!
Thanks Sara
Hi John, this ia a very nice capture. Happy holidays.
Thankyou Romy
Nice shot John with a totally different perspective. Well done.
Thanks Valerie
John, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Like how you’ve captured the emotion here John. Not an easy image to capture – the kiss. When I shot weddings I would have another photographer help me out and we would stand on either side of the couple waiting for the kiss, so that one of us would get both bride and grooms faces. Thanks for sharing. Brent
I am grateful for so many things ,but it was my Mum & Dad that set me in the right direction as far as life ,love & morals go & for that I am most grateful & I still miss them both . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/815bbb1c89442a95f81b545300d21c3e6a250d445e13c76175923cbe1771efab.jpg
Hi Peter. What a very nice shot to have. I can relate to your sentiments.
Thank you kindly Denis.
Peter, what a nice memory that you captured. It will always remind you of the love and joy they shared together.
Thank you so much Peter .
A lovely shot to remember them by.
Thank you Sara .
Nice shot Peter. They certainly looked happy. I’m sure they’re very grateful to have you as a son and proud that you you turned out to be the man that you are now. Happy holidays.
thanks heaps Romy .
Nice photo of a very attractive couple.
thanks so much for your kind words Valerie .
Congrats on being the featured artist in the latest BootCamp magazine Peter – and yes our parents are the reason we are here, so major gratitude goes to them. Love the expressions in your image, they looked very happy. Brent
Thanks so much Brent for your kind words & thanks for your assistance in this coarse , I find I have grown quickly in such a short space of time & that is due to the bootcamp program & all the other Photographers who give you a little push when needed ,I am over the moon for this chance to shine ,Thank You Peter .
You deserve it!
This is certainly an image to cherish, Peter. They would be so happy to hear those beautiful words from you.
So kind of you Kerrie ,thanks heaps.
Peter, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thank You so much christian .
Great sentiment Peter. We all owe our parents a debt of gratitude for making us the individuals we are today.
Thanks so much Jim .
I live in Thailand. But my seven grandchildren are in Canada and the USA. More than anything I am grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ and his immense love for his creation . . . including my wife of 36 years, my kids and the amazing treasure of our little ones. Here is a shot of our oldest granddaughter on her fifth birthday comforting her little sister after she was sent away for “time out” for being a bit naughty and selfish. I am so grateful for the love others pour into us despite our missteps and sometimes selfish pride. I am grateful for grace, mercy and forgiveness. (Grateful too, for the recent trip to South America and slowly rebuilding my computer after a major crash two days into my three-week speaking tour!) 1/60 sec, f2.8, 35 mm, ISO 1000 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fb086460339c8a0114d92663e6c0698fd4fb84a0f0611840044464032777316d.jpg
What a heartfelt moment. It is a beautiful shot Derryl. I can imagine my older sister and I having a few of these moments over the years. Well done.
Thanks Sara. Blessings.
Hi Derryl! I remember a time growing up when all photographs were documented in black and white. So to this day my fondest memories of my early childhood with my sister and brother are captured in this way. I understand and appreciate the gift for which you are most grateful and your immense love for creation. Thank you for sharing such up building personal expressions, thoughts and moments shared with you grandchildren. Recently I saw a quote that said “Sisters are like two flowers from the same garden.” It made me smile 🙂
Oh yes, Gina. B&W has a certain magical effect. 🙂 Thanks for you words. It is wonderful having brothers and sisters not of biological decent all over the world.
Hi Derryl. I say Amen to that. Beautiful shot of your grandchildren. Nice that you converted it to black and white. Happy holidays.
Thank you Romy. Pray you also have a wonderful Christmas season.
Two beautiful girls, I really like that you have done this in black and white as it adds to the sentiment being expressed on their faces and in your words. Well done.
Thanks Valerie. Indeed photos are wonderful. But I love the pictures that can be seen in the mind through powerful, creative words. Indeed that is what Christmas is about. . . . the WORD became flesh.
Hi Darryl. Lovely shot and story/sentiments behind it.
Derryl, thank you for your sentiments as the holidays approach. I love the emotion in the faces of the girls. You captured the moment beautifully. May the Christmas spirit last all year long.
Great image Derryl – lovely grandchildren you have. Like how you’ve converted it to B/W and I don’t mind the old school feel to it – looks like a “glow” was added. Their expressions are priceless at this age because they can’t control how they feel, and they let you know. Brent
Hi Derryl, this is a wonderful image with very strong emotions – well done!
Beautiful capture of this precious moment, Derryl. Love the B&W
Derryl, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
An enchanting picture, Derryl. A simple gesture of love and comfort captured to remind us how a simple hug can change everything. Blessings to your family during this Holiday Season!
Really great image & story Derryl!
I am grateful for the tools that assist me in my hobby. And the great community that has been built here. I know I can visit here often and get inspired to do my best, or better than I had previously thought I could do. The amount I spent on Bootcamp is often referred to by my husband the best money I could have ever spent, the amount of joy and happiness it brings. ISO 100 35mm f/4.5 1/125 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94d96bd9384a58122143c6b0b9f204d8071eddce1d1cfa6bc181675951f5076a.jpg
I am grateful for this experience as well! This challenge has revealed a more intimate view into the personal values of the community. I appreciate the many heartfelt expressions. While we are all different…we are in so many more ways the same..
Amen.
Definitely! Thank you Gina.
Agree – and I wish the leaders in the world would focus on this too. Brent
Hi Sara. Amen to that. Bootcamp is awesome.
Thanks Romy.
Great creative idea and I echo your sentiments! Good composition, well done!
Valerie, thank you.
Hi Sara. A very good creative shot. Like it.
Denis, thank you.
Thanks, Sara. Through the wonderful people we have met through Bootcamp, we all have been inspired to be more creative and learned so much through each others experiences..
Thank you Peter.
Wow Sara – what a great endorsement and a little ego hit to see my “ugly mug” in your image. I’m thankful that you’re getting so much value from BootCamp too. As for you image… it rocks (that’s because I’m in it) – what more can I say? Brent
Thanks Brent for all the inspiration.
Hi Sara ,nice set up on the desktop & its a wonderful hobby to take up for a little self praise or to lift your spirits when you get that great shot .
Peter, thank you.
Great shot and well said, Sarah…I ditto Peter’s comments.
Thank you Kerrie.
Sara, I love this photo … so well composed and totally on point. I share your sentiments about Boot Camp. I have learned a lot by getting out of my comfort zone, and now I think of photography in an entirely new way.
Sara, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Well done & well said Sara!
I must say that I am remarkably grateful to live in small coastal town that is very much a forest that meets the sea. The wildlife is abundant here and at times it feels like a game preserve.Yesterday I had an opportunity to have many deer browsing in the field behind our house. As is almost always the case, I ran upstairs to grab the camera and was able to capture a few images of a doe that was reaching up into the trees to eat the tender leaves. The lighting wasn’t the greatest but the following shot is the best of the bunch. The camera setting 1/200, ISO 800, f/5.6, focal length 790. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b509dad38c2a51c31bd3eb7e765d998484f19259f03c6157bea5539d114e991b.jpg
Great shot Gina. You’re very lucky indeed. Some of us have to go to the zoo just to see some wildlife. Well done.
Thank you Romy, it is indeed a blessing to experience!
Love it! I live in a similar environment and feel that I am so blessed to be able to see all the wildlife every day. I am posting a similar photo today as well. Great capture.
Hi Gina. Great shot. I might just lighten the shadows.Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4d5b17014ea7613658c4cbfedcb59168c99776098686704d1864c03265f27150.jpg
Thank you Denis, I do think that this is better. The sunlight coming through the tree and highlighting the chin, throat and ear of the doe were troubling to me, like beacons of light, and I didn’t know how to address it. Is this what you had in mind? I’m learning and all suggestions are certainly appreciated and welcomed. 🙂
Gina, I think a bit in between what was and the lightened version. Of course as always, it is personal preference. We have had as many a 14 white tail deer come through our yard. They are interesting to watch. Well done.
Great shot Gina ,you are so lucky to have wildlife around your home to take photos like these ,I think your shot would have been smack in the middle of these two .
Hi Gina. In my opinion this now a much stronger image. Great work.
Great shot – love the dynamic feel of it. Yes you are very fortunate to have deer that close by. Well done. Brent
Great capture, Gina!
Gina, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
So many heartfelt stories and photos being posted this month. It truly is a blessing to be part of such an amazing group of people. I am so appreciative of the home I have and the nature and wildlife that are a part of my environment. I am blessed to be able to experience it everyday. This little guy was standing outside my window and looking in. I was so excited to be able to capture him from just a few feet away. This was taken through my front window. Settings; 1/200sec, F4.5, ISO 100, 70mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/83385825333d10a7c76f63e14f511fd67ab12fb3bcee018c606fd66e21e06286.jpg
Valerie, I can see that this little guy is as curious about you as you are about him! I have experienced the same interest and curiosity. When we first moved here we built a deck on the front of the cabin and all the neighborhood deer took turns, as it were, looking in the windows! I love it 🙂
Thanks Gina they are so much fun to watch.
Hi Valerie. What a lovely capture. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
The three deer that wander into my yard now and are not so much curious as eager to eat all my hostas and flowering plants. I’m not all that enthusiastic about them! They’re so relaxed that I can walk right up to them and take photos.
Yes they can be a pest but I love watching them. My pets and pests all in one!
Valerie, Well done. We have many deer in our neighborhood and state.
Thanks Sara.
Yes agree, many heartfelt stories. Great capture Valerie, super sharp eyes and I love that shallow depth of field. Got to love the world we live in with all these amazing animals. Brent
Thanks Brent for your feedback.
Wow Valerie, this is really beautiful!
Thank you Kerrie.
I imagine the deer is grateful that hunting season is over. What a great photo as I imagine the deer wanted to run when he saw you pointing a camera at him!
Never thought about hunting season but you are probably right. Thanks Kathy for your comments.
Great capture Valerie. The deer really posed for you.
Thanks Romy. Have a nice holiday with your family!
Valerie, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank you Christian. Have a wonderful holiday.
I think it is Prancer!
Marvelous pic, Valerie, and kudos for always having your camera set up and ready to shoot.
Thanks Kathleen!
Great capture Valerie!
I am grateful for our home on Long Beach Island, NJ–both the old one destroyed by Superstorm Sandy and the new one we build after that storm. It is the center of our family life and a place where I am peaceful. Here is a sunrise image that represents that peace. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/545f519df0051265e3179adb1d754392d22567cfa9b0eba10990d7b32225478f.jpg
Beautiful! I love the beach.
Leila, beautiful! I would love to live on the beach, as it is, I am about a quarter mile from a river. I spent many days as a child, at the beach of my grandparents cabin, and miss that opportunity. Enjoy the peace.
Great sun rise shot Leila! I really like the silhouettes in the foreground.
Leila, you have captured and shared that feeling of peace beautifully. Thank you.
Great shot Leila, there is peace & beauty being around water .
Hi Leila. Very nice shot. I can feel the tranquil nature of the location. Like the the light balance in this shot.
Nice shot. I like the suns reflection on the water. What a beautiful place you live in.
Love this image. Great composition Leila. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Leila, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Really awesome image Leila! Great subject, great composition & color!
Wow, reading all the positive comments and things everyone is grateful for – has really just MADE MY DAY!!! Thanks for all the kind comments about BootCamp too – you all ROCK!
Here’s something I’m very grateful for… the fact that I’m healthy enough to enjoy the sport I love – Kite Surfing. It combines the ocean, surfing and the wind. When I go out and kite surf, I have so much fun that when I’m back home I crash before 7pm. The next day I feel it too, in fact I’m feeling it right now.
Took this image on the weekend. Shutter priority mode 1/1600 sec to freeze the action, f/4,125 ISO on my 200mm lens. I used the luminosity sliders in LR to darken the blue sky so that Pete and his kite POP a little more. This is not an easy sport to shoot as the kite is 22m (72 feet) away from the surfer which means I needed to wait until he dropped it low enough to capture him and his kite in a single frame. Out of all the images I took on the day, this was the only one worth sharing. Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7b9c6fb71ea0e079dc9b4cd3d7240f10fb02cccb133c57a909edd79ebe5ab140.jpg
Nice work, Brent. The kite really pops against that brilliant blue sky!
Thanks Kerrie
Looks great Brent ,I guess you would need massive upper body strength for that ,a bit like water skiing .
Thanks Peter – don’t need a huge amount of strength as the kite is harnessed to a waist harness which takes most of the load. The bar is for directing the kite and powering up or de-powering the kite. It’s pure fun! Brent
Hi Brent. Really like this capture. It shows the action very well.
Thanks Denis
Nice! It looks like fun, but probably a bit intense for an old man like me! 🙂
It is very intense – which goes well with my personality – all or nothing kind of thing. Brent
Nice capture. I like all the different blues and contrast with the rocks. Looks like fun and work all in one.
We have many reasons for gratitude living in this beautiful country – the weather, the contrasting colours and clear skies at this great beach. It shows your persistence taking many shots to get this great action image. You have inspired us to strive to improve through the Bootcamp Challenges. Thanks!
Thanks Dianne for your kind words. Brent
Well done. Love the colors. Great patience waiting for the right composition.
Thanks Sara
As a very young teen, my husband would float his Jacobs 10’9″ board, purchased used for $30, down a rapidly flowing creek to the ocean. It was so wide it was much like paddle boards today. No wet suit, determined to learn to surf and trying to catch a wave, another surfer picked him up by the seat of his pants, set him on his feet… and the rest is history. Familiar with surfing, wind surfing, and the evolution to kite surfing,this amazing image is genuinely appreciated. It is very powerful!
Thanks Gina – yeah once you get the ocean bug it’s difficult to live anywhere else. Brent
Brent, Great shot … I love the way the kite pops out, and when enlarged I can see that you have the entire image in sharp focus too.
Thanks Richard
Great capture Brent. Love the composition. Good focus and perfect timing. Happy holidays to you and family.
Thanks Romy
Great leading lines that take you right to the surfer. The water looks so clear. Happy Holidays, Brent. Thank you for pushing through your resistance to form this wonderful group. Not only have you taught us about photography, you have guided us to overcome our fears in life through your own personal stories. You will never get ahead until you stick your neck out. Embrace failure and learn from it.
Thanks for these kind words Peter- Yes, magic happens just on the other side of our comfort zone. Brent
Brent, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Thank you, Brent, for always inspiring us. One of the most important lessons I have learned from you is patience in photograpy…and persistence. I am also grateful for the ‘summer’ photo, as I just got back from a run in 32-degree weather, and your stellar capture of the ocean warms me up.
Awesome image Brent!
I am grateful for the opportunity to live in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, a rural township with farmland and forests, 75 miles/120 kms north of Toronto. The landscape here is not spectacular, but still beautiful in all seasons of the year. This shot is from my dog-walking trail across the road from our house. This year we have had snow on the ground continuously from early November. I love this area and the winter season! Settings: 24 mm, f/8, 1/160 sec and ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/06d270b0bfa46b5b66f810df12731cc654d6b7678ab59e2de85162d74bee7b76.jpg
This is a beautiful image, Sig.I can see why you are grateful for these surrounds. I have never seen snow on deciduous trees! I love the mix of warm and cool tones, and the line of the trail.
Thank you Kerrie for your complementary comments!
Hi Sig ,what an awesome place to be ,talk about a White Christmas & a beautiful scene also .
Peter, much appreciated!
Hi Sig. What a lovely shot. Like the light balance here. It is very good. It make a very nice Christmas Shot. Print and Frame.
Thanks very much Denis! May be I will print it.
Nice contrast between the tree bark, yellow leaves and snow. Love this time of year. Well done.
Thank you so much Valerie!
Sig, great leading line. So similar to winters here in Minnesota. Right now we don’t have quite that much snow, but I am sure it is coming soon! It is awesome that you enjoy winter so much.
Thank you Sara! Yes, this area is similar to Minnesota – have been there several times.
Lovely winter scene. Nicely composed. Well done Sig. Enjoy your holidays .
Romy, thank you for your positive comments!
Sig, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Thanks for your comments Christian – much appreciated!
Great winter scene Sig!
While I am grateful for my wife and three children they would be very ungrateful if I posted any shots of them. Instead I am posting a shot of Sydneys beautiful Narrabeen rock pool where I was mucking around with long exposures, So I am grateful to live on the coast and have time to experiment with my photography and of course my unseen family.
30 sec F/16 ISO 100 70mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5582fa7f72f85a9d7e495aa50af9ecef985c7fa3c664913220648724a60ca039.jpg
Beautiful. The blues in the photo are gorgeous, set against the rust on the rocks. I really love the long exposure! My goal is to live by the water when I retire.
Andrew, this is a beautiful and very effective composition! There are many things I like here – the diagonal concrete wall, the posts and chains. Then there is the contrast in colours, cool vs. warm, as well as the blurred water. Very well done!
Nice colors and leading lines. The blurring of the water really adds to your composition. Well done.
Hi Andrew. Good work here with long exposure. I like the leading lines.
Andrew, great job. It almost looks otherworldly (if that is a word). I have a feeling my family feels the same way about me posting a photo of them all. Great lines and colors.
Andrew, I like the way you have captured pool alongside the coastal waters. The leading lines with the posts and chain makes a great image.
I love everything about this image, Andrew. Soo nice! love it!
Great leading lines. Nice composition. Well done Andrew ! Happy holidays.
Andrew, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Wonderful, Andrew.
Really nice image Andrew!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/59fec55483dbd10fec7e28a04eba8f68868afb9db2cf7626931de41b06c4dde2.jpg
This is both a humbling and a frustrating challenge. Mostly frustrating because I feel my photos could be better, and humbling because sometimes just the photo itself, with all it’s photography imperfections, is what is important. I am truly grateful for photography and this boot camp. I have learned so much and I have had to step out of my comfort zone!
I took this photo last summer at my son’s fastpitch tournament. After the event, I sent this photo to the gentleman in the picture. He wrote back to me that it is one of the only photos of him playing softball, with his parents in the background and that he was so grateful and would always cherish the photo. Sadly, his mother passed away recently and this picture of him with his parents watching him play, became that much more important. His one piece of advice to my son was to take photos with his mother, as I am always behind the camera, this holiday season I hope to get some photos of our family (with me in the pictures!).
f 6.3; ISO 800; 1/1000 at 230 mm.
Thank you Kathy for sharing this image and the very touching story behind it. I recently ran across an old photo that I didn’t remember having and the gratitude I felt made me clutch it to my chest like lost treasure. One precious recaptured moment…
Hi Kathy. What a lovely story behind a very nice shot.
Beautiful reasons for feeling gratitude Kathy. Hope you manage to get into some of the photos this Christmas and enjoy having your family close.
Beautiful but heartbreaking story. You have made a great point about the photo itself being important, despite the quality at times! I fully agree. It is always hard on family vacations, to make sure I am in a photo-I am always behind the lens as well. But most recently my family has realized that fact and have made sure to take the camera away from me once or twice, so I have proof I was actually there. 😉 Well put, Kathy and great photo!
Kathy, very nice action shot – perfect focus and lighting! Your message is a good reminder that the photographer also needs to be in the picture, at least sometimes. I have made the mistake myself for years of only being behind the camera. Well done!
Thank you for sharing this moment in time in this gentleman’s life. He will always look at this photograph, smile, and fondly remember how his parents were there for him to share in his passion.
Kathy, don’t underestimate the quality of your photo.
This is so powerful, and tells a great story.
This young man is so lucky that you captured this, with his parents in the frame.
Kathy, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Kathy,
The technical aspect of photography grows less in scope when the emotional story is in focus. Your picture moment is now a life time memory.
Great photo Kathy and a wonderful story behind it. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!
There are so many things in my life that I am grateful for including the beauty of nature which always brings joy to my day. This agapanthus which is just bursting into life is one, bringing colour and beauty into my garden at this time of the year. It was shot with a Lensbaby 56mm at F2.8 which brings a beautiful softness to the image.
Hi Dianne, I love agapanthus and so do the many deer that browse their way through my yard! Your image is not attached to your comments, but I most certainly look forward to see it 🙂
Hi Gina, thanks for alerting me to the missing image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bd9822854e1c960460b227a7dbc83584bf29b5be38103d619761eef1f6484927.jpg
Hi Dianne. Different perspective here with the softness. Good work.
Many thanks Denis:)
This image invokes an amazing feeling of serenity…so soft , calming and peaceful. I appreciate how it makes me feel…dreamy.
Lovely reply Gina, Thanks Gina!
Lovely soft image. It has a very dreamy quality to it.
I appreciate your comments Sara.
Hi Dianne. I love the softness of this image. Nice background blur too.
Many thanks Romy.
Love this Dianne! Just beautiful. I might be tempted to crop a little from the top and right, but it’s your image, and it’s awesome.
Thanks Kerrie, I like to capture the the softness of the background and flower.
Love that dreamy blurry background. And nature is something to be grateful for.
Thanks Janet!
Dianne, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Lovely image Dianne!
Beautiful! Those flowers look like they are lit from within somehow.
Dianne, what a beautiful soft image – i love the colours and lovely blurred background!
I am grateful to have captured this image of a bee, its tongue visible, going about the business of collecting honey. Took several shots while hanging over a second story railing, this one being the most surprising! Healthy bees…healthy planet! f/8 1/60 ISO https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01396f5bcc9f0f378e65fcca838d6dad1799af86438e8f0fc3efeff3549c25e4.jpg 100 35mm. Edited in Photoshop by applying an Iris blur to direct focus to the details of the bee.
Very nice! Oh the sacrifices we make, & chances we take for a picture! 🙂
Thanks Rohn! Sounds like you have been there and done that? 🙂
Hi Gina. You went a lot of bother to get this shot. Nice one.
Bother? Never!
Gina, I like the way you’ve taken this shot with the bee on the right hand side. You do have challenges where you live – balconies, deer etc! It’s lovely that you are grateful for the opportunities and joy that photography offers you.
Thank you Dianne. I’m learning a lot from all of you in Bootcamp and really appreciate the encouragement.
Great job Gina! I am surprised my husband has not had to hold on to my waistband while I am taking pictures of mountains, the Cliffs of Moher, etc! Well done and I am grateful you did not fall over the railing.
Thank you Sara. Sounds like I’m becoming quite the risk taker…at least I wasn’t standing on the railing! Not yet anyway 🙂
Nice shot Gina – good results usually require effort and sometimes a lot of it. Let’s hope the bees are recovering on a global basis!
It’s really quite adventurous!
Great capture Gina. Good composition too !
Romy, I tried to apply the suggestions you so kindly made with my first bee! So I feel somewhat improved and am please with this image. 🙂
Well done, Gina. Great composition. I’m yet to be able to photograph a bee!
You just need to “bee” ready! Silly play on words, I know, however my limited experience with bees has taught me that when they show up unexpectedly, refocus and capture what you can….bees wait for no one!
Living, flying insects are some of the hardest guys to capture. What success you had here. I wonder (and easier said than done for sure) IF you could have put him in the bottom left to give him room, so to speak, to be looking into the frame instead of out of it. But you got him and not blurry. Congrats.
Gina, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Great shot, healthy bees are indeed something to celebrate.
Good morning all. Some 6 days ago I shared my thoughts on Gratitude. My sister had final tests carried out yesterday and the results are all positive. I am most grateful for these results on a personal basis but also for her and her family. This shot is part of my family taken at that wedding last August. Fiona is second from the left. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c4b7b320671aab42b693e1ccdcc5ec4720c38bee535183bb405587196b5e2eb3.jpg
Thank you Dennis for sharing your gratitude for your sister’s positive outcome and recovery. These are highly emotional experiences. My sister recently had a similar condition and when we received the news about the results we did the happy dance, both of us hugged the Oncologist and cried about it later. Personally, I feel grateful for your sister too! 🙂
Hi Gina. Many thanks for those words. I did something similar. I went around the house singing and dancing.
This is wonderful news Denis and Im sure you will all have a wonderful Christmas this year. We really do have many reasons to be grateful and family is often the most important reason.
Hi Dianne. Many thanks.
Hi Denis, Nice family shot and I am so pleased to hear the good news!
Hi Sig. Many thanks.
Wonderful news Denis! What a wonderful photograph of your family! I really love the hats! I don’t see hats like those here in the States-at least not in my circle. I am very happy for you and your family!
Hi Sara. Many thanks. Yes HATS are big over here.
Denis, Great photo … I love how you have everyone so nicely posed !
Hi Richard. Many thanks.
Denis, that is wonderful news for your sister. I hope your family lives close by to you so that you can share many more happy memories. Great picture.
Hi Peter. Many thanks. Yes I will get to spend Christmas Day with my sister.
That’s great. Have a wonderful holiday.
Wonderful news Denis. Great family photo. Have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
Hi Romy. Many thanks.
Great news Denis ,I am so so happy for you ,I have lost My brother & my best mate is losing his battle to that rotten disease now.
Hi Peter. Many thanks. My thoughts a prayers are with you.
Health scares are so difficult for the family. So happy for your sister and her family.
Denis, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Blessings abound, Denis! Have a wonderful Christmas and a a grateful New Year.
What a great image Denis. Everyone looks happy and healthy and I am so glad your sister is well. Thanks for all your commentary this past year. All the best in the coming new year!
Here’s my second post for this challenge “Keyboard” shot today on tripod with my Sony 24-70 GM lens-31 mm, 8.0 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 100. I am grateful for my baby grand piano. I’m not the greatest pianist – actually I’m not all that good – but I do enjoy sitting down almost every day to play for a while to entertain myself – and occasionally inebriated friends – with old favorites like “Ebb Tide” and “Satin Doll”. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c859efaefcf80bd4ce21a42e48b68e35e7abbdd91d9f7393fe72037277c0c5f0.jpg
I am not a piano player-I remember my Grandmother playing at Christmastime and at Thanksgiving. Beautiful reflection. As long as you enjoy sitting down to the piano, that is all that matters.
Hi Richard. Nice shot It’s great to know that you akso play the piano. I used to play the piano in my younger years until I had an accident where I lost my left pinky finger. Stopped playing after that. Now I am into photography where I don’t have a need for my little finger.
Wow Richard .. Great image. So sharp, the reflection almost does my head in!
It’s so nice to see you bringing music into the gratitude challenge. Playing any instrument is so good for the soul.
Hi Richard. A man of many talents. I have a brother with the talents and it is great to hear him play. Home Made Fun can’t beat it. Great shot.
I play the piano as well AND have a Yamaha baby grand. I love it. My mother was a very accomplished musician. I like the reflection of the keys in this shot.
Nice shot Richard! Love the reflections of the keys on the polished wood with the Yamaha logo. The only suggestion that I have is some additional post processing in the area of the black keys, where there is a change in light intensity. I would suggest to lighten this area slightly and adjust the color balance a bit to more closely match the rest of the white keys. But love the concept and it makes me want to get back to playing the piano more for myself!
Richard, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
last image before i sign-off….i am grateful to each and every one of the boot campers that have been part of this great initiative! and esp Brent for guiding us to being better photographers. It has been a wonderful forum and great to meet and interact with you all!
Have a happy and a Holy Christmas! feliz navidad! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/545dd837bde8184832a0a6ef79664f1ce0f2dc99593f26be60fb8e8f10c7dae4.jpg
I love the dancing light.
]what do you mean..signing off?
Thanks Kerrie….for your kind words and your faith in my ability as a photographer. Your words inspire me. All good….just need a breather of Christmas and New Year! xxx
Agree Kerrie
Awesome Christmas Tree Rerro & I hope you have a Joyous Christmas also , You have inspired Me to work harder at Photography as all of the Boot campers have & given Me a new energy to try to shoot other things in the future .
Thanks Peter and it has been great to see you develop over the months….keep snapping, i look forward to more great stuff from you!
Hi Christine. Like this shot, in particular the balance of light throughout. Have a great Christmas and look forward to starting again in 2019. I fully concur with your sentiments re Brent. An amazing person.
Thanks Mate…..have a wonderful time this Christmas and see you in the NY!
Great image to use as a Christmas card. And agree on your thoughts above. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Janet…thinkig of making cards for next year…..working on it! Have a very merry Christmas!
Great image Christine. Happy holidays to you and your family. Thank you for all the comments and suggestions for the whole year. They certainly helped me improve my craft.
Thanks Romy…have a wonderful time with your family. 🙂
Awesome shot. I was just reading an article about motion and zooming in or out-flash backs to the motion challenge. Lovely image. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Love the colors.
Thanks Sara, you can read how i did this under Brent’s comment. Have a great Christmas and a wonderful NY!
Love this shot Christine!!! How did you shoot it? Yes agree we all need a little time off – me included. Brent. P.S. Thanks for you HUGE contribution to BootCamp.
Brent, this was a shot of my Christmas tree at home. I used ICM with a slowish shutter speed….played around a bit, till i got the look i was after. I just moved my camera vertically in little swirling movements. then i played around with the white balance colours to get the blue effect.
Have a good rest and a wonderful Chrissy with the family…see you next year!
Thought so – makes for a wonderful image. I will have a good rest, heading north to see my folks and brother and cousins in about a weeks time. You have a great one too. Brent
Amazing photo. You are so creative, Rerro. Thank you for all your feedback this year. I look forward to your great advice next year.
Christine, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Christine,
Once again, a wondrous and artistic shot. I am grateful for your abilities and the support you offer for us who are still apprentices.
Merry Christmas to you @rerrorocher:disqus! I love where you are taking your art! This is a really cool interpretation of a Christmas tree.
Love your creativity Christine! You rock! I am just starting to learn about light painting.
Beautiful image Christine. I am always inspired by your photographs! Have a wonderful holiday and best wishes for a happy, healthy 2019.
Hi all. I have been away on holidays for a couple of weeks so just catching up on this month’s challenge. I am grateful for the rain, which provides us with water to live, helps make the air cleaner and leaves lovely raindrops on flowers for photographers. Here is a photo of such a flower I took last week.
Settings: 1/125 sec @ f/4.5 ISO-200, lens 12-40mm f/2.8 @40mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/233701f9c2861582811da01fe1d019dfcb7bfeffd42075cb936c2a6945f7f8c8.jpg
Hi Rodney. Great shot. Love the capture of the water droplets.
Thanks Denis
The rain on the flower/plant really adds to the POP of this image. And the lovely color. Nice blurry background to keep our eye on the star of this shot.
Thanks Janet. It is great how a few drops of water can add much more to a photo.
This is a great shot Rodney. Lovely composition. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Thanks Romy. All the best to you and your family too.
That is an interesting flower, what is it? I really like the photo. I miss the rain, the color, the sunshine…. It is winter here.
Thanks Rohn. It looks to me like a Protea of some sort. I am not sure as I found it when we were holidaying over in New Zealand and we were near Akaroa in the South Island at the time of this photo. I will need to do some more research and find out what flower it is.
Rodney-great job! As it is winter here in Minnesota, this makes me yearn for spring. Lovely all the way around.
Thanks Sara.
Agree – love the rain too (but not for more than 2 days). Great shot – love the complimetary colours (red on green) which makes your flower pop even more. Those water droplets on the petals add that extra wow factor and really brings out the reds. My only suggestion would be to put the flower off centre. Brent
Thanks Brent. Yes too much rain might reduce the opportunities to do and photograph kitesurfing. Here is a cropped version with the flower off centre.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbf033610b4473b8aa158bc24973e00699f88a8abd2f7a80c9fc1d1476551dbd.jpg
Like it better
Thanks Brent
I think this cropped version is better. Nice work 🙂
Thanks Kerrie. I think I do too.
Simply luscious…I love the sound of rain and the feeling of raindrops on my face!
Thanks Gina.
Rodney, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Really nice image Rodney! Love the rain drops on the petals.
Thanks Jim.
Despite the fact that I am grateful for a number of things/people, I found this exercise more difficult. Here is my son. He had brain surgery 18 months ago. He is doing great now. I am thankful for him, always, and grateful for the fabulous neurosurgical medical team at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. I shot this image of him with my Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro lens although it works nicely as a portrait lens, at SS 1/125, ISO 100, and f4. Shot with my Nikon D500. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d91802d6a4b81565e52d27a1ed17ac0c75fd6ebfcbfce6acb45c92155364ef2e.jpg
Lovely portrait Janet. Looks like happy contemplation. Well done with the soft side lighting. I am glad he is doing well.
Very nice portrait shot Janet. Well composed and nice lighting. Well done. Happy holidays to you and family.
Thank you.
Very nice portrait! Glad to hear he is doing well. I have that same lens, & love it, though I’m not very comfortable taking pictures of people.
Pictures of people are hard. If basically shy, which I am, it is outside the comfort level.
Janet, this is a lovely portrait with wonderful lighting! I also love your son’s facial expression – very pensive. I am so happy for him and you that he has recovered from his illness! I hope your holidays are very special this year!
Thank you very much.
Wonderful job capturing his thoughtful expression. Glad to hear he is doing well now. Blessings to you and yours in the new year and beyond.
Thank you.
Great shot Janet – love that side light and yes that lens works great as a portrait lens too. Thank goodness for modern technology especially in the medical field. Would love to see this as a black and white image, I think it would rock! Brent
Thank you so much. It is funny but I actually did a b&w version as well. But I am not adept at developing b&w so just put it aside in my personal folder until I learned more.
Give it a go – would love to see
Here is my B&W version. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/273e8c8e96990c7298ccf8c7ca5573016b8042e2bef2d670300ae15f7f4c1035.jpg
That’s great
I love the B&W! It draws me more into his face. Well done.
Thank you Amber. I appreciate your comments.
Brent was right!
Hi Jane. A very good shot and lighting. Delighted that your son is doing well.
Thank you.
Janet, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Beautiful portrait of your son, Janet, with such an amazing story behind it. Glad to hear he is doing so well.
Thank you for sharing this photo. It reminded me of life’s misfortunes and miracles. Your Son looks serene. Happy Holidays to you both!
Really nice portrait Janet! Glad your son is doing well now.
Great shot! I have trouble with portraits. I am so glad he is doing better.
This is such a lovely portrait, Janet! I love the colours in this one. Well done.
For my second submission, I am grateful for my wife of 35 years who not only supports my obsession, but encourages it. 🙂 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b69e1b616829408038e069c022bc1cba6c62c2953352b8c2d3338005ca6dc16a.jpg
Rohn I recognize that lighthouse! It is wonderful when your spouse supports you no matter what. Lovely composition.
Yes it is. Do you live in the area, or just visiting. My wife has informed me that we need to go back again next year! 🙂
Split Rock is one of my favorite State Park. We are from southern Minnesota but love the North Shore. There is so many places to explore and take pictures of.
Hi Rohn. Very nice capture. Well done.
Thanks Dennis
Rohn, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Super shout out to spouses! I could not do this rather expensive “hobby” without the spouse.
So true! Thanks
Rohn, Your wife looks like she is happy to pose for your lens and you have created a great photo that justifies her support for your photography. I like the way that you have captured her image with such carefully constructed background. Excellent work !!!
Thanks Richard.
It’s super important that our partner encourages our creative journey – you’re lucky. Looks cold there. Like how you’ve got depth in your image with your wife, the trees and then the lighthouse in the background. Brent
Thanks Brent. I don’t think it every gets terribly warm on the north shore of Lake Superior. 🙂
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Here is a picture of my other hobby. I am grateful for my sister who inspires my other creative side making greeting cards. It is a great hobby/excuse to get together with her as we live 2 hours from each other. These are a few of my Christmas cards this year. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings us-I’m sure it’ll be fun!
Sara, lovely cards and nice sentiments. Happy Holidays to you, too.
Thank you Peter.
It is always fun to share a creative pastime with someone you love!
It is, we have been making cards and scrapbooking together for years.
Hi Sara. Well done. A very creative person. Happy holidays to you and family.
Thank you Denis.
Sara, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank you Christian!
Looks like so much fun, Sara. Very professional and yes, what a great excuse to spend time together! 😉
Deby, thank you.
Hey Sara…I love your creativity! I am a bit distracted by the edge of the computer in the shot. I would bring the crop in tighter so the focus remains on your beautiful cards.
Thank you Amber, for your feedback.
Those are beautiful! What a great hobby.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a5c3071b1fa3191de1f37d9c6a69a2b5e1176c8b1d5c0d536b9efdea36933a0e.jpg The number of things that I have to be grateful for is numerous! I love life and strive everyday to recount at least several of the things that make me happy, are important to me and for which I am grateful. Victor is a 70 pound German Boxer that plays a major role in making my life happy and always eventful. He’s always ready to go, explore and check out everything. I’m also grateful for the beauty and nature in the semi-rural area that I live. Victor is shown in the photo enjoying the scenery along the back waters of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. I was taking photos of the sunset and grabbed this shot with my iPhone camera, 1/120 sec, f/1.8, ISO 32 and no flash.
Wonderful! Pets make life so much more fun, it’s always an adventure to them, and they drag you along for the ride. Hopefully in a few years we can have a dog again, right now we are not home enough. Thank you for sharing.
Quite a handsome dog. You have to love that mug, makes me want to give him a big smooch 🙂 We had a big brindle boxer for many years, and they were the best of times!
Eugene, Very nice looking dog. Boxers are awesome pets.
He looks like a good phot buddy!
Hi Eugene, Great shot. Well done.
Eugene, Good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Eugene,
Your photo captures the essence of your gratitude!
Very clear image of your hiking partner. Dogs are so full of love and devotion to us and truly can be our best friends. Such a lovely capture with vibrant colors of Victor. iPhones are pretty amazing, aren’t they.
Aww. sweet Boxer. They are so wonderful. Love my pups too.
Love it. Nice composition and his expression is super.
He is a beautiful Boxer & i bet a great friend & companion .
Great picture Eugene. Victor appears also to be contemplating what he is Grateful for.
Great shot, such an expressive face.
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I am very grateful for the time I am able to spend in Florida and especially grateful for sunrise and sunsets. Watching the skies light up at the beginning of the day and again in the evening gives me peace.
f 4.8; 1/1500 sec; ISO160 at 50mm! Yes, I am still using my 50mm lens!
Beautiful picture! And I feel the same way. 🙂
Just gorgeous, Kathy! I truly would be grateful for this. I especially like the light that you’ve captured in the bottom of the image.
Hi Kathy. Lovely shot. Very nice balance in it.
Kathy, an awesome capture. Great colors. I also feel the same way.
Kathy, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Beautiful photo and beautiful sentiment.
Such beautiful, warm colors you have captured, Kathy. Very nice.
Nice shot Kathy! I like the lighting and the textures in the water – well done!
Lovely picture. The colors are awesome.
Beautiful! Well done.
beautiful scene & gorgeous colours
Breathtaking!
Beautiful shot Kathy! Great composition & colors.
Kathy, I’m a real sucker for sunsets … It’s amazing how infinite is the palette of nature.
Valerie, thank you so much for your support!
I am grateful for having lived most of my life in a multi ethnic and multi cultural society. Here in the Greater Toronto Area I have had friends and colleagues with roots in a multitude of different countries – many, like myself, being new Canadian residents. I am not saying that Canada is a perfect country and unfortunately very ugly things have been done to the aboriginal population over many generations. Fortunately though, the current government is working to improve this situation.
The photo below was taken at an event for new Canadians at the Cross-country Ski and Snow Shoe centre where Peg and I are instructors. We were able to invite a small group of newcomers, some of them refugees, to experience Canadian winter in a fun way. They enjoyed it and were grateful for the opportunity to play in the snow, something many of them had not done before. On leaving at the end of the day, one of them said, “I miss my country very much, but today I miss it a little less”. Comments like this and the bonds we made, made this a very rewarding experience for those of us hosting the event. In the photo the group is yelling C-A-N-A-D-A!
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Sig, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Really well done wide angle with good focus throughout. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sig. Great shot and sentiments.
Lovely shot and sentiments! Well done.
What a fun photo! I wish you and your loved ones, and all of these folks, a peaceful holiday season and a new year filled with photographable adventures.
Well said Sig!
Great image Sig and love the description too. I was in the Toronto area over New Years and I know of cold it can get. I’ve also moved to a country that is multi-cultural and very accepting and inclusive which I love (growing up in the opposite culture where fear and separation became the norm). I feel totally at home here in Australia. Glad you posted this image and you’re “giving back” in a way that bring you joy and helps other integrate. You rock! Brent
It took me a long time before joining this challenge, because I hesitated. Not because all the testimonials of you are all so straight from the hart,
but because expressing myself publicly like this is way out of my comfort zone. For me gratitude is a whole bunch of feelings and in my opinion this can’t be put in one picture. Therefore I try to explain what this mean for me. I’m afraid I have more words then pictures.
For those with little time: the last paragraph contains the direct info about the only picture I will post for this challenge.
Looking around me I feel gratitude because I can see. Luckily I have still one eye to see (the other lost his visibility). I can see colours in the landscape in all seasons. When someone is describing what he/she saw, I can imagine what it is; even if it is far away. When I look in the mirror I see myself everyday shaving. I see my family growing by birth and diminish by decease, growing up and getting older. During a converstaion I see the expression and that helps me to know if it is serious or just kidding. On television I see instant news of great and nice looking things, but also of all those terrible inhuman situations.
Yes I’m greatful to see, helping me to understand better.
It is great to hear the music while playing the klarinet in a group. It helps to have a connection, a conversation. Sometimes it is great to hear the sound of silence, not Simon an Garfunkel who I like, but the silence of nature. I feel also gratitude I can learn from an oral explanation or conversation. Life would be more difficult without this ability.
Yes I’m greatful to hear, to be aware of being part of a living world.
A sweet sour meal is one of my favorits. I also like very much (not too) spicy food. I’m very greatful to have no troubles with my taste. The months before my father past away, he couldn’t taste anymore due to the medication he took. The food was like cardboard, he said. One don’t think about mising something obvious like tasting until it happens.
I’m grateful I don’t have that experience.
As I live in a suburb, I like to go to our little coast to smell the ozon in the air. A walk in a park or forest gives me other smells. I’m greatful to have the possibility to go those places when needed. Walking in nature gives me also the chance to smell the different flowers and grasses. When I go shopping I like to pass by the bakery section for the smell of all those freshly baked breads. Nowadays I buy ebooks. It is rare to buy a fysical one. But when I do I like to put my nose between the pages for the smell of the ink.
I’m greatful to have access to all those smells.
Living where I live gives me a secure feeling. Therefore I am grateful. It can always be better, but my problems are peanuts when I see other peaople living in unsafe places. I feel gratitude to my environment and in particular my family where I grew up: my parents, my brother an my sister. And I feel it too in my own family with my lady and my two sons. One is married; the younger one is yet still at home (= hotel mama). It is a n ice feeling to come home at home.
For that too I am grateful.
I feel much gratitude because, by explaining the feelings I have with this challenge, I stand still and am aware of the luck I have. One picture can’t describe my gratitude. Therefore, as it is almost Christmas, I want to share my thoughts and gratitude to all of you and those who have a special place in your hart. Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2019!
settings: SS 0.5sec f/5.6 118mm ISO 100
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts as they are both heartfelt and inspiring. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Valerie, thanks for your appreciation.
Christian, thank you so much for your deeply heartfelt message. I wish I could see and appreciate the little things in life as intensely as you do and express them as well as you can. Often I just take things for granted. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family as well!
Sig, thanks for your appreciation.
Brilliant Christian – so glad you shared all these things you’re grateful for. Yes, once we open the gratitude gate then we notice a whole bunch of things we are grateful for, I like how you’ve explained sight, smells, sounds and taste – I love a good Thai curry (hot enough to make my head bead-up with sweat). Thanks for sharing. Brent
Brent, thanks for your appreciation. I used indeed the senses to explain how I experience life.
Hi Christian. What a wonderful story and my gratitude to you for sharing it with us. The shot is great also.
Denis, thanks for your appreciation.
What a moving story. I love the simplicity of the image. My one critique would be to capture the image with the lights on. I think it would add just that nice extra touch of holiday sparkle.
Amber, thanks for your appreciation.
Christian, such a moving story! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sara, thanks for your appreciation.
Christian the word picture you painted for us was touching and inspiring, reminding us all that the simple things in life are sometimes the ones we should appreciate most. I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful holiday season and look forward to continuing our friendship, for which I am so grateful, in the new year.
Leila, thanks for your appreciation.
Christian, I am very grateful for a group member like you who had the courage to share such deep feelings regarding this challenge . It is heartfelt and you did a wonderful job reminding us all of the importance of the simple things in life that are countless blessings to us all, that we often take for granted. Well done! I think this very simple image says it all. Whatever religion or belief that we ascribe to, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our creator who has blessed us all so many times over. May you and you family have a Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to all!
Jim, thanks for your appreciation.
Beautiful sentiments Christian. We often take our senses for granted because for most they are just there. It is not until we lose an ability that we most appreciate what we had or have left. Merry Christmas to you and your family Christian and to everyone in this BootCamp family.
Andrew, thanks for your appreciation.
Great photo and lovely sentiment. I agree, while there is a lot to be grateful about, sometimes it’s very hard to share it. Good job doing so!
Chris, thanks for your appreciation.
This image represents not only my gratitude to the man (my Dad) but to the profession. My Dad is a wonderful man who cares for his family and community. By profession he is a Farm Manager for a boys home here in Omaha. In addition to that, he has been on the Ponca Hills Volunteer department for several years. I don’t know what it’s like to fight a fire or pull someone from a car wreck but he does. As do so many other Firemen and women out there. To them and all first responders I say Thank You.
Settings: 5.9mm, f 3.2, 1/30 sec
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Amber, lovely image.
My nephew is a firefighter. The first time I saw his name on the back of his coat, “LOMBARDI”, I was overwhelmed with emotion and unexpected tears filled my eyes. He doesn’t know it, but he has a special place in my personal book of heroes. 🙂 Oh my…here come those tears again!
I’m so happy this image was able to touch you in such an emotional way. Thank you for sharing and thanks to your nephew for doing the hard stuff.
What a great image Amber! I love how you made your dad’s gear stand out amongst the others in this image while paying homage to all of them for their service. Love the composition and the contrasting yellow and gray colors! Well done!
Thank You Jim!
Amber, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank You Christian!
This is such a wonderful photo. Beautiful lighting, too.
Thank You Deby!
Amber, What a wonderful tribute to your Dad and the others who are first responders. Your photo captures the essence of a day’s end when they hang up their gear and return home to their families, and a readiness for the next battle. Very nice work.
Thank You Richard!
Great shot and lovely sentiment. Very moody and great lighting too.
Thank You Chris!
Hi Amber, Great colours, lighting and message.
Thank You Kerrie!
Excellent gratitude image – I’m super impressed! Like how you’ve highlighted your dad’s coat, my eye goes right to it. Yes, we’re all grateful for those who put their lives at risk to help those in need. Thanks for sharing. Brent
Thank You Brent! I gave him this image for Christmas and he loved it!
I am grateful in this holiday season and throughout the year for my courageous and wonder-full students. They are all working adults from every kind of background and they are earning their doctoral degrees while also raising families, working in community colleges, prisons and other difficult locations, and giving each other support through their studies. I am always in awe of how hard they work and how much they give to the world. My earlier work was as a college administrator but when I had the change to teach again, it was a joyous and inspiring change of path. Here are some of my students after Suzette, the lady in gray, defended her dissertation. Love them all! Taken with my IPhone X. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6f2c3c564707eb91d49bf236384e74ec7fadf188140e031ee5aeaf9ed959f9e8.jpg
Really inspirational story Leila! Thanks for sharing!
Leila, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Hi Leila. Like this one. Nice shot.
Wonderful! It goes to show you it is never too late to work on your education.
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Oregon coast: 1/250 at f/7.1; 36 mm; ISO 200
I am grateful that I live on the oregon coast and can see great sunsets.
Hi Doris I live on the West coast as well, below you in CA. Our sunsets are different every day, and I never tire of looking at them. I’m so grateful to experience it, “Sunset du Jour”. 🙂
Really nice image Doris. I wonder what it might look like if you brought the exposure and/or the shadows up a bit? I love the interesting sky and the sun reflection on the water. Ggreat composition and a level horizon.
Beautiful sunset! I love the clouds & the reflection.
Hi Doris, very nice sunset photo. I like the composition and mood.Perhaps this image would look even better with a bit of brightening.
Doris, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Beautiful Doris, what a wonderful view to enjoy. I grew up in Klamath, California (which is just south of the Oregon border) but live in the desert now. I really miss living by the Ocean to watch the sunsets, storms roll in, running in the sand and finding treasurers washed up on the beach. Your photo brings back many good memories for me. Really nice shot.
Hi Doris. Excellent shot. Well done.
Lovely picture. I have been unsuccessful this last week in getting any sunsets in. Well done.
Doris, I love sunsets too and you have captured a really nice one here. I like the bright sun spot against the dark ocean.
Thank you
Love a great sunset! The opportunities can be numerous. As a suggestion on your photograph, a little more light on the water and beach would help add interest and intrigue. A slightly darker, moody sky can be a great complement to the ocean and beach. Looks like a great source photo to do some great post processing on to create a great work of art!
Beautiful scene Doris ,so lucky to be near the Ocean.
Love the dark, mysterious feel to this. Great shot, Doris.
This month’s challenge has been particularly difficult for me. Not because I have nothing to be grateful for. On the contrary, I have so many things to be grateful f https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8b34a25efff44bcb0c3927d0d9c19d6d09ad9e3d46ad9f724b3cb9d1760ebfe0.jpg or that I didn’t know where to begin. The list is endless. My country, my wife, our daughter, my career, my grand kids, friends, co-workers, this group, my wife’s baking at the Holidays, and the list goes on and on. On top of that I am not really a visually creative person like many of you are. I was stuck in sort of a creative rut. However, after our minister gave an outstanding sermon on gratitude this morning, I got inspired and dug into some of my recent photos. Was this some sort of coincidence? I don’t think so! Here goes my first submission. We always talk about telling a story with our images or the story behind the image. Here in the Midwest of the USA it has been a challenging year for the farmers. We had an unusually wet spring delaying the planting. Then almost too much rain all summer long. Then a really wet and contracted Fall during the normal harvest time delaying the harvest. Some crops are still in the fields and some are getting moldy and may be a complete loss. We rent out a portion of our farm to a local large farming operation. They finally got our soybeans harvested about 2 weeks ago. The image below is my attempt to capture and tell that story and express how grateful the farmer’s must be when they get a successful crop in. My wife & I are also grateful for the American farmer, some of the most productive in the world. My settings were ISO 100, 75mm, F/4.0 & 1/3200 sec.
Jim, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Great picture Jim! I love the sky. I too live in farm country and it has been a tough year here too for farmers getting crops in.
For my second submission, I chose a portrait of my wife & my beloved yellow lab Christopher. He hates to have his picture taken for some reason and usually runs away or turns his head away. I was able to catch him on the floor of our kitchen and laid out flat on the floor myself opposite him to get this image. I wanted to focus on his eyes which really tell the story, as someone once said the eyes are the windows to the soul. I don’t mind so much that his nose is out of focus because I think that draws the viewer to his eyes. Chris’s eyes in this image I think really capture his laid back and loving personality. Our pets ad so much to our lives to be grateful for by offering us un conditional love and friendship. He is my buddy and would go everywhere with me when I am shooting if he could. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e4183dff3c7148382a82e8a38d2e36de602753ef5de2a85db2f2cacf7e96e12.jp https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e4183dff3c7148382a82e8a38d2e36de602753ef5de2a85db2f2cacf7e96e12.jpg . My settings were ISO 1600, 300mm, F/5.6 & 1/125th hand held. Broke the shutter speed rules on this one but still managed to get a sharp photo using the floor to help stabilize the camera.
Hi Jim. Like this one. Well captured.
Thanks Denis.
I would like to give him a hug and a belly rub! I love dogs, and haven’t had one for a few years. We are just not home enough recently. So I am grateful for you sharing Christopher and letting me get my dog fix. 😉
I too am a dog lover, I have 4 grand dogs. Good for you for lying on the floor and getting this shot. When I try to do that, it is a lick fest. I need to work on “stay” . He is a beautiful dog. Their eyes really do draw you in.
For my third submission for this challenge I tried to get in touch with my artsy creative side. Not sure it worked but here goes. I am grateful for our fearless BootCamp leader Brent Mail and all of you in this group for fueling my passion for photography and causing me to stretch and grow. Many thanks! My settings were ISO 100, 36mm, F/4.8 & 1/60yh sec hand held. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/55578a8d6e6fdf76b6a458e96409bf4e8329461c33fc2430e6773888ef74ad67.jpg
Jim, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Hi Jim. Thanks for sharing. Good shot.
Thanks Denis
Lovely shot, Jim.
I agree with your words! What a journey this has been and I can’t wait for the next challenge.
Fearless – mmm, maybe not, I’m dealing with fear all the time. Thanks for your kind words Jim. Great metaphor behind your image and yes the journey is the reward. Thanks for sharing and for your massive contribution to everyone here in BootCamp. Brent
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone in the group! It has been an amazing year and an amazing journey for us all. I can’t wait to see what is awaiting us in 2019. I just had to share this image with all of you as my final post for this challenge. I wish I could take credit for this image but I did not take it. Our daughter’s nanny took it with her smart phone. This little bundle of joy & Christmas spirit is our newest grand child Madeline Grace, age 3 mos. I am so greatfull for my wife, our daughter, son-in-law, grandson and this little bundle of joy. Family is especially important this time of year. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/620f06e4bf80d9fe778ddb0926438e577c056279cc2985201708468ffdd2cc61.jpg
Jim, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thanks Christian
HiJim. Great shot.
What a cutie! Grandkids really are the best, I wish our grandson was closer so we could see him more!
Thanks Rohn
Babies are so precious this time of year for sure, but always. They grow so fast. Thank you for sharing.
Jim, Your daughter’s nanny has captured a great shot of Madeline Grace … with her smart phone. I wish my expensive Sony was this smart ! Thanks for sharing with us.
Great Capture! All wrapped up in the holiday spirit! Its great to take advantage the things we have at hand with cellphones. There can be some great opportunities out there!
Thanks Eugene
what a beautiful little one ,grand kids are a pleasure to be with & to do stuff with ,who would think at our age we would be playing with Barbie Dolls .I was lucky to be blessed with Quad grand daughters but a bit of a handful at times ,all the best for Christmas Jim
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2nd photo for this month:
Note: I apologize for posting an older image as I know how important it is to actually create new images for each month’s challenge as this is the best way for us to learn. Thanks to Brent and team for pushing us each month to use our creativity to it’s fullest. Your challenges have really been helpful for me as I’ve dusted off my camera and actually use it now. For this I am super grateful!
( I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the Holidays coming up so hope to post a new photo for my last image this month.)
I was so grateful to have traveled to the Holy Land in Israel (2017) as this has been a place I have wanted to visit for years. Since this was an organized bus tour in Israel (our group was from the USA) we were very limited on time to stop to take photos as with any group tour, I guess.
I captured this humble moment of a young man (not with our group) who placed his cane in front of him, on the chairs, then knelt down to pray. Our bus group of 40 was rushed through this small place of worship so I snapped a quick photo of him before the others in my group accidentally blocked my view. The light was very low so this photo is quite noisy/grainy due to the high ISO used.
I felt this young man was showing his gratitude in prayer while I was grateful to have captured this special moment in time.
Canon 6D, 24-105mm lens, ISO 12,800, f.4, 1/160.
Deby, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Hi Deby. Good shot.
Thank you Denis.
Very powerful image Deby.
Thank you Jim.
Great capture, Deby. Lots of emotion, and I love the palette.
Like many before have said, I too have so, so much to be grateful for. I have a job, abundant and varied food on the table, a loving family, good friends, (some I have never actually met). I live in a relatively safe country, have the freedom to express my opinions without fear. I have relatively good health (The chassis is falling apart but you can’t have everything) and a health system that while not perfect is far better than many. I have the freedom to travel, to sample different cultures and foods. I have my sight and hearing to appreciate the beauty in everything around me.
I spent last week at Byron Bay NSW Australia (Not far form you Brent) and every morning I was at the end of the Cape in the dark waiting for the sun to rise to welcome in the new day. Cape Byron is the most Easterly point of mainland Australia so is the first to see the light of a new day. Like most things in life, this image is not perfect. For the whole week there was a lot of cloud and the colours did not appear but that was not the important thing. What was important and for what I am grateful for is that I could choose to do this. In the pre dawn darkness I get time to think and contemplate and appreciate my life and watch the world wake up.
1 second exposure. f13. ISO 100. 11mm
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Lovely thoughts and photo Andrew. My gaze is drawn along the water to the glimpse of the the rising sun, welcoming in another new day and all the opportunities we might make of that.
Thank you Rodney
Beautiful! I love the color of the sun & the milky water from the long exposure. Nicely done.
Thank you Rohn. I ould have liked just a litte more colour.
Beautiful! I agree with your sentiments regarding BootCamp. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sara
Stunning.
Andrew, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
This is stunning! <3
Andrew, It is always a joy for me to see a photo that I would frame and hang on my wall. Very nice work on this one. I too am grateful for Brent’s Boot Camp and I share your sentiments about the way it brings us together.
Thank you Richard.
Fantastic early morning scene & a great place to visit.
Thanks Peter
Beautiful Andrew – a great, atmospheric shot.
Thank you Tessa
This is really beautiful, Andrew. I think the lack of colour adds a lot of mood to your image.
Thank you Kerrie. I don’t dislike this shot. Its just that when i actually go to the effort to shoot a sunrise I get washed out results and yet when i am driving to work the sunrises can be magnificent. And yes no camera and uninspiring scenery. Its just frustrating.
This is my last post for the gratitude challenge. Thanks, Brent, for giving us a touching and complex challenge this month. I’m posting a photo of my spouse of 50 years,Charles. If you remember those old pencil compasses we used in grade school to draw circles, this man is the fixed point to my wandering pencil. He has supported and tolerated my career, my travels, and our wonderful family. He is truly our center and I am forever grateful to be sharing life with him. NikonD700; 1/125; f./5; ISO640. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/24339d941fd64c4c3bbee26ffc3eb8dfb40e48c729e73e09a6a40c8dd673537a.jpg
I am not sure where I would be without my husband of almost 26 years! Thank you for sharing yours. I am grateful you have had such wonderful support for all those years!
Thanks, Sara. Enjoy the holidays with your husband and all those you love.
Leila, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thanks, Christian. In the end, it is the people in our lives who make our lives.
Leila, Great portrait … sharp focus, and such a wonderful smile.
Congratulations on 50 years, love the sentiment!
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This will be my last photograph for the Grateful Challenge. I have to say that I am grateful for photography and all I have learned in this Bootcamp. Photography has helped me step out of my comfort zone. I get so excited to get outside and see the world through a photographers lens. I recently took a trip to the Naples Zoo (the first time I have been to a zoo in decades). 600 photos later, I just love the colors in this photo! Thank you Brent and fellow Bootcampers. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
f 6.0; 1/45 ss; ISO 200 at 220 mm.
Awesome capture! Depending on the Zoo, they are great places to explore with your camera. Happy Holidays!
Fargo has a small zoo (I have never been there!). Between the animals and the flowers, I burned through 3 batteries.
This is such a beautiful bird. Looks like he (?) is bashful in front of the camera. Great capture.
Kathy, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
The colors captured in this image are so brilliant! The focus is so sharp that I am able to appreciate the amazing detail of the eye, outlined by the surrounding tiny black feathers against a geisha white cheek. The vivid blue feathers are so beautiful and remarkably well defined I can feel them with my eyes!
WOW! This is awesome!!! <3
Awesome shot Kathy ,crystal clear & good Bokeh ,love the colours .
Amazing shot, great detail!
Wow! Perfect!
I am eternally grateful for meaningful work and the 30 years given to my wife and I to serve the minority peoples of the world. One of my favourite things on earth is to visit in the homes of our new friends. This year we had the honor of being hosted by this dear Pwo Karen grandmother in her humble, but comfortable home. After serving us breakfast cooked over her open fire, I found her relaxing with her cat and little grand daughter. I love the beautiful, peaceful connection between grandmother and granddaughter and the way the early morning light is falling through the cracks in the bamboo walls. While fresh pork smokes over glowing coals, grandpa relaxes in the shadows before he heads out to the fields for the day. 1/40sec @ f2.8, 16mm ISO 2500
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Ah, what a wonderful memory and friendship you have been blessed with. I love how the little girl is so comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera as if it wasn’t even there. Really sweet, Derryl.
Derryl, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Derryl, this is awesome! First of all it is an excellent photo that captures a special bond between the grandmother and her granddaughter, but the bond includes the grandfather as well, even from a distance. The cat is also very much part of the family and knows it is loved and appreciated. This is a great scene well captured! This photo reminds me of some I’ve seen by Mitchell Kanashkevich. If you are not familiar with his work you may want to check him out.
In addition to the lovely sentiment, the composition of this photo is awesome. The bright colors in diagonal with the darker background work well and lead our eyes to the people’s faces. Excellent! And happy holidays to you and yours.
Beautifully done, Derryl! Thank you to you and your wife for your service to the world! Blessings to you and yours!
I am grateful for a world full of amazing creatures whether found in a zoo, a sanctuary or in the wild, such as this New Zealand fur seal, that we can see and appreciate the splendour. This photo was taken on our recent holiday which included visiting this seal colony on the coast, southwest of Wellington NZ. We were able to get up close and personal – but at a safe “close” with our tour guide keeping an eye on things.
Settings: 1/640 s, f/8, ISO-500, lens MZ.75-300 @ 300mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1eeffe7444e97785efc6ec7efe9d7f66ef509827eeaa77800d1446d341fbe501.jpg
I love the look you’re getting! Nature is my favorite thing to photograph, whether it be animals, plants, or sunrise/sunset.
Thanks Rohn. Yes there is plenty to photograph in nature. I enjoy that too.
Rodney, Great photo … I love the way the seal is so relaxed and looking right at you.
Thanks Richard.
Wow! What an awesome portrait of this little flirt! Super cute with the focus being so sharp. Beautiful.
Thanks Deby
Great Capture Rodney ,I am going over in March to do the North Island ,did the south Island 18mths ago & saw heaps of seals .
Thanks Peter. I clearly saw about a dozen seals myself, although our guide said he could see 30 or more within a minute or so of arriving. Many blend in with the rocks and water.
Great capture Rodney! What a beautiful creature.
Thanks Chris. Yes. Beautiful.
Lovely capture.
Thanks Sara.
I am grateful for the Daughter that my Husband and I raised. She is an amazing young woman, full of compassion, empathy and a love for everyone. Her motto is “Gratitude is my Attitude”. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4c7eff17f16104d210775818b310afc48fb280b7033cd73e0bc5864d527e1595.jpg
Such a lovely photo, Ingrid. This looks like a cover shot for a magazine. Really nice.
Ingrid, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
This would make a beautiful greeting card. Well shot!
What a lovely representation of gratitude! There is no greater pleasure as a parent to realize the wonderful people our children grow up to be!
This is my 3rd and final post for this challenge “One Man Band” shot with my Sony FE 85 mm F 1.4 lens, 1/5000 sec, @ f /1.4, ISO 100. I’m grateful for all of the great photo ops that San Francisco has to offer. This man appears at our Farmers Market occasionally and was happy to let me take this photo . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0444a1ae49a732a95bb5128d317659b45953e7b9080469c9ac3e046349f8b8b9.jpg
My memories of San Francisco is it being a very vibrant city with an abundance of quirky characters. This gentleman is one of those characters and you have captured the quirkiness perfectly. I am grateful to all the individuals in the world who dare to be different and bring a little joy to the lives of strangers. Thankyou Richard for the image.
What a great idea, Richard! Such a festive and colorful image. I’m sure he will appreciate the photo you bring to him next time you see him. Merry Christmas!
Richard, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Great shot Richard! I spent the day in SF yesterday and there is so much to see and take pictures of. You nailed this!
Great shot Richard – it captures lots of character.
Wonderful job! He reminds me of Germany for some reason-must be the accordion.
My Last post for the Year of 2018, Just to wish everybody out there a very Merry Christmas & a safe Holiday period & please be kind to each other ,Happy Snapping , Peter . A picture of our 2018 Xmas Tree. PS . The Bird is for Brent ! Merry Christmas & many Thanks . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7ae33264214448921314683f7a80e016637840c28ca8e013b9e872e00433bd6f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db9d9a2994620b16fec0cb3816034cb8496b85c016df3176e890f8d968022e09.jpg
Such a gorgeous bird, Peter. I look forward to actually seeing a bird this beautiful one day. I just love birds. Merry Christmas to you.
thanks so much Deby .
Peter, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
thanks so much Christian.
WOW! The detail in that bird is amazing and the purple themed Christmas tree with the red wall is stunning as well!
thanks so much Chris ,hope you have a great Christmas break .
Wow Peter, brilliant shot of the Lorikeet! Love it.
Hi Kerrie ,Thank you ,I put the lorikeet for Brent because of his love for them .
Wonderful shots. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Same to you sara ,hope you have a great Christmas as well .
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Canon 70D, Sigma 35mm lens at f 1.6, ISO 3200, Shutter 1/200
This is my 3rd and final shot that I am squeezing in at the last minute. I just shot this about an hour ago.
This photo of my Grandparents was made in Klamath, CA USA where I grew up. I’m guessing this photo was taken around 1917?
My Great Grandparents came to the USA from Germany through Ellis Island, NY back in the early 1900’s (don’t have the exact date in front of me). They ended up on the other side of the USA (from NY) to the West Coast in Northern California. There they homesteaded a small farm which to raise dairy cattle to make a living. My grandfather, pictured here, married my grandmother (beside him) where they eventually ended up taking over the family diary farm. It was really hard work but they ended up raising their 3 boys who also helped out on the farm, my father being one of those little boys, of course! This was a very humble upbringing to say the least. My grandmother, and father, later taught me to work hard first, then have fun.
I am so grateful to have had such a wonderful Grandmother (my dad’s mother). She taught me so many important lessons in life; like helping others, giving to the needy, loving animals, using my imagination to it’s fullest and being polite to everyone we meet on our journey through life.
Sadly I didn’t get to know my Grandfather as he passed away shortly before I was born.
Wishing all of our Bootcampers a very Merry Christmas and safe and Happy New Year! Blessings!
Deby, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank you Christian. Much appreciated.
This was nicely done.
Thank you Janet.
A lovely picture and story Deby. Did you desaturate the colours? I like the use of just the green to offset the black and white photograph.
Thank you Tessa. Yes, I turned off all of the colors except for green to add a little color pop. I still don’t use LR or PS so I’m not good at the techie stuff. I went into Aurora HDR program and used the color sliders in there as I had tried this before and it worked. Merry Christmas!
Really lovely, Deby. The use of some colour is really effective. Well done.
Thank you very much, Kerrie.
Deby-what a great picture and frame! Lovely story also. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours! Blessings!
Thank you Sara! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too!
Brilliant Deby, love this image and the story behind it. The values you learned from your grandparents are noble and super important. I like the “using my imagination to it’s fullest” bit – which is all about creativity. Thanks for sharing. Brent
Thank you for your comments, Brent. Enjoy the Holidays.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/79ddf1ce456cd4a926d59828fec5761675c87b8775b5ffdbdc400f821286b19d.jpg As a final post for this month’s challenge of “Gratitude” I chose a photograph that I took this evening just after the sun set. The photo speaks to me about the small things, the everyday things, the things we often take for granted. These things that occur everyday, that we often overlook, when we take them into account can help us to reconnect with nature, with our loved ones and make a difference in our life and the life of others. Photograph taken along the Tennessee River just afternoon sunset as the color reflect on the calm waters. “Its just the little things…. ” Photo taken with Sony A7, 24-240 Sony Lens at 38mm, 30 seconds, f/25.0, ISO 50.
Eugene, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Beautiful photo Eugene. All the little things add up to a lot.
I see and feel so much beauty in this. Thank you.
Beautiful image. And thanks for reminding that we do need to be thankful for so much we take for granted.
Wonderful scene Eugene & love the mix of colours with the smooth effect of the water ,Well done .
Wonderful shot Eugene. The colors of the sky and reflection are magical. And the softness of the water gives me a feeling of peace and calm. I love the perspective too. Thanks for sharing this image. It is gorgeous!
Eugene, I second Jim Wheeler’s comments.
Oh, what lovely colors in this image. I so agree with your words above. Very beautiful image, indeed.
I love the colors & the starburst of the lights.
I am grateful for the time I have been given on this earth to enjoy God’s beauty that He surrounds us with each and every day, and the ability
to make photographs that I can share with others so they can see what I
see and hopefully convey what I feel. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b00810ee0ecfd9d95516cfaeccee83d5fac769b0b18c5ebce73ac6eec59480c.jpg
Very artistic Gary , it took a couple of seconds to figure it out as my eyes went to the Black pattern 1st & then I saw the leaves ,Great job
Gary, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
That is such a lovely photo!
Hi Gary, I love the way you’ve shown us time and beauty…you have conveyed it perfectly!
Great sentiment and creative way to show this. Love it in B&W too. Thank you for sharing. We are lucky.
Lovely picture Gary – you’ve captured great detail in the leaf veins and it certainly portrays your comments. Great in black and white.
Very creative Gary! Love the detail!
Really cool shot, Gary.
I do have so much to be thankful for, however, this is not a good time of the year for me and I’ll leave it at that. Forgive me for not commenting on any posts, but I did want to wish all of you, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Back with you next year.
( Please, no feedback. )
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Rachel, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Lovely photo Rachel! It’s a tough time of year for many, I understand.
Blessings to you Rachel!
Thanks for sharing this image with us Rachel. Been a challenging time for me too, wishing you a great new year. Brent
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.1/125; f/11; ISO 100 ; focal length 250. I am grateful for everything I have. Friends, my dog, and the beauty of the ocean. Among the rocks at the wayside are squirrels that hide in the rocks and come out when people have food for them. Here my friend Skip is feeding one my hand.
Lovely. Look at hat little paw. I too am grateful for squirrels, even the ones in my bird feeder.
IF my dog sees this photo he will come through the screen to get the little guy! Lovely nature shot.
Great capture!
This is so sweet Doris. I love those little critters, too. I just want to take them all home with me! Merry Christmas to you, your family and little Skippy.
Here is my only post for gratitude. All month I’ve been noting all the wonderful people, places and experiences that fill me with gratitude…so many, that I couldn’t settle on what I wanted to photograph! My family kept coming to the top of the list, so here we are below. My husband makes me laugh and encourages my artistic endeavours. My daughters are wonderful caring and strong young women who work hard while knowing how to have fun. I’m grateful for the beauty that surrounds us each and every day, and for all my Photo Bootcamp friends who share my interest in photography, and their thoughts and creations on this forum.
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Judy, great picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
I love this Judy! How lucky you are to have such a wonderful family. I’m so glad I have met you here in BootCamp. Always look forward to your photos and comments. Have a wonderful holiday!
I love the way you have depicted gratitude, Judy.. Awesome creativity and great shot.
What a lovely simple way to convey your thought Judy – another great shot!
I love the creative and simple way you’ve captured the unity of your family. Definitely feel the warm, heartfelt story you are trying to impart. Excellent work!
What a great way to represent gratitude!
Oh, Judy this is a beautiful shot along with the words about your family above. I really did get goosebumps while reading it. Have a wonderful Christmas with your family. Blessings to you!
Great sentiments put well Judy ,I hope that you & yours all have a fabulous Christmas & holiday break .
Judy, a lovely family photo and wonderful thoughts.
What an amazing image – it speaks volumes to me. Thanks for sharing and glad you’ve been noticing everything you’re grateful for, did it help? Brent
HI everyone. I have two more photos to share and will be doing so last minute. I have already shared a picture of my wonderful husband and now I am sharing a picture of my cat. It’s not the best picture but it captures her sweet face. This little cat was dumped out of a car when she was 5 weeks old. My husband found her and we went to the emergency vet and then took her home; she was supposed to stay for 2 weeks while we nursed her back to health but that was 12.5 years ago. She quickly became a furry family member and ingratiated herself with our other cats. She is the bossiest cat you will ever meet, lots of attitude. She will clean you if she thinks you need it. She will clean the other cats whether they want it or not. She will beg at the dinner table like a small dog. Three years ago she got sick and it was lymphoma but had many chemo treatments and has been in remission for 3 years! Great news. However, a month ago it was determined that while her lymphoma is under control, she is now in kidney failure. We don’t know how much time she has and we are trying to do everything to make sure she has a happy, comfortable life. I am telling you all this because I have been sad but am trying to remember that she had the best 12.5 years ever considering her very humble beginnings and enhanced our lives greatly by her furry presence. So yes, I am grateful for this cat who has made me laugh over the years and always brings me a (fake) mouse before she settles comfortably on my knees at night.
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And here’s her baby picture, a week after being dumped out of a car. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/de808949b3602904a63147aed764bf48727c57f4d38d9223d3c95e3b9532574b.jpg
Lovely shots of a gorgeous cat Chris! I do hope you have her with you for a while yet, but whatever happens you can be proud to have given her such a happy, long life.
Pets have wonderful effects on humans! Thank you for sharing.
What a gorgeous photo of your furry friend, and what a touching story you shared above. She is one lucky cat, for sure. Merry Christmas to you and your family. =^..^=
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My last post. I am grateful I live in California near enough to the coast that I can drive anytime and take great sunset pictures. This was taken at Pebble Beach on the 17 Mile Drive.
I am also so thankful I joined this great group. I appreciate all that I have learned and the new ideas I have gotten by seeing your photos. I thank you for the comments you have provided to me in the past. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and best wishes in 2019 for love, health, happiness and of course, continued photography!
Lovely sunset Chris. Yes it has been great being in BootCamp this year with the new things we have tried and the friendly encouragement from all involved.
Chris, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Gorgeous scene Chris ,anyone would be happy to put there name on that one ,great photo .
Thank you so much for your kind words Peter!
Beautiful sunset.
Hi Chris. What a beautiful image. I really like the silhouette of the tree, the color of the sunset and the reflection in the water. It is beautifully composed but I might consider cropping some off the top, bringing it down closer to the top of the tree. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the peacefulness this image depicts. I was born not to far from where you shot this and love to visit whenever I can. Just wish it weren’t so expensive to live there! Great job!!
Thank you Jim. Lucky you grew up in this beautiful area!
Just beautiful, Chris!
Thank you Kerrie!
Beautiful sunset! I would straighten the horizon. Well done-great colors. Best wishes to you as well.
Thanks for sharing this image with us Chris – yes you are lucky to live there. Like the tree in the foreground to give your image depth as well as that reflection off the water. Yes I’m grateful that you joined BootCamp too, thanks for all your postitive comments on so many images here. Brent
Thank you Brent!
Not a photo post. Having problems with my internet and phone line. Managed to get in this morning. So before it goes I want to say that the level of shots and postings have been extremely good. I am very impressed. I wish you all a very happy holiday season, good health and peace for 2019. For all of you that are travelling over this period stay safe and take your time. Remember better late than never. I look forward to seeing you all in 2019.
Thanks Denis – and to you too. Brent
Back at you Denis! I look forward to your shots in the new year.
My husband of 37 years. He supports me in everything I want to do. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/71fbaf58ac83576ded9f794fe1d8843104b1955ed0842c15141666ceb44808d5.jpg
Great shot! Thank you for sharing.
Janet, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Great portrait of your husband Janet – like how you’ve used a wide aperture (f/4) to blur the background – and how you’ve placed him off centre in your image. Thanks for sharing. Brent
I started this month’s challenge with good intentions and a bright idea for a shot, but so much has happened to me this month that I just haven’t managed to take the shot I wanted or be involved much – apologies! Like some others, I’m going to post a couple of last-minute pictures.
What I intended to do was to take a shot of my eyes, as the gift of sight is the most important sense to me. I get so much pleasure looking at the world around me and seeing small details, which I think is a large part of why I enjoy photography so much. Instead, I’m using an old picture of our male cat, Teddy. We have had a number of cats over the years, but the two we have at the moment – him and his sister Pip – have been with us the longest. I am very grateful that we still have them at the age of 15. This is a shot I took of him last year and, although the composition isn’t the best, it captures his gentle and soft nature (with us at least – he’s a bit of a bully to his sister!). I like the way he sort of melts into the background as he drifts off to sleep. Shot with a Tamron prime 90mm lens at 1/80 sec f2.8 ISO1600.
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I had that same idea of taking a photo of my eyes! Great minds, huh? Love your kitty picture. He is saying, darn paparazzi, leave the star alone. And that lens is nice to use on the boy. Nice job here.
Pets are the greatest!
Love that his eye is in focus – checking me out and he dozes off. Pets bring us all so much joy. Thanks for sharing. Brent
He’s a beautiful kitty Tessa.
Thanks Chris – and he knows it!
Just a couple of shots to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a wonderful 2019. Thanks everyone for the inspiring photographs and helpful and encouraging comments. This is a great group to be part of and I’m grateful to all of you for being there. This is a shot I took today with my new camera (for which I am also grateful) of our Christmas tree and a detail from it. I am so grateful that I have a safe, comfortable and happy home in which to spend Christmas. Taken using a tripod to get a long exposure so that the lights formed stars. Canon 24-105mm lens at 45mm 15 sec f/7.1 ISO 100.
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And a detail to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
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I love close ups on Christmas trees. Merry Christmas to you.
Lovely job!
Great tree Tessa & love the way you got the lights to sparkle
Tessa, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Today I’m grateful for the place I call home (Port Stephens, Australia) and the profession I chose to pursue 17 years ago. Photography has brought me so much joy and has truely opened up my eyes to the beauty that surrounds us all. This is an aerial panorama image (a stitch of 3 images) of Fingal Bay, taken on a commercial photo shoot for the holiday park in the foreground. I’ve just sold a copy of this image – to be printed large (bonus because I’ve now been paid twice). https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0780941724399aed72800a2e431af4ba54cbe8791da728926e48986b8f90e701.jpg Thanks for sharing all of your “gratitude” images and heartfelt descriptions and comments. Starting BootCamp and getting to know everyone here has been the highlight of my year! You all rock!!! Brent
Beautiful image Brent. What a gorgeous place to live. It reminds me of a resort I stayed at for my honeymoon on St. Lucia. I am grateful to you for setting Bootcamp up and giving me such a wonderful forum to share, learn about and work on my passion, photography. Not to mention all the inspiration I get from everyone here. Thank you!!
Thanks for those kind words Jim. Brent
This is just beautiful! This is the the most fun I bet any “boot camp” is.
Some other BootCamps are dam hard. This one is fun!
Great photo of this scenic place which I know well as we have stayed at that holiday park many times over the last 17 years or so we have been visiting the area. While I have many photos of the area I don’t have a photo from that position. I am grateful for you and BootCamp this year and for the fun we have had in each month’s challenges, enjoying everyone’s images and helpful positive comments, and improving our photography.
Thanks Rodney – glad you’re loving BootCamp too. Brent
Awesome Brent! This is soo good!
Yeah water is lovely today – just had a surf
The color of the water is mesmerizing! Not quite like that here! Thank you, it is a memorable gift to add to the many places I would like to visit. 🙂
Come visit – I’ll show you around. Brent
What a beautiful capture along with an amazing place to live! Congrats on the sales of this image! Excellent! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
So beautiful! I must get to Australia! We get similar water colors in glacial lakes in the mountains here in the US. But as I am in Minnesota, not the beautiful ocean views (or mountains). Awesome!
Maybe as an offshoot to bootcamp we could setup a register of bootcampers willing to host fellow bootcampers during their travels. Alot of the world is covered.
Haha! What a great idea!
Brent, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
Thank you Brent. So . . . how does one go about selling a photo? I have over 10,000 images stored in my photo library from over the past four years. The question I have so often is . . . for what? How can these images be shared to bless and encourage others?
I’m not actively promoting my images, it’s more word of mouth that people contact me for a print. I’ve done a heap of photography in my area and produced an A5 hardcover book which sold out a few years ago and that “positioning” book got me a lot of repeat business. I think the way to do it is to be out there in front of the public when they’re thinking about buying. When is someone most likely to buy a print and who is dealing with them at that moment? Go through those people. Brent
Ode to Bootcamp
I’ve traveled to a thousand lands
I’ve walked on distant shores
I’ve seen countless sunrises and sunsets
Yet, I always yearn for more
I’ve know indigenous people, I may never meet
Majestic animals, birds, dogs and cats
They make my life feel complete
How is this possible, you might ask…
Because I live freely and vicariously through your photographs!
Thank your all for your many grateful expressions!
So creative, Gina! Thank you!
You are so very welcome! My first poem ever 🙂
Wow Gina – awesome. Thanks. Brent
It is Brent, how I have always felt since I was a child. I was always an avid reader, books came alive for me. Likewise photography opens up the world to those of us who are willing to see it, to feel it and to appreciate it. I rarely look at an image without taking the time to closely examine practically every detail. Why? It allows me is to travel, to walk, to know, to feel and…live.
I also have been an avid reader since I was little. I echo your thoughts about photography.
Lovely!!! Thank you.
Thank you Sara, I believe this challenge began with a “penny for your thoughts”. I loved it!
Wow! Amazing! Thank you for those beautiful words
Gina, thanks for sharing your thought.
Gina, I love the pictures of words. Isn’t it great we get to share our worlds with each other not only through our photos but also our words. Thanks for sharing this.
I am most grateful for my wife, my best friend. She is everything to me. Along with her is our dog, whom has been with us since she was a year old. She’s now 12. I’d like to have been able to share a picture of my three kinds and their significant others, but we couldn’t get our schedules to work so my wife and our Bella Boo will have to do. Used my trusted 45mm prime, hand held with diffused speedlight @ 1/160, f/1.8, ISO 100.
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Wonderful!
Jim, good picture. Thanks for sharing your thought. Well done.
Jim, thanks for your thoughts and your lovely photo of the two of them enjoying a cuddle and each other’s company.
I also wanted to say that I’m grateful for where I work. I work for a winery in Northern California. It was started in 1883 and has been run by the same family ever since. I work with the 5th generation winegrower in the family. Pretty awesome. I was having a hard time getting a shot of the vineyards that I wanted, so I went with this one of the barrels instead. It’s a five image HDR shot, with a tripod (of course) at 58mm, 1/10 sec, f/4.0, ISO 100.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5c6459ded6c9c04066e4b6cdd56e5d4ef41082181079a1dd3df504ad756df5d6.jpg
Cool vantage point! Awesome!
Jim, I love this perspective! Are these actually full size wine barrels? I remember as a child my godparent’s had a wine cellar with a huge barrel of wine. (By the way, everything is huge when your 5 years old.) I will never forget the earthy, pungent smell. Red wine will always be my favorite!
Jim, good picture. Thanks for sharing your testimony. Well done.
I like your composition and those lines of barrels. A good and different view of the vineyard!
Dear all member, first of all, I would like to appologize to not participate more. I still need 1-2 month to recover from my back problems and that takes all my energy. That also means that I’m still not able to run around for news photos. I will run again in spring.
I would also like to thank all of you for your kind support. I appreciate.
So, for this challenge, I’ll use again an old photo. This photo is very imprtant for me and perfectly refflects this challenge.
In Thailand with a friend, I realized that she had a panic fear of elephants. I arranged with the boss of an elephant camp and rented a young male for the afternoon. Then I took my friend there. This incredible moment is the result after 2 hours of rapprochement. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4d8232e8546cce0767d7b7b1f8d487a8fa291454b177b80e0dbd229273141f7c.jpg
Jackie, good picture. Great to see still enjoying of your remembrance. Well done.
Thank you very much Christian. Wish you all the best for 2019
Jackie, this is such a powerful image. So much emotion, from your friend and that beautiful elephant.
Thank you very much kerrie. Wish you all the best for 2019
Jackie, an amazing image and the story to go with it.
Thank you very much Rodney. Wish you all the best for 2019
Surrendering fear to the power of an embrace…if only for a moment. I appreciate your choice to use B&W, it’s perfect and deeply moving. So rest up, we all look forward to your full recovery and the promise of new photos in the spring 🙂
Thank you very much Gina for your support. Wish you all the best for 2019
Working to overcome a fear is so difficult. What an amazing shot of overcoming a fear. Beautiful!
This . . . is powerful. It reminds me of the prophecy surrounding Christmas that when all things are made right, the lion will lay down with the lamb. The powerful and the weak will dwell in perfect harmony.
Thank you very much Derryl. Wish you all the best for 2019
What an amazing gift you gave your friend – and LOVE this image. It tell me so much. I also like how you’ve desaturated it to remove all colour distractions, focusing us on the expressions and body language. Good luck with your back – hope your energy recovers soon. Brent
Thank you very much Brent for your support. Wish you all the best for 2019
What an awesome photo! This takes my breath away. Really wonderful.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c431c33f6115adcf403835dfb68f85dea9ce82229a04b0a343ed2f510555290b.jpg
thank you very much 🙂
This photo made me cry. Love it.
For my last photo I am grateful for having the opportunities to be able to visit places near and far and see the beauty in our wonderful world. Here is a misty overcast photo of Akaroa Harbour in New Zealand’s South Island and while a sunny day would have provided a different view, I like the moodiness captured in this version of how we saw and experienced it on the day we visited. Thanks also to BootCamp and the encouragement of everyone, making me think more about location, position, lighting, composition and more and to try and make the most out of all the photo moments I encounter, creating images to enjoy.
Settings: 1/1250 sec, F/8, ISO-250 with lens 7.5mm (FF 15mm equiv.).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c044f1f0f14ac405a5829707fdb224497ec5c2974823c0fd3632d4c90ab7425b.jpg
I like your description of the misty, overcast sky as moody. Looks like perfect weather to enjoy clam chowder in a crusty bread bowl! : )
Thanks Gina. I haven’t had clam chowder but yes, the weather would suit a hot meal with crusty bread (as a bowl or otherwise). We simply had fish and chips. 😉
Lovely! I remember many days similar to this one in Ireland earlier this year. As much as I am a fan of the sun, I think I like these types of photos better. Well done.
Thanks Sara.
Yup . . . I love the way clouds dramatize any scene. Well done.
Thanks Derryl
LOVE this image Rodney – the way that boat shed draws me in using leading lines and cool colours with the rest of the scene more desaturated. Very moody! Also thanks for the kind words about BootCamp and everyone here. Brent
Thanks Brent. In post, I did locally add a touch of saturation, blue to the shed and green to the hills, to help it look like it I remember it did on the day.
Oh man, as this challenge ends, I am so torn between what I am more thankful for living in this amazing land . . . the mountains or the sea. So, may I break the rule just this once and post two photos at the same time? Both are 5 AM early morning shots . . . the first is freshly planted, flooded rice terraces in the mountains far to north in Thailand. The second is a fisherman just finishing a pre-dawn fishing venture 2,400 kilometers to the south on the coast of the Andaman Sea. Both represent the endless sweat, toil and love a mother and father invests into the caring for and nurturing of their family. Both represent the abundance our Creator has given to all people of this amazing home we call Earth. I am so thankful for the gift of life.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/edf5a532dc7363edf7d7036d1ed77ded53be2f850a10976702947536321adfd6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/524a7efd3efdee4134cfaa7b4d6ad04a3e796f658b5762984c57e881f24189a0.jpg
Darryl you have two great photos that support your lovely thoughts. I am not surprised that you couldn’t decide which one to post.
Hi Rodney. Yes, I love the clouds mixed with sun. Very special to take time to stop . . . . an look and appreciate. I appreciate your comments.
I appreciate your sentiments and expressions of thankfulness. Looks like it rains alot in beautiful Thailand! Another gift from up above 🙂
Haha! Yes, six months of the year it rains! We have to look past the horrible mold that grows on everything in the house and look beyond to the beauty beyond our problems.
Both are wonderful shots!
Thank you Sara. I just spend two hours in the forest tracking three huge gibbons flying around high up in the trees. Isn’t it great to be alive?!
Thanks for sharing Derryl – and yes go ahead and post 2, why not. You message resonates with me – the abundance of mother nature and life if we choose to focus on that. Brent
Very nice, I love the clouds & reflections of the first one!
An elderly woman in Trinidad Cuba smiling with gratitude for a bar of soap I handed her before asking her to take her picture. Soap is very scarce in Cuba and handing out small hotel bars was a great ice breaker when meeting Cubans. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47c8ad339c0447acf350be1e25a8a6029d23fd6b39f5de3481edd0b828a6a2c1.jpg
Wonderful shot!
Thank you
Wow, love the story this image tells, with those deep lines in her face and that expression. Great tip – give before asking! Can you tell us a little more about the settings you used here? Brent
Thank you. “Give before asking” – I like that. My setup and settings were as follows:
NIKON D750
AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
ISO 250
FOCAL LENGTH 70.0 mm
APERTURE f/8
This challenge in now closed – well done everyone! Did it change the way you look at things around you? We’re going to aim to publish this BootCamp magazine with the top images and comments from this challenge around Christmas time. Wish us luck. Brent
To all members, I wish you all the best for 2019 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c431c33f6115adcf403835dfb68f85dea9ce82229a04b0a343ed2f510555290b.jpg
Same to you Jackie!
You too Jackie
Brent I feel that this challenge has changed the way we look at each other within the BootCamp community. So much diversity, we are multicultural, face similar challenges, share many of the same values, and we are grateful. 🙂
Agree – I’m so impressed by how open everyone is, sharing very personal things (me included). Brent