2010 Daily Photos

Post 771 12.31.10 Coffee and breakfast out with Steve this morning... a nice way to end 2010.. Thank you to Dr. Andrew Fingeret of my office for a lovely gift certificate to enjoy this breakfast! Wishing you all peace in the world, peace of mind, good health and much happiness for 2011...It has been a joy to be part of this community for the last 3+ years... I look forward to participating in the new year and be inspired by your talent and infectious enthusiasm for this great passion of photography we share.. Peace to all~

Post 770 12.30.10 A happy pup on an icy day... This little guy was lovin' the camera. I couldn't believe how he came up to me and sat and smiled just like that. Perfect time for me to snap..! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your wonderful comments on yesterday's shot of boy vs. duck... You really boosted my photo ego! Happy New Year to all of you and on to 2011!!!

Post 769 12.29.10 NOooooo!!! I said hit the puck, not the duck!!! Today was a half day at work and I had my camera with me so I could stop at Yardley, PA's local frozen pond...aka Lake Afton. I really haven't spent much time watching kids on ice and seeing them there with parents ( and local paper photographer) I thought this was a great winter photo op..it was. I actually had moved over to where some people were eating lunch to get a shot of the whole flock of ducks and geese marching over toward the food when this little boy skated over and 'ruined' my shot, but as I stood there I tried to get some action shots anyway and got this one..he did NOT hit the duck by the way, just looks like it here! I find that I am not really engaged in white on white snow shots, but do enjoy the bright contrast of color against the white..this was fun. I hope the pond will offer more photo opportunities. Thank you all for your comments the last couple of days as I try to get back into more of a daily shoot and post routine. I miss it and I feel my shooting has been a bit stale from not shooting more frequently...I don't have a lot of time to post the comments I would like, but have been browsing when I can and make a few comments and a lot of thumbs up..you are ALL inspiring me to get back into the daily routine..your photos are so wonderful, creative and motivatings! Thank you to ALL of you for that!!!

Post 768 12.28.10 My favorite model on call for a snowy day photo shoot... Just had to share this pic, too.. I love the light back there in the woods for portraits. Thanks Steve for always being so agreeable to have your pic taken!

Post 767 12.27.10 Steve showing off how high he could jump in the snow! It was fun..we have a neat area in back of where we live where there are sort of stage sets. We took a little snow hike there and enjoyed taking some pics this afternoon. He is such a good sport! :) Thanks so much for your comments on Baby Amelia..she is a beauty. It was so much fun to have time with a baby...!

Post 766 12.26.10 Baby Amelia - a change of pace from editing my travel pictures. I had the fun of meeting this little doll baby who was born while we were on our trip in November. She is just over 6 weeks old now and a really beautiful baby...such big blue eyes and copper colored hair..it will be fun to take pictures of her as she grows up! If you would like to see more of her I have put up a gallery AMELIA Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on the photos I have posted from our trip to Europe and the MIddle East. Believe it or not I still have more to edit and post from Paris.. right now..it is snowy and cold outside and I am going to take a nap! Enjoy your day and stay warm all of you in the path of this big snowstorm..it is a biggie!

Poat 765 12.23.10 A view of an Istanbul wholesaler (sp?) surrounded by an inventory of shoes for sale. We were fascinated by the wholesale shoes and clothing districts in Istanbul. There was an area that was incredibly glitzy with fancy window displays. The streets rivaled Fashion Ave in NYC...it was interesting that the faces of the people walking on those streets were different..many buyers from Russia who were buying their goods to ship home. I have now finished my "SNAPSHOTS" of our trip to Istanbul, Turkey...I make a point of that as this is our vacation gallery so there are shots that were sort of fuzzy or not terribly interesting unless you were there..memories for us, but new sights to share if you are interested in wading through our vacation pics! They can be found Istanbul, Turkey

Post 764 12.19.10 The Blue Mosque at sunset in Istanbul, Turkey. Slowly I am editing and posting my photos to their respective galleries from our trip this fall. I have been stalled for some reason to work on them and to take more photos now that I am back home. Not sure why. Anyway...I have been adding to the galleries slowly. Thank you so very, very much for your helpful comments on the question I posed about cropping my image of the young cliff diver at Akko, Israel. ( the last daily I posted before this one) I did take your advice and edited it in the gallery. You can see it here:http://www.photosbyhillary.com/Travel/International/Israel-2010/14707354_fpPNx#1122624965_DPU9A

Post 763 11.10.10 Young cliff diver at the edge of the Meditteranean Sea at the ancient port of AKKO ( aka Acre) in Israel. We were there for part of our fall vacation in NOvember ( I am reallly, really slow editing all these photos). There were 2 young boys diving off these cliffs. I saw one dive, then waited as long as I could to catch another, but they just stood instead of diving again. Loved the silhouettes in the late afternoon sun. ** What do YOU think? Should I crop out the light or does it give balance to the image? I'm not sure...

Post 762 11.28.10 I had to try a little copycat photo.... First of all, thank you all so very much for your unbelievable reception to yesterday's post of my shot with John Bennet.. thank you so much for your enthusiastic comments. It was a great day and I am truly very fortunate to have taken the trip and been able to meet John and spend time together. It was a great day.. In this shot I just had to try a little of the sepia treatment John often uses when photographing his amazing town..those were VERY steep streets and walking on cobblestones is not always so easy, but I loved every step...it was all so familiar from the photos he has posted over the last few years.. and I felt a bit like I was walking in a dream..it was so familiar, but all so new. It is an amazingly beautiful, old and charming town... Incredible history and John was a wonderful and informative tour guide every step of the way!!! Thank you all again for your kind comments..it really was wonderful to share it with you all..

Post 761 11.27.10 Playing Catchup... Finally, time to process photos from the trip Steve and I took this fall. This picture was taken by my son Andrew of John Bennet and me with his beloved, often photographed, LIncoln Cathedral in the background. It was such a joy to spend the afternoon with John, to talk, walk the familiar streets and do some photography, too, along the way. I feel so fortunate that I have made friends through the SmugMug dailies over the last 3 years that I have been a member and that I have been able to meet many in person has really been so special! I know I have not been as active the last year, but I keep popping in, clicking thumbs up and comments when I can. Thanks to all of you who check in on me, too, here and there..it is always greatly appreciated!

Post 760 11.21.10 A fun evening with friends singing "Doo-wop Karaoke'... A last minute invitation to share some food, fun and friends was the recipe for a great night.

Post 759 11.19.10 A special rendevous with another Daily family SmugMugger. This photo was taken by my son Andrew when we met with Virginia Bonesteel and her husband Charles in Paris, France. Virginia is a long time member of the Daily community and has been a huge inspiration to me with her wonderful images of street photography in Boston and Paris. This was a perfect start to what was one of our very best trips ever. Thank you all for your comments on the shots I was able to post with my iPhone while away. That was great fun to be able to post in 'real time'.. See Virginia's work at 'Two Cities Photography' here on SmugMug (I hope this all posts as I have had a terrible time getting a caption on this image this morning..just won't take)

Post 758 12.09.10 a view from the bridge when we crossed 'The Golden Horn'. It is a bridge spanning the two European sides of Istanbul. We did not get to the Asian side. Tomorrow we return to Paris and some more time with our son before returning home. Thank you again for taking time for sharing my photo diary of our trip.

Post 747 11.08.10 Ayasofya Mosque - Istanbul, Turkey (iPhone pic SOOC) Thank you all for your wonderful comments in the photos I have been able to share!! Greatly appreciated!!!

Post 746 11.7.10 Good morning from Istanbul, Turkey. Simple accommodations $45/ night with million dollar views! SOOC iPhone!!!

Post 745 11.05.10 Jerusalem, Israel - The Shrine of the Book. Location of the Dead Sea Scrolls near The Israel Museum. We are enjoying a fabulous trip. Friends and sights and all good things. Shalom to all!!!

Post 744 10.27.10 A quick shot with Mt iPhone as Steve backs out the car for us to leave on vacation. Slight crop with tweak of contrast and saturation in Photogene app and uploaded with SmugShot app! I'm sure the leaves will be gone soon, so glad I could capture this right in front of our building! I'll post along the way if I can!!! Happy Halloween everybody!

Post 743 10.26.10 Finally a glimpse of fall.. a tree near my work.. Love these colors!!! I will be away for a few weeks and though I have not been regular in the dailies of late, I will post when I can, if I can while away, but in the meantime....Happy days to you all and thank you so much for so warmly and graciously commenting on my work when I do post. It really means so much! :)

Post 742. 10.25.10 Not quite Fall colors. I have not had much time to go out photographing the beautiful leaves, but saw these painted boarded up windows while walking in Philly yesterday and shot them with my iPhone. Happy Birthday to my son Sam and Mother-in-law today! Busy birthday time of year!!!

Post 741 10.24.10 Okay..last Raul Malo shot...I'm working on finishing the editing the gallery from the last show today so thought I would add one more to the Dailies. Thanks for indulging me! Thank you, too, for all the wonderful comments yesterday on a few of my shots from the last week or two. I was so surprised, but pleased at your warmth and praise for my shots of President Obama. Funny, when I first posted it on the 17th I was a little disappointed to only get 2 comments and sort of have it disappear from the dailies, but I figured that since I have not been on the dailies much recently and there are so many new people that maybe it just wasn't noticed. It is probably the picture I am most proud of for many reasons...so, to get the recognition from you all yesterday it really was so gratifying. Thank you all!!! Have a good week..we will be traveling starting Wednesday so I probably will not get much time to post until our return! Until then...keep shooting!!!

Post 740... 10.23.10 This one is for you LadyKate ... Thank you for introducing me to RM in the first place. He is really a pleasure to watch and hear...a true talent and gracious person. For those of you who are not familiar with his music I was able to upload a video I took at the concern of one of my most favorite of his songs being played. If you are interested you can see it here: Raul Malo singing Every Little Thing

Post 739 10.22.10 Another opportunity to hear the wonderful Raul Malo in person. Steve and I spend Monday night at the World Cafe Live enjoying this man's wonderful voice and musical talents with his full band. Great evening with a very gracious performer....loved being able to shoot at the foot of the stage, too! The low light really made it hard to get sharp shots, but I thought the sepia treatment made it work....

Post 738 10.18.10 2010 7th Annual HealthLink Golf Tournament HealthLink is a wonderful medical and dental clinic near me that serves the working uninsured of this area. It is a great facility that keeps going only by the generous grace of many doctors, dentists, nurses and assistants... I volunteered there last year as a dental hygienist, but have more recently been volunteering by offering my photography skills rather than my skills in the dental clinic. Last Friday I spent about 10 hours from brunch, to golf course through dinner to document their annual golf tournament. It was great fun and a chance to help them promote their good work!

Post 737 10.17.10 A week after the last picture I posted from the Sestak for Senate campaign rally in Philadelphia I got a call ASKING ME if I could cover the rally the next day in Germantown..a section of Philly. I had been planning to go anyway, but this was so cool. They got me a press pass and I was able to stand with media from literally all over the world and have an amazing view and access to the event. This was one of my favorite shots of the day. Truly, a thrill!!! I know it has been a week since this shot was taken, but it has been an incredibly busy time for me. I don't think it will calm down for awhile either. We leave on the 27th for a really special trip to see our son in Paris and some other various spots so I will have lots of photography to share after we return. I miss the routine of the "Dailies", but I will just have to continue to comment and post when I can..

Post 736 10.6.10 Another shot from Sunday's rally for Joe Sestak for Senate. This was a quiet moment for a father with his daughter. They enjoyed a short run after Joe finished his speech and greeted the crowd and on the way back up the path they stopped to chat with a woman and her dog. Lovely moment in the middle of campaign craziness.....

Post 735 10.5.10 A shot from Sunday's rally for Congressman Sestak. I am so often cropping in tight and though I love really getting in close I sometimes miss the message of the scene. This was a fun shot of Admiral Sestak standing on the silde line with his daughter while his wife Susan spoke to introduce him. I loved the group scene, especially with the "William Penn' character standing in support along side Congressman Sestak. Did you know William Penn's father was an admiral, too?

Post 734 10.4.10 Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter speaking last Sunday afternoon at Independence Mall in support of Democratic Senatorial candidate Joe Sestak.. It was a fun rally with lots of support for Congressman Sestak. I love these public photo ops! Still have a lot of pics to edit, but should have some more to share in the next few days! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on the shots of my great nephews. It was so much fun...too bad they live so very far away!

Post 733 10.02.10 The brothers together... first born, second born....recognize a pattern? These are my great nephews, Logan and Sawyer. They are wonderful little boys and this was my first opportunity to meet the 'little brother' Sawyer. He is now two...he was a ball of energy and constantly in motion. At least with this shot he was sort of still...just doing his own thing! Soooo cute!

Post 732 10.1.10 How does a cookie this small make such a big mess? This is my great nephew enjoying his mini oreo snack. My reunion was great, but I also was thrilled to have some time with family there, especially my great nephews! Mmmm, they loved their treats! Thank you for your coments on my shot of the Catalina Mountains from my trip home to Tucson.... I was surprised to see that many of you had been to Tucson before. It really is a different life there in the desert!

Post 731 Tucson, AZ - My hometown...I was there last weekend for my high school reunion ( '4th 10 year reunion' as they called it!) It was just a wonderful few days in every way...This view of course was a special treat as it is the view of the Catalina mountains from the center of town..great memories of the past and new memories to savor of a weekend shared with some wonderful friends.

Post 730 9.23.10 Remember Chad and Jeremy? Here they are! We had an opportunity to hear them in concert at a nearby small theater and it was terriffic... Their voices were great and their chit chat on stage was really fun. I have been really overloaded with work and photography and just have not had time to post.. I occasionally come to the dailies and flip through your wonderful work and click lots of thumbs up when I can and occasionally leave a comment, but it really had been tough to take the time I would like. I am up early for a flight to Tucson for my 40th reunion..or 4th, 10th reunion as they have been calling it! OMG!!!.... I can't believe how old I am! I hope you are all well and I'll try and get back to the dailiies more when I can! Hugs to all of you!!!

Post 729 9.6.10 My 2nd of 2 today...Why??? Just because.... :) I had breakfast today with Deb of "Larkphoto" who posed that terrific 'reading photo' challenge. Wow., there were some fabulous shots posted. I admit that I got busy and forgot, but today I took a shot of her at Panera where we met and though she is not 'Reading" your pictures and comments in this image...we really were doing it! Those of you who posted to her challenge you really had some awesome images... Deb had a great idea..very creative and inspiring!

Post 728 9.6.10 (post 1 of 2) My younger son Sam took that walk over the Ben Franklin Bridge with us Saturday and was good enough to let me take a pic of him... Not usual to hang out on this bridge for photo ops...glad I could take this one!

Post 727 9.5.10 A view of Philadelphia from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Walking from Philadelphia to Camden, NJ on the bridge was really quite thrilling...a bonus for a fun day! Have a good Labor Day holiday everyone!

Post 726 9.4,10 Flug Tag....This was a first for us to see... poor Phillie Phanatic had to have his head taken off and MLB cried copyright infringement or something!....The word on the side of his added black shirt are "censored"..in case you can't read it.. Fun event from the Camden New Jersey Water front. This shot was taken from the Ben Franklin Bridge.. we walked over from Philly to Camden on the bridge.that was an outing on its own!

Post 725 9.3.10 Can you see it? Another Philadelphia Wall Mural... I love these amazing works of art. There is a walking tour of Philly wall murals..I must go on it one of these days... It would be great to know the stories behind many of the murals that are around the city!

Post 724 9.2.10 Like, but not like yesterday's post.... This was a wonderful mural in Center City Philadelphia...I adore wall art! Thank you all for your wonderful comments the last few days...I really am motivated and energized with my photography getting back into a somewhat more regular routine of posting daily... I may not shoot daily, but I am posting and looking at my photos as well as yours each day and it really has me fired up more and more.. Wishing everyone a safe and fun weekend... !

Post 723 9.1.10 A simple shot of simplicity! I was at a stoplight on the way home and looked up to see the birds on the line...grabbed my camera and as some started to fly away this is what I snapped.. Slight contrast adjustment, but otherwise SOOC.

Post 722 8.31.10.... A rather common sort of shot, but it was such a treat. We never havev Starbucks frozen treats, but we had been out and walking in the heat and decided to indulge.....Orange Mango Vivianno for Steve and Light Caramel Frappacino for me.... MMMmmmmm, the little bit of whipped cream really made it special!

Post 721 8.31.10 Can you see what this is? Can you follow the path??? We were in Philly on Sunday...this was a shot through the fence..can't wait until I have time to go back and enter this place to really take a look.. Here is the website if you want to better understand this photo... http://www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org/

Post 720 8.30.10 A late afternoon walk at the Spring Lake, NJ boardwalk with my friend... I have seen others capture these shadow images, but never really had one that caught my eye...I loved the slimming effect of the late afternoon sun, that is for sure. (I am posting this a day late as I had problems with my Internet connection last night..I will post again tonight after work for today...I'm trying to keep up with The Dailies on a more daily basis! )

Post 719 8.29.10 Something new for me to do... These are aluminum rings linked in patterns of chain mail..like ancient suits of armor that a young friend of mine makes and sells. He asked me if I would photograph the jewelry for him to post on his website.. a new challenge in how to display them for showing them off as well as capture them with bright full color exposures. This is the beginning.. They are great earrings, by the way.. I always get compliments on the ones I wear..they don't fall off and they are very light to wear... I'll post the website when I know it as I am sure he would love to spread the word! Have a good Sunday everyone and thank you so much for your recent comments and welcome back after having been MIA so much in the last months!

Post 718 8.28.10 You think this guy wanted a bite off my plate while I was eating yesterday? He sure kept staring at me for the whole time I was there...

Post 717 8.27.10 The season is still going on... We spent the afternoon with friends today and drove to the Jersey Shore at Spring Lakes for an early dinner, a walk on the boardwalk, then some ice cream. When we first arrived at our friends home the fellow was very eager to show off the ball he caught earlier this year when he went to see the Phillies play and was there early for batting practice... a photo op for me, of course!

Post 716 8.26.10 Another view from inside the car...The duck was to my side and this was my view straight ahead while sitting in my car. Pretty little lake, but not good to get out in the rain when I have to go back to work after! Have a good day all...thanks for your comments on my fluffy headed duck yesterday!

Post 715 A fancy duck at the local pond! Love the little 'headdress' thing he has going on! In trying to get back into more of a daily routine I headed out to the local pond on my lunch break to eat... it started to rain a little so I stayed in the car, but fortunately this guy was taking a break from the water and sitting out with his friends on the parking lot... Nice that he sat still and posed for me! Thank you all for your recent comments as I try to get consistent again. I have so enjoyed browsing through the dailies again and commenting more than I had for a long time..Your work is incredible and I am humbled and honored by your compliments and the time you take for me I'm also inspired by you to shoot more and shoot better...Thank you all so much...I love being part of this community!!!