What is the blue hour you may ask?

Well it is the time just before sunrise and just after sunset, when the sun is just below the horizon, giving out cooler tones, hence the name.

In this example I give you the blue hour when we had weather to contend with. The weather is not always going to be good, so make the best of your situation.  I must admit the clouds were the star of this show.

Today is silhouette day!  I hope you have some fun with it.  When you photograph a darker subject against a brighter background, you magically produce a silhouette.  

Here are a few tips for achieving this effect:

1. Place or hide the sun behind your subject
2. If possible, shoot during the golden hour (sunsets and sunrises are perfect)
3. Shoot against a light source (windows and open doors are excellent for this)
4. Use artificial light but hide it behind your subject 
5. Boost your silhoutte in post-processing
6. Have fun

Fresh as a daisy. Farm Fresh. Fresh Air. 

Fresh Out. Baked Fresh. Fresh Picked. 

Fresh Faced. Funky Fresh. Refresh.

What's fresh in your world? 

How about trying a little panning today.  Panning is a way to create speed around a moving object, in this case, a car.  The goal is to keep the car in focus while the background is blurred.    To create this effect use a slow shutter speed.  As you press the shutter on your camera move the camera horizontally following the car as it moves through the frame.  If your camera has Image Stablilization (IS), turn it off.  For the photo above I used a shutter speed of 1/60.  Your shutter speed will depend on how fast the subject is moving so experiment and see what works for you.  

If panning doesn't fit into your day today keep it simple and photograph any type of car that you might come across throughout your day.

It's My World day! Summer is finally here in Virginia and the pool has opened just in time for the first heat wave. How about you? What is June looking like in your world? You can be in the photo or not--the choice is yours!

What does "run" mean to you?  Until a few years ago, for me, it never meant literally to run.  That changed when I found a purpose outside of myself and began running for St. Jude in honor of a close friend whose nephew was diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 5.  Until then run meant a mad dash between appointments, or cake icing that didn't set correctly, or, going way back, the dreaded run in stockings.

What does "run" look like to you today?

So you can go with the obvious for this prompt, or like me in this example you can go for the mouth of a cave, or a tunnel, or a river.

Let us see what you can come up with today?

Think a little out of the box today....   You can hold something, hold onto something, put something on hold. My granddaughter was holding on tight while climbing the rock wall.

"Growing" refers to the process of becoming greater or larger over a period of time. It can also mean to produce through cultivation or to become more advanced or developed.

Do you have a growing collection of treasures from your travels, a windowsill full of plants, a library full of your favorite reads, or maybe you're cultivating a garden? 

Today is macro Monday so get in close and see what surprises you can find.  Sometimes when you get in close, you'll see things that you wouldn't have noticed from further away.  

I was out photographing flowers when I was surprised to see this bee doing it's thing.  Using my macro lens I was able to capture the fine details of the bee.  You can even see the pollen on the bee!

Show us what surprises you find when you get in close today.

What's in your bag?

What bag you ask?  Any bag! What's in your purse, or your camera bag, or your tote bags, or your laundry bag, or your lunch bag?  We want to see the contents!  Show and tell.

I often get asked about packing. I can pack a lot of stuff for a trip. Packing cubes help!

They are wild.  They are loud.  They are sometimes annoying.  And they are one of the greatest sources of joy in my life.  I love watching these guys find joy in their days.  It brings me joy to watch my daughter raise her boys.  And there is joy in knowing that I am not on duty 24/7; grandparenting is so much easier than parenting!!!

I am thankful that we all can find joy in the simple things like spending an afternoon playing in the backyard.

What, where, or who fills your life with simple joys?

An overexposed image is technically speaking, an image that has a loss of details in its highlights.  The result can be a washed-out image and the brightest area become totally white.

Overexposure happens when your settings in your camera are "off".  Maybe your shutter speed is too slow, your ISO is too high, or your aperture is too wide open.  Underexposure happens when the opposite happens and the image is too dark.

But, when you think about it, is a personal choice what the correct exposure is. I personally like slightly overexposed.

What are you going to take a photo of today that is overexposed.

Let’s look for a face today, but not a real live face. An image of a face! It might be an advertisement, on some packaging, a book or magazine cover, or on a billboard! 

While thrifting, I found this vintage 1968 sewing pattern and loved the Ken-doll guy being very 60’s with his pipe! (I'd also love to know how the pattern made it from Kansas to Virginia!)

What will you find? Keep your eyes open--always--and enjoy the hunt!

What is rust?  (I asked my husband for the 'short answer' which is never his way!) Basically rust occurs when iron or iron alloys are exposed to oxygen and moisture over an extended period of time.  The oxygen combines with the metal thus forming a new compound known as rust. That's the science part....now lets do the artitstic part!

I love rust!  I am constantly seeking it out and have a rather alarming collection of rusted treasures.  

Today seek out some rusty goodness and show us what you find.

Today is quite simple.  Find something that starts with the letter A and photograph it.  Or you can find a letter A and photograph that.  It's your choice!

I chose to photograph a few airplanes as they flew by.  These are our Canadian Forces Snowbirds.  They are a military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force.  It's always a treat when you get a chance to see them perform.

Remember the Photographer rule "when you see red, photograph it?" Today is that day! Look for red and show us what you find!

An odd-numbered group of things makes for good visual impact. I saw this collection of men’s periwigs in the living history museum and was attracted by the simplicity of the display on its plain background. My eye could focus on the unusual subject without distracting elements vying for attention.

Today, take on the challenge. Group 3, 5, or 7 similar things for your photo. Place them on a simple background and play with the arrangement. Shoot from different angles while you’re at it. Which one do you think was the most interesting? If you want, post additional shots in the Comments and ask for feedback. It’s a great way to improve your craft.

So today's prompt is Flat Lay. It may not be everyone's favourite sort of photography, but it doesn't harm to give it a go now and again.

Here I have just used the blueberries that are in season, which I had frozen.  I picked some mint to add a pop of colour and using a dark background really helped to tie it altogether.

Think about the surface that you are using for your flat lay. Make sure that it suits the main subject of your photo!

It's so hard to narrow down "what I'm reading," since it seems as though I'm always reading something, and have been my entire life. But here's a shocking statistic: About 48 million adults in the U.S. read at or below a 3rd-grade level -- that's about one in six adults! (Data courtesy of my employer, proliteracy.org.) Today, try to take a picture of something important to you that you can't imagine NOT being able to read — a warning label, a recipe, instructions, traffic signs ... anything where you take literacy for granted.

"She wore an itsy bitsy, teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini"

Today is all about the polka dot!  There are so many great things that rock the dot!  Marc Jacobs once famously said, "I don't think there is ever a wrong time for a polka dot".

Find the right time today to seek out some dots and lets polka!

It's selfie day! What a treat! 

Hands....   Probably the most used part of our body! Our hands can be young and smooth; old and weathered; clean or dirty; manicured or not. Today, you can photograph your hands or someone else's. 

The example photo is just Hubby and I being silly using our hands to show emotion.

So many things in life happen in the blink of an eye.  It is easy to miss both big and small changes if your turn away for even a split second.

When you sit and watch the sun set, you realize just how quickly it sinks from a big ball in the sky to faint remnants of light resting below the horizon line.  If you have time this evening, take a few quiet moments (It doesn't take many.) and watch the sun set.  Photograph a moment that speaks to you. 

 If this doesn't work in your schedule keep your eyes open for the many other moments during your day that could be easily missed.

Come on England!

So some of you will know that the European Football Cup is on at the moment! If you support a team, you could use some food to create your flag. Cherries are in season so all good here ... I get to eat them afterwards.

Otherwise you can use any food that you want to create some art.  I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

In an earlier century, colorful buildings were more commonplace, but the Bauhaus movement of the 1930s did away with that. (Pity.) So you may have to get creative with this prompt. Is there a Victorian structure near you? Or that neighbor who went against all the codes with their door color? We’ll be interested to see what you come up with!

To be loved deeply and sincerely is to be well loved.  What do you have or what can you find that  qualifies for this definition.  It might be an old doll or teddy bear, a blanket, a piece of clothing, jewelery or furniture or anything that has stood the test of time and is still meaniningful in your life.  For me it is my 1965 red convertible VW bug!  She is looked after well, but her age does sometimes contribute to needing some extra TLC.

Today, you are on a quest to find ruffle edges. These edges can be frilly and flouncy, pleated and lacy, or decorative and ornate. 

Keep an eye out because you might be surprised where you spot them, like in this simple planter at the Arboretum.

Today is a blank canvas for which all of the other prompts have prepared you.

Keep your eyes open and have fun!

As the summer heat rises, I have to get my runs in early.  The motivation for that is knowing that breakfast and coffee are waiting for me when I get home!

Where are you standing today?