Gravestones, Butterflies, and Soup!

Photographs are taking an ever-more important place in my life; perhaps they are in yours as well. I'm talking about photographs that I've taken of events, people, and scenes in my life--for better or worse, they are the "proof of life" for me.

Four things have led to this increased documentation: 1) my husband bought me a great camera for Christmas in 2009; 2) my son, Jesse, has a similar camera and shares tips with me; 3) I began attending a workshop once a month where several women get together to work on scrapbooks and talk photos and family; 4) there is so much to see in the world and I want to remember the scenes, events, and people who are so important to me.

I now take photos on my Canon Rebel, iPhone, a small Cannon Powershot that I keep in my purse, and a Diana+ camera. When we go on vacation, I want to take them all! The room I save by bringing my books on an e-reader is now lost to cameras… hmmmm….

Anyway, this morning I went through and picked out a few of my favorite photos thus far this year. They aren't necessarily the best photos, but they are the ones that have meaning for me. Here they are with short descriptions…

In February, Jesse visited and, when out for a drive, we stopped at a small cemetery that held the remains of soldiers of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War. It was very meaningful to me to take photos there with my son. Later in the year, I joined ancestry.com and began researching our family history. This has been a wonderful project, full of interesting surprises.

In 2010, Mark and I ate at L'Albatross in University Circle area of Cleveland, Ohio. I had squash soup and it was the best soup I'd ever had in my whole life. So delicious that at the performance of the Cleveland Orchestra later that night, I kept thinking about the soup. I longed to have more! So, this past February I found a recipe and made squash soup and, yes, it was every bit as good. This was also during Jesse's visit and he advised me to take photos of food from the side, a little above the side, rather than straight down. It was a very helpful tip!

Jesse recommended Joe McNally's book to me, and I purchased LIFE Guide to Digital Photography and learned to adjust the F-stop and ISO settings, and turn off the flash. I also got better at setting up the tripod.

I love trees and luckily have scores of them nearby to look at and photograph. I liked the thinner trunk winding against this stronger trunk, and the photo looks better in black and white.

On a very cold March day, this little bird waited patiently for his turn at the bird feeder. After taking several blurry photos, I broke down and got out the tripod and told myself I just must use it straight away next time, and get quick at setting it up, like those soldiers who can assemble their rifles in a few seconds!

Another tree photo: I love the way the branches look like lace against the sky. This is my favorite tree in our yard.

Before the leaves returned to our trees, we went to New Orleans. I had recently learned I could take photos from the plane! Here is one using the "fish eye" option on the Powershot.

One of my favorite photos from New Orleans. I can look at this and immediately remember everything about being at Cafe Du Monde!

In New Orleans I purchased several toy horses. I love the way they look here on the hotel windowsill.

In Cleveland, near Beachwood, we stopped at sunrise to get gas. I like the emptiness of the scene above.

Just before spring, one of my favorite local restaurants burnt to the ground: The Coffee Cup, in Nelsonville, Ohio. It had been around for decades. These dishes sat outside for many weeks and I stopped one day and took a photo.

Our parrot, Gracie, loves to watch soccer. We had a great time watching the Women's World Cup this year.

Twice a month I pass through central Ohio where the land is quite flat and dotted with these huge pylons. I've taken photos of them in many seasons. A friend on Facebook asked for pylon photos from around the world for a boy who collects them. I sent this one. I then learned that there are many people who are enthusiastic about pylons. Who knew?!
I love to take photos of trees. This photo means something special to me because it is one offshoot of a much larger tree, which fell recently during a storm. That's why there are so few branches on the near side of this trunk; the other tree was right there. This tree still stands, hopeful and flexible. I also read "A Widow's Story" by Joyce Carol Oates this year and this tree reminds me of her.

I learned from Jesse and Kim Austin about the Hipstamatic app for iPhone. Here is a photo, above, of Mary B's in Parkersburg, WV.

I also learned that when I can't get the camera to do something I want it to do, that I likely haven't learned enough about the settings, such as the sports setting. It enabled me to capture this butterfly's fast moving wings. I was so entranced with the many photos I took of her, that it was only yesterday I realized she is injured; part of her left wing is missing!

The photo above was taken on my last drive across central Ohio on an overcast Saturday morning. There are still 4 months left to the year, and many more photos to take!

Have a great weekend,

Janice

All photos copyright 2011 by Janice Phelps Williams. All rights reserved.

The Endearing Katydid

One afternoon last week, Mark said there was a katydid on the sliding glass door in his office. Well, it took no convincing at all for me to leave the fascinating world of small publishing to investigate a large bug that masquerades as a green leaf. Little did I know, how endearing this little creature would seem to be.

I grabbed my "big" camera, a Canon EOS Digital Rebel (nothing fancy to you photographers out there, I'm sure, but the best camera I've ever owned…I am in love with it), and scuttled into "Shakes, Shivers, and Dithers' " domain, parking myself on the floor in front of the glass.

Katydid had no idea she was there to teach me the finer points of the "M" setting on my camera and how to use f-stop and ISO more effectively, without losing my cool. There was no way to get what I wanted without fussing extensively with the settings, and then when I did get the light right (what did people do before digital cameras?) I had issues with the focus. And then I remembered the manual focus switch near the lens, which my son, Jesse, had shown me on his last visit. (I wish I'd remembered that a week earlier when trying to get a good shot of a spider web…)

(Photo 1) Here you can see Katydid and her (or his?) shadow. I like how you can see her wings and how much they resemble a green leaf. From what I've read, I think this is a young katydid because the back legs are not that long in relationship to the length of her body. Maybe this is why she was not at all afraid of me…I continued to snap photos...

(Photo 2) When I figured out the right setting, I got the background (above) dark and I started to see the incredible detail in Katydid's underside.

(Photo 3) Later, I took one of the full body shots and enlarged it on my computer. Voila, a portrait!

(Photo 4) When I saw the photo above on my monitor, I thought Katydid definitely shows some talent for acting. This looks like a pose from "A Chorus Line."

(Photo 5) This is my very favorite photo of all…. the happy katydid.

I ended up taking 76 photos in all, over a period of about 15-25 minutes (I lost track of time). Twelve of them came out pretty well. (see settings below)

The most incredible part of this surprise experience, to me, was how I felt…as if this creature was happy to connect with me, to show me her stuff, to stay there while I looked at her, a big black camera in front of my own face; while her's was so open and friendly.

The next morning, I woke up early as usual and went into the family room and there on the wall, near the ceiling, was a katydid. "How did you get in here?" I asked. She was still sleeping.

I left the light off and the two little dogs snoring happily on the couch; then after the sun rose, grabbed a plastic container and transported my favorite bug outside. "You need to be out here with all the trees," I said, as she flew out and floated to the ground. I hope she found her way back into the woods.

I purchased a children's book: "The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs" by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards. Here's what I learned:

• Grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are all members of the same order of insects: Orthoptera.
• Insects in this order go through "incomplete metamorphasis."
• Adult katydids can fly and jump, like grasshoppers, but also they can sing the unmistakable Katy-did-Katy-didn't song (during summer months).
• On rare occasions, they are bright pink.

Photo 1: ISO 1600 55 mm f/5.6 1/500

Photo 2: ISO 1600 55 mm f/5.6 1/400

Photo 3: ISO 1600 55mm f/5.6 1/160

Photo 4: ISO 1600 55mm f/5.6 1/100

Photo 5: ISO 1600 55mm f/5.6 1/100

Photos copyright 2011 by Janice Phelps Williams

Pets and Language

Jackie, December 2009

The following post originally appeared online in 2004. I'm pairing it now with some photographs of the wonderful dogs (and birds) in my family's life. Enjoy!

The media is all abuzz about new science findings regarding dogs who "are much smarter than scientists have thought." Thousands of dollars of research might have been saved, had they spent anytime at my home, or observing the lives of many of my friends who also have dogs. Here's what I could have told scientists, for free:

1. Dogs know when you are happy, sad, busy, angry, worried, ill, and in love.
2. They know when you mean it, don't mean it, aren't sure if you mean it, and are consulting dog behavior books to find out if you should mean it.
3. Dogs know that exercise is good for you.
4. Dogs know that high-protein diets make them happier.
5. They can find their way around the neighborhood and communicate with the neighbors.
6. They understand that mail comes six days a week and sometimes what's in the mail is worth yelling about it.
7. Dogs realize that fashion isn't important.
8. Dogs are comfortable with all their body parts and the body parts of those they love.
9. Dogs are not afraid of other dogs bigger than themselves. In fact, the smaller the dog, I've found, the more emphatic they are to express their bravery.
10. Dogs can tell who is naughty and who is nice.

Those of us who love animals are glad they are finally getting the respect they deserve.

My sister Joyce with Susie, circa 1974. Susie was my wonderful pet through junior high and high school. She died when I was in college. (Photo by Woodrow Phelps)

My mother with her dog, Brownie, circa 1936.

"The Best Dog in the World," Buster. Buster was a rescued dog from the Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton, Florida. He was the dog my sons grew up with. 1991 - 2003

Tyler, 2011.

My sister, Joan, has two very smart African grey parrots. Koby, 2008.

Beautiful Maximillian pionus Gracie, 2010.

Note: You can view a rather silly video on YouTube of Gracie taking a shower at THIS LINK.

Pretty Girl Farley, was Mark's dog until we married. Now she's mine too. She is so cuddly and soft, fast and smart as can be. This past year she had major knee surgery, but she's doing well now. Farley was a rescued dog and a real gem! Below, is a drawing I did of Farley shortly after we met.

Goffins cockatoo, Bailey. Sadly, she died in 2006, a few weeks after I received a contract to write "Open Your Heart with Pets: Mastering Life through Love of Animals" (Dreamtime Publishing, 2007).

Bailey helping my son Bryce with a puzzle.

This handsome 30-something Amazon parrot is Jake. Jake was a rescued parrot who now lives a happy life of retirement in North Carolina. Jake was the parrot with a dozen "Hellos!" (Bored "hello" for when the phone rang. Friendly "hello" for when someone new visited. Seductive, think Joey on "Friends", "helllloooo..." for if I ever walked up to his cage half-dressed.)

Here I am with my first dog, Joey, in the early 1960s. (Photo by Woodrow Phelps)

Do not dismiss the humble teddy bear hamster as a pet. Timmy spent most of his life in a cage, but loved to sit on my knee and watch television. His short life ended in 2001. (Photo by Sonja Beal)

Above is the last photo taken of our Pomeranian Sable who died in 2004 at age 13. Before she became ill, Sable had long fur and looked like a little black bear. She drew curious glances when riding around town in my car.

Dogs with dark faces are difficult to photograph. This photo was taken by my sister Joyce and is of her dog Oscar. Oscar died not too long ago and Joyce rescued Hayley, a big dog who now enjoys a good home and keeps our mother company during the day. (See photo below by Joyce Phelps).

Animals are not just a part of my personal life, but of my work life as well…

From Still Her Spirit Sings by Robert W. Kurkela. Bob's loving dog Spirit was mostly black, but I altered his appearance a bit to fit the format of the book. I came to love the character of Spirit after working with Bob and Kidzpoetz Publishing on this book.

Above and below are drawings from They Called Me Beautiful. (I self-published the retelling of the classic story Beautiful Joe with illustrations under a pen name.) Above, you can see the children who rescued Joe from the hands of a cruel master. Below is Joe's friend, Dandy.

All photos on this page, unless otherwise noted, copyright by Janice Phelps Williams. All rights reserved.

New Orleans: People and Animals

Well, this brings me to my last post on our trip to New Orleans...sigh. Have you enjoyed seeing glimpses of it as much as I've enjoyed telling you about it? I hope so.

Here are the various posts on our trip:

1) Wonderful Food and Restaurants
2) The French Quarter and Street Bands
3) The Garden District
4) Shopping, Books, and Miscellaneous
5) People and Animals

I want to share with you a few photos of people and animals. I realized that while it is easier and I am more drawn to take photos of buildings and landscapes and beautiful trees that, as a writer, it would be good for me to spend more time looking at people. How they are dressed. How they hold themselves. How they interact with others. What does their body language say? This new travel camera Mark gave me has a "discreet" setting (no flash and no "click"). I found that in crowds no one is really paying attention to me; I can get some good photos.


In one case, where musicians were involved, I felt hesitant to draw close for the photo I wanted (and couldn't get at night using the zoom feature...I had to be close). But then I realized that musicians who play on sidewalks in tourist centers probably aren't worried about having their photo taken.

The photo at the top of this post was taken while we were sitting at Cafe Du Monde. A group of uniform-clad schoolkids was milling about and this young lady on the left and her posture were interesting to me. I wondered what sort of books she liked to read. Would she like Lucky Press's latest YA novel, My Beginning? (By Melissa Kline) She sat on the bench a while, then got up and these young men came in and sat down and I loved their posture.

Here is my guy at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse.


I loved the view from our table into the kitchen at Emeril's. Here is a waiter, waiting.



The photo below was another taken while we were sitting at Cafe Du Monde. It is the second photo I snapped of this scene. The first one was from my seat. Then I stood up so I could get their photographer in my picture. I call this "The Back of the Photo."


Here, below, is a couple I found interesting. I think of that saying about how people who are married a long time can start to look like each other. Something about these two says they have been together a while.



SWITCHING NOW TO ANIMALS . . .

The following photo was taken in the Garden District. I was walking along a fence looking for the perfect shot of the "house" beyond. The house is in quotation marks because it wasn't a home but a private girls' school. Then I noticed this little guy and thought of my son, Jesse, who loved these when he was a boy in Florida.


Having left our three dogs (Farley, Tyler, and Jackie) back in Ohio, we were happy to see many dogs during our trip to New Orleans. It seems a very dog-friendly city. Here are a few canine friends.







When our plane pulled into the gate in New Orleans, I snapped this photo of an airport employee waiting on the tarmac.



When we took a mule-drawn carriage ride around the French Quarter, I snapped our reflection in a shop window.



Not a photo of a person, actually but close enough, methinks, for this last photo from New Orleans. Thank you for joining me!