50mm lens – Leah Wise

thanksgiving in the valley

December 20, 2014Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, bokeh, canon eos rebel xs, dinner, dog photo, family, landscape photography, november, shenandoah valley, snow, thanksgiving, virginiaLeave a comment

We spent Thanksgiving at my stepmother-in-law’s house in the Shenandoah Valley. Daniel’s dad grew up in this area, so he took my sister-in-law and I on a walk down to the river. The town was quiet, blanketed in fresh snow.

At about this point on the walk, I realized I couldn’t feel my toes.

They have a lovely dog I enjoyed petting while we waited for the turkey to finish cooking. Donna, the aforementioned stepmother-in-law, makes delicious brussels sprouts with bacon, which I greedily ate with a heaping mound of mashed potatoes.

Easter still life

April 21, 2014Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, canon eos rebel, coffee, easter, ethereal, golden hour, hot coffee, steam, steam in sunlight, teacup1 Comment

I have never been more pleased with a photograph. Steam rises from a hot cup of coffee in the late afternoon sun on Easter. I had the most pleasant day yesterday; it couldn’t have been lovelier. Cool breeze, hot sun, open windows, exposed wood beams, a home cooked meal, and good conversation.

I leave you with a verse from one of my favorite Easter songs, Now the Green Blade Riseth:

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

one word photo challenge: green

February 18, 2014February 18, 2014Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, bare limbs, bush, canon eos, digital rebel xs, green, instagram, macro, one word photo challenge, rain drops, snow, tree1 Comment

Though spring hasn’t yet taken hold of the landscape, there’s still plenty of green to be found. My instagram photo was taken out the kitchen window on the morning of Snowpocalypse 2014. I took the digital photograph later the same day; the temperature had warmed enough to melt the first snow, but more snow fell rapidly within the hour and blanketed bare limbs once again.

week(s) in photos

February 15, 2013February 15, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, butterfly mount, canon eos rebel xs, daffodil, leah wise photography, macro, madewell shirt, photography, pixie cut, red hair, skeleton key, tea, the black apple art, tulips, wall art, watermark, zoom lensLeave a comment

Photographing things to sell on ebay
Attempting to capture steam on a cool day
Skeleton key necklace for sale at Water Lily Thrift
Cut and dyed my hair
Tulips for Valentine’s Day
Daffodil in bloom
Testing my new watermark
New wall art arrangement

wishing you a…

February 14, 2013February 14, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, bud, canon eos rebel xs, flower, greeting, photography, spring, stem, valentine's day, yellow2 Comments

A mysterious plump bud sprouted out from the ground several weeks ago. Today it revealed a vibrant yellow daffodil (thanks for identifying it for me, Gillian)!

by a different route

January 23, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, canon eos rebel xs, clear, crisp, landscape, nature, neighborhood, photography, stars, virginia, walk, winter3 Comments

or, Why Walks are the Best

After taking Daniel to school on Monday afternoon, I looked about me on the drive home and realized suddenly that it was a beautiful day. We had about a week and a half of weird, dreary weather; it messed with my mood – everything felt stagnant. But Monday was cold and dry and crisp. The winter sun was at its brightest and the leaves and houses shone with its glaring light. I walked, this time, by a different route and felt refreshed. And at night, I looked up and saw Orion as clearly as if it were beaming out from a constellation chart.

Enjoy the winter light while it lasts.

by the creek at golden hour

January 7, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, adventure, charlottesville, creek, golden hour, nature, outdoor, park, photography, virginia3 Comments

When our original plans of visiting a nearby park were dashed, we simply ventured over to another one. It wasn’t much for looks until the sun started pooling at that magic golden hour angle in the sky. Daniel found a beaten down pathway across the creek and we had a brief but satisfying outdoor adventure.

good morning

January 6, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, bouquet, breakfast, canon eos rebel xs, coffee, croissant, flowers, grocery, mason jar, mums, photography, still life, trader joes2 Comments

Picked up a bouquet of white and yellow mums and a box of chocolate croissants from Trader Joe’s on Friday. Enjoying them both – and the light streaming in from our wood-framed window – this morning.

The first week of 2013 was wonderful and the second one is off to a good start.

Beanie Boo’s Tiny Adventure

December 26, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, adventure, beanie boo, canon, canon eos rebel xs, cat, photography, stuffed animal, ty, virginia7 Comments

Beanie Boo travels out of doors for the first time. Images captured with my new 50mm lens.

Beanie Boo traveled from a distant land in a big, brown crate to bring Christmas cheer to all in her new household. She journeyed out into the big world for the first time on Christmas day. First stop, the ledge by the door for a cautious look at her surroundings.

She saw blossoming bushes

and outstretched fronds.

She tentatively climbed a tree. At first she felt exultant, but then she realized she couldn’t get down by herself. A friendly passerby assisted her.

She journeyed on through the yard and happened upon tiny pine cones.

She saw acorns hanging from a twig high above the ground.

She stopped to rest by some gnarled vines

then chewed on the tall grasses.

What a wonderful adventure!

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2012December 25, 2012Posted in newsTagged 50mm lens, beanie baby, beanie boo, bokeh, canon, cat, christmas, shallow dofLeave a comment

shallow dof

December 10, 2012Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, blur, bokeh, canon eos rebel xs, canon rebel, depth of field, dof, landscape, macro, nature, neighborhood, photography, shallow5 Comments

When my sister was in town, I discussed with her how I’d really like to achieve a better bokeh effect by purchasing a 50mm lens. A photography major, she scolded me promptly, telling me that achieving a shallow depth of field had everything to do with knowing how to adjust manual settings, not with buying more equipment. Although I was a bit embarrassed by the chastisement, I knew she meant well. And she was right. Too many wannabe photographers (like myself) think better equipment will automatically equal a better photo. All the while, we fail to take advantage of all the specifications and adjustments our fancy-schmancy cameras already provide. I read up on dof, then tinkered around with my camera outside until it started to rain. I’m pleased with these first attempts at achieving shallow dof.