Cindi Ressler Photography

Chains

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

So I have been playing around with my some new software Silver Efex Pro 2 and Topaz Adjust 5. It is a slow process, but I am learning. I really want to step my photos up a notch without over doing it. I find myself getting so involved with editing that I am neglecting other things I should be doing. Then I tell myself, show season doesn't start until June. So I have lots of time to improve on my skills. So I look to you my cyber friends to let me know how I am doing. Good, bad or otherwise any and all comments and suggestions are helpful. After all we are artists and we should be used to critiques. So let me have it!

So the top photo......I first went into Topaz Adjust 5 and tweeked the details, then went to Silver Efex Pro 2, did some more tweeking, but I feel like something is missing.

The bottom photo I just used Topaz Adjust 5.

I'm really not sure which photo I like better. What do you think?

Green Heron

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

This beautiful Green Heron (Butorides virescens) was seen sitting among the mangroves at the Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary on Sanibel Island, Florida.

So What Do You Think?

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

So what do you think? I recently purchased Topaz Adjust 5 and it is giving me so much insight on some great features, which are helping me with alot of photos I was having difficulty with, but what I was most interested in was HDR. I know I still have a ton to learn and there are other software that are better suited for HDR processing, but I wanted to try it to see if I liked it first. I did post this photo earlier this year "In a Daze" take a look to see the difference.
I would appreciate your comments and or suggestions.
Have a great weekend!

Roseatte Spoonbill

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Spoonbill

What a fascinating bird, while watching this bird it would move it's head side to side skimming the water for food. As you can see they have beautiful pink and white plumage and what about that red eye! I photographed this Spoonbill at the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive on Merritt Island in Florida.

Liquid Silver

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is actually a photograph of a Harbor Master's boat reflecting off the harbor in Belfast, Maine.

Construction Abstract

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think I will end this week with 1 more construction shot. This is the same site in Seattle as yesterday's post. Construction sites are a great place to get some really cool shots. Unfortunately there aren't too many here in Maine.

Have a safe and festive weekend!

See you in the New Year!

Super Stud

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Is There a Super Stud in your Life?

When I was in Seattle I came across a construction site and I saw this Super Stud Beam and couldn't resist.

Itsy Bitsy Spider......

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Spider

I found this little guy among my Lilac leaves, pulled out the macro and clicked away. I tried to identify this spider, but I started getting creeped out on the bug website. If anyone knows please let me know.

Wire Basket in Snow

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Wire Basket in Snow

I love the simplicity of this photograph. One of many photographed in my backyard. There are lots to photograph in your own backyard, you just have to know where to look. Take a look in your backyard.

Brown Anole

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Brown Anole

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!

This little guy is a Brown Anole who is basking in the sun near Englewood Beach, Florida.

Brown Pelican

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Brown Pelican

This Brown Pelican was photographed on Sanibel Island, Florida at the Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary.

It's Snowing, But Not in December

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

American Goldfinch

Well it is snowing here in Maine.....If this was October 2010.....Yes we did have snow on Halloween and again on Thanksgiving this year, but as with many other states who would have snow by now we also do not. It will come.......maybe

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Rockland Lobster Trap Christmas Tree

The world's largest lobster trap tree! Since 2003 local volunteers of Rockland, Maine have been building this lobster trap tree which consists of 152 lobster traps each weighing 40 pounds, 450 feet of garland and 125 lobster buoys that represent local lobstering families. The tree stands 30 feet tall with a 5 foot fiberglass lobster to finish off this beauty of a Christmas tree.

I was hoping for some snow when I went to photograph this tree this past Sunday night, but instead I got freezing temperatures of about 12 degrees! It was freezing, but well worth it. I hope we get some snow before they take down the tree otherwise I will have to wait until next year for the snow covered tree.

Merry Christmas...

Happy Holidays...

Season Greetings to all!

Be safe and well!

Chick Chick Chickadee

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Black-capped Chickadee

I enjoy these darling little Chickadees when they come to my feeder. As they say "Chickadee dee dee dee". I always know when they are around. They frequent my feeder mostly in the winter time.

Sunrise on the Atlantic

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sunrise on the Atlantic

Early morning in Maine watching the fishing boat leaving the harbor for the day. This was taken near the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

2011-11-21T09:43:00.001-05:00

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

Lubec, Maine

I have to say I wasn't quite sure if I liked this photo,which looks alot like a painting. Although everytime I look at it I like it more and more. What are your thoughts?

Paper Kite Butterfly

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Idea leuconoe

This fragile beauty is known as the "Paper Kite Butterfly" or "Rice Paper Butterfly", because of it's beautiful delicate black and white wings. I photographed this Paper Kite Butterfly at the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Garden in Deerfield, Mass.

Well one more show to complete my show season. It is the United Maine Craftsmen 37th Annual Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show at the Brewer Auditorium, Brewer Maine. After that show and the holidays I will be working on all my projects that have been put on hold. Winter is a good time to do lots of projects!

Mocker Swallowtail

2011-11-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

Papilio dardanus

This butterfly has an unique quality about it. It is called the "Mocker Swallowtail" because the females mimics at least 14 inedible butterflies. She is truely a master of protective disguise. This African butterfly is also known as the "Flying Handkerchief", not really sure why except it might look like a handkerchief in flight. The males look very different from the females and they do not possess the ability to change their appearance. The photo above is a male. This beauty was photographed on my adventure to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Garden in Deerfield, Mass.

Lisiathus

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

I came across this beautiful Lisiathus when I was at The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. I had done an Art Show there this past summer and was told about the gardens. Which I in turned returned back to photograph. It was a beautiful setting over looking the harbor. Unfortunately those photos didn't turn out too well, but I did get lots of flowers, which I will be adding to my website throughout the next couple of months.

The Lisiathus is an annual flower great for borders, containers and beds. It requires full sun and grows1-3 feet tall. It is drought tolerant, easy to grow and makes a great cut flower. I have seen them in whites, pinks and of course the purple.

Hey while your checking out this beautiful Lisiathus on my website, take a moment to check out more new photos I have added.

Let The Sunshine In!

2011-10-21T10:13:00.002-04:00

How many ways can you photograph a sunflower? For me I love my sunflowers to be bold and bright, but I found my sunflowers becoming too similar. So when I shot this one I wasn't sure at first if I liked it or not, but the more I look at it the more I like the high key shot. Now I have to try a low key. Trying to get different perspectives on sunflowers is a good thing.

Rockland Harbor

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Rockland Harbor is one of my favorite places in Maine. This harbor is both a fishing harbor and for sailing boats. Rockland is also the home the the famous Maine Lobster Festival that occurs every summer in August. I photograph this location often and every time I get a different perspective.

For this photo I used Flypaper Textures. Giving the photo a little bit of that history feel.

Color or Black & White

2011-10-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

I had recently been to Port Clyde, Maine to photograph the Marshall Point Lighthouse. I am looking for you opinions. Should this photo be color or black & white. Also I would like to know. If a photo looks good in both color and black & white. Would you add them both to the website or just one.

Marshall Point Lighthouse--I used Nik Silver Efex pro 2

I used Nik Color Efex pro 4

I am still in the experimental stage, but I am liking the Nik Silver Efex pro 2 and the Color Efex pro 4.

So please what are your thoughts.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

2011-09-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

Blue Morpho Butterfly

The Blue Morpho can be found in the tropical rainforests of Latin Amercia from Mexico to Columbia.

They are severely threatened due to deforestation of the tropcial rainforests.

I found this one at The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in Deerfield, Mass. It was so cool to wander around with all these butterflies fluttering around me. I even had one land on my camera lens. It was so peaceful and relaxing. I got there on a weekday and when they first opened. It took quite a while to capture this little beauty on film. They were constantly moving around and I had to watch constantly where I was stepping as not to step on one that was on the walkway. It was hard to keep up with them, but so much fun!

Have a Great Weekend!

The Dragons of the Insect World

2011-09-29T17:45:00.000-04:00

Dragonflies are very interesting insects. They are a challenge to photograph especially the very large ones, which I have yet to get. The Autumn Meadowhawk are quite easy to photograph, because there are so many and sit still long enough to get a photograph.

Autumn Meadowhawk

This Four-Spotted Skimmer are easier to photograph in the morning when they haven't had a chance to warm up yet. I have also nicknamed this photo "Darwin", because it reminds me of Charles Darwin and the photos he had.

Four-Spotted Skimmer

Yet another Skimmer this one is a "Twelve-Spotted". They too are easiest when photographed in the morning. They look very similar to the "Eight-Spotted" (as was pointed out to me) and could also be mistaken for the "Common Whitetail".

Twelve-Spotted Skimmer

I want to thank the folks at BugGuide.net. I go to this sight to ID all my bugs. I have to say sometimes it gets dare right buggie! Sorry, had to do it.

On another note. The first half of my show season is over and I can now get back to business. Office business that is. I was really starting to wonder if this was going to be a good season. Since last year was really bad, but I will say the first few shows wasn't looking so good either, but my August shows proved to be way better! My faith has been restored! I still have about 4 or 5 shows left to do this year. I am very pleased that my "Photo Art" is doing so well (which includes textures and hand coloring and hopefully (next year) some HDR). I think I have found my niche(s) in my photography. As I develop my niches more, you will see more changes in my photography, my presentation and so much more. I am excited about next year. I expect to be doing many more shows and my booth display will be getting a facelift.

As for the cookie business, well not so good. I added another farmers market this year, and that should have brought my sales way up, but instead I am just breaking even. Which isn't good. I also found myself spending so much more time (4 days) being devoted to The BlackHorse Cookie Company and so little time (1 maybe 2 days to prepare for the next show which would be the next weekend) for Cindi Ressler Photography. My cookies are becoming more of a job and not a passion. It isn't much fun anymore either. So after careful thought and doing the pros and cons of it all The BlackHorse Cookie Company will ceased to exist as of December 31,2011.

It's a little sad, but at the same time I will be able to devote all of my time promoting and selling my photography. My true "Passion"!

You know as I writing this I am actually crying, because I put everything I have into The BlackHorse Cookie Company and to see it fail is very hard. But I must move on and I can honestly say I tried!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Our Newest Family Member!

2011-09-23T07:30:00.005-04:00

Saturday Mom and I went to the grand opening of the Silver Willow Gallery where I have some photography. The Gallery was supporting a local organization Forgotten Felines who are dedicated to educating the public about feral, stray, homeless and abandoned cats and providing access to low-cost spay/neuter services and helping to get them into adoptable homes like mind.

Which is where we found who was at the time named Olive. Who was pretty quiet at the time and now has proven differently.

So meet Maggie.....

She is about 4 1/2 months old and is a medium long hair tabby. She is very sweet and eats with vigor and a purr, she is feisty and has no problem defending herself from Dexter who is now her older brother. Dexter is giving her a run for her money. Keeping an almost constant eye on her. There is about a year between them. I am hoping he will ease up on her and just be her big brother. She is more curious than he is and she likes to explore high places. Unlike Dexter who sticks close to the ground. Dexter is an awesome mouser, which is why we got him in the first place, but I don't think Maggie will ever find how good she can be, because Dexter chased them all away. They have pretty different cat personalities and maybe different enough to balance each other out. I actually caught them sleeping on the same dog bed together.

Oh I should point out that she is handling the dogs quite well with that infamous black cat raised back and hiss. Which is slowly starting to go away. Except for Blu who has those ice blue eyes which can be intimidating at times. The dogs are doing ok with her. No problems there.

Here is a recent photo of Dexter

Have a great weekend and enjoy your pets!

Gillette's Castle coming soon.

Speaking of Insect How About a Caterpillar

2011-09-16T07:30:00.003-04:00

Do you feel like your being watched? Look at all those eyes!

This is a TomatoHorn Worm.

Most gardeners have experienced this caterpillar at one point or another when growing tomatoes.

These Tomatohorn Worms can do quite a bit of damage to any tomato garden. If you see one on your tomato plant squash it! If you don't mind that mushy feeling.

I actually fine them quite interesting looking, but I wouldn't touch one of these large (3" to 4") mushy feeling critters! icky!

Have a great weekend and watch for the Assassin next week!

Flower Power Friday!

2011-08-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

Beautiful, bright, happy Sunflowers are this weeks flower!

Sunflowers are a wonderful flower to have in any garden. You sow them once and they will return for years, though not as abundant as the first year.

They attract birds and bees from all around.

I make sure I have sunflowers in my garden every year. Next year I will plant a new crop of sunflowers and try some new varieties.

I generally let the sunflowers die off in the garden as they will provide a constant food source for the birds.

This weekend I will be heading to Connecticut for the The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival. This is my first year doing this festival. I am also going to The Buttonwood Sunflower Farm to photograph some sunflowers. They also sell ice cream which I am looking forward to trying. I love ice cream any time of year! So photographing fields of sunflowers and eating ice cream what could be better!

Until next time

Have a great weekend!
Coming Soon. My adventures to Gillette's Castle.

Flower Power Friday!

2011-07-29T13:44:00.001-04:00

This week's featured flower is the Queen Anne's Lace!

First I would like to apologize for missing so many weeks of Flower Power Friday. I have been busy with shows and farmers markets. I have some down time and plan on catching up before the next wave of activity kicks in!

I love Queen Anne's Lace! I realize that here in the U.S. it can be an invasive plant and is known as a weed, but I think it is quite lovely. This flower can be found just about any were from the meadows to the cities.

The Queen Anne's Lace is a member of the Parsley family and is sometimes known as a wild carrot, though it isn't edible.

I enjoy photographing this flower from the bottom and top of the flower. It is beautiful all the way around!

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Have a great week!

Flower Power Friday!

2011-07-01T07:00:00.048-04:00

This weeks flower is the Daisy!

There are so many varieties of daisies out there, colored daisies, Shasta daisies, double bloom daisies and so many more. I grow Shasta Daisies and I also have wild daisies growing in the meadow.

They are super easy to grow. They are in a word "simply beautiful". They are also great for "he love me, he not."

I do want to take a moment and apologized for my lack of blogging, tweeting and facebooking. This time of year until September are very busy weeks for me. With my 2 businesses The BlackHorse Cookie Company and my photography are both keeping me on my toes and trying to stay a little ahead, but unfortunately not enough to maintain my social media outlets. Hang with me and I will do my best to keep in touch.

Thanks & Have a Great Summer!

Flower Power Friday!

2011-06-10T07:35:00.003-04:00

Today's featured flower are Irises!

The first photo is the Yellow Siberian Iris.

I have been growing these Irises for a couple of years now. I have the dark purple version too. Right now it is budding and will be blooming in the next few days. At which point I will be out with the camera photographing. These are pretty hardy plant. Mine grow in full sun. These grow in what I would call a clump and it seems to get a little bigger every year.

The next several photos are all German Bearded Irises.

This photo was taken this year.

I just started growing these last year. I did get a few blooms and that was great. This year the plants had doubled in size. They too grow in full sun. They grow from rhizomes (type of bulb) and you can see the rhizome just on the ground surface which is okay, they like it that way.

You might have seen this abstract of the German Bearded Iris before. It was the first photo I posted when I started "Flower Power Friday."

This German Bearded Iris was photographed this year too.

I also have a dark blue and a dark red German Bearded Irises. The blue will be blooming in the next few days and the red looks like probably next week.

In a Daze!

2011-06-07T15:01:00.001-04:00

The past few weeks have been really crazy! Between 3 farmers markets, baking cookies, getting ready for photography shows, yard work, office work, social media, meetings, making travel plans for the end of this month and getting ready for a visit from my sister and my nieces (who I haven't seen in over 5 years) I am slightly overwhelmed! And I don't even have kids, but I do have dogs and a cat. I have been trying real hard to organize my time so I can do it all and still have me time. I am trying to stay 1 step ahead, but it isn't working. So what am I to do? Stop....breathe and start again.....slowly. It can all be done, I just have to figure out how.

Okay so I grab the camera and go shooting! That will help clear my head. I have been practicing my landscapes. I took this photo Saturday and I love it! What do you think of it?

I also wanted to update you on my backyard birds. Bird activity has been kinda quiet. Yesterday I did notice the Eastern Bluebird is back checking out the other birdhouse. As I had mentioned previously the Tree Swallows have moved into one of the houses (eastern exposure) and they for a long time would chase away any birds that might be interested in the other birdhouse, but yesterday the Eastern Bluebird was back hanging around the house all day and part of today. The Tree Swallows just watch the Eastern Bluebird as he/she became comfortable in the house. So the possibility of having a Tree Swallow and Eastern Bluebird fledglings are good. But as always time will tell. Hopefully I can get better shots of both birds.

Well please hang with me as I try to get organized and get back on track.

Have a great day!

Flower Power Friday!

2011-06-03T07:30:00.001-04:00

This weeks flower is the beautiful Peony.

The Peony is one of my favorite all time flowers. They have big blooms (3-5 inches) and are beautiful in bouquets or arrangements and some smell fabulous! These flowers are often used in bridal bouquets.

They come in a variety of colors and blossom types. I have mostly pinks and whites, but there are also corals, bright pinks, yellows and even a lime green. Their blossom types a varied too, from double blooms, singles, semi-doubles and one they call the bomb, it is a single bloom with a mini double in the center. If you are a Peony lover check out Klehm's Song Sparrow Perennials. They have a huge selection of Peonies and a ton of information.

Peonies are relatively easy to grow. The best time to plant or transplant Peonies are in the Fall. They well reseed themselves if you don't deadhead the flowers. Which was a surprise to me. I didn't deadhead one year and the next year I had dozens of new peonies. They won't flower for a year or two. In fact this year out of those first dozen, the few that I transplanted are showing buds this year. I am curious to see what color and blossom types I will get. They like sunny to partial sunny areas. They do better is cooler climates. Peonies don't do will in heat and will diminish with too much rain. Most Peonies will need support. The flowers makes them very top heavy and will drop to the ground. There are Peony hoops that can be bought at any garden center. Peonies are also deer resistant!

Peonies look beautiful in almost any location in your garden, they also make a great border!

Have a great weekend! Happy gardening!

The Catbird

2011-05-31T07:30:00.002-04:00

This week is for the Catbird.

This lovely bird is about the size of a Robin and it is gray with a black patch on its head and a reddish brown under its tail. The Catbird sometimes sounds like a cat and I have often seen them dive bomb cats.

I believe I have a nesting pair near by since they frequent the bird feeder. I think they are in the Barberry shrubs which are quite large and very safe from predators since the shrub is loaded with thorns.

Well as far as the Tree Swallows goes they have taken up residence in the birdhouse that has the eastern exposure. They have been in and out of that house often. Apparently they are quite tolerant of people, I have been able to get quite close to the house with the female watching my every move while I weed the garden. I also talk to her so she will get used to my voice. I don't know it that will do any good, but why not. Watch for new photos coming soon.

I added another birder feeder post. I am using it for the Hummingbirds. I hope to get another Hummingbird feeder soon. I still don't know why they don't share. Anybody out there know?

It seems that the birds are not visiting the feeders as much right now. Which is probably because there is plenty of their natural food out there.

See more of my backyard birds on my website.

Flower Power Friday!

2011-05-27T07:30:00.002-04:00

Today I am featuring 2 flowers. The first ones are the Lilac. This is a wonderful shrub to have if you love the color purple and the wonderful fragrance it has. Actually Lilacs come in an array of colors. White, yellow, pink, purple and then combination colors like purple with white. As most of you may know, this is quite a hardy shrub to have around. With time they will grow quite tall about 8-10 feet tall and will send up shoots which in turn will spread out. This is a shrub that if you want to let it go it will get huge, but with yearly maintenance it can be contained and look beautiful.

The first photo is of a Double Bloom pale pink Lilac. I have been growing this in my yard for the past 4-5 years and it has grown about 3 feet, but the blooms are not as abundant as the original Lilac. It does smell and look equally as beautiful as the original Lilac.

The last photo is Apple Blossoms which are also in bloom now. Along our property we have several apple trees growing. I really don't eat the apples being I don't know what kind they are and also it is said that some folks here in Maine planted apples trees on the border of their property to keep the deer out. Another words while the deer enjoy the tasty apples the flower and or vegetable gardens stay safe from hungry deer. Honestly I don't believe that to be true, but that is what I have heard around here. You know people have there tales and stories to tell.

A Visiting Nuthatch

2011-05-24T07:35:00.004-04:00

The White-Breasted Nuthatch has been a frequent visitor at the feeder. He or she would fly in get a sunflower seed and take off again. Rarely stays around very long. Fun little bird to watch.

The Tree Swallows have been around and have decided to use both of the birdhouses. Which doesn't seem quite fair, but what to do. I did notice the Eastern Bluebird was back and was chased away by the Tree Swallows, so I guess there is not chance of the Eastern Bluebird moving into the other birdhouse. Apparently from what I have read about the Tree Swallaws is that they are very territorial and will chase off other Swallows and birds. I guess I put the houses to close together. Live and learn. I guess I will have to make some changes for next year. I have been able to get quite close to the Swallows. So when the rain decides to end I will be spending some time out there photographing them.

Other frequent visitors are the Mourning Doves. Love having these birds around! Their cooing is so calming to me.

The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak both male and females have been back to the feeder. It was nice to see them back.

The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are still around and eating up the sugar water we made for them. I have seen 1 male and 3 females and most of the time they don't share the feeder. Not really sure why.

The Cowbird who have been hanging around the Tree Swallow birdhouses. I'm wondering if they will lay some eggs in their nest for the Swallows to raise. That could be interesting!

The usual Sparrows and Goldfinches have been around as well as a pair of Cat birds.

I will try to get some new photos in next week.

Flower Power Friday! This week is the Bee Balm

2011-05-20T07:30:00.010-04:00

This week's flower is the Bee Balm also known as Bergamot. I have been growing this plant for a few years. I really enjoy having it in my gardens. It is an invasive plant if not controlled. The Bee Balm does well in sunny locations and is a hardy plant to grow here in Maine. It grows between 24 to 36 inches tall and blooms July through August. I have the red and bright pink varieties, but it also comes in white and other variations of pinks.

It is a favorite flower for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

The Bee Balm is an herb which can be use as an aromatic or used for cosmetics, culinary, decorative and medicinal purposes. You can use the dried leaves and flower for potpourris. The leaves are used for tea and the flowers for salad or with fruit.

On another note, I have started the Newport Farmers Market and the Rockland Farmers Market this past week and both markets I did well despite the rainy weather. I also spent a morning photographing with a new friend. Despite the icky weather it was great fun! Thanks Barbara! Hopefully we will have some sunshine soon. It has been a bit dreary around here.

Tuesdays for the Birds!

2011-05-17T07:30:00.014-04:00

Here are the photos the Evening Grosbeak, Rose breasted Grosbeak and the Cowbirds I had talked about in my last Tuesday post, who I haven't seen since my last post. The Cowbirds on the other hand have been here everyday. I do want to mention that the photo below are the male Cowbirds, the females are a dark taupe color.
There have been no signs of the Eastern Bluebird or the Eastern Phoebe, although I do hear the Eastern Phoebe close by, but I don't think she will be nesting with us this year.

The past week when we did get some sunshine (which lately have been few and far between) I saw that the Tree Swallows were back and taking a serious look at the birdhouses. At first I wasn't quite sure if they were ready to buy, but after a day or two they finally made that huge decision to buy the house. Closing was a few days ago and they have been moving in the furniture (nesting materials) in preparation of the new family. I really hope they like the new neighborhood. They will make a great addition!
I wonder if the Sparrow fledglings and the Tree Swallow fledglings will play in the garden? Kidding..... I am thrilled that they moved in, I honestly didn't expect any new tenants until next year. At this point I am slowly moving about my garden so they can start getting used to me being around. I am looking forward to some great photo opportunities with the Tree Swallow.

I have had some new visitors to the feeder this week.....one of them is a Ruby Throated Hummingbird which I am trying to photograph. Hopefully I will have photos next Tuesday.

Stay tuned for more photos,new visitors and Tree Swallow updates.......

Flower Power Friday, Featuring the Lupines

2011-05-13T07:30:00.002-04:00

Lupines are very common here in Maine. They grow in gardens, meadows and on the sides of the roads. They are quite hardy here. I have seen them in full and partial sun. They bloom in June. The most popular colors are the blue/purples, but there are white, pink, red and yellow. They will reseed and can easily take over if not watched. I planted mine near the back field where I do want them to take over. This is the second year for my Lupines. I have a blue/purple, yellow and red I think. I see that they are doing well right now, and can't wait til they bloom!

All about the Birds!

2011-05-10T07:30:00.088-04:00

Last week it had been a bit rainy and there wasn't much activity around the birdhouses. On the days that were nice I did notice the Tree Swallows where again house hunting. I did notice also that there maybe some furniture moving (nesting materials), but I'm still not sure we have a sale pending. I did see a Eastern Bluebird at our open house. Only saw the Eastern Bluebird the one day, hasn't been back since.
I haven't seen any activity from our Eastern Phoebe.

I've had several male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at the feeder. Which lead me to realize that I have had 2 female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that have been feeding at the feeder for the past week or so. They looked alittle like Sparrows, but are larger. When I looked up the male Grosbeak that is when I concluded that I had the females. I have had several visits from the female and male Evening Grosbeaks. Very exciting and I am trying to get some good photos to post. I am learning quickly to be patience and wait for them to hop off the feeder to the porch long enough to click off a few shots. I'm hoping on my next post I will have some photos for you.

Last week I had mentioned about how the Cowbird and the Sparrow and who will benefit from the other. Well the Cowbird will benefit from the Sparrow. See the Cowbird lays her eggs in the Sparrows nest and the Sparrows raise the Cowbirds young as if it were their own. The Cowbird does nothing. The Cowbird does this to many other species of birds. Kinda not fair uh. This is the first year I have seen this. I see the Cowbird pair hanging out with the Sparrows near their nest. I know from previous years that the Sparrows have several nesting during the year. So it will be interesting to see if the Cowbirds will do the same and keep those nice Sparrows very busy. The Cowbirds have been difficult to photograph. I hope next weeks post I will have some.

Flower Power Friday! Featuring Poppies

2011-05-06T07:30:00.076-04:00

Poppies are a great flower to have in the garden! They are easy to grow and grow just about anywhere. There are your perennial variety which come back every year. The close up of the poppy above is a perennial variety. I have seen them in white, red, purple, and salmon colors. I have white and red and one other color, but can't remember which yet. This is the second year of this variety for me. They grow to about 2 1/2 ft tall and the flowers are between 3-4 inches. The bi-annual variety which comes back for 2 years or so. The Iceland Poppies above are bi-annual variety and are smaller than the perennial poppy. They grow about 1 1/2 ft tall and the flowers are about 2 inches. They too come in a variety of colors. Both varieties grow in full sun light in my garden and bloom through July. I take the dead (deadhead) flowers off to promote new blooms. They are a great addition to any garden and are very photogenic.

Tuesdays are for the Birds!

2011-05-03T07:30:00.010-04:00

I am trying something new this year for my blog. For the rest of this year I will have some theme days to make things more interesting. I currently have "Flower Power Friday" which talks about the different flowers I photograph and most are from my gardens.
I would like now to add "Tuesdays are for the Birds" which will talk about the different species of birds that I see and photograph at my homestead.

Over this past weekend I added 2 birdhouses in the garden. They are just over 50 feet apart. Which I hope is enough space. I will see in time. I honestly didn't expect any birds to show interest in these birdhouses this year, because alot of the birds have already started making their nests, but to my surprise I saw several Tree Swallows showing some interest in the houses. While I watched and photographed, I felt like a real estate agent trying to sell a house. It was really exciting to watch the birds trying to decide which of the 2 houses they wanted, eastern exposure or western exposure. As of now no sale yet! Perhaps there is a sale pending. I'm happy about the prospect of having Tree Swallows for tenants. They would be a good fit for the neighborhood (garden). Actually my backyard is quite open with a surrounding tree line and ponds near by, which suits the Tree Swallows needs. I have read that the nesting material consists of pine needle and such and feathers from other birds, mostly waterfowl which are used to keep the babies warm. So as I wait and see what develops with the Tree Swallows, there are other nesting birds I'm watching.

The photographs here are of the Eastern Phoebe. They have nested on my front porch under the roof eaves for a couple of years. I noticed they were back in town and getting a nest ready for use. The nest is made up of mud, moss and fine grasses. It is a pretty solid nest. I remember that the Phoebe had nested here at least 2 other times. The most recent I think was last year and they had 5 or 6 chicks and all left the nest healthy. Though I was very sad to see them go and I missed the day they left. During the nesting time we tried not to use the front door too much. Eastern Phoebes tend to be loners making little contact for mating and roosting. The female will chase the male away. Eastern Phoebes have a very distinct sound, just like their name phee-bee. A note on the nest photo. The nest in the middle had been used in previous years. The nests on either side of it are new. Which she ends up with I will let you know.
Next week I will let you know if there will be a house closing for the Tree Swallows and the progress on the nest for the Eastern Phoebe. Also I will tell you about the Sparrows and the Cowbirds and how one will benefit from the other.

Flower Power Friday! Featuring the Azalea

2011-04-29T07:30:00.101-04:00

Yellow Azalea

Instead of just showing a photo of the flower, I also wanted to provide some information about the flower, and my experience with the flower. Most of the flowers I photograph are from my own gardens.

Azalea are one of Spring's early blooms. They are similar to Rhodendrons, but are smaller. Azaleas come in a variety of colors. They will brighten up any shady location. They prefer shade over sun. They like their soil slightly acidic. Pruning should be done once the shrub has stopped blooming. Once established they are very hardy shrubs. I have my azaleas in a border along my driveway. You can also group them or if you want just one plant. You can get more information about Azaleas at Azalea Society of America and The United States National Arboretum

This has been a week of errands and cleaning. I will be heading out to the garage over the weekend to get my tractor cleaned an ready for mowing which will probably be Monday or Tuesday. I will also be out cleaning up the garden and putting up 2 birdhouses. It will be a busy, busy weekend and it is suppose to be very nice weather. I have noticed alot of new growth coming up. Peonies, iris, poppies, columbine, lupine. I can't wait to start photographing my flowers. I have to get all my gardening done before those pesky blackflies come out. They are mean little bloodsucking flies! Here in Maine you see people wearing netting over their heads to protect their face and neck and wearing long sleeves and long pants keeps you from getting bit.

Enjoy the Azalea photograph and have a great weekend!

I just wanted to include a special note: Next weekend is Mother's Day and I have a sale on my website.

Flower Power Friday! Featuring the Yellow Bearded Iris

2011-04-22T08:42:00.001-04:00

FLOWER POWER FRIDAY! This is the start to a new blog project! Every Friday I will post a new flower photo.
This weeks featured flower is a Yellow Bearded Iris from my garden. This abstract version of this flower has a unique image within the flower. Look and see what it is.

Yellow Bearded Iris

Workin' on the Railroad

2011-04-18T09:29:00.000-04:00

I have always been intrigued with trains and the railroad. I don't know why, but it is very fascinating to me. So this past weekend I decided to go shooting since I had to go out anyway to bring some cookies to the Forgotten Felines bake sale, and with gas prices continuing to go up I really have to think about where I am going and what I can photograph along the way. So fortunately the railroad actually was on the way almost all the way. So I experimented some and got a few shots which you see here, but I will be going back to do more. I used flypaper textures on 2 of the photos which I like. As I was working on the photos I kept singing "I've been workin on the railroad". Some of you might remember this song. I thought it might be fun to post the lyrics. Then you all can be singing it all day.

I've been workin' on the railroad,
All the live long day.

I've been workin' on the railroad,

Just to pass the time away.

Don't you hear the whistle blowing?

Rise up so early in the morn.

Don't you hear the captain shouting

"Dinah, blow your horn?"

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah.

Someone's in the kitchen, I know.

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Strumming on the old banjo.

Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.

Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o-o-o-o.

Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.

Strumming on the old banjo.

Welcome Our Newest Family Member Dexter!

2011-04-10T11:27:00.001-04:00

Just ate my first fly! Yum!

This is Dexter. Our newest family member. He came to our home yesterday and we spent the rest of the day getting to know him and protecting him from the dogs. Dexter is just over a year old and is full of lovin. He is super affectionate and he has the most beautiful eyes! As he gets more comfortable with his surroundings I will be photographing him more. I have found he doesn't like the flash, but otherwise he seems to like the camera. He was neuter Friday and that wonderful (stinky) urine odor was everywhere. Males tend to have that strong odor about them until they are neuter and it eventually goes away. In fact the odor isn't so bad today. After dinner I got him out of hiding to explore some and get to know the dogs a little better. He slept through the night without any issues which was great!

Today he is wandering a little more and learning oh so quickly scratching the furniture is out of the question and the squirt bottle is his enemy. He seems to be a fast learner which is awesome. We only seem to have one small problem. My dog Ben who is a black golden mix (handsome boy) has an unusual play toy. He loves cat toys! With my previous cats we would start playing with the cats and Ben would jump right in and play. The cats walked away disappointed and Ben was a happy as a clam! He never broke or damaged any of the toys except for a little slim.

Ben

Blu

Sami

These are my dogs. They are Dexter's new friends and family. Blu is 13 years old, and unfortunately for her she got too close and Dexter gave her a good swat (no claws) on the face. Sami is 12 years old and uses extreme caution when approaching Dexter, but is persistence enough to keep sniffing and getting closer and closer. Then there is Ben, he is 10 years old and had the unfortunate double swat from Dexter! Yeah he got a Double! No claws. But that doesn't deter Ben when Dexter starts to play Ben is right there hovering over Dexter wagging his tail as they both anticipate the next move. I think they will get along okay.

Dexter is a bug catcher he has already had his first fly. Although he found out the hard way that ladybugs don't taste good. Now when he sniffs on he gags! Live and learn.

After 7 months without a cat and the invasion of a mouse who has had the nerve to enter from somewhere into the house. We finally decided to get another cat, and I think Dexter is going to be a great addition to our family and I am looking forward to many years of fun and happiness with him.

THAT MOUSE BETTER WATCH OUT FOR DEXTER!

Special note: Dexter was adopted from the Bangor Humane Society. Thanks for our Dexter!

Whoopee For Whoopie Pies!

2011-04-03T13:33:00.001-04:00

Whoopie Pies

The Whoopie Pie is one of the new additions to The BlackHorse Cookie Company cookie menu this year. This is my Grandma's recipe. There are many variations of the whoopie pie recipe, but my Grandma's recipe is the best! A little prejudice perhaps, I have tried many, but I still love Grandmas. Ok are you ready now.......taste it.... a rich chocolate moist cake like cookie filled with a delicate creme filling made with Marshmallow Fluff (not marshmallow creme, fluff is light and airy, the creme is thicker). YUM!!! Do you want one yet? Anyway alot of Whoopie Pie recipes use confectioners sugar which I find too sweet and takes away from the overall favor of the Whoopie Pie. When you eat that pie you want to taste all of it and not to be overwhelmed by one favor. Now I'm sorry if I offended any Whoopie Pie bakers out there, but it is just my opinion and everyone has their favorite Whoopie Pie.

Now Mainers love their Whoopie Pies. Every June there is a Whoopie Festival which attracts alot of people. Mainers even wants to make this their State Cookie. Which I think is a good thing. Now folks in Pennsylvania will tell you the Whoopie Pie originated there, but Mainers will tell you it originated here in Maine. Frankly it is a darn good cookie and doesn't matter where it came from. Although my Grandma is from Maine.

Hole in the Mountain

2011-03-29T09:27:00.001-04:00

Hole in the Mountain

This is one of many abstracts in my Color Reflections Collections. I use natural light and objects that I find in my kitchen to create these photos.
This photo I call "Hole in the Mountain", because that's what it reminds me of. But it can be anything you want it to be. That is what I love about this collection, because everyone sees something different in each photo. What do you see in the photo below?

What it takes to run a Cookie Business from Home

2011-03-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

Oatmeal Raisin Cransin

Running a business has it's highs and lows like any job, but there are these little details that have to be taken care of when you have your own business. Rules and regulations that you have to follow in each state.
I live in Stetson, Maine. A small town in the middle of nowhere. The property I live on used to be a cow farm so the land is well fertilized for any kind of garden, but it isn't good for the well if a so called vien crosses path with the well. Causing very minor issues, but enough to get my water sample denied. The only solution is to add bleach directly into the well. Which I did last year and was suppose to be good for several years. Not so. So I had to do it again this year, but I had to wait until the temperatures were above freezing. So I tried to take the well cap off and the bolt heads broke off. I am not a handyman, but I am pretty capable of doing some handy work. I called the local hardware store to see what I could do to get this cap off, and they suggested a screw extractor. Sounded good. I got it and went right to work to get the bolts out. It wasn't working. Prior to working on getting out the bolt I had sprayed some WD-40. I guess that may have loosen the cap enough that I gently hammered the cap off. Right now there is a bucket and concrete block on top of the well. I don't want any unexpected visitors, if you know what I mean. So now the cap is off and Saturday night we stocked up on water and then added the bleach into the well. Sunday morning I started up the garden hose to get the bleach flowing through the system and flushing out of the well. So I figured to move things along faster I would really do a deep cleaning on the kitchen and get it ready for baking in May for Markets. So I rearrange things, organized the pantry, organized my business supplies, cleaning containers, counters, stove, and so much more. I'm exhausted! Every hour or so I would smell the water coming from the garden hose outside and the water from the kitchen sink. It gets a little annoying sniffing the water and smelling the bleach. After awhile your not sure if you smell it anymore or not. After 7 hours and gallons upon gallons of water I got 99% of the bleach out of the well. It will take an additional day or 2 to completely get all the bleach out and then I can take a water sample to the water lab and pray everything is good.
Live and learn, trial and error. It is all a learning curve. I hope I don't have to do this every year, because I dislike wasting all that water, but I have to do what I have to do to run my business. I will also to my water testing in October when it is closer to renewing my license and the temperature are still above freezing.

A Little Something Sweet

2011-03-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip

Coconut Cookie Filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache

I thought I would add a little sweetness today.
These are 2 varieties of cookies I sell at the local Farmers Markets. I will be attending The Rockland Farmers Market starting May 19th Thursday from 9am-12:30pm and I will also be attending the Brewer Farmers Market starting in May (exact date to be determined). This market runs Tuesday-Saturday 8am-1pm, but I will be there on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I can sell my photography at both these markets too which makes it even better. I am pulling out all the stops to market my photography where ever I am. I will tell you that newsletter sign up sheet will be out right in front!

Something Wicked This Way Comes

2011-03-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

I photographed this tree a few days ago when I went to Rockland. When I photographed this tree it was late morning and the lighting was a little harsh as were the shadows. I like the composition, but not the lighting. I tried it as a black and white, but that wasn't working for me. Then I tried toning it and again almost there, but not quite, then I decided to try the Flypaper Textures which worked and I am pleased with the end results. I really like the branches distorting in different directions gives the tree alot of character. This is one of the beautiful flowering trees in the spring. Speaking of Spring. Happy Spring! It is finally here, but here in Maine we are expecting 2-5 inches of snow tomorrow. Go figure. Really even though Spring is here we do nothing in the yard until May. When we are not contending with snow in the Spring we have the mud season, and it is senseless to do any yard work until May. This is were you have to be patience on the nice days.

Which one???

2011-03-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

Window 1

Window 2

Window 3

So which on do you like better? In my Photoshop Elements 8 it shows you how to do some HDR, but I know there are far better software out there to get and I will, but until then I thought I'd try Elements 8 to see what it had to offer. 2 of these photos are an attempt at HDR and the 3rd isn't. Which one do you like and does it have any resemblance to HDR? I can take criticism very well so let me have it. Just know that when I do get the right software I will be off and running! In the mean time I am playing around with the concept. Your input is appreciated.

Weeping Branch

2011-03-12T09:42:00.001-05:00

Weeping Branch

I am really enjoying this photo. It almost has a painterly quality to it. I was going through some old photos and came across this one and I worked it in photoshop alittle adding some contrast, then added Flypaper Textures and this is the end result. The flypaper textures I used were..beowulf overlay, muscatel soft light, peach blush soft light and fly 18 multiply.
What are your thoughts on this photo? Check my website for the companion piece.

Friend or Foe

2011-03-06T09:25:00.000-05:00

Gray Squirrel

This is my favorite Gray Squirrel photo. Some people love them some people not so much. A lot of people have stories about the evasion of Gray Squirrels on the bird feeders. I have heard many stories about the infamous Gray Squirrel. Some people want to destroy them, but most don't. They very smart and for me fun to watch. Unfortunately I have no Oak Trees on my property or near by so I rarely see them. Instead I see and hear the nasty Brown Squirrel who has a mean temper and will chase you away. Example I was out photographing the field near my house and notice these 2 Brown Squirrels chasing each other. I position my self to photograph the one who climbed into the tree and within seconds I heard rustling in the grass in front of me and about 10 feet away was the other Brown Squirrel ready to chase me away and away I went, but not without a few photos. Now on the flip side of that story is the Gray Squirrel who nicely posed for me on a picnic table at a campsite in Florida. Now who is the more photographic squirrel?

Brown Squirrel

At Attention Soldier

2011-03-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

This one of my favorite bug photos. While I was out photographing my Azaleas in the Spring I came across this Soldier Beetle. So I started photographing him and then I realized he might be dead, so I tapped lightly on the flower petals and "At Attention" he came. In my opinion there is nothing good about photographing a dead beetle in a beautiful Azalea. So I was very thankful he came around. I guess it was too early in the morning and he hadn't warmed up yet. I absolutely love this photo. The colors are rich and bright and the Soldier Beetle looks great too!

At Attention
Soldier Beetle

It's March!!!!!

2011-03-01T14:23:00.001-05:00

The sun is out, I hear the constant dripping of melting snow coming off the roof and the temperatures may get into the lower 40's. Yeah Spring is on the way and my day is getting better and better all the time! A couple of photos that remind me of Spring and what I can look forward to.

Fledgling Sparrow

I have a pair of Sparrows who have been nesting in my barberry shrubs for the past several years and this photo is one of their fledglings. There has been a group of Sparrows hanging around the bird feeder all winter and I wonder if it's the whole family.

Siberian Iris

These are some Siberian Irises that I grow in my garden I also have them in purple. Looking forward to seeing them in the spring.

I almost feel like singing , but I don't want to spoil the mood.

The past few days I have been going through my photos and inventory getting ready for shows which will be here before I know it! I have an aweful bad habit of waiting until the last minute. But I always get the job done and ready to go!

This weekend if I get my paper in time I am going to be having me a hand coloring party. I like the textured black and white hand colored, but I think I am going to hand color them without the textures to see how I like it.

Well the Cookie business will be kicking off as soon as May 1st. Yicks! Still waiting to hear from the Brewer Farmers Market. Hopefully soon.

I am getting so anxious and excited about getting this season under way!

What a Week

2011-02-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

Where to start....Monday the computer was down for over 3 hours while the PC was getting cleaned up. Then Tuesday was a rough start because of the computer and just getting out of bed on the wrong side. Tuesday afternoon I signed up on Fine Art America to sell more photography and see if I get more sales through them than my own website. Signing up was easy and once I figured everything out, then I started the process of customizing a website and uploading photographs. So come Wednesday evening all the photographs I was uploading were done. It was just a matter of tweaking the site now, which I decided I would do Thursday morning. And as of now I am somewhat pleased. Not 100% yet, I'll do more tweaking later. I have already received many comments on my work from Fine Art America viewers.

I have made changes to my Facebook fan page which now has a "Welcome" page which is from my website and a "Shop" page is from my Fine Art America site which now makes it possible to shop on Facebook. I am really hoping this works out.

I have made changes to my blog too. I have added a couple of tabs. One is for "The BlackHorse Cookie Company" which has the cookie menu and pricing and I also created a tab for "2011 Events" which I am updating alot lately. In fact I will be adding 2 more shows as soon as I finish here. Check out both tabs and let me know your thoughts.

I have done alittle snow shoeing after I have been taught by my neighbor's son Bobby who also helps with the my dogs after school and will be helping me out at the Rockland Farmers Market this summer. He is a good kid, but need a little guidance and I hope I can give that to him.

Speaking of the Rockland Farmers Market, the meeting went well. I have been elected Secretary. Which I think I will do okay with, I will have a voice recorder with me being that I am terrible at taking notes and asking me to remember anything...well that won't happen. I seem to be limited on what I will store in this brain of mine. Looks like I need to master my fruit pies, there were no new members that applied that make pies. So I will conquer the fruit pie!

I have applied at another Farmers Market in Brewer it is closer to home and I can do up to 5 market days with them, but I will only be doing 3 if they allow me, and when I'm doing an Art Show I will miss some days too. Hopefully I'll know in the next few weeks if I am in.

So this afternoon I will finish tweaking my Fine Art America website and doing some social media stuff. Tomorrow during the snow storm YUCK!!!!!! The weatherman is saying 6-12 inches of the white stuff. When will it end! Is it Spring yet! Anyway I will start hand coloring again getting some ready for shows. The photos I am hand coloring will remind me of Spring. Spring....gentle breezes, the sweet sound of the songbirds, the budding trees, flowers blooming and the sweet fragrance of lilacs in the garden. Oh that reminds me I need to plan out my garden. Can't wait for Spring and the digging in the dirt and getting dirty! Yeah!

Double Bloom Lilac

Some Minor Changes to My Blog

2011-02-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

German Chocolate Sandwich Cookie

I have decided to incorporate my Cookie Business blog with my Photography Business blog. Since the reason I started the Cookie Business to help support the Photography Business so I thought it appropriate to converge them together as one blog.

With that said. Let me tell you about my day thus far. I have a meeting Thursday with the Rockland Farmers Market. This is a regular meeting to get things ready for market which starts May 19th. At a previous meeting I had mentioned that I was going to bake pies for market this year since the vendor who would normally sell them won't be there this year, and I figured since I can make a killer Apple Pie with a flaky buttery crust, I thought I could also add Blueberry and Strawberry Rhubarb Pies. So I told the group I would bring in samples to the meeting. Okay I am so not a fruit pie maker. Just Apple Pie. So I got my crust ready and it's in the refrigerator. Now for the filling. I added all the necessary ingredients sugar, cornstarch (thickener) lemon juice. Now in the past when I have made Blueberry pies they were always too runny, this time it was thick, but the flavor was off. I think maybe it might have been because the blueberries were in the freezer too long. So I think I'm on the right track and with more practice perhaps I could come up with a great Blueberry pie. But for now no go. The crust was great though!

So on to the next experiment. Peanut Butter Granola Bars. I did everything as planned, crunchy peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, almonds and of course dark chocolate chips. The bars have great flavor, but are not forming the bars like they are suppose to. Maybe more cooking time next time. At this point I am thinking that this isn't my day to be in the kitchen.

So I am down to my final recipe that was a backup in case the other 2 didn't work out. Whoopie Pies! I absolutely love these! This recipe is from my Gram and I cherish this recipe and the memories that go with it dearly. At one point making the filling in the past it always seemed thin, but I followed the recipe to the letter. I mentioned to Mom what was going on and she asked if I was whipping it until stiff. That isn't on the recipe, but when I did it, it worked. So what happened today? I'm telling you it's not my day in the kitchen. Anyway I may not have let my milk and flour thicken enough or I got carried away with the Marshmallow Fluff. The cookies are great! So tomorrow after groceries I will make the filling again.

You know there are just some days that I shouldn't be in the kitchen and today is one of them. I have also realized that maybe I should stick with just cookies. I have a good assortment of them and they were enjoyed my many last year. Kind of the saying "Don't fix it if it isn't broke", "Stick to what you know". I know cookies and I am sticking to it. So there!

After dinner I plan to do some hand coloring. Waiting for some ink to arrive so I can do more printing in preparation of shows.

So Chow for Now!

My 3 Season Coastal Maine Adventure

2011-02-13T14:24:00.002-05:00

Iron Stairs

Morning Fog

Portland Lighthouse

As I have mentioned in previous posts that I am exploring different techniques that I have grown very interested in. To name a few HDR (High Dynamic Range), Texturing, Hand Coloring, Infrared, and more Black & White. I also want to try different photographic compositions like, landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, more reflections, more city abstracts. Just to name a few. The photographs seen here are some of the concepts I want to improve upon.
So I got to thinking of where to go to get these photos. I have a couple of shows in Connecticut where I grew up and I know lots of locations there, but I really wanted to get more locations here in Maine since this is where I live and most of my art shows are here. Have to say that I don't know Maine as well as I should. So that is why I came up with My 3 Season Coastal Maine Adventure. I choose 3 seasons, because frankly I am not a winter person, and I spend most of the winter catching up on things. So March through October I have chosen 10 coastal towns and cities that I will be visiting with the March through October time frame. I will be scouting out locations in March and regularly visiting these places on Sundays or Mondays when traffic is lowest. The anticipated towns and cities I plan to visit are Machiasport, Bar Harbor, Stonington, Belfast, Camden, Rockland, Boothbay, Bath, Freeport, Portland. I will be visiting locations in and around these towns and cities. This will build my collection of photographs with the objectives above in mind. And I will also get to know the coastal area of Maine. If this goes well then next year I go inland to explore.
This year is all about exploration of my skills as a photographer, myself too and exploring this great state of Maine. Through my adventure I will be tweeting, posting on facebook and of course blogging. And as always keep an eye on my website for new photos.
Just some added mentions: I will be attending both the Rockland Farmers Market and the Newport Farmers Market where I will be selling my cookies and photography. My second job and more avenues to market my photography.

Monarch on Globe Thistle

2011-02-13T13:21:00.001-05:00

Original Monarch Butterfly on Globe Thistle

Textured Version

Black & White Version

Hand Colored Version

Well here is my second attempt at hand coloring. Actually have tried many photographs, but this one and the Blueberries so far are my favorites. With the Monarch Butterfly for textures I used: Beowulf, Muscatel and Fly textures 30. In Photoshop Elements I used the black and white conversion with the vivid tool to lighten up the photograph. I had to lighten the shadows even more by about 10%. I still of course need lots of practice, but I believe I am on the right track. Both the Blueberries and the Monarch were hand colored in a 5x7 size. I will enlarge them to 8x10 and 11x17 and sell them at those sizes too. I have another Monarch I want to try and a Cosmos flower. And I think that will be a good starting point for me to master the hand coloring techniques for hopefully the 4 photographs. Until I can get some new photographs. I mentioned in the last blog that I was going to hand color my Ivy Door. I did and at first I didn't like it. It wasn't as nice as the traditional hand colored one I did on fiber paper using colored pencils. I know I am using a whole new technique, but I had to compare and of course I was very disappointed. So I set it aside and now the more I look at it and once I enlarge it to at least an 8x10 (it too was a 5x7) maybe I can make it work out better. Again I have to practice and not compare. Because it won't be the same. Before long I will get it. As they say practice, practice, practice! Practice makes almost Perfect.

From Original To Textured To Black & White To Hand Colored

2011-02-10T11:01:00.004-05:00

Original Blueberries

This is the Original photograph before any thing was done to it. These blueberries where from my own garden. Which where quite tasty and my dog Ben thought so too.

Textured Blueberries

This photograph was textured using Flypaper Textures.
The textures I used were:
Colbalt Clouds
Evening Veil
Beowulf
Nuriel Clouds.
I am really liking the textures and how they look in black & white then to hand color.

Black and White Blueberries

I converted the textured photograph to black and white in Photoshop Elements 8. I convert it to black & white then used the infrared tool to lighten so I could keep all the textures details and then lighten up the shadows quite a bit.
I do want to point out that after I had sprayed the photo with the Premier Art Spray it darken up the photo a bit.

Hand Colored Blueberries

This is my first attempt at hand coloring using techniques that were taught to me by Dianne Poinski. Unfortunately I don't have a flatbed scanner yet. So I had photographed the photo which I am not really good at, but this is the closest to the original photograph I could get. It is very close just there is a little more green in the light colored berries and more green in the background, but the blue is pretty right on. Some of the tools I used were q-tips for mixing my colors and the cotton balls were used to dab over the background and used blending sponges to blend. It isn't perfect nor is it ready for sale, but I think I am on the right track and with more practice I will soon be almost as good as Dianne.
Over the next few days I will be doing some butterflies, sunflower, and ivy door and others. Which I will post in future posts.

Textures

2011-02-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

Sebasticook Lake, Newport, Maine

Monarch Butterfly

I am in love with Textures! I have added a Textures Gallery to my website which I would love for everyone to check out. I had a great time this week going through old photographs and seeing which photographs would work and which wouldn't. I had to really look at each photograph and figure out which texture and which colors would work well together. I have Photoshop Elements so I am limited to what I can do, but when I get Photoshop CS5 (I think that is the current version) I imagine the sky may be the limit. So I have learn something new and challenged myself to see my photos in a different way. I am pleased with the out come and I hope they will do well at the Festivals this year. I have printed some black & white photos that I textured and I will be trying some hand coloring. I am not sure which way will look better. To hand color a textured black & white or to hand color a regular black and white then add texture. I will try both ways to see which will work.
I will be sending out 4 more festival applications on Monday and I will be adding some samples of the textured photographs.
Have a wonderful Day!

New Life to Un usable Photos

2011-02-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have found a wonderful new technique to revive some of my photos that would normally end up in the junk pile. I am using textures from Flypaper Textures. It is alot of fun and I can really get creative. I love the new look and I want to add them to my website. I would love your opinions.
I have actually discovered alot of new techniques in the past few months that I will be trying out. Of course my hand coloring which I am working on and I hope to incorporate some textures to those hand colored photos.
I have also found an interest in HDR (high dynamic range). Thanks to Rob Hanson who recommended Captain Kimo e-book which I found very helpful, I will be playing around with HDR. Unfortunately I don't have some of the software needed and I will have to invest in that later in the season. I expect to be adding a lot of new works during course of the year. Both in textures, HDR and hand coloring. I am looking forward to a bunch of new photos and adding some kick to my collection.

What Does Customer Service Mean to You?

2011-01-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

First I just want to say how cold it is outside. Dang! Spring anybody?

My last post was about marketing and how can I market my photography. Well it turns out I already do. When I do the Art Shows I am marketing my work and myself. So I had better know my stuff and look good doing it too.

In my business I sell 90% of my photography at Art Shows. So I am in direct contact with customers. Some returning, most new. So I had better have some good customer service skills to keep them coming back and to buy at that time, because I may not see them again. Traveling from Art Show to Art Show you just never know who will come or not come. So you had better put on your best show without being pushy. Oh my goodness you definitely don't want to be too pushy!

One thing I have learned at previous jobs is that presentation is everything. When your booth display looks good and you look good then customers are more likely to stop in your booth and look around. Keep it neat and clean. I know sometimes weather can make things a little difficult, but give it your best. Once your booth display is all set, then you need to be neat too. I'm not asking you to put on your best suit, just look presentable. The reason your booth and you need to look good is because you are representing you and your product and people respond better to a nice presentation. Many times I have seen booths that could use a serious makeover as well as the artist.

Now to the topic at hand Customer Service. What kind of customer service do you expect? I expect courteous, friendly, informative, clean service. There is one thing I won't do is get right in my customers face. Kinda like those car salespeople (sorry car people). A simple greeting at first "Hello, Good Morning or a Good Afternoon" (smiling) acknowledging the customer and then I kinda watch the customer to get a feel of if they are approachable, what they might be looking for. Some people have a idea of what they are looking for some are just out to shop. I observe the photos they are looking at. I see the name of the photo on the back and when a customer shows interest in the photo I jump in and tell the story behind that photo. Their first reaction is "how did you know what photo I was looking at." They must think I have x-ray vision or something. But I do... not. I always like to greet every customer that comes into my booth for 2 reasons to let the customer know that I know that they are there and if BIG IF anything is missing at least I know who was there. It is kinda a 2 fold thing. I am acknowledging my customers and protecting my product . Unfortunately things do get stolen at Art Shows so you always have to be on the alert. At the Art Shows I do strike up lots of conversation with various customers and sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't, but I know they walked away first with my business card and second having a nice conversation with one of many artists. Sometimes they comeback to buy. Sometimes they will ask if I have something like a moose photo and this is something I don't have I will recommend them to another artist who has what they are looking for and I have noticed alot of times they actually stop and look at my work and on a couple of occasions they have bought from me then continue on to the artist I recommended. Because I recommended another artist to them they take a moment and look at my work even though I didn't have what they wanted. I have no problem recommending another artist to my customers if I don't have what they are looking for. Customer Service can be a fine line. Everyone has their way of dealing with their customers. This is my way. I like to think I have a good customer service skills and I know they are not perfect. In fact far from it and there is always room for improvement.

So keep you booth display neat...You stay neat...and keep Smiling.

FYI (for your information) I just finished reading "UnMarketing Stop Marketing. Start Engaging." by Scott Stratten. I very much enjoyed the book and I got alot of good information and pointers from the book which I will be implementing this year.

Marketing

2011-01-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

I don't know really why I photographed this Sea Skate. I just found it interesting.

So now the topic at hand. The other night out of boredom I sat in my favorite recliner turned on the TV. After I had scanned all the TV channels there was nothing of interest to watch. So I sat there reclined closed my eyes and started thinking about how can I market myself. I am a Fine Art Photographer. I sell my photos at Art Festival throughout New England, but mostly in Maine. My marketing in that respect is business card, sign up for emails for e-newsletter,brochures and word of mouth. When I am not at a show I use Facebook and Twitter and my Blog and I also have a Website with Photoshelter. Like alot of photographers out there they have side jobs either regular jobs if you will or they do portraiture, weddings, or commercial work to help pay the bills. I have nothing against those fields I just don't have equipment for them and renting in Maine is a little tough. Then I realized I have my cookie business The BlackHorse Cookie Company. That is my part time job. Helping to support my photography. I sell my cookies at local Farmers Markets in Maine. That is another venue for marketing my photography since I am allowed to sell some photography at these markets. Which is a good thing. So when I am not doing Festivals or Markets January through early May, how do I market my photography?

My goal with my photography is...I really love doing the festivals and traveling to them (photo opportunities on the way), I also would love to see sales from my website. My SEO for my website is around 80 which I understand is good, but I know could be better. I admit that last year was a tough year for me and marketing was minimum. This year I am adding more to my agenda. Which in turn should be more marketing. But I feel there is more. I just can't figure out what. I am a self taught business woman and I know I have tons more to learn, I am just having a hard time finding out where or who I need to market to.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Vivian Maier, street photographer and nanny

2011-01-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

Last night while I was tweeting I noticed this post from Dianne about the above video. I was awe stuck! It was a wonderful, but sad story. I found it sad, because this amazingly talented photographer didn't share her photos for whatever reason. Now this gentleman has the opportunity to share her photos and tell her story for everyone to see. Does she deserve to be one of the many iconic photographers from our history? I think so. How many more talented photographers from yesteryear are there?

Which is your favorite photo?

2011-01-12T14:12:00.001-05:00

Colors Flowing Together

These have been the more popular photos in 2010.

Experimenting

2011-01-09T17:32:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. I am playing around with my Photo elements (can't quite afford Photoshop yet) to see what I can come up with. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Good or bad I can take it. Thanks!

This Week......

2011-01-09T13:47:00.001-05:00

This photograph was taken at Rocky Neck State Beach in Niantic, Connecticut using an old Agfa 35mm camera.

Well this past week I have managed to accomplish getting some local taxes done and getting the federal taxes ready for the accountant. I have sent out 2 show applications-1 in Mystic, Connecticut and the other in Niantic, Connecticut. Both are new shows for me this year and I am very excited to do them and to visit my old neighborhood. I have also printed several photos in preparation for reteaching myself to hand color using pan pastels. It will be a challenge, but I am up for it. I hope by Christmas I will have some hand colored photos on the website.

I have also decided to trade in my Canon S95 for a Canon 24mm lens instead. Why, well I thought that with this camera being it's smaller I would carry it everywhere and I would be shooting more landscapes and such, but the reality is that what I need to do is to bring my camera with me and leave early enough to wherever I'm going so if I want to photograph I have the time to pull over. I usually plan my photo shoots, but this year I will change that. I will still have planned photo shoots, but I will bring my camera everywhere I go so I won't miss that great shot. I will also be doing more cityscapes and abstracts. I just have to get up the courage to go into the city alone.

I have added new photos and a slide show to my website check it out and let me know your thoughts.

I also would like to thank all the people I am following on Twitter. I have been truly inspired by the photos that I have seen and have learned a get deal since I started tweeting a couple of months ago. Thanks! A special Thanks to all who are following me!

ReDiscovery

2011-01-03T11:16:00.005-05:00

This photograph was taken in Scotland about 3 weeks before 9/11. I went to Scotland with a friend whose husband was in port there with the Navy. We had a great time there. When I got back home and into the darkroom, and I saw the negative, I just had to print it right away! The photograph struck awe in me! I just looked at it and was captivated by it. It was drawing me in. I personally got a spiritual feeling from this photo.

When I started my business I wanted this photograph to be the first thing people see when they walked by my booth. I matted and framed it in a 16x20 format so it would stand out even more.

Since my first art show in 2006. My Keyhole Window has attracted the attention of many people and is still my #1 selling photograph. I have had the great pleasure of seeing people's reaction when they see the photo. I use this photo as my logo, because when people see it they automatically remember me.

In my last blog post I was trying to figure out my niche. For years I have photographed what ever catches my eye, but it didn't seem to be enough. So after reviewing I have recognized that Black & White and Hand Coloring is what captures me the most. I have also wanted to learn to do better landscapes and seascapes. With that said, 2011 will be the year I master Black & White, Hand Coloring, Landscapes and Seascapes Photography.

This week I will start sending out show applications. I'm excited about that, the only thing is waiting for the "your in" response, which you usually don't hear until March or April, sometimes not until May. That is why you have lots of projects during the winter to keep you preoccupied.

Photographer Then Baker

2010-12-19T18:54:00.013-05:00

Can I just say the wind is so vicious out there today that I half expect a tree to fall or lose power. Hopefully neither will happen. In the meantime I will preoccupy my mind with this blog.

First I would like to establish that I am a photographer first and a cookie baker second. I have been told on many occasions that maybe I should put more emphasis on cookie baking, because it is doing so well, but I refuse, because though I love baking cookies, photography is my first true love, my passion. The cookie business is supporting the photography until the photography can run by itself. That is my plan and I am sticking to it.

To give you a little history about my cookies. I have been baking for the holidays for the past 15 years or so for family and friends. After lots of feedback to start a cookie business I finally did this year. I attended 2 farmers markets to sell my cookies which turned out quite well. One of the markets did far better than the other. Both markets allowed me to sell some photography as well. Which was a bonus. The markets lasted from May to October. In December I had 3 cookies orders, which I didn't expect. So yes cookies did far better than photography. I plan on doing 2 farmers markets next year as well which will keep me plenty busy with cookies. One of the markets I'm sure of the other not sure yet, but if I do get into it, it will be a good one. I will let you know what the markets are later in the winter.

So to summarize this year. Because of finances I was only able to do 7 art shows. Only 2 of those shows had better sales from the previous year. Which is why I am doing 9 new shows all in Southern Maine, in Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. This year I also created a new website about a month ago which has more features than the old one. I have also invested more time in social networking which I have been recently working on. It is slowly working and I am learning alot of new things.

I am also in search of my niche. I will be doing alot of experimenting this winter with hand coloring, using my new Canon S95, landscapes and more. For the most part I love B&W and I really hope I can get the hang of hand coloring. I used to hand color using the traditional darkroom printing techniques then hand colored using oil pencils. But because of where I live (Maine) and the expense of disposing of chemicals I had to give up the traditional methods. But thanks to Dianne Poinski I have a renewed faith to start hand coloring again.

This year I will see how both businesses do and compare at the end of the year.

My 4 p's will get me through the year

Perseverance--Persistence--Patience & Passion

Re evaluating

2010-12-19T13:12:00.008-05:00

American Gold Finch

So since I have started Tweeting I have learned alot of things about how I do things. Basically I have to do what is right and what works. Most of the time if you follow your gut it's right. Right? For over a year I have been blogging and I only have a few followers. Who I am grateful to have! But I want more people to learn about me and the adventures I have chosen to take with my 2 businesses. The struggles and successes I contend with constantly.

So to keep it short and sweet. For those of you who are new readers, I have been in the photography business doing Art Festivals for the past 4 years with some success, but not enough. I started a cookie business this year to help with the photography business, (Do Not want to go back to the big box stores!) which had very good results! But who doesn't like a homemade cookie!?

With that said I will be posting weekly on my progress for 2011. My goal with this is I hope to learn for myself and for others the good and or bad of running 2 businesses. I also hope I will get feedback from my readers.

So bare with me, hang tight and I'll take any and all advice you have to offer.

My next blog will be a summary of 2010. Some good and some not so good. See you in a week!

In the meantime out my Website, follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Facebook.

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON
&
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My 2011 Goals

2010-12-12T08:43:00.006-05:00

I'm Working Here

So as we approach the new year and look back on this year, I have to take the time to consider what I need to do to make changes and better my businesses.

I have already created a show schedule for my photography and farmers markets for my cookies. I had to make sure that the 2 schedules wouldn't clash with each other and gave photography more shows of course. I am doing 4 out of state shows this year to help get my photos out there. In fact every show I am doing this year is a new one except for 3. So I hope to attract a whole new customer base. I will also be more aggressive with my marketing and soical media plans. I do have plans to improve my photo product line. I also have several new photo project ideas that I am working on.

This is my year! I have stuggled for several years putting every penny I make right back into my businesses. I have made lots of mistakes and I have learned and observed others to better my businesses. 2011 will be the year to breath slightly, I will always put 120% into my businesses. It is my love, my passion, my life! With Patience, Perservence & Persistance I will be successful!

So as the year progresses I will keep you up to date with my show schedule, marketing and social media plans, new products and my projects. I will also continue to learn to be a better photographer/business person.

I'm Tweeting!

2010-12-11T12:26:00.004-05:00

I have spent the last day or so trying to get Twitter up and running and I am still trying to get the language figured out. I have only made 2 posts at this point and I guess I will just have to keep on posting and trying to get the hang of it all. With that said follow me on Twitter and see how I master the language.

The photograph above are My Boots. That day there was a winter storm and as I often do I go out and start shoveling, because I know that the snow from the roof will fall and double the shoveling time. That day I chose not to. I stayed inside and photographed. Then did double duty later.

New Website!

2010-11-23T14:20:00.004-05:00

First let me just say 1960 was a great year!

For the last week I have been fighting a cold, which I refuse to give into. So I have been busy creating a new website. I created the new site for several reasons, 1 ease of use, 2 more access to search engines and 3 to make more social media connections. Please take a moment and visit the new site and let me know what you think you can send me a comment right from the site on the contact page http://cindiresslerphotos.photoshelter.com/ . I will be keeping the old website for a few months to see if the new one can produce better results.

Black & White or Color

2010-11-18T09:07:00.002-05:00

Black & White or Color. Which one do you like. I like the Black & White.

I have one more photo show this year. It is the United Maine Craftsmen 36th Annual Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show. Friday the 25th & Saturday the 26th. I still have photography at the Maine Crafts Holiday Store in the Bangor Mall until the end of December.

It's that time of year when I start getting all the summaries of the year together and to get ready for next year. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! With that said. Have a great Thanksgiving Everyone!

Simply Blue

2010-11-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

Good Morning,
In the process of learning more about social media and online marketing. I have been told that for a business to really success it is necessary to know social media and the different platforms to be involved in. I will say it is a slow process trying to figure out who is who and who you should be connected with. I want my business to thrive and in time it will. I will continue to have an optimistic outlook. I refuse to give up. I find myself constantly learning. I studied photography at the Arts Institute in Seattle and though I learn a tremendous amount of information about the technical side of photography, I didn't learn too much about the business side of photography. So I will continue to learn and become the best that I can be as a photographer and business woman.

The photograph above is called "Simply Blue", because it is just that for me. But maybe you see something else. I want my Color Reflections Collection to Inspire the Imagination.

Help me Name this Photo!

2010-10-18T19:39:00.004-04:00

Well I have been busy getting my website updated and working on my color reflections collection. One of the toughest things about this collection is coming up with names for them. Some come easy others take alittle longer and others like this one I have several titles. But I would like it very much if you could help me name this photo. I don't want to tell you my choices, because I would like you to come up with your own without any help of what I might think. I often get several perspectives on this collection and it is always fun to see what other people see. Sometimes it's similar and other times it is way off!

I have added several new photos to my website. Please check them out!

Goodbye Dusty

2010-09-17T16:45:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately Dusty has lost her battle with her kidney disease. She became very anemic, and was given only a week or 2 to live. I did not want her to suffer further so she was sent to heaven last night.

She was very happy until the end. I love and miss her dearly.

Goodbye my furry little friend.

Summer is Over

2010-09-04T14:58:00.004-04:00

Well here it is September and come Tuesday summer will be officially over. And frankly I am glad it is over. It has been a very hot and humid summer here in Maine which is very unusual. But I guess the weather has been crazy everywhere.
Can you believe it is now time to start thinking about the holidays. It is true how time goes by much faster the older you get!

Just because the summer is nearly over doesn't mean the shows are over. I will be at The Newport Farmers Market-Saturdays 9am-1pm til October 9th, The Rockland Farmers Market-Thursdays 9am-12:30pm til October 28th. Starting October 1st through December 31st I will have photography in the Maine Crafts Holiday Store in the Bangor Mall near Sears. I am very excited about this one! It will extend my selling season. I also have a new show this year that takes place at Sprague Nursery which will benefit the Bangor Humane Society. That is coming up the 8th of this month. That same week the 11th I will be at the United Maine Craftsmen show at Smiling Hill in Westbrook, Maine. Then not much until November which I will update later. I am also updating my website in the next few days hopefully with some new images. http://www.cindiresslerphotography.com/ I will be adding some promotional sales on my newsletter. Sign up and check out the sales!

The photograph above is another reflection from my photo excursion last month. It was at the Camden Harbor in Maine. I am hoping that we get a great fall season and hopefully go photographing later this month into October.

Chow for now!

A Different Perspective

2010-08-15T17:59:00.002-04:00

I was down at the harbor in Camden, Maine photographing when I saw some interesting reflections of the American Flag. Her glory still shines bright on the waves.
Update on Dusty. She is doing very well, she is even quite playful. I haven't seen her look so good in quite a long time.

Dusty Update

2010-08-03T17:42:00.005-04:00

First I would like to thank James and Lucy the Cat for their kind words and helpful information. Thank you very much! You have helped me considerably in understanding CRF. How is Simba doing?

Dusty came home on Saturday late in the day. She had a subQ treatment which was to show us how to do it before she left. Sunday she ate quite well and took her subQ medicine like a champ. Although Mom was quite nervous about it. I cannot give a needle! If I absolutely had to I would, but it really freaks me out bad! Monday was a different story she slept all day and didn't eat. I was afraid that this was it. I called my Vet and they suggested giving her 200cc of the subQ (she was getting 100cc). Right after treatment she ate and was doing just fine. In fact at 3:30am this morning she decided to sharpen her nails on my bed and when I woke I gave her some food which she ate for about 3-4 minutes. I guess she was hungry. I would leave her food down, but I have a very smart husky mix who can get into any situation just to get her food. She was up even before me this morning at 6:30am. She gave me her morning meow and we were good to go. I offer her food every 2-3 hours or so. When she is with me in the office I leave food and water for her. When I go downstairs she goes with me. Sometimes I have to guide her because she can't see well. Today she even played a bit. Mom gave Dusty her subQ this afternoon and she did better and was pleased that she could do it on her own. Unfortunately because of the art shows and farmers markets I won't always be home to help her. Now she knows she can do it on her own and Dusty is so good about it. So far everything is going well. We are taking it 1 day at a time. And enjoying each day! Thank God for Dusty and her strong will.

The photo above was taken just about an hour ago after she had several bits of food. Hence the dirty nose.

Our Pets

2010-07-30T11:14:00.002-04:00

My pets are my children who I love and would do anything for them. They make me laugh, they my me mad, they make me happy, they let me cuddle them and hold them and they as I love them unconditionally. They may not talk to me in human words, but they speak volumes with their affections. You know when they are happy and when they are sad. You learn to watch for those small signs that let you know that something isn't right. Then you decide whether there is a need to go to the Vet. Despite the costs you do the right thing and hope for the best. Well 2 days ago I had to make that decision and it turns out that Dusty ( kitty photos above) has kidney failure. She is about 12 or 13 years old and has been through so much in her life, everything from urinary tract infections, to thyroid issues and high blood pressure, losing her vision and now this. She is responding to treatment and will be home tomorrow. She is happy, alert and eating all good signs, but in the long run the kidneys will shut down and will take her from us. The Vet can not determine how long that will be. Could be a few months or longer, I am hoping for longer. But it does seem to be short term. I will do everything I can to make her remaining months however many she has as happy as I can. She is the last of 4 cats that I have had since 1990. There was Apollo who I had for 9 years, then Pumpkin was 16 years and Misty my most recent was 19 years. I am happy that all my cats have had and has a happy life. They were and are spoiled kitties, with lots of toys, they had and have condos to play on and of course lots of catnip. I don't know if I will get another cat. After cleaning litter boxes for the past 19 plus years, I think I might take a break from cats that might last all of a few months perhaps. I still have 3 dogs who I love very much and they to are very spoiled. More about them another time.

Thank you for letting me ramble on about my pets.

Catch up

2010-07-19T15:48:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. Between the cookie business and the photography business I have been quite busy. I also have been trying to photograph the flowers in my garden before they pass by. The photographs here are of my Asiatic lilies and my blue bearded iris. Both flowers types did really well this year. They have double in size from last year.

Well I have to say the photography shows I have done so far this year have not been very good. I am not really sure why though. I have heard other vendors are also disappointed in their shows. So maybe the economy isn't what they say it is, but at the same time if people want to spend they do. So I guess I will re evaluate and see if it is my product or maybe my pricing. I will have a week before my next show to see what I can come up with. Although the weather is has been HOT and HUMID which is unusual for Maine. Everybody is heading for the beaches instead of the Art Shows. What ever the problem is I hope it gets taken care of so I and other vendors can make a living.

I Love Spring!

2010-06-08T17:54:00.002-04:00

Have I told you that I love spring! I know I have mentioned it many times, but everything is so fresh and new. Birds are nesting, bugs a mating, flowers are blooming everywhere.

The photos here are what is new in my backyard.

The first one is of a Lady Bug who is sharing a peony bud with her soldier. A soldier beetle.

The second is of a Viceroy butterfly enjoying a nice meal of chives. Good figure who would think butterflies have a flavor for onions.

The last photo is of one of many peonies that are blooming in my gardens.

Enjoy your Spring wherever you are!

Dogs, Cats & more...Pet Photography

2010-06-01T13:50:00.005-04:00

Dogs, Cats & more...Pet Photography is officially open for business. I am very excited about this, and all the wonderful pets I will meet and the adventures they will take me on. As Jake the cat will say, Let's get this show on the road!

The photos here are of Jake the Cat who is a very laid back kinda cat. Although I haven't met too many cats that aren't laid back.

Avery who is a pitbull rescue. This dog was truly amazing! Very friendly and photogenic. I really enjoyed working with her. Avery waits for her owner to come home from fishing then may examine the fish, and if she had it her way she would eat too.

I am hoping to have lots of wonderful stories to tell about all the different pets and their owners I meet.

Check out the Dogs, Cats & more...Pet Photography webpage on my website for more information and photos. www.CindiResslerPhotography.com/pets.html

Mind Boggling!

2010-05-24T15:56:00.001-04:00

Peony

I am in the unfortunate situation where I have to transfer web hosts. I find it to be very difficult and frustrating and confusing. I have already provided my new host with the information they required, but honestly I don't know if it is right or not. I have tried to communicate with them and being I am using dreamweaver I think it is more difficult. I just started this whole process today. So I will see how long it takes for things to transfer. I hope I didn't make a mistake. My current host has become a nightmare to contend with and I just couldn't take them any more. I hope my new host is better.

As soon as the transfer is complete you will be able to see my new Dogs, Cats & more...Pet Photography page. I will fill you in on the details late.

Well here it is May 24th, I am in Maine and it's 90 degrees! What is with that! We have had some unusually high temperatures this month and spring has sprung early. This morning I transplanted 13 plants and I have to say they don't look so happy right now, but I will baby them to the max to get them established again. I am considering creating another peony garden in the fall, trying to get some unique colors other than the whites and pinks.

The Farmers' Markets were great this week for photography and cookies. I look forward to another great week.

Have a great day!

White Bleeding Hearts

2010-05-18T14:43:00.001-04:00

White Bleeding Hearts

Well I think I am starting to master maintaining my gardens and my businesses and everyday stuff and still have a piece of mind left. I have been working on my pet portfolio and it too is slowly coming together. The past 2 weeks I have been doing the Newport Farmers' Market and despite the rain it too has been going okay. This week I will be starting the Rockland Farmers' Market. This week the weather is suppose to be a lot nicer, so I will be anxious to see what kind of crowds we'll have.
Well I am off to work on more projects. Have a great day!

Need a day off!

2010-05-07T13:26:00.005-04:00

How can you say no to this face.

This is my dog Sami. She is 12 years old, German shepherd lab mix. Alot of gray on that beautiful face. Her nickname is wiggles, because she is always wagging her tail and is always happy.

Well the past couple of weeks have been extremely busy between my cookie business and my photography and getting ready for my first farmers market where my photography and cookies will be selling. I have also attended a business conference and photography club event and to top it all off, I am adding pet portrait services to my photography business. I am currently photographing friends pets to gain some experience and to build a portfolio. Check out my facebook Dogs, Cats and more....Pet Photography page to see my first session. In the weeks ahead I will hopefully have collected enough experience and photos to put this aspect of my photography business in business and on my website. This will also be featured in my Newsletter.

So after tomorrows farmers market I will be taking the rest of the weekend off and getting a fresh start Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms and even the Moms with their animal children!

My Sweet Sugarbee

2010-04-22T10:13:00.002-04:00

It is with great sadness that Misty also known as Sugarbee is no longer with us. Yesterday my Mom and I had to make that devastating decision to put Misty to rest. After 19 wonderful years it was time. She was a wonderful kitty. Always a petite 7 pounds. Very graceful and agile. In her younger years she was very much a high jumper. And could move with lightning speed to escape the dogs. The photographs are only a few, Misty was not very photogenic. As you can see my the look. On the other hand when I could photograph her they were great and crazy like the black and white photo. She has had a very happy and long life and yes I wish I could have kept her forever, but we all know all good things will end.

She will be sorely missed. She is now in good hands and I hope happy.
I miss you Sugarbee........

Getting Ready for Spring Cleaning

2010-04-18T18:42:00.002-04:00

Well I know I am getting a late start in garden cleaning and of course the one year I am not in a hurry to get into the garden Spring comes early. So now that I have tied up almost all the necessary loose ends ie. updating the website, brochures, business card. I can finally get myself outside and get my garden cleaned up. I have noticed my peonies, lilies, Valerian, toadflax, poppies, sea holly, globe thistle, daylilies, daisies, delphiniums and coneflowers and that is just to name the ones I can see. I am sure there are many more under the dead growth from last year I have yet to uncover. Plus I have a lawn to mow and a garage to clean out. I definitely have my work cut out for me and I hope I can have it done by weeks end. It is suppose to be nice weather all week. I expect I will be very sore and will taking some aspirin for a few days to get me through the aches. Then after it is all done I hope that I can maintain it better this year than I have in years past. I get alittle better every year. I am anxious to photograph all my flowers.

The photos above are from a place in Florida called Corkscrew Swamp. It was very diverse landscape. These are reflections of airplants that grow among the trees and are very common there. Although it was slightly disappointing visit.

Well here is to a busy week.

It's Done!

2010-04-13T19:06:00.005-04:00

After a week plus time I have completely updated my website. Now I know I have done this once, but I have added a new ordering setup and I have added enlarged photos. So when you go to one of the galleries and choose a photo click and it will show an enlarged version and it will also show size and pricing options and you can order from there. Where before you had to know your item number then go to the order page type in the number and then order. And you had smaller photos. Now I have larger photos to see and easier ordering. Lots of work! But I really like the way it came out and hopefully it will encourage more orders. Please let me know what you think of http://www.cindiresslerphotography.com/ new website. Also I have added alot of new photos alot from my trip to Florida. I am done with doing anything more to this website except to add new photos. Now I can get out to my gardens and get them cleaned up so the new flowers can get through and I can start photographing them. I am looking forward to a good year!
The photograph above is one of my many color reflections. I call this "Nightclub". Naming my color reflections photos has become quite a chore, but after redoing the website I have managed to create some new names.
Have a great Day!

Re Doing the website again!

2010-04-06T15:29:00.004-04:00

Hi All!

Well I am at it again. I have a new plan for my website and I hope it will make it easier for the user. But it will involve a ton of work and at least a week to do. It will be definitely an improvement on the current site. I just have to be patient and diligent to get it done within a week. At least that is the goal. It will look similar as it does now. But that is all I am saying.

On another note. I am having a photo contest with my newsletter. Any one interested sign up for our FREE newsletter for more information.

I finished my taxes. Yeah! Taxes are never fun, at least not for me.

So how do you feel about lady bugs?! Well I do like them and I won't kill them, or not on purpose, but right now they are flocking to the southwest corner of my white house and they are getting in too. In fact right now there is one wandering on my keyboard. Kinda hard to type around him/her especially when it is on the "S" key. Excuse me while I move it....... On a daily bases I get the vacuum and clean up the many who have died. Not pleasant and frankly quite stinky. It won't last long and they will fade away. Fortunately I am very good at ignoring things when I need too and if they aren't in my way. And of course it is my office that is the only room effected. Oh well.

The photograph here is of an White Ibis. One of the many birds I saw in Florida.

Have a great day!

I'm Working Here.......

2010-04-01T13:14:00.002-04:00

I have my coffee, my glasses, my computer, I'm ready to get working here.
This little squirrel came visiting our camp and decided he was in charge and was going to take over. In fact he tried to scurry away with the little black pouch seen in the photo.

New Look

2010-03-29T14:06:00.006-04:00

Hi All!

Well I have spent the last week or so updating and changing my website. I have given it a new look and have changed the layout some and of course added new photographs. Please take a moment and check it out and let me know your thoughts. http://www.cindiresslerphotography.com/.

Have a great day!

Let sleeping giants lie

2010-03-23T09:14:00.004-04:00

This alligator was probably six feet long. I photographed him at a place called shark alley which was just outside of the Everglades. This site is 7 miles long. Good place to photograph alligators and birds. Although I didn't travel the 7 miles, only about a mile and saw several gators, but I am sure there were alot more down the trail further. There were no barriers protecting you from these animals. So you really had to use your common sense and be alert. Although this gator was too busy soaking up the sun.

Have a nice day!

Rosette Spoonbill

2010-03-19T18:53:00.004-04:00

This is a Rosette Spoonbill. The bird is both beautiful and not so beautiful. The red eye makes the bird seem a little odd. Just the same the bird is striking.
I am still editing photos, and it is taking longer that I had hoped. I have had to do alot of errands the past few days, but I expect to get alot accomplished this weekend. So back to work I go. Have a great weekend all!

Nice to be home

2010-03-15T13:36:00.004-04:00

American Alligator

Snowy Egret in breeding plumage

Englewood Beach, Florida with shore birds

Well it was alot of fun in Florida! But it is great to be home. Camping wasn't so bad, I would do it again. I met alot of nice people. And thanks to all who let Lori and I stay the night in a nice warm bed. I have to say the night time temperatures were around mid 40's and the daytime highs were about 60. Fortunately we didn't have any rain while photographing and the drive home was sunny. Thank you God for that. Over all the trip went quite smoothly especially with the dark chocolate and occasional ice cream. Lori and I are planning a trip to Arizona next winter and we will travel my way. My truck and hotels.

I have tons of photographs to go through and organize and edit. This will keep me busy for a bit. I pulled a few for everyone to view. The alligator was photographed at the Everglades, a location called the Anhinga Trail. I have alot of great shots from this location and of course alot of alligators. I must say that this trail was the only good thing about the whole Everglades. Very disappointing, except for the trail of course. The egret was photographed at Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary. What a great place to photograph birds. We saw so many birds I couldn't even begin to count the different species. The sanctuary is located on Sannibel Island. The island alone was beautiful. I had never seen such beautiful blue water. We did alot of seashell collecting on the island and being the collector I am I found some great seashells and I did share with Lori. Those were my souvenirs. The beaches were full of seashells, but you have to get there early to get the good ones. The last photograph is at Englewood beach. Not sure what kind of shorebirds are there I am still working on that. This too was gorgeous! I got some great photographs there too!

Pretty much every where we went we did get some great photographs. And as I edit and organize I will share.

I hope next week to have them on my website http://www.cindiresslerphotography.com/. I also have to send out more show applications. So I expect to be very busy for a while. I also have a newsletter which I started before I left which I have to get out. Please sign up for it if you haven't already. I will be having a contest in April. The winner will receive a 11x14 matted photograph.
Well this is it for now. I will be posting more.

Have a great day!

CRITTERS!

2010-03-05T20:34:00.003-05:00

Camping thus far has been good except it is still cold. I am sleeping using 2 sleeping bags and still not quite warm enough. It is suppose to be in the 50's here in Florida, but I have yet to feel that mild evening air. In fact it has barely hit the 60's during the day and that is if the sun is shining and it isn't windy. I wonder if we are in Florida? Did we miss an exit?
Any way I had my first critter encounter! Unbelievable! It was the middle of the night and I was awaken by rustling in the leaves outside my tent. Then all of a sudden a large critter stands on my side of the tent right near my head! I thought I was a goner! It was horrifying! I couldn't believe my eyes! I was in a panic and screamed! Then soon realized it was a young raccoon and his buddies looking for some snacks. Lori and I laugh about it. So far that has been my only experience with camping critters. This is my last day camping and I will say it has been a good experience and I would do it again. I just need my air mattress, my pillows, 2 sleeping bags, heavy socks and a bathroom. A real bathroom. We will be heading home Sunday night after our visit to the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.
I will post more later. Chow

We are in the Everglades

2010-02-27T18:36:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!
Well we are finally just on the outskirts of the Florida Everglades. Tomorrow we will be traveling through The Big Cypress National Preserve, then the Everglades. We spent the last few days in Sanibel, Florida photographing an amazing variety of wading birds at the Ding Darling Bird Refuge. We did see 1 alligator and he was about 7-8 feet in length. Absolutely beautiful! I'm sorry I don't have any photos yet. But we have been so busy photographing I haven't had time to doing any editing. I will have plenty when I get back. Which we expect will be any time after the 9th of March or so. Hang with me. I will have photos soon enough. Camping hasn't been half bad. We had one night with some serious wind. It did make me nervous but I got through it. And believe it or not it has been chilly in Florida! I think the real camping challenge will be in the Everglades this week were we are more likely to run into critters. But I trust Lori (who is an avid camper).
Well I guess that it is for now. I will post again soon. Chow!

First Day Photographing

2010-02-22T19:56:00.002-05:00

Hi All,
Well today there was alot to see. We went to the beach and saw all types of shore birds like terns, skimmers, pelicans and a great horned owl, and osprey, as well as wading birds which were at a rookery at Venice Beach, which included blue herons, white egrets, ibis, sandhill cranes. I also saw anoles (a small lizard) and butterflies. I did alot of seashell collecting which I love to do and I also photographed alot of the seashells. The water here on the Gulf of Mexico was soooo blue! Unbelievable! I got nice and sunburned today. I guess I need more sunscreen. No sign of alligators yet. Signs are everywhere, but not yet. I also had the experience of hanging out with some storks. They are bout 3-4 feet tall, white plumage and funky looking heads and very long and can be dangerous bills. They are the type of bird that only a mother could love.
Tonight will be my first official night sleeping in a tent. Hopefully the critters will stay away.
Sorry no photos yet. I will try soon. Post more soon.