Photographing Butterflies

Photographing butterflies is very challenging. Yesterday I went to The Coral Gables Library Butterfly Garden to take photos for my Photography Class. The garden is pretty with flowers and trees, three benches and a bird bath with mulch on the ground. There were four Monarchs flying in the garden. I decided to take a photo of them. They were speeding all around. I tried to take a picture but they kept on flying away. As I was ready to leave, I looked down on the floor and saw a newborn butterfly that was perfect to photograph. It is easier to take a photograph when the butterfly is newly born because they cannot fly yet. I got my camera out of my bag and I was ready. I stood there for at least 10 minutes, waiting for the butterfly to open its wings, but each time it did I messed up the shot.  The butterfly has a fluid in it that is pumped through it's wings and makes them their normal size. We should not pick up a butterfly too soon because it's wings have scales which feels like powder and it needs to have space to open their wings. I crouched down and I waited another 5 minutes. Suddenly the butterfly opened its wings and I took the shot and it was perfect.

Here is a link to my FLVS Photography assignment:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXNqCtETMmk

Famous Dancers Part III

Famous Ballerina Irina Baranova

Irina Baranova was born in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) in the Russian Empire on March 13, 1919. Irina was interested in ballet since she was very young. Irina left Russia when she when she was a little girl and moved to Romania where her mother taught her simple ballet exercises. By the time she was 9 her family had moved to Paris so she could study ballet professionally. She made her debut at the Paris Opera when she was 11.When she was only 12 years old she was discovered by the famous choreographer George Balanchine. At age 14 she danced as Odette, the lead ballerina in Swan Lake. She moved from Paris to Australia when she was 17 where she lived until she died. She retired from dance when she was only 27. She was married twice and had three children. She died in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia on June 28, 2008 at age 89.

Famous Dancers Part II

Famous Modern Dancer Martha Graham

Martha Graham is a famous modern dancer who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 11, 1894 and died in New York City at the age of 96 on April 1, 1991. She was married, divorced and had no children. She is considered to be a legendary modern dancer. Martha Graham did not begin to study dance until she was in her teens. Her family moved to California. They did not approve of Martha studying dance. She began taking classes at Denishawn in Los Angeles. At Denishawn she was a student, a teacher and performer. She then moved to New York and in 1926 she established her own dance company. Some people thought that Martha Graham’s experimental style was jarring and ugly but she said that her dance was spiritual.

Famous Dancers Part I

Famous Jazz Dancer Jack Cole

Jack Cole was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on April 27, 1911 and died on February 27, 1974. His birth name was John Ewing Richter. He was an American dancer, choreographer and theater director known as the father of Theatrical Jazz Dance. Jack Cole began to study dance with Denishawn in New York in the late 1920’s. He made his professional debut in 1930 at the age of 19. Jack Cole studied and danced in New York City and Hollywood, California. He created the style of jazz dance still seen on Broadway shows, Hollywood movie musicals and music videos today. He choreographed many jazz theater dances for famous actresses such as Marilyn Monroe in “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best friend” from the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.   

An Everyday Object

 I am in a photography class. My assignment was to take an every day object and think about the many ways I could photograph it. I could put it in places where it would not likely be found or take pictures from different angles. I thought to myself, "What is an object that I use everyday? A hairbrush! Almost everybody uses a hairbrush." I decided that I would put the hairbrush in places where I would not usually find one. I put my pink, silver plastic hairbrush in a plant, standing up on my bed and in a bubble bath. I also took close up pictures of it.

Pinhole Photography

What is pinhole photography?

Pinhole photography is the use of a small dark chamber with one small hole in it. Among other things, you can use a Pringles Can, a green pepper or a shoe box! How does a pinhole camera work? The light reflects off of the object and goes through the pinhole and is projected onto a screen and images look upside down. It is unique because you are using the earliest form of photography. Pinhole cameras have been used for looking at eclipes of the sun.

I made a pinhole camera out of a Pringles Can.

Here is the link to the instructions I used: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/pringles_pinhole.html

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven books written by a woman named J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter is a boy who is an orphan and a wizard. He lives with his aunt and uncle who are terrible to him. He also has a really mean cousin who bullies him a lot. Then, he goes to a magical school for wizards and witches called Hogwarts and makes friends and has many adventures.

I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,  this summer and just watched the movie. I am reading the second Harry Potter book. It is called, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.Every time I finish a book in the series I will watch the movie afterward.

When I am on Whidbey Island, I like to read while laying in the hammock at my grandma's summer house.

 It is fun to curl up with good book.

I like to read in bed when I just wake up in the morning.