Tetsubin

Given a choice, I prefer tea to coffee. There is nothing better than a nice soothing "cuppa" to aid in unwinding after a hectic day. Pictured is a Japanese cast iron Tetsubin teapot, ideal for brewing the perfect cup of tea at the end of a long day.

NB: I have had a request to include photo data with my blog, so...

For the photo/techno geeks:

Nikon D80
Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8
1/60 sec, f/11, ISO 250
On a stand to the right - Nikon speedlight fired
into white umbrella to soften the flash output.
white reflector to the left of teapot to bounce flash
and help illuminate the left side.

Throwing Some Light, On Mother's Day

I spent a delightful day with my family on Sunday celebrating Mother's Day. I received a beautiful flowering orchid plant as a gift as well as some photo gear. After a sweet afternoon nap and a leisurely dinner, I worked on using directional light through a diffuser - throwing some light on my Mother's Day gift.

Noddy Bird

The first time that I saw a Hawaiian Noddy (Anous minutus melanogenys) I was on a boat in the middle of Kaneohe Bay. The lone noddy perched on a post in the channel caught my eye - I had never seen one before and I was sorry that I was able to get only one shot as our boat zipped (see "noddy Bird" link in title).

Yesterday I was at the "Day On the Docks" kids fishing tournement at Kaneohe Marine Base - there flying along the pier was another Hawaiian Noddy! It was a joy to capture this graceful local resident in flight and I am very pleased with the resulting image.

Pretty Plumeria

It was not until I took this picture and viewed it on the computer that I realized that the plumeria flower had this cute fuzzy 'heart'. I was attracted by the color and form so the hidden facet, of one of the most common flowers in Hawaii, was a pleasant surprise.

Daisy Drops

I took my camera outside while I was on my work dinner break. The sprinkler on the flower bed had just shut off and the sun shining on this bud caught my eye. I am so ready for longer days and nice clear light - bring on Summer!