For All Things Be Grateful

  This is a really late post but I really wanna get it going. For anyone who follows my page on Facebook, you know I have been doing a 7 day challenge for black and white photography. It's been awhile since I had done anything like that, and well... it's sparked a little bit of inspiration within me. 

I want to continue the challenge. I wanna push myself to find something new that captures my attention every single day. Life is too short and often we let it pass us by as we take it all for granted. This month, I wanna take it all in. 

I scoured the internet to find another challenge that I felt suited the overall theme of this month, and what I was looking to do. 

 Photo-A-Day 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge!

  Today is November 1st (for about 15 more minutes anyways... oops lol) and I wanted to share my 1st photo of the monthly challenge. I hope that you'll join in with me and share what you are grateful for each day in the comments or on my Facebook page. Share photos and/or stories. The more the merrier. There is always something to be grateful for.

Day #1- Grateful for this moment

  The image above is the 1st photo of my now 2 year old twin boys. My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for nearly 9 years, and we thought we just weren't capable. Finally, it happened and we were having a baby.

  Early in my pregnancy, I had an ER visit because I thought I was having a miscarriage. I thought my body was trying to take away the blessing my husband and I had wished for, but it turns out, I wasn't miscarrying at all and wasn't carrying only one! My husband and I were in complete shock, but I wouldn't take it back for anything in this world. I can't imagine life without them both. 

 Having 2 infants within 25 minutes is definitely a challenge, but it's sooo worth it. I will always be grateful for the day they were born, for the 1st time I got to see their precious faces, and to hold them in my arms. 

My Shutterbuggers Photo Contest Entries- Please vote!

I've recently entered some of my photographs into the Shutterbuggers photo contest. If you don't know about the  Shutterbuggers contest, it is the a monthly contest where the top selected photographs (chosen by smugmug) are placed into Sophie magazine and two winners are chosen... one amateur photographer and one professional photographer. 

The amateur photographer winner will receive $25

The professional photographer winner will receive a free ad with an estimated value of $350 in Sophie magazine for the following month.

You could enter your photographs too, next month before the 10th. Anyone can enter and you can enter up to 5 of your own photographs.

Check out and vote for my entries :) Click the photos to vote.

Dandelion Photograph copyright Kristina Conatser

Daisy Flower Photograph copyright Kristina Conatser

Yard Critters Photograph copyright Kristina Conatser

Autumn Sky Photograph copyright Kristina Conatser

Blue Eyed Kitten Photograph copyright Kristina Conatser

Vote and share :) Thanks for looking!

Art Challenge- Local/Hot

It has been some time since I was able to do a 2 Things Challenge, for that I must apologize. I have been wanting to get back in on the action for awhile now. It was always such a pleasure to join and such a challenge to see what I can come up with each week. I have felt kind of reminiscent without it. 

Hopefully I will be able to keep entering from now on... if life will allow it that is. I am also thankful that the host of the 2 Things Blog as well as the other contestants are so kind as to have me back. 

My entry for this week:

Fiery Autumn Sunset- Copyright Kristina Conatser (CapturedbyKC)

This photograph was taken in the front yard of the home where I grew up. To me, this will always be the greatest sunset photograph I have ever taken because it was my first. 

I love the warm colors. I cannot fathom how hot it would be on that brilliant glowing ball of light we call the Sun.

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Did you enjoy this post? If so, please leave me a comment to let me know you've stopped by. 

Photo Friday- Yard Critters

Yard Critters

I love watching the little birds and squirrels play out back in the yard.  Their playfulness and chipper songs lift my spirits. Today I wanna share some fun photos I took at random intervals. These may not be top notch 100% pro photos, but they are my faves. I hope you'll enjoy.

Beautiful Blue Jay Bird Photo
Copyright © 2012 Kristina Conatser

Adorable Squirrel Photo Copyright © 2012 Kristina Conatser

Squirrel in field with bird flying overhead Photo Copyright © 2012 Kristina Conatser

Vibrant Red Cardinal Photo Copyright © 2012 Kristina Conatser

Fun Photo Squiggles

One of my favorite things to do sometimes is to see what kind of interesting and fun captures I can get with just a little light and really low shutter speed. I know that as a Photographer, one doesn't really want to get 'Squiggles' when shooting these types of images but instead 'Light Trails'. There is a difference. 

In order to get 'Light Trails', one needs a tripod or sturdy surface to ensure that the trails from the lights don't come out funky or more specifically 'squiggly'. Anything could be used: a rock, bench or table. In order to get 'Squiggles', you simply need to shoot. :)

Here are my squiggle shots:

Do you have some squiggle shots? Even if they were meant to be 'Light Trails' you can share them. I would love to see them. 

Art Challenge- Hidden/Control

Sorry this week's art challenge post was a bit late. I have had a busy weekend. I have been making up for it with a lack of energy and lots of rest from so much running around. Anyways, back to business... the challenge for this past Sunday from 2 Things blog was Hidden/Control. I have two interpretations to share. 

Please forgive me that these photographs have been taken by the camera on my phone. 

Remote Control for TV lodged between cushions of sofa

In the photo above, my TV remote control is partially hidden and lodged between the cushions of my sofa. Thus it is literally a Hidden/Control :)

Sandbox  Apple shaped toy partially hidden in the sand 

In the above photo, there is what appears to be a green outline of an apple breaching from the sand. This apple is shaping and controlling the sand within it while the sand is hiding the rest of the toy. Thanks to my wonderful 2 year old niece for helping with this one. 

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I hope you enjoyed my interpretations. Do you have any Hidden/Control interpretations of your own? If so, share them in the comments. Thanks for reading and visiting.

Art Challenge- Shadow/Orange

This week's challenge from 2 Things Blog is Shadow/ Orange. 

This challenge was particularly fun for me because I spent most of my week out and about taking photos with my new camera. I have been playing around with new settings and trying to find something in the photo realm that fits this challenge theme. I almost gave up. Then suddenly, while I was watching my two year old niece play on her swing set... I found it! So without further due, here is my entry for this week's art challenge.

photo taken by Kristina Conatser

Orange baby swing casting a shadow on the ground below. 

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What did you think of this week's interpretation? Do you have one of your own? Share your thoughts in the comments and remember we would love it if you joined us and played along at 2 Things Blog for the weekly Art Challenge.

Art Challenge- Town/ Illusion

I am running a bit late on this challenge by 2 Things Blog... I got caught up with work and home type stuff. For some reason or another I thought "Town/Illusion" was this upcoming Sunday's theme but missed some weekend's somehow LOL. Sorry about that. I get ahead of myself sometimes, and then I get lost in translation. Anywho, I am back... at least for the time being. Being late, I am unsure of whether my submission will take... but I would like to share it anyways. 

When I saw the theme for the week, it reminded me of my trip to Tennessee for my husband's and my honeymoon. On the way to the place in which we were staying, we had to pass all of the tourist attractions in the town of Pigeon Forge. One of the attractions we passed was an attraction called "Wonderworks". This attraction stood out to me because the whole building was designed upside down! I only had a disposable camera back then, so I tried my best to take a decent photo of the attraction as we passed it.

You'll also see a small glimpse of me in the side view mirror taking the picture LOL. 

In this town of Pigeon Forge I am awed by the building that gives
an illusion that it has been dropped from Heaven. 

This building has the appearance that it fell from the sky and landed upside down. It is cracked in certain places of the foundation and on the columns in certain places, to imply this. I believe this place is a museum for children. There is apparently another one of these cool attractions in Florida. It looks like a great place to visit. I bet it is quite fun too!

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Have you ever been to Wonderworks? Tell me about it in the comments!