Week 5 - "Life in Motion"

 Grandpa Jim:  Making Contrails at 35,000 Feet

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 "Game Set Match"- Kelsey

Danny is an extremely talented and highly motivated tennis player.  He played at the collegiate level, but after multiple injuries....he had to give it up.  A few summers ago, Danny had surgery to repair his shoulder and quickly made his debut back on the court.  He plays with passion and intensity....very fun to observe him "in motion" :)

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"Feet In Motion" - Celeste

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Timeless? – by Robert Miller

How fast life is moving is a uniquely human perception. Notice how the days and hours seem so long to a child. But as we get older there are never enough of those same days and hours. Have you said: “Where did the weekend go?” “Christmas is just around the corner?” “2011 went by so fast?”

My picture represents how life keeps moving even when we aren’t paying attention. It does not pause for us. Our paint starts to chip and our bricks start to fade. Before you know it you are an old building, each floor filled with the memories of what it was to grow up.

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Week 4 : "Inspiration"

Kelsey:

For as long as I can remember, I've been a bit of a "quote collector"........I find them to be very inspirational and grounding. Quotes are plastered all over my office...so I decided to use a few of them for this week's assignment. Forgive me for my rather literal interpretation :)

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The Keeper of the Plains (to the right of the bridge) was placed at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers join together and was "inspired" by the history of Wichita. Although it looks small in this picture, this is a 44' steel structure and is standing on a 30' stone base.

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T.M.B.

This is a picture of my baby brother. He was born with a heart condition that required him to have open heart sugery within four days of being born. In this picture he is holding a copy of a picture of him in the ICU post open heart surgery. Only a few of his many scars are visible in this picture, but he wears them well. I chose this picture because he inspires me everyday to live life to the fullest and take challenges head on. He was not allowed to participate in sports as a child because it would have put too much stress on his heart. As an adult he has competed and completed several sprint triathalons as well as two half marathons. Any excuse I have pales next to his. But he doesn't use it an excuse. He uses it as motivation. It's amazing what the human body can endure and overcome.

Jenn

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This is my inspiration to be a different person every day. Since having Caleb my priorities have changed so much and I've realized how important my actions are and that I have the responsibility to teach him all that I know. He inspires me to make a difference in his life and to make mine more meaningful. Love my little munchkin so much!

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Grandpa Jim:  Winter Morning

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 Julie:

What could inspire a grown man to pick up a violin for the first time... a child.  Children have a way of totally changing our lives, whether they are your own or have come into your life in one of many other ways.  My sons and the children in my life through family, church, and work, constantly challenge my way of thinking and open my mind to the possibility for change.

Week 3 - "I see through you"

"Tunnel Vision" - Robert Miller

I love a short-depth-of-field and how it forces the eye to ignore some parts of the subject while focusing in on others. I am not sure what piece of equipment this is, but it was old, rusted and laying in a field. Forgotten, discarded, and unnoticed. It was the little valve inside and through the hole that caught my eye. Not unlike other aspects of our lives, sometimes we have to filter out all the color, craziness, noise and chaos around us to see the simple beauty of something deep inside. Remembered, reclaimed, and noticed. Hope you enjoyed the challenge!

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Julie:

Okay, you knew Isaac would be showing up in my pictures soon. Here he is. I love this week's theme so I may try a couple of other things.

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Kelsey:

I had many ideas for this one....but I went with something that was sentimental and a good excuse to visit a dear friend :) My friend Mikala from Grad school is expecting a little baby girl on May 31st!

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"Back to Back"

Jenn

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Celeste:

I honestly can't remember who's been in my life longer: Jake or this little guy. I saw this middle-less man at an ESU student art sale with a sticker price of $16. This was way out of my $5.50 an hour budget. I was THRILLED to receive it as a gift from a dear friend. This clay figure had a big family of brothers, all of them with the genetic defect of a missing trunk. I've often wished I knew the name of the student artist so I could adopt more members of the family. I hope you enjoy this picture of the man you can see through.

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Gregg: Loves Lines, Angles and Rhymes-The Fifth Dimension

This is a shelf where packages are placed so that they can be picked up by delivery companies. I have been intrigued by the shadows cast by the shelves. On top is a grid of square wire that projects a diamond pattern on the wall. The lower shelf has a square pattern that projects square shadows onto the floor. Combine this with the fainter lines of mortar in the brick by looking through the shelves and you see what is, what isn't and maybe what could be.

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Grandma Arlene: ICU

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I know I'm a little late on this post, but this is a favorite picture of mine so I couldn't resist sharing! I was bored on one of our many trips back and forth from Carthage so I was playing around with my camera in the car. This is looking through my straw to my drink. I was impressed with the detail I got in a moving vehicle.

Katie

Week 2: "Which of These Things Is Not Like The Other?"

Grandpa Jim:  Trump Card

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Kelsey: Put a fork in it

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"Top Hat" - by Robert Miller

Contrast-ie and yet monochromatic, this picture reminds of me of a project I did in my high school photography class almost 20 years ago. I like collections of things photographed together. I used a fresco filter from Photoshop to add to the tension in contrast. It adds to the graininess of the picture which gives the image some age. Hope you like - RDM

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Celeste:

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An Engineer's Closet:

Jenn

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Heroes

Julie

Week 1: "Trunk"

Jenn:

{Tree} Trunk.

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KELSEY: We all know I am completely and totally infatuated with elephants. I find them to be the most beautiful, intelligent, and fascinating animal on the planet. We all knew when I picked the word "trunk" where I was going to go with it :) However, I didn't know that I would actually be able to get up close and personal with two of them (one African one Asian)....feed them...and touch them!

At the gate, I was informed that the elephants would not be outside for view today because the hydraulic gate to their indoor quarters was being repaired. Reason #7,029 I love my job...the Topeka Zoo is my account and I know the facilities manager :) All I had to do was ask and he let me go back with the elephant handlers and say hello :) Dream.Come.True.

I wanted to get a photo with me and one of the elephants (and obviously I had to be the photographer)...I was wearing the elephant ring aunt Melinda got me....so this was the photo op I captured.

Two trunks in one picture:)

I'm sorry, I had to post 2 just this once! Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?

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"Shadow Me" - by Robert Miller

I am excited to see the different perspectives we come up with. I love the beauty of hidden and then found details in photography. This picture shows the shadow of a tree and the beauty of the shapes and lines the trunk makes. I love the contrast of the brink wall patten against the flow of the tree. Ironic that the wooden fence is representative of the tree in material. Hope you enjoy. - RDM

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CELESTE: This was such a fun theme with so many options. I think I had as much fun thinking of photo opportunities as I did actually taking the pictures. My top two choices for "trunk" photos were a bit too ambitious for this busy week, but I still had a blast taking pictures of trunks of all varieties!

When Kelsey said our theme would be "trunk", I immediately thought of this next picture. This was taken in February '09 (two cameras ago) in Pawnee Prairie Park. Sorry... I know we were only supposed to post one picture, but since this one wasn't taken with an SLR, it doesn't really count. Right? :)

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Grandpa Jim "Trunk in the jungle"

Grandma Arlene: "Two trunks"

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Julie

Well, I joined this blog in the nick of time. I love trees and thankfully had this picture that I took recently at a close friend's house. This picture must be special to me because it's all I could think of when I saw the theme for this week.