Southern Scraps

This week's P52 challenge is things that grow. The flowers and trees are all budding and blooming so photo opportunities abound. This is my lantana with buds that will soon form blooms of flowers.

Techically, I took this photo a day late. The challenge for the week ending April 14 was Sacrifice .   I did not get to take the photos I had in mind for that and I didn't take any Easter photos. But I did take pictures of my friend's baptism on April 15 and the linky is still open so I'm going to slide it in. I just came inside from snapping a few shots for this week's theme and saw this photo lying on the table. It hit me like a ton of bricks! This SO fits the theme because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. At the end of each Baptism, our pastor has the congregation cite Matthew 5:16 " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." He has the candidate light a candle from the red one which signifies Jesus just prior to being dunked and then they exit the pool with their candle afterwards. This is what I captured here.

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter! And I hope it's because you know the risen Saviour. Now that my visiting and celebrating is pretty much over, I'm posting my photo for P52 this week. The theme is foolin around. I knew that I wanted to get a shot of Bella playing for this. She does some of the funniest things when she gets her toy and gets on her back and twists around with it. It was Friday afternoon before I could get some shots. Earlier in the week she would stop playing whenever I picked up the camera. Here are a couple that I liked.

I skipped last week's P52 assignment. I couldn't find time to photograph anything that went with what I thought of for hunger. And I certainly wasn't thinking in terms of The Hunger Games- sorry that's one bandwagon I'm not on. I'm late posting my shot for  this week's theme - details . I was thinking of close ups, so I took a close up shot of one of my Easter bunnies so you could see the detail of her bonnet and flowers and the detail that makes her look "furry". I'm not happy with the shadows, but sometimes, you get what you get.

This week's theme at P52 was the "Eyes" of March. This made me think of Irish eyes, or green eyes, and I've got them. So I did a close up self portrait and then played around with some photoshop elements techniques to make the eyes pop a little more. Darcy  has a tutorial , but I'm lazy and followed the one with fewer steps from The Pioneer Woman . So what did you (or would you) shoot for this theme?

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 The theme for P52 this week is "be still". I could not help but think of this verse. If we are still long enough to observe the world around us, we can surely see that God is here. My azaleas are blooming so I snapped a shot of a bloom. Only God can create such beauty.

This week's P52 theme is "a great leap". I have to admit that one had me a little stumped but as the week went on more ideas came to mind. The problem is I do most of my photos on Saturday or Sunday as that's the only chance I get, so it was too late to do some of the other things I thought of. Anyway, I'll admit my photo is stretching it, but hear me out. The first thing I thought of was the Sidney Lanier bridge . And I thought of it two-fold- the morbid side of people jumping off this bridge to their death, and the annual 5k across this bridge. I know the whole "jumping" thing is creepy, but depression and suicide has got to stop being so "taboo" so we can recognize when people need help. That's the angle I would have taken had I gotten a bridge shot. The second thing, is if you are a runner in this area, it's "a great leap" to run that thing. It's a tough bridge to run. I went out Saturday with my hubby to shoo...

This week's theme for P52 is cabin fever. My Bella portrays that often when she sits at the side light windows at the door wishing she could get outside and chase whatever it is she is seeing. Sometimes its cats, sometimes squirrels, and sometimes only she knows.

So far, I'm keeping up with P52.  I don't know what I'll do for some of the upcoming themes, they will be a challenge. This week was easy- true love. There is no truer love than that of a pet! They love so unconditionally. And Bella is the most caring dog I have ever met. Last weekend I was sick and the hubby was feeling a little discouragement over some other issues, and Bella spent all day loving on both of us. She is so sweet. She knows when something is not right with one of us, and pays extra attention to us at those times. I took this photo of her on Tuesday night. I wish she would have been somewhere other than under the table so I wouldn't have chair legs sticking out of her head, but you take what you can get with her, because sometimes she will not be still!

This week's theme for p52 was drink up! We are big coffee drinkers around here, so it was only fitting that I shoot one of my coffee cups. Sadly, the good coffeemaker died the day before I took this shot, so we have a substitute Mr. Coffee until the other replacement arrives. I don't like Mr. Coffee makers, but I do like having the words in the background with my cup. I focused on the cup and let the rest be a little blurred.

This weeks P52 theme is made with love. Last Saturday I had the chance to visit a display of nativities at Epworth by the Sea. Of course I was going to photograph them and I'm tweeking it to the theme because "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". John 3:16(NIV) What else has ever been made or sent with more love than than Jesus Christ? Here's my favorite shot: Canon 50mm, f2.8, 1/50, 400 ISO Linking to P52  at Life with My 3 boybarians SHOOT.EDIT.SUBMIT this or that thursday

If you read my resolution post , then you know that one of my goals is to improve my photography. And a good way to do that is to take photos often. For this reason, I'll be participating this year in P52 with Life with my 3 boybarians.  If you read that resolution post, then you'll also understand the meaning of my photo for week 1- resolutions. It signifies one of my resolutions. f/3.5, 8sec, ISO 400, 50 mm lens I wanted to capture a low light image and capture a warm glow from the candlelight. The candles are a little brighter than I wanted but that was the best I could get and have the Bible visible enough. And I don't know what was causing the green reflection either. I'm open to suggestions and kind critiques. Also linking to shoot.edit.submit  and this or that thursday