End of Summer [?]

Instead of just photos, I'll be typing a bit too. I just thought plain pictures got a little boring. You don't have to read if you don't want to, of course. I understand. (=

My latest pug-portrait is nothing too different from the 5 bazillion others I've taken, but I really have to share it. Why, you ask? Because so many people have told me that my lens was dirty. They probably wondered why I didn't take better care of my camera. This is the reason right here, folks. Yep, that's right. PUGSLEYS: The leading cause of slobbery lenses in the world today. My other pug (Also, appropriately, named Pugsley) is just as bad, possibly worse. I can't tell you how many times they've sniffed the lens just a little too closely or wondered just what a camera tastes like. You'd think after almost two years of me shoving cameras in their faces they would have learned, right? Nope.



Now this picture right here took forever to get just right. (PARENTS, you'd better be reading this. This right here is one reason why I need... Um, would like a new camera (= ) My camera is not so great indoors. Actually, it's pretty bad unless you're willing to either a) use flash (I loathe flash with a passion. At least the built-in ones that cameras have), b) put up with digusting amounts of grain and noise, or c) hold the camera really really really still, which is hard without a tripod (Something I don't have). For all you potential camera buyers, beware low light! It is not your friend. Unless you have a nice camera that works when lighting is dim.

This picture was taken at Monticello, otherwise known as "Thomas Jefferson's House" in Charlottesville, Virginia. As part of an academic program for highschool students, I spent one week in Washington, D.C. and Virginia (Not at the same time, of course. We traveled). We went to Williamsburg, Jamestown and Monticello, as well as visited several monuments in Washington. I had a great time, and was able to get several very nice pictures, like this one here, aaaaaand....


This one, taken at the Lincoln Memorial. We had pretty decent weather during the trip. The hottest was 92 degrees, which is great considering where we were and how brutal it's been lately. Global warming; Gotta love it!


I found this beautiful butterfly at Monticello. It was hanging out in the flowerbeds right next to the house, was very polite and let me take some great photos. I have to say, butterflies have to be one of my favorite subjects. They're very hard to capture on camera, but when captured just right it's a magnificent thing. I wish there could be butterflies all year round, instead of just in the warm weather. They're such fascintating insects.

This picture... Hmm... What's there' to say. My mom got flowers for her birthday/anniversary (Were they from you, Dad? If so, THANK YOU!) and I had a great time taking some pictures. The pink flower up there was in the bouquet as well. The photo on the right, here, was an accident, but I liked how it looked beside the other one. So that worked out well. (= Oh, and those little specks? You can blame those on Mr. Slobberface (See Photo #1 of this post).