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2013-06-18 02:17:00 (22 comments, 3 reshares, 80 +1s)

And before you know it, the raspberries in your garden are ripe...

2013-06-17 22:52:09 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 56 +1s)

The dark clouds are gone...
This afternoon, I finally got the good news I have been waiting for. My son's second blood test came back completely normal.
He is getting stronger by the hour, his mood and stamina have improved and we can finally get back to a normal life. The past two weeks were without any doubt the scariest moments of my life. I cried a lot, I worried a lot, I prayed a lot. I drove a lot of people crazy - mostly my husband. But I learned a lot. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to manage worry like a "normal" person does, but I've come to accept that I am different, and that I shouldn't be so hard on myself.

Today I've began the first day of the rest of my life by picking my camera back up, and myself. 

2013-06-17 03:02:57 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

These days have been tough, but hopefully, everything will be behind us soon. I'm hopeful...

2013-06-16 01:53:43 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 21 +1s)

If you haven't seen it yet, it's long, but it's worth it. Not your typical music video. Hats off to Maroon 5. 

2013-06-13 23:38:49 (21 comments, 1 reshares, 37 +1s)

I'm sorry I haven't been very active lately. I'm alive. Not well, but alive.
More about it later. In the meantime, thanks for not giving up on me yet.

2013-06-11 16:46:19 (38 comments, 0 reshares, 36 +1s)

At the beginning of July, we would like to spend a couple of days in Paris, France. 

I've never been there. I don't know the first thing about it. We'll be arriving by train and would love to be in a hotel close to a metro station, where the streets are narrow, where you can walk to stuff. (Montmartre??) I figure, stuff like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and things we can get to with the Metro, right? We don't need to have a hotel that's close to any of those spots. 

I'd be thankful for anything you want to share about Paris with me. Your experiences, what area to stay in, must-see things, warnings, recommendations, hotels, top-secret tips... it would be very appreciated. 

Thank you so much!!

2013-06-11 03:34:47 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Just finished watching the  #wwdc2013  keynote.
Whoa. 

2013-06-08 23:20:33 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 17 +1s)

I have a beautiful orange suitcase, and I wanted to get another smaller one in the same colour as set. Turns out, sadly, they do not make this colour anymore. I can only find it in a small spinner suitcase, but it's too big as carry-on, and I'm worried spinner wheels are breaking off too easily.
Should I go with a spinner in the same vibrant orange, or change it up with a rolling bag in neon purple? Mind you, my cosmetic case, my passport holder and my wallet are all orange. 

2013-06-08 17:05:09 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Has anyone here tried one of those new Thinktank Mirrorless Mover bags? One of the first bags that have been specifically created for mirrorless camera, and are therefore not as deep as "regular" camera bags.
I'm very interested in hearing some opinions.
(Photo courtesy of: www.thinktankphoto.com)

2013-06-07 16:31:09 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

This may be a stupid question, but I ask it anyway:
How do you share a picture you uploaded publicly on G+ with someone who doesn't have a G+ account, or doesn't want to sign in?

Is there any way I can have the photo displayed nicely, in it's lightbox, or is "right-click copy URL" the only (ugly) option?

Thanks!

2013-06-07 01:34:19 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

Canadian football practice on the front field, cricket on the back. Must be British Columbia.

2013-06-05 17:51:15 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 78 +1s)

I like this. Plus I'm the first photographer in Chilliwack. Yay for rankings. :)

www.snapsation.com/karinnelson

2013-06-05 03:25:08 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 35 +1s)

When Baby Bird is sick, Mama Bird's entire world isn't well either...

#mamabird
www.mamabird.me

Thomas has been sick for two days. Poor little baby bird. :(

2013-06-05 01:45:28 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 64 +1s)

You die, you get covered in dust.

It's the rule of the universe.
So, stay alive, and keep moving.

2013-06-04 22:32:01 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 43 +1s)

Something I always struggle with are pictures inside a forest with the sun shining brightly overhead. A beautiful sight, but almost impossible to capture without blowing out at last some parts of the picture. HDR can help, but sometimes you are in the middle of a hike and just cannot put down a tripod. A single file HDR is the next best thing, and some spot treatment on the worst offenders. All that really matters in the end is that it looks "almost" as beautiful as in real life. 
Ok, who are we kidding. It doesn't even come close. 

2013-06-04 03:08:56 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 81 +1s)

In the deep, dark woods... 

(For +kimberton pemberly, who likes wood, and for +Christina Lawrie, who likes trees, and because it's almost #treetuesday ) 

2013-06-03 23:17:33 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 57 +1s)

"Wait for me!!"

2013-06-03 21:31:52 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

After all of this, I kinda want to start watching Game of Thrones...

2013-06-03 16:20:58 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 57 +1s)

Sometimes, to get to a good spot, you have to get over a bad spot. And you've got to take a picture of the bad spot, letting go of the hand rails and dealing with the people behind you that are getting mad because you suddenly stopped in the middle to take a photo...

2013-06-03 02:29:32 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headphones. Are they really worth it for a 10-hour-flight?

2013-06-02 23:55:30 (29 comments, 7 reshares, 122 +1s)

This picture is brought to you by a 1.5 hour hike, 1 mile with a 700 ft elevation gain. A hike that should only be undertaken by a fit person.
I am not a fit person.
I hope you appreciate it. 

Lindeman Lake, Chilliwack, BC, Canada

2013-06-02 23:42:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Added photos to The Selfy Sunday Project.

2013-05-30 02:40:12 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

The end of the rope...

2013-05-29 03:41:54 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 56 +1s)

Ninja Mom
Tonight, another soccer game in the rain. I'm cowering under my umbrella in my foldy camping chair, browsing my G+ feed watching my son's soccer game, when a ball comes flying right towards me. In one hand my phone, in the other the umbrella, I stick out my foot, the ball hits the bottom of my foot and flies right back onto the field. The boys chuckle.
After the game, Thomas comes to me and grins from ear to ear. "Mom, do you see that boy over there from the other team? He's from my school. When you hit that ball with your foot, he was like 'Whoa, look at that Ninja Mom! I wonder who's mom that is!', and me like, 'Dude, that's MY mom!', so he said, 'Tell your mom she's a real Ninja Mom!'"

That's me. A real Ninja Mom.
Although my hubby says I was just lucky that the ball was at the right height to hit my... more »

2013-05-28 23:05:02 (15 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

I know, German songs haven't been popular since Nena's time and "99 Red Balloons" (ugh)... but this one is truly beautiful, even without knowing what it means. 
But then I may be biased. :)

2013-05-28 22:05:37 (3 comments, 5 reshares, 38 +1s)

thanks again +Valerie Chance 

2013-05-28 03:16:17 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 32 +1s)

Playing around with Halftone 2...

2013-05-27 23:35:04 (9 comments, 2 reshares, 19 +1s)

Had some troubles with the script today (even though, yes, WheezyWaiter is a documentary, there are scripted elements for reenactment and such.)

2013-05-27 23:10:14 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 48 +1s)

So, apparently today is #macromonday  and the mini-theme is bugs.
I have bugs. I mean. I don't have bugs. I have pictures of bugs. But they aren't my bugs. Because I don't have bugs. I just take pictures of bugs. Sometimes.

2013-05-27 03:14:55 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 57 +1s)

Weird Sushi

At our favourite sushi restaurant, the owner always throws in a special free appetizer for us while we wait for our orders. Today, it was this very long, skinny filet of salmon that was charbroiled on the long side, and raw on the other. Very weird. I had never seen this before. Tasted smoky and sweet. Very different.

2013-05-26 17:17:05 (28 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Aperture Help

One reason I stopped working with RAW pictures is that Aperture screws them up. There. I said it. 

The picture on the left shows you how I saw the flower when I took the picture. How the camera rendered the colour. How a jpg would render the colour. They are both RAW images, only, the left one hasn't been updated yet from the preview. The picture on the right is what it looks like it after I opened the picture up in Aperture, when the processing engine converts it from a preview to a RAW file. And BAM, all the tones are screwed up and I can't get them right. 
While JPGs look lovely, natural, punchy and sharp, my RAW files look overcooked, lose depth and are plain ugly. What am I doing wrong??

2013-05-26 05:00:46 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 35 +1s)

Star Trek Into Darkness. One word to describe the movie:

AWESOME.

2013-05-25 22:08:03 (15 comments, 6 reshares, 79 +1s)

SO IM SITTIN IN UR BASKET. ON UR BLANKY. SO WUT?

#caturday  

2013-05-25 21:43:56 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

Can't wait for episode 2. :)

2013-05-25 18:14:14 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 15 +1s)

Do the 'Get Lucky' dance
This is the proper way to dance when you listen "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk :-D

#GetLucky   #DaftPunk   #70s  

2013-05-25 02:38:00 (10 comments, 2 reshares, 31 +1s)

How is Mama Bird able to maintain her feather-light goal weight? Through rigorous exercise? An iron clad diet plan? Super-birdian willpower?
Uhm. Yes. All that. And wings. 

#mamabird  
www.mamabird.me

2013-05-24 22:40:32 (16 comments, 3 reshares, 56 +1s)

There's reality. And then, there's Photoshop. And Portrait Professional. And Nik ColorFX. And Viveza. And...

Last week, after a photoshoot, yours truly, attempting an impromptu selfie. I'm like, 'what the heck, it can't be that bad...". I assure you, it was. Before the Photoshop, the Portrait Professional, the Nik ColorFX and the Viveza. 

2013-05-24 21:55:34 (9 comments, 3 reshares, 47 +1s)

Red Dragon ...
www.makiela.com
#underwaternude #underwater  

2013-05-24 19:32:21 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 37 +1s)

Advice from the trash bin:

2013-05-24 16:25:18 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

As always, Mama Bird took particular pride in choosing the perfect spot for her family's Sunday picnics.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

#mamabird  
www.mamabird.me

2013-05-24 14:09:46 (3 comments, 5 reshares, 26 +1s)

I just found this video I made a year ago. I had forgotten all about it. It's been so long, but I still love it. I hope you enjoy it.

"I'm a photographer, but sometimes I can't resist to switch on the movie recording on my camera… the moment, the sounds, the experience sometimes can only be captured with moving pictures. I'm sure you too have a bunch of them sitting on your computer, wasting away your hard drive space. Often those clips are only a few seconds long, not long enough for a feature, and too important to just deleted. So tonight, I strung a few of them together, without any rhyme or reason, in no particular order, without any descriptions. Those clips may not mean anything to anyone, but they exist. They may not make sense to anyone, but they were important enough to never get deleted. They exist. They just are."

2013-05-23 23:16:58 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

So, the Hangout app has been named best new app by +The Verge 
I have to say, I agree.

Now if only I could convince my friends and relatives to use it. 

2013-05-23 21:56:26 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 30 +1s)

When Mama Bird stepped on yet another Lego land mine, several choice words came to mind. "Sorry" wasn't one one them.

#mamabird   #lego  
www.mamabird.me

2013-05-23 02:26:41 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 76 +1s)

I'm sorry I am swamping your stream with my visage.. again. But I needed to say something about this photo. I used it on Sunday for the Selfy Sunday, but after the awesome +kimberton pemberly sent me some amazing textures, I found one that I could use for this frosty portrait. So thank you, Kimmie, you're the best. 

I'm going back to hide under my rock now. 

2013-05-23 02:23:05 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Added photos to May Self Portrait Challenge: Your Choice!.

2013-05-22 18:41:10 (24 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Can someone please 'splain something to me:

Now there are the new Hangout App (to the left) and the G+ app (to the right).
I thought, the Hangout App would replace the Hangout and Messenger options in the G+ app. But that's not the case. 
The new Hangout app offers Hangouts and Chat, and so does the old G+ app. But when you chat with someone, the chats do not sync. The new Hangout app however syncs with the Gmail web chat. But the old G+ chat does not.

I'm very, VERY confused. I need to go lie down now. 

2013-05-24 16:26:10 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

Mama Bird wasn't sure if she should cut it off, or lay eggs in it.

#mamabird  
www.mamabird.me

2013-05-22 16:41:46 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

When your day at work is so boring, you actually want to do some work to make the time go by quicker... the situation is desperate.

2013-05-22 03:18:36 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Typos are so much fun when you're not the one making them.
#fail  

2013-05-22 02:43:21 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

My son's soccer team this year is abysmal. They've been beaten by every other team in the league by a huge margin. From having fun at soccer in previous years, Thomas went to hating the game. The team is frustrated, but they hang on and show up, Tuesday after Tuesday.

Tonight was a particularly bad night. Pouring rain, freezing cold. Yet they managed to win their first game of the season. How? Because they showed up, and the other team did not.

Yes. They're still playing badly. But I'm super proud of all of them. It shows that sometimes, you don't need to be more skilled than the others to be the better team. :)