Rebecca Bridges Photography

FIREWORKS AT HUTCHFEST

2008-07-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I took this one tonight at the grand finale of HutchFest here in Hutchinson, Kansas. The show was awesome, and I came home with around 100 photographs of the fireworks. I am so excited to see them in print, but both of my printers are out of ink and I am a little bit broke at the moment. More than likely I will have them sent off to the lab once I get my stimulus check - whenever that may be. Hope you enjoy!

PHOTOGRAPHING FIREWORKS

2008-07-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

I took these with my little bitty Kodak. I love the way my youngest child looks in the center of all those sparkles. She was so excited.

My oldest never tires of the simple things in life either....

GROOVY PSYCHEDELIC BABY!!

2008-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh what one photographer might think is wrong, another thinks is sooo very right! This is a photo of Lee Dorman of the band Iron Butterfly! No wonder my Daddy calls it "Acid Rock" you see?! What an awesome show it was too! I video taped the entire famous song In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and would like to find a way to edit it as it ended up being almost 23 minutes long. It is a quick-time file, and it won't work in my windows movie maker. Heck, I would need more laptop memory just to play it for friends on that! If anyone knows of anything I could use, please please let me know!!

PLAYING WITH TEMPERA

2008-06-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

I made the butterfly!

Rye made this one!

We had a lot of fun with the tempera paints this week. We picked up some end rolls of newsprint and covered the table with it, then just had at it. The kids had a blast trying out different papers and then they got groovy making new colors. Hobby Lobby had 16oz bottles on sale for 99 cents, so we got a few and let me tell ya it was WELL worth the money! Hours of entertainment - CHEAP!

FIREWORKS FAVORITES!!

2008-06-19T13:49:00.001-07:00

These two photos are my favorites of the latest batch of fireworks photographs. The top one was caught during the "big finale" at the end of the show, and I was happy I caught so many different things going on in one picture!

This photo was caught when they just started shooting all kinds of things off at the same time. Usually a show will start off slow, with one bang at a time, and slowly work up to more and more before then end. I have never caught anything like the long waterfall looking one on camera before. I thought it was pretty though!

SOCIAL SPARK IS HERE!!

2008-06-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

I recently signed up for SocialSpark, and for anyone who is interested in earning money with their blog, this is yet another cool opportunity! Just a few great things about Social Spark are that there is 100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure, 100% Transparency, (So everyone knows just by looking that you are writing an advertisement), 100% Real Opinions, (My REAL opinions of things I use, purchase, or try out - the no bull approach!) and it is100% Search Engine Friendly - which means that links can be no-follow so as not to upset the balance of things don't ya know. It is all a part of the code of ethics set up by the friendly folks who run the place.

Another great thing about SocialSpark is the cool people you meet. At first I had some trouble getting used to the way the site worked, but all I had to do was ask, and someone in the forums helped me out. Anytime you ever have a question about ANY aspect of the site, just hop on the boards and most likely you will find your answer! Easy as pie! See down there? The boards....

If you want to monetize your blog, build community and drive traffic to your website, this is a great place to start. Even if you are only interested in in one aspect, sign up! This is my very first post for Social Spark, and so far it has been a piece of cake! I have seen a lot of other opportunities that look interesting and pay a good chunk of change as well. EVEN WITHOUT THE DREADED PAGE RANK!!! Sounds great eh? Oh ok I will stop rambling on since you are probably headed over as I type to see what all the commotion is about! See you there!

FIREWORKS AT SALTFEST

2008-06-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

My favorite shot from Saturday nights' fireworks show. This year I am trying to get some different things in the background of my fireworks shots instead of just the same old dark sky there they are shots. I love those too, but I have so so many of them now. This time we were as close as we could get to the folks firing them off, so I was able to get a top to bottom view, but these were just smaller ones, not like what is to come for the 4th of July. I can not die until I get that most perfect fireworks shot - the one where every single part is gorgeously composed and captured!!

STORMY SUNSET

2008-06-13T04:30:00.001-07:00

This one is a sunset I captured last night over a flooded field in Kansas. So far this season, the folks in my town have been fortunate to have only received some hail and wind damage, and minor flooding...

MORE LITTLE LOVELIES

2008-06-12T04:13:00.001-07:00

I have been photographing these same yellow flowers for years! I probably have hundreds of pictures of these simple beauties, most of which are stored away on CD's now. The same with lightning, and of course the family photos, and I think I have well over a thousand sitting in a folder on my computer as well. Every few months I have to go on an archiving streak of all the pictures just to free up some memory on my hard drive. Now I am wondering if there would be a way to just purchase a bunch of larger memory cards and store them that way. Then instead of looking all over a CD for one picture, I could pop them into a card reader and poof! Not only would I have much easier access to my pictures, but my little storage library could be contained in a shoe box instead of taking up an entire shelving system. CD's just are not cutting it for me anymore, and now there's so much talk of them degrading over time. I couldn't possible afford to print every photo I have tucked away - it would be WAY cheaper to buy the cards!!

ITTY BITTY DAISIES

2008-06-09T06:34:00.001-07:00

Here is another photo of my messing around in the front flower garden. These flowers are so teeny tiny, but still so pretty. It seems like every day I get a few new ones, even after the hail battered them all. For this photo, I used my macro set and used and f-stop of 5.6 with a shutter speed of 125, ISO 100. I needed the speed because it was so windy outside and the flowers were blowing around a bit. I really like the way the background is blurred so that you can't see the other flowers, but you get the color from them in the photo for contrast.
Today's helpful link is for those who would like to get Phentermine without a prescription.

Happy Photographing!!

MACRO SHOT

2008-06-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

No need to adjust your eyeglasses! It is a dandelion gone to seed. I used my macro set to get this one, and I love how it looks in black and white as well. I love how even the smallest things in nature, sometimes even considered ugly, can be so beautiful. In my flower garden, I have the tiniest little daisy looking flowers that just opened up. I don't know what they are called, other than that they are considered wildflowers by some, and weeds by others. I adore them. If this Kansas wind ever stops, I will be spending some time out there today trying to capture them!

MORE KANSAS STORMS...

2008-06-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a little photo of some of the clouds that raced through before the big chunks of ice fell out of the sky. After careful inspection of things, the brand new air conditioner we just bought got the crap beat out of it, and now we have to find some way to undent those little metal things on the back. The garden was hit pretty good, but I think most stuff will bounce back. Time will tell. The biggest problem is the truck. The new truck. We have full coverage car insurance, but the $500 deductible is what is troubling me. The top and hood are pretty dinged up, but I don't know if it's worth reporting to the insurance company or not. I don't know how much it costs to have dents like that removed, but it can't be cheap. If it's not a couple grand in repair costs, then it ain't worth turning in. Mainly because I don't have $500 laying around. Gotta love Kansas....

DAY'S END....

2008-06-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

A beautiful end to a perfect day. The weather was steamy hot, and the storms went right past us. There was some pretty wicked cloud to cloud lightning, but I wasn't in the right place to catch it all. Now if we could just get rid of all the mosquitoes......

SELLING ART?

2008-06-01T20:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I got my web site up that is just for selling my art, got my business cards made up, and even found a place to get my shipping boxes. Now I just need customers....

I have sold a pretty good amount of work in the past, but trying to make a living at it is almost impossible it seems. There is so much I want to do, and so little time to fit it all in. On top of that I do need to get a "real" job soon. Like - this week soon. I have a job waiting tables if I want it, all I have to do is go in and see about scheduling. It would be good for the summer, and give me some extra money while I search for the "perfect" job. A couple of places in town are hiring screen printers, but soon I don't think it will be done by hand much anymore. I have never tried it before, but anything that works with my hands could be fun I think. I have been debating the issue of relocating for the right job, but we have to stay in town for at least another year. My oldest will graduate next May and I don't want to move her now. Commuting isn't even an option anymore with gas prices so high, so that's pretty much out of the picture. Lost in limbo I am....

REFLECTIONS ON WATER

2008-05-31T05:39:00.001-07:00

I have always been fascinated by the photos made with water reflections. You can find the most beautiful things in any ol' puddle of water if you look hard enough. So no, this was not a puddle, but a pond at our towns nature center. I love going there to find solitude, no thinking about the daily grind, acne treatments or medical problems or bills I can't pay this month. I meander around a lot, snapping photos of everything. Sometimes I just find a place to sit and stare off into the clouds. Sometimes it's good to just find a little bit of quiet full of nature.

FLOWER MACRO

2008-05-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

I grow a bunch of these tiny little flowers in the front flower bed at my house every year. Don't ask me what they are - I have no idea. They do make for a great practice subject for macro photos however. I spent a few minutes yesterday snapping pics of them before the flowers go away again....

STORMS JUST KEEP ON COMING

2008-05-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Kansas has been a pretty volatile state over the past three days, and more bad weather is expected all the way up until Wednesday at last check. I have done a little bit of chasing this season, but every time I feel those winds come in before the storm, I get the chickens and get the hell out of there. Makes me totally wanna call in for some term life insurance quotes just in case I ever get caught up in one of these buggers.

This storm was one of last night's run, which prompted tornado warnings soon after I left the area. On Sunday morning, before the days weather began, the tornado count for Kansas alone was over 125 for just Friday and Saturday. There were at least 2 deaths from the tornado outbreak, one death from a lightning strike, many many towns damaged, homes destroyed, and even another near miss with Greensburg. A tornado actually did touch down right outside the city. My prayers go out to my friend in Greensburg. Living the nightmare once was surely enough.....

START WITH BUSINESS CARDS!!

2008-05-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Talk about the easiest way of creating a logo design and business cards!! I found this company who would help me quickly and easily create a logo for my business, and incorporate it effortlessly into my business cards. It took me about a minute to find exactly what I was looking for in a logo - there were a ton of images to choose from. The process was way easier than what it would take for me to create my own, as I can never decide if my designs are just right or not. I was able to choose the exact colors I wanted, and anyone who knows me, knows that everything I touch turns purple, so this was awesome. At least now I have a good point to start with having these superb quality cards. Now when I meet people who want to know more about my art, I won't have to write my web address on a napkin and hope they don't lose it! Foot forward for me in the right direction - AWESOME business cards that I created myself without the stress!
Go ahead - try it out. Just click the link and make a logo and some cards for yourself!

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

2008-05-22T05:42:00.001-07:00

School is officially out for the summer for the kiddo's today! This means a whole lot of I'm boooooored. I got some Blockbuster coupons to rent movies on the rainy days, and I have been trying to decide on a plan for the summer months so they don't get bored.
I have been thinking heavily about teaching art at the grade school level, and I decided for sure that we will be having our own "art school" at home this summer. The big project will be working on our entries for the Kansas State Fair in September. The only real expense to me will be a few good sized canvases and a few odds and ends supplies. Maybe some watercolor paper. I want to let them get their hands into all of the different media that I can afford or have on hand. With so little regard for the arts in schools these days, it just may be the only chance they have to learn about it at all....

SEPIA - HARSH LIGHTING

2008-05-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is exactly that I like so much about this photo. The lighting is too harsh, she seems really pissy, and you can only see half of her face....
But I adore it. Originally shot in color, the sepia toning just seemed to make it more mysterious. Her true personality is a complete turnaround from what shows in the photo. Hmm....

VACATION IMPOSSIBLE????

2008-05-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Has everyone been looking through the travel guides trying to decide where to go on vacation this summer?? Yeah.
The last week of May is our family vacation time, only with the price of gas so high, there is no way we can afford to go out of the State of Kansas. Um - actually anywhere further than about 100 miles out of town. Even then the gas will suck up a lot of fun money.

So if we all squished into this old timey phone booth, maybe we could open and close the door and end up somewhere else?? Hey - it worked for Doctor Who......

WHERE DO I GO NOW???

2008-05-13T04:30:00.001-07:00

I suppose I am supposed to make a decision on what to do with myself now that school is out. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, and I know I want to do something that uses my degree skills or else the whole school thing would be pretty pointless. I have a pretty decent background in advertising now, and I can spend the rest of my days touting acne treatment and homes for sale, liquor store ads and new cars. Of course I would rather just sell my art, but not many people can make a living doing that. I did start a new site - only for selling my work - just in case. It's going to take me some time to get it all put together, but eventually I hope it will go somewhere. I tried the whole ebay thing with some measure of success, but by the time ebay takes out the listing fee, then the sold item fee, then paypal takes out their fee, and the fees to box and ship, there isn't much left as a profit. It actually makes it kind of pointless. I suppose I will see what the summer brings.....

FREEDOM!

2008-05-12T03:29:00.001-07:00

Now that school is officially over, I am free to create!! I don't really know what I am going to do with myself, but for the moment I want to fiddle around with faces. People are very interesting subjects, and my best friend is no exception. She made a funny face at me, and I ended up turning her into some kind of vampire lookin lady.
I also want to explore color more in depth over the summer, and this one ended up being what I would think is a complementary color scheme.
Summer - is going to be a blast!

CLOUDS BEFORE THE STORM...

2008-05-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

Had to go out in it again tonight.
Can't help it.
I'm addicted.

This was a fast moving storm that gave some huge wind speeds. I didn't see anything tornadic, nor did I hear that there was, but man these clouds were awesome!!

Please pardon the sensor dust.... I severely need to have my camera serviced.

KANSAS LIGHTNING

2008-05-06T03:38:00.001-07:00

And this is why I love digital photography more than using film! Out of about 90 shots, I got around 9 keepers. Had I been using film, the success rate would have been much lower. Even though I know what settings to use - it is pretty much impossible to know exactly when and where the lightning will strike. For that reason, using film would be far to expensive with a whole lot of waste!