Spring Snow!

Today, I had the pleasure of enjoying the freak March snowstorm with my middle child, Little Brother. We were both so excited to see a decent snowfall - last winter, we barely saw any snow where we live in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

This snow was thick and heavy, coming down on a layer of ice, and the trees were simply stunning. There’s something truly magical about driving around and hopping out of the car at random intervals to take photos, or in having your almost-teen son share his favorite park.

I wish you all a day of glitter and sparkles.

Wordless Wednesday: Fog over Gunners Lake

When You Give a Three-Year-Old a Camera

Yesterday, my three year old daughter asked if she could use the weather app on my iPhone. Now, granted, I think she just wanted to get in the request before her older brother Kerm did. But I was tickled that she asked, so I handed the phone back to her. Unbeknownst to me, she not only knew how to locate the camera function, she decided to use it. Now, I've blogged about Kerm and Little Brother's love of photography before, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that their little sister enjoys taking pictures too. But what I think is fascinating about young photographers is the truly unique perspective that they bring to their art. You can learn a lot about a child by looking at his or her photographs. Princess Twinkle set out to capture the view of rain from her car seat. These are some of the pictures that she took today.

Perhaps I was driving a little fast here ...

When you give a four-year-old a camera ...

Last Christmas, my then four-year-old received a Fisher-Price digital camera. It's been great fun for him because it's easy to use and nearly indestructible. Itinerant Cryptographer just downloaded the first few months of his photos and it's interesting to truly see the world through the eyes of a child. I know that I've posted about older brother Kerm's love of photography, but I hadn't realized that Little Brother would impress me at such a young age. Way to go, Little Brother!

Photo credits: Little Brother

Way to go, Kerm!

**insert parental brag warning here**

I just had to give a shout out for my oldest. Kerm, age eight, won three ribbons at the county fair for his photography! :)

Photography is a great way to help kids relate to and "see" the world in a new way. Kerm received an inexpensive digital camera for his birthday from Nana, and now he's snapping away at everything in sight. It's fun to see the world through his eyes and I love that he's building up his observational skills.

That said, it's a little intimidating to watch my child easily surpass me with photography. (My lack of ribbons at the county fair only heightens this awareness.) But I am excited that he shows such promise with nature photography. While I might write a poem or draft an essay about my experiences with nature, Kerm is more likely to conduct an experiment or take a picture. And that's okay. We're still sharing the experience together.


Photo credit: Kerm

Website of the Week: Earth Shots

Earthshots.org is a photo of the day contest that "[celebrates] the beauty and diversity of our planet." According to the terms and conditions, anyone can enter and you retain the rights to your photography. The webmasters are looking for images that are "interesting and striking." The archive contains some amazing images -- urban graffiti, rainbows, caves, frogs and more. Enjoy!


--If you like this post, you might also like:
*Astronomy Picture of the Day,
*Earth Science Picture of the Day, and
*NOAA Photo Library

How photography brings science to life

Grand Teton National Park, WyomingPhoto credit: Ansel AdamsSource: The National Archives and Records Administration

Recently, my husband took our younger son to the bookstore. The little one was fascinated by a coffee table book about the solar system. Isn't it amazing, how the power of photography can grab us and pull us into a scientific subject?

I recently purchased Cloudman John A. Day's The Book of Clouds. I could give you some long-winded explanation of how I need this book to accurately identify different cloud formations, but let's face it, I just like looking at the pictures.

When I was very young, my favorite book was a guide to nature, complete with a photograph of a snake devouring a frog. I thought this was endlessly fascinating. Fast forward a few years and I was skimming a magazine in a doctor's office when I saw an Ansel Adams photograph for the first time. I remember the sensation of flying through the clouds, feeling the cool mist of condensation on my arms. The photograph gave me goosebumps, along with a lifelong appreciation of Adams' work.

The next time you are at the book store, drop by a display of those oversized hard-cover tomes filled with photography. Let your mind wander over various topics and pick out images that interest you. You might be surprised at what catches your eye -- and that of your little ones.

Website of the Week: Earth Science Picture of the Day

Erosion at Dudley BeachPhoto credit: Jonathon Coombes
This week's website is Earth Science Picture of the Day, developed through a partnership with NASA and the Universities Space Research Association. According to the website, EPOD "highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives." Each day's picture comes with a short explanation about an earth science topic (like cloud types, rainbows, and snow crystals), with links to learn more.

Enjoy!

Website of the Week: Astronomy Picture of the Day

Itinerant Cryptographer here, filling in for a tired Mama Joules. Monday, the sky had a real treat for anyone who looked up at it--the crescent moon, Jupiter, and Venus were all close together in the sky. In some places, the moon passed in front of Venus, blocking it from view for awhile.

Did you miss seeing this? Well, this week's website of the week has a lovely photo of that, as well as many other things you wish you'd seen in the night sky. Check out NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, a source of some amazing, beautiful, and interesting pictures, each with commentary by an astronomer. Don't miss the video footage of the fireball in the sky from Canada!

Edward Burtynsky and Urban Landscapes

I stumbled upon an interesting blog post the other day at The Vigorous North about Edward Burtynsky and his photography of urban landscapes. Burtynsky describes the focus of his work as "nature transformed through industry." Christian McNeil, of the Vigorous North, further lauds him as "an Ansel Adams for 21st-century environmentalism," in part because of his "stunning, large-format photographs that are beautiful and can induce a sense of vertigo from their epic scale."

And exactly what is Burtynsky photographing in such breathtaking detail? Slices of the very scenes that make environmentalists wince: quarries, factories, mines, dumps, and urban sprawl. Burtynsky's work is so compelling -- often entwining scenes so beautiful and so tragic -- that it was made into a documentary entitled Manufactured Landscapes by Jennifer Baichwal.



Years ago, as part of my job investigating potential hazardous waste sites, I surveyed and photographed abandoned urban industrial areas. My natural default is to think of these places as hopelessly damaged or degraded from their once pristine state. Burtynsky's work and McNeil's comments showed me another way to view this part of life. Burtynsky's photography is vibrant and exciting. I find his pictures fascinating because what he sees through his photographer's lens is so different than what I saw through mine.

International photography contest through National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids is currently running an international photography contest for kids!

Kids ages 6-14 living in the United States (excluding Puerto Rico) and Canada (excluding Quebec) can enter in three different categories: Animals, Scenery, and People. You could win a camera and an autographed copy of Annie Griffiths Belt's book, A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel: My Journey in Photographs. The contest runs through November 3, 2008. Check out this link for an entry form, contest rules, and other information.

If you live outside of the U.S. and Canada, check out The Worldwide National Geographic Society International Photography Contest for Kids for a listing of regional contests around the globe. (I wish I could enter in the UK -- you could win a safari to Kenya!)

Regional winners are entered into the international contest and "one Grand Prize winner will win a five-day, four-night trip to Washington, D.C., including a special tour of National Geographic headquarters ..." (I still want to go on safari!)

Good luck!