The Photographer’s Eye – Guest Blog from Croatia

My son Matthew writes from Zagreb, Croatia………………

Vedrana and I spent the day touring her hometown of Rijeka, snapping shot after shot, trying to come up with something worthy of a guest post on mom’s blog.  

We raced up to the Fortress of Trsat to catch the “golden hour” and found these fabulous dragons, eager to pose for us.

I took ten pictures, trying to get just the right one and this was the best I could do.

Sunny Dragon                  Photographed by Matthew
Sunny Dragon            Photographed by Matthew

Vedrana took just one:

Dragon Silhouette Photo by Vedrana
Dragon Silhouette                   Photographed by Vedrana

When I saw the stunning photograph she had created I threw up my hands, recognizing that my novice attempts had been outclassed in every way.  

Clearly, the photographer’s eye does not run in the family.  

In one, last, desperate attempt to capture something beautiful, I took this one-

Vedrana Photographed by Matthew
Vedrana
Photographed by Matthew

And finally I was satisfied with the results.

Matthew

 

Zadar on the Adriatic Sea- Guest Blog

Today I had a nice surprise in my inbox from my son Matthew.

He sent beautiful photographs of Zadar, Croatia photographed by Maja.

Thank you Maja.  

Perfect for a guest blog today.  What a stunning blue sky!

Zadar Croatia

The Adriatic Sea.

 

IMG-20140215-00998

St. Donatus Church and the Roman Forum in Zadar

 

Zadar Croatia

Boats in the Harbor

 

 

 

 

Zadar Croatia

Looks like Spring is here!

 

 

Zadar Croatia

 

 

Zadar Croatia

 

 

Adriatic Sea

Waves on the sea wall catching the sunlight.

 

 

 

Adriatic Sea

 

 

 

 

Hail Storm in Zagreb Croatia- Guest Post

In my email this morning-

Dear Mom,

 A hail storm broke out in Zagreb today and my friend Maja captured it with her iPhone from her 9th floor office.  She was a little bit reluctant to be blogged, but she had this to say about the picture :   “It looked so great and it made me so happy that I wanted to share it.”

And it reminded me of the sentence from the film “American Beauty” – “Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.”

I think that quote is a great motto for us to live by.  You and your blog do a great job reminding us all of the beauty that surrounds us every moment of every day, so I knew what to do with Maja’s picture right away!

 Love you,

Matty

Thank you Maja for sharing your beautiful photograph of the hailstorm from the ninth floor window and thanks Matty, too.  

Hail Storm Zagreb Croatia

Weekly Photo Challenge: Home

Michael and Murphy
Michael and Murphy

 

 

Home Game Home Plate
Home Game Home Plate
Homes on Hillcrest
Homes on Hillcrest
Steve and the Newpaper
Steve and the Newpaper
Croatian Homes and Roman Ruins
Croatian Homes and Roman Ruins
In the Sun Room in Omaha
In the Sun Room in Omaha
Beechwood Boulevard Home
Beechwood Boulevard Home
Maura and Mark at Home Asleep
Maura and Mark at Home Asleep
Christmas Home
Christmas Home
At Home Before Church
At Home Before Church
She's Leaving Home
She’s Leaving Home
Over the Top Home in Daylight
Over the Top Home in Daylight
Running to Home
Running to Home

 

Neighbor's Home in a Lawn Ball
Neighbor’s Home in a Lawn Ball

I can’t believe it took me so long to start responding to the Weekly Photo Challenges.  All those challenges unanswered.

This week is home.   The WordPress Weekly Challenge allows me to go through some archived files and think about the theme.

What I’m drawn to. What caught my eye.

No shortage of photos to post for home this week.

When I drive into my driveway after work I feel I am truly home.  What makes you feel at home?

The gallery option isn’t really cooperating for me today. (Ooops. I read in the article  Are You Boring? Seven Tips for Knowing if You ‘re Boring Someone  on the Happiness Project  blog by Gretchen Rubin to never  mention computer problems)

 

Laundry on Line in Croatia

July 2008 From the Archives
July 2008 From the Archives

Croatian Church Sign

 

 

 

 

IMG_3890

Plitvice Lakes- Waterfalls in National Park Croatia

Peaceful reflection in the National Park in Croatia-Plitvice Lakes

Summer
Summer 2008    from the archives

 

32 Years Later

 

Happy Birthday Matthew. Remember when we pulled off Interstate 80 on the way to NYC last August?

Here you are last summer in front of your first home in Clarion PA. The house we brought you to from the hospital, 32 years ago.

Of course I didn’t send a card, just like last year!  So this is my birthday wish for you.  A day filled with love!

You sure give all of us a lot of love.  (Matthew’s the one who says about my photographing people, It’s annoying now, but later you’re glad)

Thinking of you today and everyday.

love. Ma

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign

The Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign  was enough to make me scramble-  find Croatian photos from my trip visiting Matthew about 4 years ago.

Steel Making- Braddock PA

Edgar Thomson Plant  United States Steel    Mon Valley Works in Braddock, PA Shot less than two weeks ago

How does color or lack of it affect a photograph? What about cropping?

The five photos below are all from one master image.

Discovered the folklore of Joe Magarac, a legendary steel worker from Croatia  tried to find online if that statue of a steelworker is supposed to be legendary Joe Magarac. Check out the article Folklore or Fakelore?

And I found a cool driving tour of the mills video from 1988

or see the Steel making process in this video