A day late on the blog post this week. 

Thanksgiving weekend was busy!

It included time with my youngest, a friend's wedding, and a trip to Charleston. 

It was a quick trip with my cousin. We left on Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yesterday was catch-up day from being gone. I didn't have time to get a blog post on the site.

This was my first trip to Charleston. I enjoyed it, though I was a little disappointed by the weather. I only had one full day to shoot, and it was raining when I woke up. I don't mind shooting in the rain, but the light was so flat and ugly. I was uninspired when I looked out the hotel window. I hung out in the room and wrote an article while I waited for the weather to clear a bit. 

When I made it out, around 10 Monday morning, it was warm, humid, and dreary. But the textures, colors, and details on the buildings are eye candy. I wandered up and down the streets, finally realizing I was "lost." I wasn't quite sure how to get back without completely retracing my steps.

My cousin texted, though, and I decided to head back to the hotel.

The smartphone and Google maps sure make life easier. I put in the hotel address and made my way back.

I managed to get a few okay photos, nothing I was really excited about.

Photo Focus

I'm still getting used to the Sony a6000. Focus is an issue.

The cover photo of the window box flowers was taken at 1/60 at f/7.1. I would have expected a little more of the photo to be in focus at f/7.1. It really falls off quickly. The focusing screen on the back of the camera is hard to see when I'm outside. But I like the angles I can get if I don't have to put my eye up to the IVR. I'm getting the hang of it slowly. 

I love the textures and architectural details on the homes around the city. 

We had to leave Tuesday by 11:30. It was much colder out, but sunny. Of course it was sunny - we were leaving! 

My cousin had a job in Augusta so we headed back. It's a long drive, but not bad when you've got company. Our stop in Augusta was short. We made it back to Atlanta in time for a home-cooked dinner. 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Guess it means we're in the final stretch for Christmas. I'm not ready...as usual. But I will be by the end of next week. I don't like to let things go to the last minute. 

Looking forward to having the youngest back in the house for a couple of weeks. 

I hope Christmas is a good season for you. I know a lot of people find the holidays stressful and depressing. I try to minimize the material aspect and focus on the spiritual to avoid getting too stressed. It's a good time for just staying in the moment, taking stock, and making plans to move ahead. 

Have a good weekend!

See you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan

It's not too late to order prints in time for Christmas!