A collection of pachyderm stunts

Does he think he's holding the elephant up?

© Photographer: Susan Leggett | Agency: Dreamstime.com


© Photographer: Cheryle Myers | Agency: Dreamstime.com

More fun elephant photos available here...
http://www.dreamstime.com/circus-elephants-rcollection18172-resi3427385

To the moon and back...

I asked my daughter last night, as I tucked her into bed, if she knew how much I loved her.



With a little smile, she said,

"Yes.  To the moon and back a million times."

My heart melted.


© Photographer: Matt Antonino | Agency: Dreamstime.com




Then later, I found a little Valentine she'd made for me with a pop-out heart.

I love that she makes me little cards.  I love that she leaves them on my pillow for me to find after she's asleep.  

I was trying to think of something creative I could do for her, and leave a surprise on her pillow.  Her imagination is light years more advanced than mine.  My creativity ends at my camera.

Then it dawned on me that maybe I could find something online that I could use to make her a card. Check this out:
Hearts (a Dreamstime search)  Perfect!  If you haven't discovered the magic of stock photos, you truly don't know what you're missing.

Here's what I came up with...

A cute card and all I did was add the text.  She'll love it.  I better go slip it under her pillow.

The Ants go Marching...

I have no idea how he does it.
But, the current featured photographer on Dreamstime has an amazing collection of ants!


© Photographer: Andrey Pavlov | Agency: Dreamstime.com

© Photographer: Andrey Pavlov | Agency: Dreamstime.com

For some reason I find these intriguing, and not creepy like spiders would be.

So excited!!!

Each month or so Dreamstime posts an assignment for their contributors.  The most recent contest is focused on going mobile.  Mobile cameras, mobile shots. You get the idea.  But not just any spontaneous shot will do.

The assignments have a theme, but as with all their stock photos the Dreamstime editors only take the best.

The editors at Dreamstime are particular.  Meticulous, really. They have very high expectations.  Ok, they're picky.

There, I said it.  But, I'm glad they are.  Here it is....

http://www.dreamstime.com/-rimage27577788-resi3427385

my first assignment photo.








This is as "mobile" as it gets.  Gooey, sticky marshmallow smore's and a five year old in heaven.

A new collection

My daughter sings in the Oregon Children's Choir.  I try to capture the feeling, the emotion, the power of their songs.  Yet, it's one example of when photos just don't do justice to the whole experience.

Here is my latest Dreamstime collection of choir photos.
http://www.dreamstime.com/childrens-choir-singers-rcollection19429-resi3427385

Summer travels

This last summer we took the girls on a vacation to California.  

Yes, we packed up the travel trailer and spent two weeks "camping."  Which means hours upon hours of driving and a daily dose of Dramamine for the youngest who never fails to get car sick.

In case you were wondering...  we must have looked like tourists.

In other words we had the GPS on the dashboard, a stack of maps in hand and a panic stricken look as we drove for hours on end through places we've never been.

The highlights?  The Redwoods, Disneyland and California Adventures, and Yosemite National Park.  

If you ask our kids what they enjoyed most it was campfires and smore's, meeting the Disney Princesses, and swimming in the river.

But the photographer in me was in heaven.  I created a memory book of photos for my daughters on Snapfish, and built a collection on Dreamstime titled "All Things Disney!"  http://www.dreamstime.com/all-things-disney!-rcollection18857-resi3427385     

So many memories.  I wonder where the journey will take us next.

Dreamstime Milestone

I joined Dreamstime in May of 2011.  In the year and a half since then I've hit several milestones.

My first accepted stock image was a photo of a herd of bison. It hasn't sold, but hey, I've learned a lot since then.  

The first image I did sell was of an African Ostrich.

© Photographer: Cheryle Myers | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Recently I celebrated hitting some other new milestones. My 100th sold photo was of the Oregon Children's Choir Junior Academy Singers.

© Photographer: Cheryle Myers | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Plus over 200 approved Stock photos in my portfolio, and total sales of over $200.  This photo of an Amtrak Train has been one of the best selling.

© Photographer: Cheryle Myers | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Dreamstime has given me an avenue for sharing my passion.  And, even though I only have a limited amount of time to focus on my photography, I love every minute.

Random is not always unpredictable

"Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature." 

~Eric Hoffer 

If it happens, it must be possible.

Right?

Sometimes, I wonder. 

 Occasionally my life feels random.  Or if not random, much like a circus act.

Random stunts and tricks that seem totally out of place and unreal.  

“CIRCUS, n. A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.”
~Ambrose Bierce