Check out the video and photos of our kids' school

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

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.

I did it...

I stayed home.  I passed up a change to take pictures. Winter pictures of my girls sledding and playing in the snow. A drive to the mountains and a day in the cold.

Nothing.  No winter wonderland photos. No sledding.  No funny crash scenes, cold noses or sun shining through the trees.

Nothing. A break from everything and a quiet house.  Some time to work on some writing and relax.

But, even as I try to enjoy the solitude I keep thinking that I'm missing out.  Not on the cold fingers, or numb toes or wet clothes of course.  Missing out on the squeals of delight, the screams of excited kids and the opportunity to freeze those memories forever.

A holiday treasure

My latest model, Little John.

Having some good friends over for dinner led to some seriously cute pictures of their 5 week old.  

There's just something about the holidays, and a new baby in a santa hat.

What could possibly be more precious than the smiles of a little baby?

For the love of a Corgi

Some times big things come in small packages.  This little pup came to us on a very large plane.  The kids still say that we got her from the airport, which is only partly true.  She came from a wonderful farm in Missouri arriving by plane and was just a tiny little thing.

Now she is more than a year old and full grown.  Spoiled for sure, Macy is a definitely a part of the family.  She is gentle with children and loves to play and run with other dogs.  Her favorite friend is our neighbors dog, a standard poodle named Jasper.  

  It's hilarious to watch them chase each other around the yard at full speed.  Jasper gallops like a horse and Macy loves it.  It often seems like they're playing tag.

But after all that running, Macy crashes and often sleeps for hours.  She loves to sleep upside down and isn't afraid to kick the big dog out of his bed.  Macy is truly a princess.

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.

Animal Whisperer

Since our daughter was tiny, family and friends have called her the animal whisperer.

 

There hasn't been an animal yet that hasn't been drawn to her.
She' s been saying she wants to be a Veterinarian since before her second birthday.








I guess we'll see about that, but I love to capture these moments.

The inner journey

These are a few of my favorite quotes about travel.  They express what I think about exploring the inner journey through the outer world.

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.”

~Robert Frost

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” 

~Henry Miller

“You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
~Ansel Adams

My photography gives me an outlet.  A place to share my inner journey without completely putting myself out there.  Simply because, “Photography is all about secrets. The secrets we all have and will never tell.” 

~Kim Edwards

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

Beauty is Everywhere...

I always have my camera with me.  My daughters even tease me about it.  I can't help it.

I see the world through a lens.  I see beauty everywhere.

On the rare occasion I don't have my camera handy I always regret it.

What am I afraid of?  I know I miss things.  They're are so many awe-inspiring places, structures and landscapes.

    My dream?

   To be able to travel and take pictures.  It's the outdoors that appeal to me.

Too much time inside and I have to escape.   The walls close in on me and I get stressed and anxious.

The best medicine is the beauty of the outdoors.  Nature is my therapy.

As long as I have my camera along...

Cousins

❧ Cousins ❧

Kaleb  (2010)                                          Jayden (2004) ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                                Jayden ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                            Sierra  (2007) ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Sierra                                                                            Kaleb ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤  Kaleb                                                                        Jayden    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                    Sierra                                        Kaleb    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤   Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                                Kaleb ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Jayden                                                Kaleb                                                    Sierra ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Kaleb                                                                            Jayden ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤