Showing posts with label lots of pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lots of pictures. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Warming up for the Olympics and a Portrait Gallery

I would like to make it Very Clear that Abby and I got a lot of frisbee action this week.  But for reasons that are still not clear to me (it apparently has something to do with Mom 'experimenting' with different settings on her camera, resulting in 'less than satisfactory' action photos) there are less actions photos this week than usual.  (Keep in mind that 'less' is relative!)  But we are actively preparing for the Frisbee Freestyle events in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

There was some use of the Doodle Trebuchet

And some standard frisbee catches - a compulsory exercise in the Olympics.

More simple drills for the upcoming Olympics.

A nice catch in the pike position - one of the 'compulsory' frisbee catch moves required in Olympic competition.
 
Me working on the 'dive into a snowbank' part of the compulsory exercises.

Abby also working on the 'dive into a snowbank' exercise.


A solid vertical catch.

Good extension, a clean catch!

Another catch with nice vertical!

Yep, I think we're in good shape for the Olympics!
In addition to the frisbee photos, Mom is obsessed with getting photos with us running with frisbees.  She has yet to be 'completely satisfied' with them (which is okay - she throws frisbees, we come running back - nothing wrong there!), but she's determined to get some shots of us running.  So there are a lot of photos of us running, in varying degrees of quality.

Mom calls this 'unfettered joy' - I couldn't agree more!
Zoom-zoom!



Watch out!  Coming through!

"Hi Mom! I have this frisbee for you!"

"And another one!"

"Mom, I think you still need to work on your color-adjustment skills..."

"Hi Mom!  I think I'm a little orange here - but I'm in motion!"

"Hi Mom!  Another frisbee!  Maybe that's because I'm half retriever!  Heehee."

The sports photo guides say "get two eyes and the ball" - how about two eyes and the frisbee?

"I mentioned that I'm half retriever, right?"

"Can't stop mom!"

Still got that retriever thing working!

I even retrieve in new snow.  Sometimes...

Hi Mom!
Okay, so maybe there are more frisbee photos than I originally thought.  I guess Mom has been spending a lot of time sorting through photos...

Now on to the portrait gallery.

Mom says we look 'focused' here.  Of course we are - she's got treats in her hand.

My shifty-eyed sister with a big schnozz.

You wanted a picture of me look right at you.  Well here I am.  Complete with snow on my snooter!

Speaking of snooters!  Holy Hipposnooterus, Batman!

Mom just likes this photo - probably because it makes Abby's schnozz look medium-sized.  Heehee!

Abby's got her head in the clouds (again)!

Hey Abby, your head is blocking out the sky!

Wow!  A rare photo where Abby is making eye-contact!  Mom should frame this!

I do NOT have a big schnozz - Mom just likes to play around with perspective.  I hate to think what will happen if she gets a fish-eye lens!

Yep, I'm pretty!
Finally, since we finally got some snow, Mom decided to try her hand at some 'artsy photos.'

Snowy pine.

Aspens in winter.

More snowy pines.
Clearly our Mom has gone photo-crazy.  This is what we have to say about that:

Pfffth.

And double-pfffth.
But we still love you Mom!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Photos, Photos and More Photos

Seriously, if Mom is going to keep taking a zillion photos a week, she's REALLY going to have to start posting more often, or we are going to end up with a lot of posts like this one that have TONS of photos.  Mom had a five-day weekend for the Christmas holiday, so that did give her a lot of opportunities to take pictures, and Mom took advantage of all of those opportunities!  Trust me, there are a zillion photos in this post.  Biggify (click on a photo) for best viewing.

First, let's get some action photos.

My sister is a frisbee hog!

And she's got some legs on her - we don't call her the Hippobottomus for nothing, ya know!

I'm just watching in amazement - her torso has GOT to be 6 feet long!

Finally!  I stole one from my sister!

You will notice that I am NOT a Hippobottomus!

Is it me, or does Abby look like she's a two-legger out for a stroll?
Mom has started calling Abby a 'land-shark'.  I think the following photos illustrate why, exactly, Mom has been using that term.

Does someone hear the 'Jaws' theme?
Just like the cover of the latest Time magazine!

Yes, Abby, you SHOULD show off Every Single Tooth in your mouth!  Heehee.
Land shark indeed!  In addition to Abby's 'Jaws' moves, Abby has also been testing out the Doodle Launcher.  The weather has been warm and sunny, so Abby has been working on her amplitude and style!

Amplitude is okay, style is a bit dorky...

I think she loses style points for missing the frisbee, unfortunately.

Not bad in amplitude, and she did catch the frisbee.

I think the Doodle Launcher was on the 'ejection seat' setting!

Amplitude, style points AND an audience.  (I have to humor her, ya know!)

I think Abby is going to be a contender in the next Winter X-Games, don't you?
One of Mom's 'new things' has been to get photos from different angles.  Her latest quest is to see if she can get photos of us running at her, and she thinks these photos would be 'coolest' from ground level.  Which means that Mom lies down on her belly in the snow and attempts to throw the frisbee after which she then hopes we'll come running back to her.  Needless to say, Mom is still working on this whole thing.

Hi Mom!

I don't need a frisbee to look stylish!  (Besides, Mom really can't throw a frisbee when she's lying on the ground.)

Goofadoodle coming in hot!  Watch out, Mom!

"Look out again, Mom!  Crazy dog coming in for a landing!"  (No cameras or Moms were injured in the taking of this photo)
"Hey, Mom.  You know I like to skid to a stop, right?  If I spray you with snow, well, you'll only have yourself to blame!"
While she's down on the ground, Mom usually gets a few other shots.

"My name is Abby, and I'm a frisbee hoarder."

"Hey, uh, Mom?  I brought you this frisbee; could you throw it please?"

"Here, I'll even pick it up to give you a hand."
After a while, Mom gets cold and it's back to action photos.

Rehearsals for the ballet 'Doodle Lake' go on year-round!

Notice that I am NOT a land shark.

"Abby watch this - it is possible to catch a frisbee without putting ALL of one's pearly whites on display!"
But lest you think the entire weekend was go-go-go, Abby and I had some downtime.

Christmas Eve we had visions of bully sticks dancing through out heads!

"Zzzzzz....."
And we had some afternoon nap-time.

We actually do snuggle up to each other!

Abby after one football game too many!

Lazy Saturday afternoon (and a chance for Mom to try out her aperture-priority setting on her camera).
Of course, Mom also got some 'face shots'.  Something about how she can't get enough portrait photos!




Mom particularly likes this photo because she caught the 'late' (3pm) sun just before it set behind our hillside.

Hipposnooterus!  (Actually, Mom is please with how the background is indistinct while Abby's schnozz is 'tack sharp'.)

Is it possible to get enough snowy snooter photos?  I didn't think so....

Of course, you really can't have enough photos of me against a snowy backdrop, either!
As you can imagine, after a while Mom's constant snapping of photos gets a bit old and I have to make a statement.

"Pfffth."
And if I didn't make my point clear, let me stick my tongue out at you some more.



So there!  Heehee!

Now, just a few more photos...

In addition to taking photos of us all weekend, Mom and Dad managed to get in some cross-country skiing:

Dad being all ninja-like in his cross-country gear.
And Mom DID take us on a bunch of walkies.

Walkies, from Abby's point of view.  Yes, I AM the lead dog!
And we got to see what Santa Paws left in our stockings!  (Mom is still figuring out the shutter-speed/aperture/ISO triangle, and we weren't exactly sitting still!)



And I got to pose next to a ginormous pillow that was a present from our Granny and Grandpa.  (BTW, this is one of those family 'stories', but it has to do Jimmy Stewart having gone to my Mom's high school, and "It's a Wonderful Life" being an old family movie favorite...)

"Actually, it IS a wonderful life!"
And FINALLY, one of Mom's favorite photos of the long weekend.


Hopefully Mom will get up posts during the week, so we won't end up with one post with 87 photos in it!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus