Nature Through The Lens

I decided to add something a little different to my blog.  Posts dedicated to my photography.  Now I will say I'm no photography expert and I do not do it professionally.  Taking pictures is something I enjoy doing for fun and for the idea of capturing memories.  My kids are rarely cooperative or agree to sit still for me to get lots of shots of them so I decided to take my camera out and photograph a little nature around my house.  If anything, it's just good practice.  Last Christmas my husband bought me a new camera.  It's a Nikon 1 J3.  If you're looking for a new camera I highly recommend this one.  It's not as big as a DSLR but the pictures come out as amazing.  My husband also bought me a new zoom lens. 

I never edit or photoshop any pictures I take.  I like keeping photos the way they are.  The only thing I do is add the watermark for the photos I add to my blog.  

I found this cicada hanging out on our deck yesterday.  I thought it was a great opportunity to take my camera out.  I didn't stand very close to him so that's when the zoom lens came in handy.  I love the photos where the subject is in focus and the background is blurry. 

Another one of our little friend.  Aren't these bugs so cool?  We can hear them outside all the time but it's rare we get to see one up close. 

I decided to try practicing with the focus so I took a picture of some random plants and flowers found in my back and front yard.  We've had some unusual cooler temps this summer, especially at night, so it killed our flowers but they seem to be coming alive again.