S Earl Photography

Great News - Second Place Winner

2012-01-26T03:41:00.000-08:00

I just received this news release today that I have won

Second Place in the December Photo Contest at

Better Photo.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE1/25/2012 Photographer Shelia Earl of Jasper, Indiana, has won Second Place for December in the prestigious photography contest sponsored by BetterPhoto.com, the site's founder, Jim Miotke, announced Wednesday.

More than 12600 entries were submitted to the online photography contest, which attracted contestants from around the world and featured 10 separate categories.

Earl's stunning image, "Blowing in the Wind", garnered top honors after being submitted in the Nature & Landscapes category.

All of the winning images can be viewed at BetterPhoto.com's contest page: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/winners/1112.asp

The contest is conducted each month. Categories include Nature and Landscapes, Animals, People, Elements of Design, Digital Darkroom, Travel and Place, Flowers, Details and Macro, Catch-All, and Monthly Theme. Judging is performed by a panel of professional photographers.

Then here is one that got into the "Finalist" submissions for the same contest. This is a picture of my niece's dog "Lady" playing "dress up".

I have enjoyed all my courses at BetterPhoto.com

and have been challenged to improve every step of the way.

I cannot thank CBF enough for the opportunity to pursue

improvement in all areas of work and ministry.

Thank you ALL for your encouragement and support.

By the Book Weekly Challenge

2012-01-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge at I Heart Faces is:

By the Book

Here is my entry for the contest:

Pictures from My Photography Class

2011-12-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have been taking a new photography class

at Brooke Snow Photography Workshops and

thought that I would share some of the pictures from

Lesson Two - Creative Shutter Speeds.

Some are frozen action, others are use of implied motion,

and some use the technique of "panning".

This was a fun lesson.

Photography Sale of the Year

2011-12-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting on this sale. I love these products.

http://designaglow.com/design/our-annual-sale-starts-now-2/

Love My Nikkor 24-70

2011-12-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

For those in Life As Art - here is the picture

taken with my Nikkor 24-70 zoom lens.

The Johnson Family 2011

2011-11-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Last week I made family pictures for this beautiful family.

David, Delynn, Kaylee, Lizzy, Zachary and Tyler.

David and Delynn have worked with us for several years -

providing for the needs of the kindergarten children and their families that attend the "Future of the Family" Kindergarten.

We wanted to thank them in a special way -
so I made their family pictures last week
that they could use them to make Christmas cards

for family and friends.

Thank you ALL for making this such a great day -

I will add it to my book of "memories" -

and thank you for all that you do for
the children and their families.

I Heart Faces in BLACK

2011-11-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is;

BLACK

I love this photo of Maria in her black outfit.

So this is my pick for this week's theme.

Go over to iheartfaces.com

to see the rest of the entries for this week.

Pursuit of Light

2011-11-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Just a few of the pictures that I have taken over the past few weeks

for my "Pursuit of Light" photography course.

These pictures were taken with only "finding the light" in mind
- not for the subject matter.

Enjoy! And thanks for viewing.

These last two were taken at our front door and the hallway

leading to our apartment.

Homemade Applesauce

2011-10-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished making Homemade Applesauce.

I have tried several recipes over the years, but this

one that is baked in the oven is my favorite (Arville's too).

I thought I should get this done because this weekend

Habibe and I are making Ajvar.

For those of you who have not had it before - it is absolutely

delicious. It is roasted peppers (outside over an open fire) and

then it is canned for use all winter.

Well, that is if it lasts that long.

Here is my Applesauce recipe and maybe

I can share the recipe for Ajvar next week.

Homemade Applesauce

(I quadrupled this recipe)

It made enough for 6 medium jars of applesauce.

2 large apples, peeled and sliced

3 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

I placed the apples in a large baking dish and sprinkled the mixture of sugar, spices, and vanilla over the top.

I then stirred the mixture into the apples and covered the baking dish.

Baked at 350 F. for about 45 minutes.

I uncovered and mashed the apple mixture with a fork - if you have a food processer then that would be a quick way to do this part.

I didn't get it all canned before Arville was in the kitchen for a bowl of it.

He added just a little butter on top and ate it standing in the kitchen!!

Raise Your Hands @ I Heart Faces

2011-10-11T02:41:00.000-07:00

The theme for this week's contest at

iheartfaces.com

"Raise Your Hands"

Here is my entry for this week:

Now go to www.iheartfaces.com to see the other entries.

Have a great week!

White On White Pictures

2011-10-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am taking a course on Exposure Precision

this month at Better Photo.com

and thought I would share some of my

pictures from the week.

The assignment was to make pictures of white objects

on white backgrounds to see if we could get the

exposure correct.

For the one of the flowers, I went downtown to a little

flower shop to buy the flowers. The man in the shop could not

understand why I wanted all white flowers and what I was going to do with them.

When I explained that it was for a photography course to see if we could get correct exposure of white on white and if we could then we would be able to expose all other pictures correctly in-camera,

he just could not believe that it could be done.

So he made me promise to bring him a copy of the picture so that he could see if for himself. On Tuesday, I will be near the shop so I think I will take a print of the flower picture.

To be honest, I didn't think it could be done either. HA! But Jim Zuckerman (the teacher of the course) has made a believer out of me.

BACK to SCHOOL at I Heart Faces

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

This week's theme at iheartfaces.com is

BACK TO SCHOOL

Here is my entry. It was taken at the

"Future of the Family" kindergarten

in Skopje, Macedonia.

This kindergarten supplies a free education to 40 children

a year who would not get to attend school otherwise.

Go on over to iheartfaces.com and see the other entries.

I Heart Faces Contest- BEAUTIFUL EYES

2011-08-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

This week's contest at iheartfaces.com is:
Beautiful Eyes

I love this picture of my grandson.

His eyes just sparkle all the time, but this one was taken

at our surprise vacation to Disney World.

We live overseas and kept the surprise secret that

we were going to be at Disney World when the 4 grandchildren

arrived with their parents.

It was the BEST surprise ever.

In Atlanta Before Saying Good-bye

2011-08-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

It is always so hard to say "good-bye" but

being with family at Iris and Derrell's (Arville's brother)

made it a bit easier.

We had a wonderful time.

As usual - lots of great food, quality visiting time, and

the best "host and hostess" in the world.

Here are a few pictures of the last day together before

Amy and family returned to Indiana

and we left to come back to Macedonia the next day.

The flowers are from Iris's garden by the pool.

This is Katie's dog "Lady". Katie is Derrell and Iris's granddaughter (Dina's daughter).

Ben (their grandson) - Matt's son - is holding Lady.

Pictures of Nathan playing with Sophie's game.

He is wearing Elijah's hat from Disney World.

Savannah, Georgia

2011-08-08T14:10:00.001-07:00

Pictures of our overnight and next morning stay

in Savannah.

Amy got a great deal on a hotel for all of us and we were

right downtown on the river.

Had breakfast at Huey's the next morning and then

drove back to Atlanta.

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Our Last Day at Disney: Epcot Center

2011-08-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the last of the Disney pictures.

I still have some pictures from Savannah

(where we stayed on the way back to Atlanta) and

some pictures taken at Arville's brother's house

in Lawrenceville, GA.

I will try to get those posted later on this week.

HOLLYWOOD @ DISNEY

2011-08-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Day Three was spent in Hollywood.

I think the pictures explain themselves so

here they are:

Day Two at Disney: Animal Kingdom

2011-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

On Day 2 we went to Animal Kingdom park.

Africa was our favorite part, of course - with the

Safari (even though it poured down rain!!).

It did cool things off some SO it was a tradeoff.

Nathan really loved this park!!

He visited with a man who guessed which country and city

that Nathan came from.

He played the drums - and did very well.

It was a very relaxing and fun day - even though it did

rain and we had to wait for it to stop several times.

Here are pictures from the day's highlights:

And the Lion King show was our favorite show by far.
It was fantastic.

Disney: Magic Kingdom

2011-07-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

I finally got the pictures of our Disney vacation

edited and put into blogboards

so that I can share them with you.

There were so many of them that I divided them up into days

when I edited them.

So here is the first day at Disney.

We went to the Magic Kingdom first.

Day One: The Magic Kingdom

The Haunted House

Everybody had a try at pulling the sword out of the stone.

Nathan loved this because Elijah let him help.

There was a lot of waiting in the Magic Kingdom

(not so bad in the other parks).

So the children made the most of entertaining themselves

in the long lines.

While waiting, their Peepaw entertained them with stories.

The little ones got into this BIG time.

Sophie and Arville played this game of trust.

Sophie said that she could fall back and let Peepaw catch her,

but she had a hard time with the last little bit. HA!

They had so much fun!!

At the same time, Nathan was very serious at finding

out where we were on the map.

The child loves to read maps and car books!!

There was a big parade at the end of the day.

Christopher and Amy got a bit tired, but they didn't

want the children to miss a thing.

It was amazing to watch them with the kids -

they are great parents.

Better Photo Contest Finalist

2011-07-31T03:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another picture of mine that won

"Finalist" this past month

in the Better Photo contest.

This was from a class that I took in May and June -

"Creative Photoshop Photography".

Here are a few others from this same course:

Some New Course Entries - Creative Photography Techniques

2011-06-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my recent entries in the course

I am finishing up this semester.

It is a course called, "Creative Photography Techniques"

with Jim Zuckerman at Better Photo.

This was a fun course and I learned a lot about

Photoshop and how to use textures, toning,

and other techniques to enhance my photography.

French Tulips

Tybee Island Dock

Honeymoon in Paris

Eggs and Pearls

Ohrid Stairway

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Pictures of the Silent Art Auction at CBF General Assembly

2011-06-27T02:32:00.000-07:00

I just received these 2 photos from Karen Gilbert.

She took them for me so that I could see what

the Gallery Wrap that I did for this year's

Silent Auction at the CBF General Assembly

looked like.

I did the digital watercolor of the coneflower

for a photography assignment at

BetterPhoto.com and then sent it to

ColorInc to be printed.

I never got to see the finished product because it shipped

directly to the CBF office after it was put on

canvas and framed.

Thank you, Karen, for making it "almost" like I was there.

So glad that you knew the people who bought it, too.

That always makes it SO special for me.

Karen, you are the best!!

The Burke Family (Part 2)

2011-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some pages from a family album

that I included with the Burke's photo shoot.

Photos by Shelia Earl Photography & Book Design by Simplicity Photography: Watercolor Album

The Burke Family

2011-06-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of making this family's

pictures a few weeks ago.

They were so much fun to photograph -

the children are precious.

We never heard the baby cry one time in the

two hours that we were in the park making photos.

Here are a couple of collages

to show some of the pictures.

Best Face Photo from May 2011 - I HEART FACES CONTEST

2011-05-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

This week's contest at

"Best Face Photo from May 2011".

Here is my entry for the week:

Now go to iheartfaces.com to see the other entries.

The Theme This Week at I Heart Faces

2011-05-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

The theme for this week at

YELLOW

Here is my picture for this week.

Now you can go over to iheartfaces.com and see the rest of the entries.

I Heart Faces Challenge - FLOWERS

2011-05-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I Heart Faces Challenge Contest

has something other than Faces as the subject.

This week the theme is:

FLOWERS

So here is my entry for the week. This flower

was found at the small, private hotel we stayed

at in Corfu a few years ago.

I love geraniums and this one is

PINK!!!

Now go to iheartfaces.com and look at the other

entries for this week.

Pictures from Speedlight Course

2011-05-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures that I made during my

Speedlight (Nikon Flash) course

at http://thespeedlightworkshop.com/

This was one of the best photography courses

that I have taken - so much fun!!

Thanks, Arville, Sara and Jehona for

helping me with this class.

I couldn't ask for better models.

Some New Photos

2011-04-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

I just realized after posting a few pictures this past week

that I have been negligent in posting to

My 365 Days of Photography

which turned into less than

My 52 Weeks of Photography. HA!

So I thought that I would do some catching up

before we go on a short trip (driving)

through Kosovo and then to

Croatia to visit with friends and colleagues.

Here are a few of the photos from last summer that I have been

working on for my website. Makes me SO ready for spring and summer to get here.

And Tybee Island

I Heart Faces Contest: WIND

2011-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

This week's I Heart Faces Contest

Category is WIND.

Here is my entry for this week.

It is a picture of my granddaughter

Sophie who is growing up way too fast.

Thank you for such a beautiful photo,

Sophia Rose.

You are a winner in my book.

Go and look at all the entries at:

http://www.iheartfaces.com/

My Husband's Photos: Finalists in Competition

2011-03-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

I think Arville has an "in" with the judges

at Better Photo.

His portraits have received "Finalists" in the last 2 months of

competition.

Here is the Finalist entry for February:

Here is the one that got "Finalist" in January:

Then I just completed a studio lighting course and

submitted these 3 photos of him.

This assignment was "Dramatic Lighting" and to be done in

black and white.

I won't be surprised to see one of these show up

in next month's competition.

Wishing for GREEN

2011-03-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

For St. Patrick's Day,

I am posting these photos.

In celebration of

GREEN.

This Week's "I Heart Faces" Photo Challenge: SUN FLARE

2011-03-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

This week's Photo Challenge at
http://www.iheartfaces.com/
is
SUN FLARE.

Here is my entry for this week:

Go to http://www.iheartfaces.com/ to see other entries
for this week.

Anything But Faces: This Week's Photo Challenge

2011-02-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

This week's photo challenge at

Anything But Faces

Here is my entry, and you can go to

http://www.iheartfaces.com/

to see the other entries for this week.

I took this photo (as back-up photographer for my daughter, Amy)

at a family photo shoot she was doing while we were visiting.

February: Photos Taken This Month

2011-02-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos

that I have taken this month.

I have been busy with other things
(lots of paperwork and planning for the kindergarten and our other ministries) so I have not done as much as I would like - in the realm of photography.

It seems that I learn something new every week and
with every photograph. I am still enjoying it though,

so I guess that is what is important, huh?

Here are studio lighting photos I made this month.

I Heart Faces Weekly Photo Challenge - RED

2011-02-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

This week's photo challenge at I Heart Faces is:RED Here is my entry for the week:

Sophie Rose Go over to http://www.iheartfaces.com/ and see the other entries.

Day 31: My Photography Project

2011-01-31T04:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I made it one month before

making a decision that

this project was going to be too demanding. Ha!

So beginning today, I am going to post

at least once a week, but more often

if I have some extra pictures that I want to share.

So this has turned into a 52-Week Photography Project.

It might be that I end up posting almost as often,

but it will not be an obligation.

This way, I think that it will be less constraining and

a lot more fun!

For the next few days I am going to post some

pictures that I took at Joan Earl's last year.

Some of you will recognize the old barn

on Grandad Earl's property which was
built around 1948.

Day 30: Flower Photos

2011-01-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today will be the last of the flower

postings for a while -- until I get out and

make some new ones-- which could be a while.

I almost didn't make this posting

by Day 30 (my time)

because it is 5 minutes before midnight here.

Yes, I know - time to be in bed.

Day 29: My 365 Days of Photography

2011-01-29T04:10:00.000-08:00

Today and tomorrow will be More Flowers

and then on to another subject.

We still have lots of snow in Skopje,

but the sun is peeking through and

it seems to be melting somewhat.

Have a great weekend.

Day 28: Friday Flowers

2011-01-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

I have decided to finish up this week

with "Flower Theme" photos for

My 365 Days of Photography Project.

We have snow on the ground today and the

sun isn't shinig - so this is my way

of brightening the day a bit.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Day 27: My 365 Days of Photography

2011-01-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Flowers and More Flowers

I decided to post more than one photo of "flowers"

today and tomorrow so that

I can move on to another subject.

DAY 26: My 365 Days of Photography

2011-01-26T13:22:00.000-08:00

"Vase of Flowers" is my photo for today

January 26, 2011.

I Heart Faces Entry: Innocent Wonder

2011-01-25T06:12:00.000-08:00

This week's contest theme at

I Heart Faces is
"Innocent Wonder".
Here is my entry for the week:

Day 25

2011-01-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, is January going by fast, or what?

I am posting another flower photo today.

I took this picture when the roses were blooming,

and then added texture to it with

Totally Rad Actions-

one of my very favorite actions sets.

Have a great day!

Day 24: 365 Photos

2011-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Another Flower Picture Today

Day 23 of 365 Days of Photos

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more of Sara's

photos for Day 23 of My Photography Project.

Day 22: 365 Days of Photos

2011-01-22T04:53:00.000-08:00

Another Photo of Sara -

taken for my Studio Lighting course.

Day 21: 365 Days of Photos

2011-01-21T03:04:00.000-08:00

As promised, I will be posting a few photos

that I took for my

Lighting Course.

Here is the first one:

Day 20: 365 Days of Photos -- Studio Lighting

2011-01-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I will get back to the posting of

"flowers" in a day or two.

Here are more photos

that I took for my Studio Lighting course.

I also took one of Arville that turned out good, too.

And I just got notice that the photo (below) of Arville
is one of the Finalists for December
at Better Photo School of Photography.

It was my first assignment in doing any kind of

studio photography and I only had a

Nikon flashhead for the lighting.

I am not sure who was more surprised:

Arville or I - because he didn't

like the photo much -

he said he needed a haircut and
it was my first attempt.

Day 19: 365 Days of Photos -More Kindergarten Pictures

2011-01-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Since I took a break from the "flower photos"

yesterday to write about Habibe,

I thought that I would go ahead and show you

a few more photos from our party

at the "Future of the Family"

Kindergarten recently.

Waiting for the cake!

Let the dancing begin -- This is traditional

Albanian dancing that the children learn when they

are young and it serves them for the rest of their lives.

This is the dancing they do at weddings, parties,

family affairs, etc.

They dance in a circle while holding hands &

it is the same steps that were learned when

they were young.

Saying "good-bye" for Winter Break

Time to Leave - New Mittens!!

Day 18 of "My 365 Days of Photography" : Habibe

2011-01-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

As background to this story, there are a couple of things I need to explain.

Nevzat & Magbule have been our friends since a few months after we moved to Macedonia in January 1998. My language tutor (Magbule's sister who now lives in New York) introduced us to them before we moved to Gostivar in February 1999 - just a few weeks before the

Kosovo War began.

Nevzat was the public health minister at that time, and was instrumental in getting us access to work in the refugee camps in our area.

Magbule is an OB/GYN in Kamjan (a village outside Tetevo) where they live.

Habibe's mother has had numerous health issues, including heart surgery several years ago, since the time of the war in Bosnia (where she is from).

Two weeks ago, she was in the hospital for surgery to remove tumors from her throat/thyroid, and so Habibe was at the hospital everyday for the next ten days.

There were ten other women in the ward with her mother, and as usual,

Habibe made friends with all of them.

Some of them went home just a day or two after Habibe's mother went into the hospital, but 2 women remained in the ward the whole time her mother was there.

Since their families lived further away - and families are personally responsible for providing food for the patient - everyday Habibe brought these two women hot soup, caj (hot tea), and food that they could eat since they were both in the same situation as her mother.

She took care of them - sponge baths, bringing them bottled water and a glass to

drink from, and even taking their laundry home with her and washing and ironing it herself.

When her mother came home from the hospital, one of the women was still there and due

to be released the next morning. She was going to her cousin's home in

Tetevo to recuperate - before returning to her own home.

Yesterday, Habibe got a phone call from Magbule. She was surprised because she had not

talked to Magbule in quite some time - both of them had been so busy with their work.

Magbule called to say "thank you" to Habibe.

It was Nevzat's family member that Habibe had so lovingly cared for those

ten days.

Talking about "angels unaware" --

that is exactly what Nevzat's cousin

told him the woman who had cared for her in the

hospital was -- an angel.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Time and time again, I have seen Habibe do this kind of thing for people --

regardless of financial standing, ethnic group or politics --

giving that "cup of cold water"--

totally unaware that she was doing anything extraordinary.

Now you know why Habibe is my role model.

Habibe with her sister, Advije

Day 17 of "My 365 Days of Photography" Photos

2011-01-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Today I am posting another

flower picture, but tomorrow I will interrupt

the "flower posts"

with a story of Habibe - along with pictures of her.

She is the most incredible woman and

you will love hearing the "coincidental" happening

that she described to me last night at dinner.

So stayed tuned --

and in the meantime, I will post Habibe's

favorite flower - pink geraniums.

Until tomorrow,

DAy 16: 365 Days of Photography --- Flowers

2011-01-16T03:55:00.000-08:00

For the first time in over 2 weeks

the sun is shining today

(not constantly, but from time to time).

In celebration, I am posting some

flower pictures this week.

Here is the first:

Agim and Habibe have several rosebushes

in their yard, and Agim knows how much I love roses.

He brings them to me at least once a week

during the time they are blooming.

These are some of the

last ones that he brought me before

winter set in.

They are sitting in a milk vase on

Brane's father's "very old"

cabinet - which I

refurbished into a buffet

that holds my dishes.

Brane was going to get rid of it, but instead

he gave it to me. His father brought it

on a cart from Croatia - many years ago.

What a story it could tell, huh?

Day 15: My Husband

2011-01-15T03:50:00.000-08:00

Today I was thinking about how much I

appreciate all the little (well, maybe not always little) things

that my husband does for me.

I just wanted him to know that I KNOW

and love him and thank him for always being there,

encouraging me, and helping me to fulfill my dreams.

These are a few pictures that I took of him

when I was "practicing" my flash photography.

That is another thing: he is SO patient.

Day 14 of "My 365 Day Photography" Project

2011-01-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the 2 images that I submitted for

a Portrait Photography class

that I am taking this month.

The first one is Sophie (my youngest granddaughter)

at Arville's mom's birthday celebration last summer.

And the second one is of Katie Gilbert and one of her bridesmaids

at her rehearsal dinner in December '09.

I loved the sunlight in both photos - one of the reasons

for choosing these 2 photographs for this assignment.

Day 13 of "365 DAYS PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT"

2011-01-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

OLD TOWN - SKOPJE

Since I posted a picture of the Vardar River Bridge

downtown Skopje yesterday,

I thought that I would take you across the bridge

into Old Town.

I made some of these pictures look

like "old photographs"

so that you would have the feel

of how old it really is.

This statue is in at the foot of the bridge - on the newer side of downtown.

We will walk across the bridge (below) and into Old Town.

As we cross the bridge - we see a man playing a traditional Albanian musical instrument.

The next few pictures are streets (cobblestone) inside Old Town.

Handmade copper pots and leather traditional shoes for sale.

When we come to the other side of Old Town, we find a statue of

Skenderbeg (the Albanian National Hero).

I hope you enjoyed this tour of

Old Town

in pictures.

Day 12 of 365 Photos: Still Foggy in Skopje

2011-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

Since it is still foggy in Skopje today

I thought that I would post a

previous photo of Skopje.

This is the bridge - downtown -

that crosses from Old Town to the

newer, more modern part of the city.

As a sidenote - Habibe hung clothes (that she had just washed)

out on the balcony today.

About an hour later, she went to check on them

and they were "black" - had to be washed

all over again!

Does that tell you that perhaps the fog

is not only fog,

but maybe a lot of "smog" too?? YUK!

I Heart Faces Contest: "SMILES"

2011-01-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

This week's I Heart Faces contest theme is:
"Smile."

I had a hard time deciding which photo

to post, but finally decided on this one.

Go to http://www.iheartfaces.com/ to see the other entries

this week.

Day 11 of "My 365 Days of Photography" Project

2011-01-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few of the photos that I

am considering entering into

this week's

I Heart Faces

"Smiles"

Contest.

The problem is that I can only

choose ONE photo to enter!

Which one???

What a choice!!

So this is also my entry for Day 11 of

My Photography Project.

Day 10 of 365 Days of Photography Project

2011-01-10T06:16:00.000-08:00

I have heard from several friends

in the US and

everyone is having COLD weather

and SNOW.

So today's post has pictures of

snow scenes and cold weather.

Winter at the Castle in Skopje

We don't have snow today in Skopje

but LOTS of fog.

You cannot see the hand in front of your face

so it is extra dangerous to drive today.

On the Road to Gostivar (taken from a moving car)

Stay warm.

Day 9/365 Days of Photos - Macro Photography

2011-01-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

I love taking macro photos.

It is a new way of seeing the world around me.

It causes me to look at tiny things in nature as being important, too.

Here are some of my favorite Macro Photos:

Macedonian Homegrown Tomatoes

Greek Pottery from Thasos

Albanian Wedding Shoes

My Burkina Faso (handcrafted) Necklace

White Textured Rose

Garlic in Red Bowl in My Kitchen

Rusty Pipe, Kiev - Ukraine

Macro Photo of a Bunch of Lavendar

Greek Pottery from Corfu

Red Door of Church in Atlanta

Day 8/365 PHOTOS

2011-01-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

Here (as promised):

The picture of our Albanian Caj Glasses.

Under the glasses is an antique wedding cloth

that a friend gave me when we

first moved to Gostivar.

The Caj Glasses are a gift from

Habibe and Agim for one of our wedding anniversaries in

Macedonia.

What treasures!!

Merry Christmas from Skopje

2011-01-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Today is Christmas (Orthodox) in Macedonia,

So I still have my tree up and we are celebrating

a quiet day at home.

A Few Scenes from Our Banese (apartment):

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Day 6: 365 Days of Photos

2011-01-06T02:17:00.000-08:00

Watercolor

by Shelia Earl

It is both exhilarating and intimidating
to face the blankness of that

clean, white, porous

paper

at the beginning of

what is to “be”.

I love watching the mix of

color and water

as it hits the surface

of the empty white sheet

and combines in perfect harmony ---

to express feeling, to portray an event,

to bring a face to life for the first time

in this exact way.

I am amazed at how the brush feels

in my hand as it pushes and pulls

the medium into shapes

that are recognizable.

Colors running together

with a mind of their own ---

dancing around each other

until imagination or

the movement of the brush

causes them to combine spontaneously

and at the same time.

Whether a landscape of a place visited in reality

or dreamed about,

a person encountered in the course of life-happenings,

or an emotion that flows

from an untapped source of inspiration –

This is my favorite part of the experience:

the story the colors tell..

The painting begins with that first brushstroke

and ends as the

“eye of the beholder”

claims the story it tells

as part of her own.

DAy 5 of My Photo Project

2011-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

About six months ago, I decided to see if I could switch

from coffee to tea.

Well, I did it and really haven't missed the coffee as much as I thought I would.

I drink mostly green tea, but my favorite is the

Albanian tea (caj) served in the little Russian

tea glasses (I will post a picture of those in a few days).

I love having tea in pretty cups - makes it seem so special.

The teapot is a souvenir from England when we

were there for a meeting several years ago.

Think I will go have a cup of camomille before I go to bed.

Day 4 of 365: Infrared Photography

2011-01-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

On Day 4 of my "Photography Project"

I am posting some pictures from a class that

I complete tomorrow.

Infrared Photography

Alley in Struga, Macedonia (infrared photo with tint)

Skopje from the Vardar Bridge

This was a fun class and I learned so much more

than just how to take infrared photos.

It really is a different way of seeing things -

especially light.

Antique Car, Henderson, Texas

Green Plant in Infrared / Black and White Conversion

European Balcony

Statue at Village of Hope, Kiev, Ukraine

These last 2 pictures were taken on Tybee Island (near Savannah, GA)

Day 3 of "My 365 Day Project": New Hats & Mittens for the Children of the "Future of the Family" Kindergarten

2011-01-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the photos of the children

receiving their new hats and mittens for winter.

I want to thank the Knitting Circle of Ellen Vonderheide

in Jasper, Indiana,

for these wonderful gifts.

Habibe gave them out and I took the pictures.

We have had an unusally cold winter and

the children will stay warmer now!!

Thank you, ladies, for such a

meaningful gift.

Many of these children are from the families that we have

supplied heating for this winter too.

Because they have not had the money to pay

the heating bills this year, their heat has been cut off.

Thanks to many of you who gave money to the

Benevolent Fund (Arville & Shelia Earl)

through the CBF office in Atlanta,

these families will be able to survive another

cold winter in Skopje.

Happy New Year from

"The Future of the Family" Kindergarten

and teachers/staff.

Habibe Iseni

Advije & Lumije

and me

Day 2 of 365: Pictures Downtown Skopje

2011-01-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

These girls were in elementary school -

about 8 and 10 years old -

when we first came to Macedonia.

I met their mother the first week that we were here - January 1998.

She taught us (Martha Shaw, Ricki Buesing and me) how to make

Baklava!!

We visited for hours and became friends that afternoon.

It has been a friendship that has turned into family -

we have shared so much over these past 13 years.

I have watched the girls grow into the most remarkable young women I know!

It is always a joy for me to take their pictures, and they are always so willing to let me!! HA!

Here are a few photos from one night recently when I needed to practice my off-camera flash for a class I am taking.

These photos won "Editor's Picks" on my Photography Course Website:

http://www.searlphotography.com

You can see them under the title "Editor's Picks" and can scroll through the pictures quickly and easily by clicking on the heading

Gallery

and then view the slideshow listing by "Editor's Picks".

Thank you, girls, for always being so patient with my

picture-taking and for being the BEST subjects!!

Love you both, Aunt Shelia

Starting My 365 Day Project

2011-01-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

Today is the beginning of a Photographic Experiment. I am determined to post a photograph everyday this year. This will challenge me to keep practicing my photography, look for new/unique ways to see my enviornment, and to have a record of this coming year and the events it holds for me.

Aquaducts in Skopje

You are invited to participate in this journey of discovery with me if you wish.

Today is a picture from one of my recent photography classes. I will be taking 2 new classes at BetterPhoto.com in January and February that will help me to do indoor studio lighting better and event photography, as well. I have enjoyed these classes and am using what I have learned on a daily basis (both personally and in my work & ministry).

Have a great New Year"!

I am also participating in this course in February at:

http://www.willettedesigns.com/

My I Heart Faces Entry This Week -- PETS

2010-12-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

Here is my I Heart Faces http://www.iheartfaces.com/
entry for this week:

"PETS"

Head on over to I Heart Faces to see the other entries for this WEEK.

Katie & Matt's First Anniversary

2010-12-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

I want to wish Katie & Matt a Happy Anniversary. We were able to be in the states last year when they got married in Atlanta. They now live and work in Birmingham (Katie's sister, Mary Beth, got married in Birmingham this past summer - June12). Here are a few pics from Matt & Katie's wedding last year:

Remembering the day:

Happy Anniversary You Two

Shelia

Gotta Love the Kelly Moore Bag

2010-12-07T02:37:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about finally getting a Kelly Moore Bag. It will hold what I need and looks like a purse!! Here is where you can buy one: http://www.kellymoorebag.com/

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last year we were in the states at Halloween and I took pictures as usual. However, we were SO busy that I didn't have a chance to post many of them. I have taken a few this season, too, in Macedonia. We don't have Halloween here, but we do have wonderful pumpkins and delicious apples -- so that is my posting from Skopje.

At the end, I made a little collage for the kids (Elijah, Anna, Sophia, and Nathan) as a remembrance of our time together last year. Hope you kiddos have a great time "trick or treating" this year.

Happy Halloween to Everyone!

This picture was taken this summer in Chicago and I saved it for this posting.

Pictures of last Halloween:

Witches Shadows

Mary Beth and Caleb Foust

2010-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of Mary Beth and Caleb's wedding. I know --- it has taken me a LONG time to get them done and posted. I have been a little busy lately and have already apologized to Mary Beth. I guess it is a good thing I don't do this for a living. HA!

Mary Beth & Karen -- the DVDs are made and will be in the mail tomorrow morning and the books will be to you by next week. Love you all and again - sorry it has taken me so long!

Enjoy!!!

Honey Festival -- Skopje, Macedonia

2010-10-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the annual "Honey Festival" - downtown Skopje. Habibe and I tasted most of them before we decided on what we considered to be the BEST honey we have ever tasted.

Here are some pictures from the weekend of festivities.

Beginning of School September 2010

2010-09-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

"The Future of the Family" Kindergarten in Skopje, Macedonia. Some photos of the children:

Recent Photos of My Husband

2010-08-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Arville's birthday, so I thought that I would post a few recent pictures of him.

Happy Birthday, Arville!!

Ruby's Photos

2010-08-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

Ruby won the "photo session" give-away at the CBF General Assembly this past June. Here are just a few of her photos that she received on a DVD and in a book form. Thanks, Ruby, for the wonderful visit while we were making your photos. I enjoyed getting to know you better.

Some Pictures from Mom's 90th BD Celebration in Chicago

2010-08-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures that I took at Mom's 90th BD celebration. We attended the Taste of Chicago while we were there, too, and took the grandkids to a playground/skateboard park, took pictures of some old homes and churches near where Dwight (Arville's youngest brother) and Joyce live, and went to a Plant Store (that is where I made the fun photos of Mom in the rocking chair). These are only a few of the pictures I took that weekend - maybe I can post some more later.

Happy 90th, Mom!! We love you!!

PS Here is the photo of Mom in the rocking chair and just so that she will know that I am not picking on her - I am posting mine below hers. I won't say who got up in the chair the quicker???