So.  At the beginning of 2011, I decided to do a daily 30-day photography challenge.  It was a great exercise in seeing and creativity, and it feels like it might be time to get back to that.  

The idea is that I'll post a photo every day.  This time I'll post them on Instagram, G+, and Facebook daily and will do a five-day summary here on the blog.  I'll share the camera settings as well, so that those of you who are interested can check it out.  Ideally, I'd like these photos to be generated outside of my professional work, but I may have to cheat from time to time!

All of the photos will be stored in this online gallery and are available for purchase: http://kozelsky.smugmug.com/Photography/30-Day-Challenge-2015/

To begin, here's yesterday's photo: Pink Magnolias

Canon 60D, 35mm 1.4 lens - ISO 100, f/2.2, 1/500 sec

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Want more? Check out the first 30 Day Challenge!  The photos from the fist 30 day project are also available for purchase here.

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Well, maybe not date night, but I had to stick with the title :)

If you haven't been to the La Chua trail, you definitely need to check it out.  It's on the southeast side of town and is the northernmost part of Payne's Prairie.  The 2-3 mile trail starts near the Hawthorne trail, crosses under a segmet of old railroad, and then works its way through the old stables.  It then opens up onto the prairie at the head of a spring-fed river.  The path follows the river down to a lookout point where you can see the wide expanse of the prairie to the south.  When I first moved here (2007), the water was low, but there was water everywhere and gators all over the place.  Everywhere.  Now, the water level is higher and right up next to the trail, but there is more vegetation in it, so there is less open water.  It's interesting to see how it changes over time - the landscape is a little bit different every time I go.  For those of you who are into nerdy things, it's a karstic area, so the formation and erosion of the limestone bedrock is what affects the water levels.  There is plenty of wildlife to see on the trail - from ladybugs to a variety of birds to gators to wild horses and hogs.  Definitely worth a visit!

http://floridahikes.com/paynes-prairie-lachua

Want more? Check out Sweet Dreams Ice Cream for Date Night Idea #1!

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Sunday morning I woke up ready to get up and get going.  It was about 7:15am.  I thought about going to swim laps, but the pool didn't open until 11am.  I thought about going to the gym, but it didn't open until 9am.  I thought about a yoga class but could find one before 10am.  Everything I could think of was unavailable to me besides a bike ride on very wet roads or a morning walk.  So I chose a walk.  I grabbed the camera and selected the 35mm lens.  Normally, I like to take the 50mm with me on walks, so it was nice to have something that helped me see things a little bit differently.  I've found that it's a great creative practice to choose a different tool than what you're used to or to set some restrictions on yourself when you feel like you're 'stuck' and always repeating the same work.

In any case, I'm glad I went for the walk.  I spent time thinking about life and forgiveness (more on that another time) and just admiring the morning mist before the heat of the sun burned it off.  Florida has been seeming very much like a jungle these days - lots of rain and humidity so the vegetation is growing like crazy.  I think that may come across in a photograph or two... also, be sure to look for the neighbor's cat poking it's head through the fence. :)

Want more?  To see some photographs of a walk at Lake Ontario in NY State, click here!  If you're interested in ordering photographic reproductions, contact me at Kristin@Kozelskyphoto.com.

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Went for a walk today at Morning Side... It was quiet out there since it was late afternoon just after a long rain.

To see some photos of nature from this winter up north,  click here!

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Well folks, it's been a long time since I posted anything.  Many, many things in my life have changed over the last two months.  We'll talk about all that later.  In the meantime, enjoy these photos from today... I am back home for the holiday and decided to take a walk up to Lake Ontario this morning.

To see more from up north,  click here!

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