Bjorn Foto

Tug

2010-11-07T21:47:00.002-06:00

Samson

2010-11-05T14:20:00.004-05:00

Finally!!!

2010-01-08T11:57:00.002-06:00

Well my dear husband suprised me with the one thing I have been wanting for a couple of years now....a DSLR! I am so excited. It should be delivered any day now and I cannot wait to post some images here as I learn to use it.

I went with the Canon T1i. Let me know if any of you have any great websites or blogs as I venture into shooting with a real camera :-)

The River

2008-08-24T22:31:00.002-05:00

How bright the sunshine dances in its joy, O'er the still flow of this majestic river!

~John Wilson

Hill Country Sunrise

2008-08-24T22:14:00.002-05:00

A rose by any other color...

2008-08-24T21:58:00.002-05:00

...is more beautiful.

Dawn of the Dancing Trees

2008-08-05T23:15:00.002-05:00

Lonely

2008-08-05T22:19:00.003-05:00

Lonely little wildflower in the rocky Texas Hill Country soil.

Art becomes Art

2008-08-05T21:27:00.006-05:00

Some of you might remember this image I took a while back. I try and write my grandmother (whom we call Mema, formally know as Florine Hollan) often as she lost her ability to speak over 5 years ago to thyroid cancer. When I write to her I send pictures. Well I guess she really liked this one...look below the photograph to see what I received in the mail about a week later.

I was so blow away. Now my Mema has always been an artist. I had a paint brush in my hand at a very young age. And Mema did not fool around, she would set all the grandchildren up with easels, paint brushes, stretched canvases, oil paints, the works. We did not paint with cheap watercolors in coloring books...no sir, we made masterpieces. I will showcase some of her other work later this week.

The thing that made this so special to me was that she has taken my "Art" and her "Art" and together we made something beautiful. I was honored that she chose to render my image this way. Hope you enjoy as well.

Curious

2008-07-30T22:16:00.003-05:00

This duck was the bravest and most curious of the bunch. I love how her feathers look like she has a leopard print dress on.

I have to admit that Ruth at Flying inspired me to take some images of our feathered friends. Her images are far superior as her subjects are also her friends. Not to mention a very talented photographer. Check them out here.

Theopneustos - God Breathed

2008-07-24T22:29:00.002-05:00

My husband fell asleep reading his Bible the other night. As I lay there watching him sleep the wind from the fan started catching the pages of scripture and turning them. It reminded me of the passage from 2 Timothy, Chapter 3 verses 16-17

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Sacrifice

2008-07-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

This soldier was helping to fold a parachute at a local festival when I got this shot. At the time I was more interested in capturing the man jumping as he was a double amputee. When I got home and downloaded the photos this one just jumped out at me...something about the way he is standing and with the large American flag surrounding him.

Just remember today that wherever you are there are people in uniform keeping you safe, your military, your police force, etc. Thank them and pray for them as they sacrifice themselves to serve you and your country.

Portrait of Prayer

2008-07-12T07:03:00.003-05:00

This little guy has been hanging around in our backyard. He is very inquisitive and likes to have his portrait taken. I am not sure what species he is but in Europe the name refers to a single species Mantis Religiosa. The name Mantis is Greek and refers to a prophet.

Life

2008-07-01T22:18:00.003-05:00

This was a church in Dallas that I passed by on my way home from brunch with a friend. The last photo is my favorite because it is of a memorial bench that read " IN THANKSGIVING FOR THE LIFE OF ELLIOT...". I love the word thanksgiving...we don't use it often (unless we are talking about a holiday with turkey) but we need to practice it regularly. So today practice thanksgiving for something in your life, or for your very life itself.

Shoes?

2008-06-28T18:45:00.003-05:00

Check out my other blog re: this photo

In Front of the Camera

2008-06-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

We had the opportunity this weekend to be photographed professionally for the first time since our wedding. Our photographer Terra Richards was fantastic. Please check out her work here and her blog here . If you live in the DFW area give her a call, you will not be dissapointed. I am thinking of booking a "trash the dress" session with her in the future, will keep you posted.

Evening at the Square

2008-06-02T23:10:00.002-05:00

Behind the Curtain

2008-06-02T22:58:00.003-05:00

i don't want to go home

2008-06-02T22:46:00.002-05:00

Queen of the Sun

2008-05-28T22:17:00.001-05:00

Quiet, Thinking, Night

2008-05-26T23:02:00.003-05:00

Texas Style Pet

2008-05-26T19:32:00.004-05:00

They say everything is bigger in Texas...guess that goes for pets as well. For those of you not from the Lone Star State let me give you some background on this pic.

My husband and I were on our way home from shopping at Pottery Barn and spotted this guy. We live in the burbs, not the country. Some people have pastures as front yards (there goes that big thing again). He was just grazing away and didn't even flinch as I stood there and took several pictures. I liked this one the best because you can see how beautiful his horns are.

Also, thanks baby for being such a good sport and turning around so I could photograph him.

Brunch

2008-05-26T19:24:00.003-05:00

Homemade Banana Waffles with fresh strawberries and bananas with sausage and strong coffee. Enjoyed with the love of my life, my husband. Perfect start to a beautiful day.

Baby girl does not like the Flash

2008-05-24T14:24:00.003-05:00

It was my first night with my new camera so I was shooting anything that moved. This picture makes me laugh because I called her and she looked right at me so sweet, then the flash went off and she closed her eyes.

Evening Visitor

2008-05-24T13:37:00.003-05:00

Urban Suburbia

2008-05-24T13:15:00.004-05:00

In honor of our Fellow Swedes

2008-05-15T22:59:00.007-05:00

Well my husband is half Swedish and his people came from Finland, that makes up the ethnicity of many of our favorite players on the Wings. Here are some shots from the game last night. BTW - yeah Dallas won last night but the Wings will win the series. First of all no team has come back from a 3-0 series in 33 years. Only two teams have done it in the history of the NHL. Also, Marty Turco hasn't won a single game at the Joe...nuff said.

Hank

Tomas and Darren

Zetty again

Tomas, Pavel, Hank and Morrow

I am happy with the speed of this camera. I also like that is has continuous mode for action shots. The ISO was too high in some of these pics for my liking, need to adjust that manually next time.

Bjorn Foto is back!!

2008-05-15T22:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I got a new camera. I decided to wait on the DSLR and went with the Nikon S600. It has some really cool features and as you will see I am learning how it works in different shooting conditions. If you have one and have any tips for it let me know. My first outing with it was a sporting event. And not just any sporting event...Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals Dallas Stars vs. Detroit Red Wings. As you will be able to tell from the pics I will post our house cheers for the red & white.

I am really looking forward to getting things going again with my new camera. Hope you enjoy.

My Camera Broke :-(

2008-05-07T13:52:00.001-05:00

My Camera is broken. I am trying to decide if I want to spend money to fix it or invest in a new one. I REALLY want a DSLR. Just don't know if I can afford one.

South Texas

2008-01-20T20:07:00.001-06:00

Old Treasure

2007-12-01T12:57:00.002-06:00

I love old stuff. There is something about the presence of rust that makes things so interesting. I was excited to find this appliance still had the nameplate on it.

You can see the original color of this car peeking from behind the old age. I am sure it was a beauty.

I just like the composition of this shot.

Fall Flowers in Texas

2007-12-01T12:44:00.002-06:00

We went to my Mema's for Thanksgiving. She lives in south Texas out in the middle of nowhere. I wandered around the property and found all kinds of stuff to take pictures of. I hope you enjoy them as I will be posting several of them over the next few days. My Mema loves her flowers so here is a sampling of them.

My Morning Run

2007-10-27T12:11:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos from my morning run. The weather in Texas is

just fantastic right now. The high will be about 73 today. Lows have been

in the 40's.

We live in a masterplanned community in a suburb of Fort Worth. They

have done a nice job of leaving plenty of green area with

nice pathways for running, biking, etc.

Ther is a lot of undeveloped land around the path I take. I hope

to catch some wildlife or some cattle in this

area soon.

I cannot wait until the leaves start to turn.

Texas State Fair

2007-10-19T23:05:00.001-05:00

My husband and I went to the State Fair today. Here are some photos.

We actually went down this slide...it was fun!

My camera was not cooperating. I took several shots of the Ferris Wheel and I could

not hold still. They were all blurry so I put a watercolor effect on this one. I think it

looks pretty cool.

One of the permanent structures at Fair Park.

Cabo Sun

2007-10-15T22:32:00.001-05:00

To me there is just something special about the Western coast sun.

This was a view of the sunrise from our balcony. We could actually lay in bed and see this view.

It would be nice to wake up to this each morning.

You know the questions "Do you like sunrise or sunset better?"

I have always been a sunset girl. Guess it goes along with my night owl nature.

The sun would hide behind here each evening.

Also, the colors in a sunset have a more heavenly feel. In Texas we get

beautiful pinks and purples, etc. I will have to catch one for you!

I am having fun learning PhotoShop

2007-10-15T22:30:00.002-05:00

I was bored one night and decided to take some of my random photos and play around

with my PhotoShop software. This inspired piece came from the photo below.

I took this picture of this tiny pink flower at my Mema's house. She lives in South Texas
where the Mesquite trees and brown grass take over everything.
She spread some flower seeds on her front lawn and watered it like crazy...this little guy was
the fruit of her hard work.

As I see it...8 hours a day

2007-10-15T22:12:00.001-05:00

I work at a desk all day. I do enjoy my work but it can be repetitive at times.

My office needs a makeover.

I work with numbers a lot. The ten key is my friend.

The two hole punch...ask anyone I work with how crazy it makes me when
someone bumps it against something and makes it punch the hole 1/4 of an inch off. I check
it each time I use it.

My new calculator. The old one bit the dust after a co-worker knocked a
soda over on it and then a few weeks later I did the same with my latte.

Recipe for previous Post

2007-10-11T12:08:00.001-05:00

This is especially for Merisi

Mary Ann Cake with Mascarpone and Berries

Mascarpone is a soft fresh Italian cheese made from cream, with a texture reminiscent of sour cream. Delicate in flavor, this rich cheese pairs deliciously with fresh fruit.

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the topping:
2 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries
4 Tbs. granulated sugar
6 oz. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream, beaten to soft peaks
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Mary Ann cake pan.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Just before serving, prepare the topping: In a nonreactive bowl, combine the berries and 2 Tbs. of the granulated sugar and stir until well blended. Set aside.

In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, gently combine the mascarpone, sour cream, vanilla and the remaining 2 Tbs. granulated sugar. Fold in the whipped cream. Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the well of the cake, spreading it to the edges. Arrange the berries on top of the mascarpone mixture. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serves 12 to 16.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Red is for Yummy

2007-09-29T21:52:00.000-05:00

Made from scratch, proudly displayed on a cakestand my Mema gave me.

Red is for Dining Rooms

2007-09-29T12:23:00.001-05:00

My friends husband is an artist who works in metals and

he made this amazing cross that hangs above our dining table.

This is a view through the mirror between two windows.

Close up of Cross

The Inspiration Piece for the color theme.

Dieric Bouts the Elder, The Last Super 1464-67

View of the dining area with artistic effect via PhotoShop

Last Vacation - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2007-09-25T18:55:00.002-05:00

Close up with nature

2007-09-24T21:56:00.001-05:00

Summer at our Friends

2007-09-24T20:32:00.000-05:00

Perfectly prepared beef tenderloin.

Yummy little delights.

Nothing says summer like roasted corn on the cob.

Under Construction

2007-09-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

This is my new foto blog! I am so excited to get home and upload some old photos to start you all out with. Then I will be adding new stuff as I shoot it! Hope you enjoy seeing life through my eyes.