Drama.mama

The annual Poetry and Drama Recital was on just a week ago at our school. It wasn't a event that blew our minds, so dramatic was it. No, it was more of a platform for the children to practice their public speaking skills, and to encourage them to learn to speak with expression, both verbal and body language. It seems they have learned quite well. I often hear the older people remark how much more confident the children are nowadays at speaking in public than they were at that age. And yes they also worry that it will create a sense of empowerment in the children where they can talk over the older people...not that that hasn't been happening for thousands of years...

Below is a sample of just one of the poems, a collaboration of two children. It is childish, for they are children. It's not some deep poem that one must ponder to understand. It's just a short easy, and understandable poem.  The photos are of the lunch we had afterwards. Enjoy~

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGZBOyQdNY&w=1000&h=538]

This sunday.

On April 1, 2012 in the Manitoba colonies the following people wish to be baptized upon their confession of faith in Christ and become a member of the Community of Goods, known as the Hutterian Church.

This list was compiled by the members of a Hutterite Tauf Facebook Group. And final List by Claudine Waldner. Thanks!

Bonhomme Colony:              Adam, David, Heidi, Lukas, Margaret

Canam Colony:                     Esther, James, Julianna, Matthew

Clearview Colony:                Tamara

Clearwater Colony:              Rosann

Coolspring Colony:               Julia

Cypress Colony:                    Andrea, Chris, Daniel, Delilah, Kelvin, Larry, Mara

Decker Colony:                     Caleb, Donna, Gideon, Jacob, Jerome, Joseph, Kara, Lisa (William Hutterville, SD)

Evergreen Colony:                Adora, Paulin

Glenway Colony:                  Michael, Peter (Naomi, Thomas Hutterville, SD)

Grand Colony:                      Janetta, Michael, Paul

Greenacres Colony:              Aaron, Amanda, Andrea, Andrew, Barbra, Gilbert, Joseph, Leonard, Susanna

Heartland Colony:                Daniel, David, Dora, Heidi, Laura, Sarah

HiddenValley Colony:          Caroline, Kathryn, Maria

Homewood Colony:              Joel, Paul

Interlake Colony:                      Derek, Melissa, Ryan W., Suzannah, Tammi

JamesValley Colony:             Davis, Ernest, Johannes, Jonas, Leanna, Sharon

 Kamsley Colony:                      Amelda, Maria, Tania

Maplegrove Colony:               Delilah (Taufing in Greenacres Colony)

Mayfair Colony:                  Jonas, Julia, Lucas, Laura, Marcus

Netley Colony:                           Beverly, Jayne, Joel, Jordan, Tyson

Newhaven Colony:              David, Lorraine

Oakriver Colony:                     Claudi, Joseph, Paul, Phoebe

Odanah Colony:                       Donny, Jackie, Larissa, Vanessa

Pineland Colony:               Fred & Nancy

Plainview Colony:                   Jolene, Regena, Renata, Sonya, Terry, Violet

Ridgeville Colony:             Heidi, Julie

Rocklake Colony:                  Becky, Christina, Jeremy, Joel, Jonathan, Rhoda

Rolling Acres Colony:        Jake

Rosedale Colony:                    James, Jaydon, Jennifer, Joanie, Kandace, Lana, Luke, Michelle

Rose Valley Colony:         Andrew, Christina, Curtis, Dahlia, Darren, Harvey, Joseph, Katrina, Priscilla, Wanda

Silverwinds Colony:            Angela, Daniel, Jordan, Royden, Susanna, Tanya

Skyview Colony:                     Barbara, Lloyd

Souris Colony:                         Andrew, Annalise, Heidi, Matthew, Michael, Pierre,            Rochelle, Susan

Springhill Colony:            Jeremiah

Suncrest Colony:                   Clarise, Danielle, Donny, Dwight, Rodney, Virginia, Wayne

Twilight Colony:               Ben, Becky, Dianna, Samantha

Treesbank Colony:               Moses

Waldheim Colony:               Elizabeth, Matthew, Roseanna

Wellwood Colony:                Delilah, Donna, Jacob, Rosina, Sarah, Steve

Willow Creek Colony:        Allan, Brian, Cameron, Elaine, Heidi, Jarvis, Jason, Lloyd, Pauline, Philip, Ryan, Walter

Woodland Colony:                Kenneth, Leanna

Printed March 25, 2012

The brenizer panorama [bokeh panorama]

Wedding photographer Ryan Brenizer invented this really clever technique  which is called “The Brenizer Method”. It’s  using a telephoto lens to create a very shallow depth of field as if shot with a wider angle lens. This technique makes a dSLR image look like it was shot by medium format.

I have been expiermenting with this technique for several years now, and gradually I have become better at it.

The baisic way to do it is as such: Using a telephoto-ish lens with a shallow depth of field, like the canon 50mm F1.8 lens[on crop sensor] you photograph a scene like you would a panorama, but instead of just on layer photos high, you make it several photos high. Meaning when shooting with that lens, have it  at it's shallowest depth of field, then shoot the whole scene in small pieces. [it's hard to explain!] Think of how you paint a wall with a roller. you make several passes to fill it all in, but do that with a camera. Eventually you might have 10-50 photos shot at a really shallow depth of field, which you then merge in photoshop's photomerge function. And out comes a photo like the above.....with a little work.

To see a gallery of Ryan's photos using this technique, go here. Trust me, it's worth clicking though.

For better tutorials go here[the best one!], here and the official flickr group with lots of help and photos is here.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsMnRxmeJ74&w=1000&h=538]

Lovers gone home.

Debra [double cousin]