imagery | The Transmogrifier Blog

My Alaska trip was probably the most fun I have had all year. And I know fun!! Who wouldn’t enjoy a big ship, new friends, crash-bang-booming huge ice cubes, endless hallways to run in, and more watermelon than you have ever seen?? Every day was a new adventure, a different place. My mind had soooo many pictures in it already, and we weren’t even done with the trip! Momma always changes out a little square thingy in her camera when there are too many pictures. Seems like I should be able to do that so I could make more room in my head for the rest of the trip.

You know we littles soak up all the stuff you big people are feeling right? So all my happy big people made the trip even better! Papa and Gram-Spam smiled all the time, and told us new stories. Momma and Daddy laughed and showed us new things. Uncle Tim and Auntie Kate played with us and made us smile. Auntie Kisstine, MoMo, and Bookie played with us too and took us to painting and music! I just felt so…so…so…happy!!

It’s probably best for everyone if you read this!

Until one of the last days. It started out super happy, with more BIG ice cubes and breakfast. We laughed, we played, we ran, we told stories, we read books, we watched the big water. And then the water got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. And it all went bad. It started with Lyla…she started whining and drove me nuts. She looked funny too (funnier than she usually does- he he he). Then Momma started to look a different color. Then Gram-Spam. Then Daddy. There were weird colors, strange noises, sick faces, sad faces…and then…it started. Lyla was first again…all over the floor. Then all over the deck outside our room. Then all over the bed. Then Momma. And so it went. Papa played with me even though he looked a little strange too. But he was the only one that could move.

I felt really good though!! I just kept running and jumping and yelling, “Weeeee! This is so fun!!! Make it go higher!!!!”. But everyone else around me gave me an angry face and told me to never say that again. Never ever ever. Never. Before everything got cleaned up, I thought maybe Momma should take pictures because she is always saying she needs more texture pictures. And THAT was texture!!

But I felt so bad for her and Daddy that I didn’t say that.

And this happened. All. Night. Long.

One of the major changes in my life in the last year has been not only how I work or what I work on, but where I work. Yes, I work from home, in my home, etc. More specifically, though, I am referring to the field adventures I take for photographs. I absolutely LOVE these. Sometimes these are quick outings by myself into town or for a particular set of shots. More often than not, they involve one baby on my back (or front), and sometimes they include my husband, Chad, and another baby on his back. These field adventures range from a couple hours to a full day depending on how far away the destination. These day- long trips, or day trips, are my favorite, seeming like a mini vacation, taking us on fantastic adventures.

I keep an inventory of the places or subject matters we need photos of (ummm…like, EVERY THING and EVERY PLACE), and we go down the list. Recently, we made it more of a random pick by writing all the current choices on scrap papers which we will take turns drawing from a tin in order to determine our destination.

Our day trips might take us to the zoo, to a nearby city or town, a lumber mill, cemetery, to the ocean, to historic forts, to nearby state parks, even national parks, to bridges, farmland, wineries, museums and more. We are a curious and adventurous family, hungry to learn and see new things. Our explorations teach us new things, even if it’s to a place we’ve visited 5 times before. Each time, we see it with different eyes. Sometimes, if we’re returning to a place, we’ll take a different route there, exploring new things along the way. There is a surprise around each corner, if you pay attention.

The adventures also get us involved in active learning. Often it is worth it to do some research ahead of time when we plan our destination. Just a half hour on Google before leaving enhances our outing and encourages us to look things from different angles and with a greater appreciation. Day trips let us be adventurous, support our sense of exploration, and give us enough of a break from daily life to keep things interesting.

From our location in Northern California, I think my favorite day trip destination is San Francisco and the surrounding areas because of the vast number of places to see. We could make the 75 mile trip each weekend for half the year and not run out of adventures. We recently went to the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field and Fort Point. If you’re ever in the area, these are a must see for you structure enthusiasts. Nate will undoubtedly write about it soon!

Fort Point, San Francisco

Our whole team at The Transmogrifier is passionate about our day trips and long weekend adventures. We also love suggestions…so anytime you have one for a location that inspires great photos, or a learning opportunity, please let us know.

I’m off to plan our next day trip! What was the last day adventure you had and where did it take you?

The Transmogrifier Blog

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Tag Archives: imagery

Nate’s Notes: Now THAT Is Texture!!

RSWL: Day Trips & Adventures