Baby Barn Swallow Finally Retired

It seems like I just posted not long ago; to my surprise, it has been almost three weeks. I have to tell you that it takes me a few days to assemble a post like that, not because it takes that long, but because I get distracted with all the other things I have to do, and my priority for now will be my baby Matthew.

I cannot believe that today Matthew is five months old. It still feels like I am dreaming, but it is very real. I cannot stress enough how much I love this little guy, and every day I love him more and more. Since Matthew was 1 month old, you will laugh, we have been trying to teach him to say the three words 'I love you. Yes, we know it is impossible; however, we are still trying. Well, lately, I think he is saying it. The funny thing is that when anybody now says 'I love you' to him, he smiles, so I wonder if he thinks that 'I love you' is his name. Probably not because babies don't really know yet, but hey, you never know.

Okay, now let's talk about my photography. Autumn is my favourite season of the year. Just look at those photos, and you will agree. I love taking photos in Av mode, or something similar—portrait mode—where the object is sharp and the background is blurred. The photos become even more beautiful if the background has colours on the back, and once blurred, the background looks painted with many shades of colour, and the object itself has a three-dimensional appearance.
'Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.' - by Elizabeth Lawrence
So once I was analyzing photos and I was thinking, "There is no way that we humans can see with our own eyes like the camera can see in portrait mode." We see more in landscape mode, where everything is in focus or at least looks like it is. However, I was lucky to discover that yes, we have the ability to see in portrait mode as well; however, you must be nearsighted like me. I was once laying beside Matthew, and I did not have my glasses on, and I noticed when I was looking at his side profile that he was in focus and everything behind him was blurred. Oh wow, what a discovery! Lol, I've got too many modes for my eyes now.
I hope you enjoyed my autumn photo collection. I have many more, but the ones above are my favourites. And here we go again; it is all about Matthew. Matthew loves going 'outside, thus the opportunity for longer walks now and the opportunity to enjoy autumn with him. Believe it or not, he also understands the word 'outside' because he puts on a big smile once we tell him we are going 'outside. Yes, he is definitely going to be our nature boy. I usually post one photo of Matthew, but this time I found two I like very much. The one with a smile I had to show you because Matthew is teething, as you can see from the wet bib, and probably soon there will be no more pictures such as that, my little happy man.
Lastly, all votes are in. Thank you to those who voted on changes to my profile icon. I guess I have to use the photo of me and Matthew that voters asked for—then it is! Right Bob? My famous baby barn swallow profile photo is retiring this fall, and from now on I will have to update my profile picture more often, as we know babies grow 'too' fast.

~ Anna

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hey Anna! Those were some beautiful pictures and handy photography tips. Fall is making everything colorful, and in a week it will hit Toronto fully :) The I love mommy smile is very cute!
Bob Johnson said…
Lol, Hi Anna, hey love your leave shots but the pic of Matthew is priceless, very cute. Love your Icon shot, gee, I thought you were taller,lol.
Bob Johnson said…
Forgot to mention, love the image of the ghost popping out of the leave in image 4,lol.
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Priyank. Thanks so much. Yes fall is making everything so colorful, and it is spreading fast. And yes the I love mommy smile is so precious. Thanks again, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Bob, gee what do you mean I was taller, lol, I am tall, lol, lol, about 1600 mm, lol - I think :-0. You see ghost on no.4, wow, lol, I see ghost on no.1, lol. Thanks for your refreshing comments Bob, Anna :)
kRiZcPEc said…
beautiful autumn shots and Matthew looks happy, great.
And if you have time, please check my "photo book". Thanks.
myonlyphoto said…
kriz cpec thanks so much for your comment. Downloaded your photo book, excellent idea, I might do one for myself one day. Excellent set up and as I said before, I love your birds photos, amazing shots. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Kriz forgot to mention, I really liked your last words in your photo book: 'every shot comes with a story; every shot comes with a memory – every shot is a memory itself.' Anna :)
Anonymous said…
Nice shots Anna, as always. My Matthew is growing fast. Still as cute as ever, though!

I am with Bob on #4. It is the perfect Halloween shot. It is Casper for sure!
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Will, he is growing fast. BTW I see no Casper, lol, my imagination juices are not working today - but I see a puppy, lol, with two ears up, lol. And there is an idea, may be I should start a guessing game after all, lol. Anna :)
Bob Johnson said…
I agree with Will, looks like casper, can't you see the arms swinging out like he's jumping,lol.
myonlyphoto said…
Okay Bob, if I look long enough on this photo, I will see many Caspers jumping out, lol. I more see Casper in a red suit hanging off the tree on the first photo, lol. You guys killing me tonight, lol. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Will and Bob, now I see it. My husband pointed out for me, both of you should have told me to look at the flower and not behind the flower, lol. Anna :)
Dick said…
Hi Anna

You never know maybe he will say the words as first and you might think "what did I do". lol
Your pictures of fall are so beautiful, I love them.
The blur in the background makes a picture much more beautiful but I use a compact camera and it is not easy to do.
Maybe my next camera will be the Canon SX1, depending on if I'm gonna continue photographing and my blog.
Your profile picture is great too.
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Dick, it is wishful thinking, hey never know. Thank you so much for nice complements too. Compact no compact camera, your photos area amazing. You know sometimes working with something that does not have many options makes you more skilled. I think macro setting can have also the same blurr background effect - I think?. Hey even if you don't take photos all the time or blog all the time, still it is good to have camera around. Cannon is an excellent choice. Hope all is good otherwise. Thanks for adding me to your follower list. Check out your other blog, very cool concept. Thanks again, Anna :)
Andrea said…
Beautiful Colors.
I agree with you: autumn is a great season for colors.
The only problem in the Northern Italy is normally the weather is foggy....
That barn swallow icon was the reason why I came and visited your blog from Blog Catalog over a year ago. And even though it is "near and dear" to me, I have to say that the photo of you and Matthew is absolutely priceless! He is such a gorgeous baby and you are such a lovely mom. By the way, I really love the last autumn photo on this post. It's composition is breathtaking.

Hugs,
Cindy
S-V-H said…
Hey Anna,

such a nice post!!! I admire your photography, great as usual and of course I admire you cute, sweet, adorable "little man", he is indeed a happy kid and so smart already :-)

Looking forward to the new avatar(s).
Anna, what a super post with AWESOME photos. I am nearsighted too and will try out your technique. :D I also use the AV mode a lot and will try your portrait tip out.

You sure have a happy baby and Matthew has fantastic parents. :D What a super family you guys make!!!

I'm glad you have time to post. You make up for your absence with your beautiful blog content. :D

Hugs, JJ
kml said…
Hi Anna - love that smiling baby pic - how precious! Your autumn pics are great - glad you all enjoy being outside to get them!

Love the avatar - you two are so happy and smiling!

Take care,
Kathy
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Andrea. Sorry to hear about the foggy weather. Once I went on the trip in Canada, and all I had was foggy weather too, I know what you mean, not enough light. Thanks for you comment, it is appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Cindy, thank you so much for your nice comment, and the note about my barn swallow. It is nice to know that sometimes little things like that can attract people. I will keep this in mind, and btw I still will be using it in other places to hide my identity, lol, funny when I reunited with some friends on the facebook they did not remember me to have that many feathers, lol. Thanks again Cindy for your comments, they are always appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Susanne, that was close, lol, with vistis. My little man sends hugs. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi JJ, nice to see you again. Yes time is kind of tight with Matthew, but everyone knows and you know what I will do first, lol. However, my hobby been very helpful and giving me some break during the day. However, Matthew sleeps through the night, which is blessing, and by the time comes, I am going to sleep at the same time, he is such a busy bee.
BTW I am amazed with your photography, I guess those lessons were very useful, however, it also must come from the person, and you got that creative eye. Thanks again for your nice comment, and hopefully I can blog more soon. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Malik thanks for your visit, and nice comment, however, are you spamming me? lol, because it looks like you do. Well, thanks anyway, lol. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Kathy for nice and kind comment, yes my little man is precious, I myself and my hobby could not look enough at this picture too, lol, yes his smiles are precious, and we get them the most in the morning or after nice sleep or feeding, lol, and ofcourse when we play. Thanks again for your visit, it is always nice to see you here. Anna :)
Max Coutinho said…
Hey Anna,

Fantastic Autumn pics!! I loved them all, so I understand how they can be your favourite :D!

Oooh, Matthew is so gorgeous!!! I love his "I love Mom" baby napkin...so cute :)!

Girl, I saw your new avatar: you are exactly like I imagined you (although the glasses are a surprise, cause I found out we have another thing in common)! You are a beautiful woman, Anna!

Give Matthew a hug for me, please! He is cuter and cuter everyday!

Cheers
MedaM said…
Anna, I use to say that others children grow faster than it was case with my children. LOL Matthew is absolutely adorable baby. He has beautiful smile, beautiful big eyes…such a lovely face. Of course, that you love him every day more and more. From now on you will find him getting more and more interesting, especially when he really start to talk. How sweet they are then! My older son started to talk correctly almost at once but my younger son is a story for itself. There was no any word that he knew to say correctly. He was so sweet. My sons now always enjoy listening to the stories about them two when they were babies. I am only sorry that I didn’t write down every wrong word that my younger son pronounced as a baby. It was long ago and I forgot lots of them.
I have to say that I like the photo of you and Matthew. You are beautiful young woman. Your lovely smile made me smile too.
Your colorful autumn photo collection is fantastic. I really enjoyed them all. I too love autumn especially if it is sunny and colorful like it is this year in this corner of the world. Trees really look splendid while the leaves turn to yellow, orange, and red.
Thank you, Anna for your always nice comments on my posts and for your precious time that you spend on that. :-))
Bola said…
Hi Anna,my first time here, got here through Channelofhealing.Love your blog and the photographs are great.

Pls visit Code: MumsDadsChildren to pick up your blog award.

Shalom!
Merging Point said…
Dear Anna -- wonderful shots! sun is just the same to all the shades that glitter.
loved your skilled photography and the discovery you made watching Mathew. Babies are adorable, so natural...
Swubird said…
Anna:

Wow! Really breathtaking photos. You are such a good photographer that it's hard for me to describe my admiration for your work in common words. Wonderful, brilliant, exciting, fabulous, beautiful - all powerful words, but they don't seem to be enough. Let me put it this way: I love you photos.

Happy trails.
Fish Whisperer said…
Your nature shot are very nice.
Cheers
RW said…
Wow are those some awesome photos or what!!! You Rock Anna!! :D
Amazing autumn photos, of course the norm on your blog! Wonderful colors!
And it is fun to watch Matthew grow!
--JB
Anonymous said…
Hi... I love picture #5!
Very uniqe, very beautiful... :)
Lynda Lehmann said…
Anna, how beautiful your fall photos are!

Baby Matthew is getting so big and has a wonderful smile. I enjoy the photo you have of him and you on your profile and avatar.

Sorry I'm late in getting around. We've been away and now are going to visit my family for 3 weeks. It's been difficult to find time to blog these past four months.

You will have such a joyous Christmas with Matthew! And your photos make me feel joyous about autumn!
Unknown said…
the pictures of the leaves are great, autumn is here
San said…
Anna, I adore that profile picture of you and Matthew. I cannot get over how gorgeous he is, and the two of you together--well, it's just joy personified!

Your fall pictures are glorious. In particular it's a treat for me to gaze at the red leaves, since we have few of those around here. I too love fall--the golden light suffuses the world and I do look forward to the holidays and the family times.
Anonymous said…
Hi Anna. Definitely Canada always beautiful. I liked very much saw the photograph of the leaves that were the symbol of the Canada country. And when I wrote comment this, I was using tshirt with the picture of the symbol leaves of the Canada country, then under the picture had the article of CANADA. Saya liked very much saw the photograph baby... hmmm... he had the eyes and the good eyebrow. Full Peace and Love From Yogyakarta Indonesia.
Peter said…
Hi! The comparison to living out our lives and the leaves that turn with every season is very similar, and, perhaps, too close to home for those getting on a bit.

Just as the pollen leaves the husks, so do we leave the safety of our parent’s home to seek out our own destiny, whatever that may be.

Then, it’s time to set our own roots down and watch the cycle begin again.

Having read, “Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn", I say, “Everyone must take time to sit and watch their children grow”.

As you have just began to watch young Matthew grow, I wish him and his two very proud parents, all the very best.

Take Care,
Peter
Anonymous said…
Beautiful pictures, congratulations.
Fruity said…
Time really flies when you don't pay attention to them. Time stood still when the leaves took a long time to change color :)
Fruity
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Max, it is appreciated.

You said: 'Girl, I saw your new avatar: you are exactly like I imagined you (although the glasses are a surprise, cause I found out we have another thing in common)! You are a beautiful woman, Anna!' - Max you made me blush this time, these are strong words, lol. Yea been wearing glasses for a long time. Wow, you definitely know how to read people Max. I am usually really off if comes to imagine people, lol, really Max, lol. I talked to people on the phone for months (from work) and when I met them, oh boy I was surprised, lol.

Sending hugs from me and Matthew.

Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Medam thank you so much for such a lenghty comment, your time and all the good things you said are appreciated. You are so right, every day Matthew is full of surprises, like now he is determined to put his toes into his mouth, lol, everything he sees he needs to taste, lol, but it has lot to do with teething probably.

Medam, also thank you for sharing your children story. I noticed that too about talking. One of my godsons was like that, had his own language and used to talk to me for 45 minutes per day for one week, and I just listen, lol, it was cute.

Medam, there is no way we can remember everything, and I am starting to forget lot of things now too as Matthew always brings something new on board.

Medam, again thank you so much for commenting on my post and photos, and taking a time to write me so much about yourself.

Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Bola thank you so much for visiting and now the award, I am honoured...I will be over to pick it up. Thanks again. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Merging Point always thank you so much for your inspirational comments. Yes Matthew is a lot of fun and watching him grow is even more precious. Thanks again, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hey Swubird, wow so many powerful words about my photography, I am not sure if I deserve it, lol. But then I can say the same about your stories, lol, and I love them too. Thanks for your lovely comment as always, it is appreciated. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Yea Bob, finally, lol, and finally responding to your comment, lol. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hello Fish Whisperer. Thank you so much for your first time visit here and very nice comment. It is appreciated. I will be over your blog soon, soon as I am done here, hopefully today, lol. Thanks again, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Lol Roger. Thanks for those 'rocking' words, lol. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi JB, yes watching Matthew grow is fun, and yes all my blogging friends are watching him grow too, lol. Thanks for your nice comment as always. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Leo, good to see you, and glad that you enjoyed #5, yes it is unique, funny I only saw it when I was reviewing my photos. Cheers, Anna
myonlyphoto said…
Lynda thank you so much for visiting, and commenting. You and me, lol, yes it is hard to blog now, but hey it is always nice to see you here and it does not matter if it is now, tomorrow or 3 weeks, or 10 weeks from now. We all know that blogging is great hobby, but if comes to family, we will choose family. Yes, I will enjoy this Christmas, he is a gift himself. Again, Lynda thank you for your nice comments as always. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks evan j, your comments are appreciated. Autumn is here, but time flies so fast, that it feels like winter is around the corner, lol. Thanks again. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
San, thank you so much for your nice comment about my photos, me and Matthew. For that you get lot of huggs from Matthew. Too bad that my hobby does not want to show his identity on the net, otherwise, I would include him too, lol. Thanks for your nice comments about my photos of the leafs. We are very fortunate here to see very wide range of colors, fall is amazing. San thanks again, your comments are always so refreshing and full of wisdom. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Bram thank you so much for your nice comment. It was nice of you to wear Canada tshirt. Yes Canada is amazing country, very beautiful. Thank you again for your comments, especially about Matthew. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Peter, wow you are so wise. Thanks so much for those inspirational words about parenthood and cycle of life.

You said: 'Having read, “Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn", I say, “Everyone must take time to sit and watch their children grow”.' - I should have included this modified quote under Matthew, lol, you are so right.

Peter, as always thank you for your nice inspirational wise comments and your wishes to all of us. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Jose Neves, nice to hear from you again. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi Fruity, thanks for your comment, you are so right, lol. Thanks again. Anna :)
Max Coutinho said…
Hello Anna,

"Thanks Max, it is appreciated."

You are welcome :D!

"Max you made me blush this time, these are strong words, lol."

LOL I swear it wasn't my intention :)!

"Yea been wearing glasses for a long time. Wow, you definitely know how to read people Max. I am usually really off if comes to imagine people, lol, really Max, lol. I talked to people on the phone for months (from work) and when I met them, oh boy I was surprised, lol."

So have I. LOL that is one of my job descriptions: to read people :)!
LOL well, it is good to be surprised...it makes life more interesting, doesn't it? :D

"Sending hugs from me and Matthew."

Oooh, so sweet!!! *Hugs* to both of you!

Cheers
Livingsword said…
Hi Anna…

Nice quote from Elizabeth Lawrence….I have always preferred summer but when I met Chocolate Girl who loves autumn she started to move me in the direction of appreciating all of the seasons…Now I do embrace all the seasons (must be a God thing…) they all have something to offer but here in Vancouver winter really means overcast with perpetual rain….whereas autumn at least transitions as does spring.

I love the photos! My fave is the fifth from the top I like the way you can see the plants fuzzy qualities in contrast to its rather sharp lines, very nice!
Anonymous said…
Anna, I liked your photos a lot.

About our eyes having 2 modes or not try this you will realize we do have landscape and portrait modes. Try to look through your window to see the autumn scenery, that will be your landscape mode and try to see the bug on the window and realize the background keeping your focus on the bug. Hey, got the portrait now. Did you?
Anna, I am swinging by for a wild wave. I sure love your photos. :D And you make great babies too.

Hugs, JJ
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Max for all the hugs!
Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks LS, so finally we meet here, lol. You know I do to had one fav season, but I see benefit in all of them. By the end of each season, I cannot wait for the next to begin. Thanks for enjoying my post and photos. All the Best to CG and you. Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi San Nayak, thank you so much for visiting my blog and commenting, and interesting observations, I will try it! Thanks again, Anna :)
myonlyphoto said…
Hi JJ, you always make me laught, lol, that was good one. Anna :)
Preity Angel... said…
Anna, Matthew looks soooooooooo swwweeet... thanks for sharing with us.. and I also like your automn collections..very nice
Preity Angel... said…
Anna, Matthew looks soooooooooo swwweeet... thanks for sharing with us.. and I also like your automn collections..very nice
Anonymous said…
Interesting, colourful blog! Love baby pics :)

Gauri
myonlyphoto said…
Thanks Gauri, your comment and visit is appreciated. Anna :)