Because who doesn't love some "Not me Mondays"...and bokeh

Haven't head about "Not Me Mondays" hosted by Mckmama? Check it out:





*This is so not another excuse to just post some more bokeh photos (scroll down)



*I was totally not excited to see snow outside my window when I woke up this morning and not extremely grateful that I didn't have to drive in that mess today



*I did not have to make food for well over 100 dogs one day this week and managed not to do it in only a half hour. Yeah!



*I am certainly not all that excited to meet up in the city this coming weekend with two very good friends that I haven't seen in a couple of years **jumps for joy**


*I am not up at nearly 2am playing on the computer when I have to be up in just a few short hours. Nah-uh. Not me!



*And I am without a doubt, absolutely, in no way addicted to bokeh. Hehe


Okay, so that's all I got for "Not Me Monday" this week. Lame, I know.



Now for some more Bokeh...


















Okay, and now its time for bed before I am completely non-functional tomorrow!

Goodnight,

I have to admit...

... That I have been going a little bit more bokeh crazy and obsessed these past couple of years - which can be a bit tricky with a Canon Powershot, I might add!

I also have to admit that I haven't gone completely bokeh crazy like I am seeing with many wedding photogs. I am not really a fan of every photo being filled with bokeh or blur overload. But who knows... there is still time for me to possibly fall onto that bandwagon ;)


Here are some of my bokeh and bokeh-ish photos that I have taken over the past couple of years:


Probably my fave- close-up of the lights on the Rockefeller Christmas Tree - '06






Photo taken the other night at a nearby city park - they are giant light-up snowflakes






Fall '07











Maine wildflowers

















Ok, so this one is more gaussian blur-ish than bokeh-ish lol I just like the way it turned out

















View of NYC lights from the top of "The Rock"



There are more bokeh or bokeh-ish photos to come when I go into the city again next weekend and also after my Christmas tree is set up and decorated. :)

Its snowing!

And Shelby is all ready for winter...

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a blessed day!

And the winner is... (UPDATED)

The winner of my very first Photography Book is...

**drum roll**


...Heather C! Congrats! I will email you.

Thank you so much to everyone who donated! Hopefully we'll be able to do something like this again soon.



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I know that technically, the Christmas/Holiday Season does not officially begin until after Thanksgiving but I am already in the Christmas spirit and have been dying to give my blog a little makeover for weeks now!



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In other news,and since this wouldn't be a photography blog without sharing some photos, I had a very nice lazy Sunday. I went to lunch with some friends from HS (still can't believe that our 10 year reunion is quickly approaching!) and then went driving around my part of NJ with a friend of mine (who also loves photography). Must say though, it was absolutely freezing!!!!








How adorable is this little lamb?! Very skittish though...















Okay, so not a brilliant photo but I was hoping that those of you planning to eat Turkey for Thanksgiving would see this photo and think twice about it. This was the sweetest little turkey(well, technically, it was huge!) He was super friendly and socual and even let me pet its beak. I could hardly look at it without thinking that by this time next week it will most likely be on someone's dining room table :( I am not a vegetarian or a vegan. I eat chicken and turkey and once in a while a hamburger, but as time goes by and I either see how animals that eventually become our food are treated, I tend to cut them out of my diet. I think turkey is now on that list of animals I will no longer eat.




This little calf was hysterical! It kept following me wherever I went and then he started jumping and running around like a lunatic, wanting to play. He had quite the cough whenever he'd run around though so I hope he is okay :(





Not the best photo composition-wise. I didn't have my camera on the right setting but snapped away very quickly regardless to get this shot. It was just too cute!









I want a pony!!









I just thought that his fuzzy little ears were so cute lol




This pony was quite the character too, but not as nice as the other one




NJ may be known for its power plants, polution, and crazy drivers... but I must say, we do have some amazing sunsets!

Because I like free goodies too :)

I am mentioning this on my blog - Click Here . Its Small Fryday, not sure what exactly that means other than Mckmama posting or writing about her daughter "Small Fry" on Fridays lol

Since I am posting anyway... here are some end of the Fall pictures taken over the past couple of weeks:












Okay, so this photo is so not an example of my best work. I didn't have the tripod handy, but I just love the colors.

Not Me Monday

Not sure what "Not Me Mondays" are all about? Find out what all the talk is about by heading over to McKmama's blog:


Just a quick one for this week... getting ready to go out.


*I am not another year closer to 30 today...eeek! lol


*I did not have one of the craziest days at work ever... cops,ambulance, news crew.... can't get much crazier then that, right?! Oh, btw.... anyone in the NYC area who's interested in watching us on Good Day NY on Fox 5, it'll be aired live on Thursday around 8-8:30am - though they filmed segments today that'll be shown earlier.


*I am so not giving the very first copy of my new Photography Book away for FREE on this blog. Check it out by clicking (or copying & pasting) the link here: http://cynthiajillphotography.blogspot.com/2008/11/because-who-doesnt-like-something-for.html

Because who doesn't like something for free while helping others in the process...

I have something exciting to share with you all! As some of you may already know, I have been working on my very first Photography Book. Thanks to Snapfish and Oprah and their free 8X11 photo book making offer I can give you all a sneak peak with a "Sample" book. All this means really is that it this book is a test run. Most, if not all, of the photographs and text in the Sample Book will be in my first official Photography Book (due out before Christmas! More on that later in the week). The only thing that will likely be different in the Sample Book is the layout and that its made by Snapfish. The best part is, this book can be yours for FREE.


Here's the info:
8"x11" custom cover book(s):
Cover: black custom cover
20 pages filled with beautiful photographs and inspiring quotes.



I know many other bloggers out there ask people to leave comments to enter their contests and then they randomly pick a number to choose the winner. I'd like to do something a little bit different here. I'd like to pass the giving on. So, anyone that donates to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - it can be any amount- will be entered to win my Photography "Sample" book. Why JDRF you ask? Well, they are a really great organization that's made incredible advances in finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes and they do so much for people afflicted with Type 1 and their families. Secondly, I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 18 years now and know all too well what a life changing and devastating disease it can be. So, please if you can, donate to this fabulous cause. 'Tis the season, right?

Why enter the contest to win the book you ask? Well... first of all, its a $30 book and you could win it for free. Not to mention, there are some really kickn' photos in it (Hey, I've gotta promote) And last but not least, even if you aren't a fan of my photography or don't really want/need a photograph book, think of it this way... its a free gift that you can give your family member, coworker, boss (ect...) for the Holidays,


All you have to do is email me the confirmation receipt you receive from JDRF after you make your donation. To be fair, everyone will get an equal (1) chance to win, no matter how much you donate. I will give you all a week to email me letting me know you've donated. Also, if for some reason you do not like donating online or do not have the means to donate online, you can also donate via snail mail and just shoot me an email to let me know you did so. I am taking people's word here, so if you say you're donating via snail mail please do so. Its for a great cause!

So simply:

1. Go to www.jdrf.org

2. Make a donation of any amount

3. Email me at cjillphoto@gmail.com with a copy of your receipt. I will email you back to confirm that I received it. So if you don't hear back from me, let me know.


4. Feel free to spread the word. The more people that donate to this great cause, the better :)


4. Giveaway ends at 7pm(eastern time)on Sunday, November 23rd when I will have Random.org ( http://www.random.org/ ) pick the winner.

If you have any questions, ask away!

Photography Sessions

Hi guys,

I am looking for "models" to expand my photography portfolio. If anyone in the NJ/NYC area would like their photo taken (solo or with a friend, family, significant other, child(ren) or pet) please let me know so we can set something up. The sessions are FREE and preferably outdoors. If you're interested feel free to email me at cjillphoto@gmail.com to learn more details.

Stylin'

Look who loves her new cozy winter sweater





This shot just cracks me up LOL

We should have a contest to see who can come up with the funniest caption for this photo, but I have nothing free to give away :(

So I drive, watching white lines passing by...

A hundred dollars goes to anyone who knows what song that lyric is from. Okay, so I am too broke to be giving away money.So how about a gold star? lol

I have 3 days off from work (shocking, I know) and am totally enjoying it. I finally had a chance to get quite a few overdue errands done and also took the opportunity to go for a ride out to rural NJ to snap away at the last remnants of fall colors. We were blessed with another gorgeous day, weather wise. It was cloudy, but the sun still peeked through so it made for a pretty perfect photography forecast. I just love driving and allowing myself to "get lost" (thanks to my GPS system I can always find my way home).



At an apple farm





A escapee lol










Winter is almost here...






I drove by this beautiful old cometary and knew I had to turn around and go back to take some photos






Since I was already in the area I had to make a quick stop at one of my favorite locations to take photos in NJ - Alstede Farms


Without a doubt, horses are one of my favorite animals to photograph


Okay, so either that horse in the foreground is pregnant or just really fat




This horse in particular was just so incredibly sweet and I just fell in love with his expressive eyes and his wispy mane which covered his eyes









Those of you who have been following my work might recognize this little guy



I am not so sure that I am ready for winter to arrive yet!