Here is mine:

I love dried out thistles. I love to photograph dried out thistles. I don’t know why, I just think they are so beautiful, especially when shot up close with the background blurred out — using extreme depth of field. This point of view: my home is in the blurry area, so I’m looking at my home from a different point of view. Clever, huh?

taken with Olympus sp500uz using the automatic Portrait scene at close range

Here is WebGuy’s:

If I were a squirrel, I think this would be a most natural view of my life. Climbing up and down trees all day.
Olympus E-500 F3.5, 1/250″

©2011 Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

WebGuy’s:
An HDR image I created to depict the evening’s oncoming storm clouds.

and here’s mine:

It looks like great minds think alike! Guy and I went out to shoot photos together, so we got some similar photos. When we go out to shoot, we never talk about what we’re taking pictures of, we just shoot, then share later. We didn’t even take the time to share with these! Same sky, different view. I set the camera to under-expose this scene — there was too much light happening still, and by under-exposing, I managed to make the sky look ominous. Cool!

Taken with Olympus sp500uz — my point and shoot! 1/640 f5,6 +3.00

©2011  Annie and Guy Smith  All Rights Reserved

Here is mine:

I debated among three different photos for this topic, Many. I thought this one might be the most thought-provoking. Why are there so many lanterns on one wall? Do they light up at night? Each appears to be totally unique from each other, and fixed to the wall in a random pattern or placement. The color of the wall draws you into this unlikely scene.

Taken with Olympus sp500uz on Manual mode, 1/160 F2.8 o.3 on a cloudy day

here is WebGuy’s:

Thorns and thistles, like our problems, are many. These thistles have been growing most summer and have provided much beauty along this hilly walking path with their attractive purple brush and their tall, elegant geometry. Now they are thorny, with thick, bending, crooked stocks. Much like our problems – the things that attracted us to them were beautiful. Now we let them dally and become withering obstacles in our way – many.

©2011  Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is WebGuy’s:

I couldn’t help it. I had a camera. I was outside. The light was terrific. Piper was…umm…there. It was truly spontaneous.

Taken with Olympus E-500 1/500 f3.5

Here is mine:

I just had to take the opportunity to make this my impromptu portrait. Kirsten is cutting my hair for the very first time, at her Cosmetology school. The photo seems to have the spray bottle be the actual portrait, with Kirst and I as background interest ; )

taken with my phone camera

© 2011   Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is mine:

Finding a place where there was an active fountain is pretty hard to do. So I settled for one of the water-features (which they are now so adorably called) at Santana Row. Not a big splash, but water suspended in air, which I think is a pretty cool visual.

taken with Olympus sp500uz on Portrait mode

Here is WebGuy’s:
Stopping water flung in the air is not as easy as it might seem. Several practice runs, choosing the right container to fling the water — in this case, an aluminum salad bowl with about a quart and a half of water worked nicely.
Taken with Olympus E-500 f3.5 1/4000′

©2011 Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is WebGuy’s:
…or is it?

This serves as a reminder to me that not all things are always what they seem to be.
Hand drawn and photographed with my iPhone.

Here is Annie’s:

Robin

There is a family of robins that live in our neighborhood, as evidenced by the calling cards on the stair rail… they are a fun reminder of our Robin, who is so fond of wearing mustaches.

taken with Olympus sp500uz on manual

©2011   Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is mine:

We walked out of the Walt Disney Gallery on Main Street USA and the Soundsational Parade had begun and we got stuck right at the most amazing place to take pictures. My camera couldn’t take the pictures fast enough, but luckily, it kept ahead of the dancers and allowed me to get absolutely perfect stop-frames of all of the dancers. This photo is one example – not blurry at all and they were moving. The colors on these bird-like creatures is electric, and fascinating.

Taken with Olympus sp500uz on Manual 1/160  F2.8

Here is Webguy’s: It is said, “the best things come to those who wait.” I was waiting to meet Annie tonight at our favorite mexican restaurant in town and I looked down and saw this beauty staring at me saying, “Take my picture! Take my picture!” The colors in the warm afternoon sun were truly fascinating.

Taken with an iPhone using Tilt-Shift Generator App.

©2011   Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is WebGuy’s:

I picked-up these tops in Solvang, CA on our way home from our weekend trip to Los Angeles. They immediately became residents on my desk at work. Taken with iPhone (Camera+ app) incandescent lighting with white balance on.

Here is mine:

I apparently mis-read the topic as TOYS.

Ahem… however, I am not mistaking my subjects, who were neatly lined up on the table. The two in the middle have just come back from being repaired and the one closest to the front was bequeathed to Kirsten when I first upgraded. It’s the quietest machine of the bunch.

taken with Olympus sp500uz on the Portrait setting (befitting monarchy ; )

©2011   Annie and Guy Smith   All Rights Reserved

Here is mine:

This was taken at La Super-Rica in Santa Barbara, a very unique taqueria. Their food is out of this world. It is a hole in the wall, with a constant line out the door. You saw a part of their menu in a previous 365 post. It was so good, we had to go back again before proceeding home.

Taken with the iPhone

Here is WebGuy’s:
“Fred”
I wasn’t able to get anything related to eating that I was totally happy with. Sorry. Taken with iPhone.

©2011   Annie and Guy Smith All Rights Reserved

Here is WebGuy’s photo for today:

I sat down just after sunset and saw these beautiful palms in the breeze. Their silhouettes always cast such a tropical image – even though it is only about 60 degrees outside.

This image is dark. If you could this on a separate page with a black border, it looks so much nicer. I will try and make a separate page for your viewing pleasure.
Taken with Olympus E-500 f3.5 – 1/3″.

Here is mine:

When we travel, we like to find some random places to eat where we have never been before. Southern California is a treasure trove of heavenly eating. The place we went had an award for their restaurant called Where The Locals Eat — and oh my goodness — it was good! My photo for today was the shadows cast by the bars on the windows — it was a mexican restaurant in Placentia. I just happened to look up and see it. I think 90% of picture taking is that things just present themselves to you, like my photo today and Guy’s photo from yesterday.
I took this with my camera phone. Ok, I’m not going to feel guilty about taking photos with my phone anymore. Professionals use their phones if that’s all they have on them.
P.S. How am I doing on my diet? great btw… I only eat half of what is on my plate and I don’t feel guilty about that either ; )