Roses are red…
Gentians are blue…
I love my children…
Roses are red…
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Lens-Artists Challenge: Shadows
Tina at Travels & Trifles illustrated her challenge with a beautiful opening photo of shadow that evokes spaciousness, loneliness, and the passage of time. As the Earth turns and the Sun’s light falls at different angles, shadows lengthen, shade increases, and cool darkness creeps over stationary objects.
There’s something mournful in that, although it needn’t be. Change is not all good or all bad. Monochrome isn’t really black & white. It’s gray.
In the end, shadows cast depth and perspective on our view of our selves and our little lives. They keep us humble.
Josh Galasso and Daena Wallace: Wedding Photo Shoot – Part Two
And part two. Happy Anniversary, dear Josh & Daena!
Date: October 21, 2017
Place: Starved Rock State Park, Oglesby, IL
Bride: Daena Wallace
Groom: Joshua Galasso
Good Boy: Charlie
Entourage: Susan Galasso Seleen, Andy Seleen, Rebecca Galasso, Jake Class, Mario Navarez
Newbie Wedding Photographer and Mother of the Groom: Priscilla Galasso (me)
Phase VIII: D & J & Mario
Phase IX: Magical Leaf Shower Rock (good eye, Mario!)
Phase X: Sandy Ottawa Canyon
Phase XI: Woodland Grotto
Phase XII: Hike Out and Wrap Party
Josh Galasso and Daena Wallace: Wedding Photo Shoot – Part One
One year ago…and since, a wedding reception and a cross-country move. It’s been a big year for this little family. I’m wishing them every good thing and all my love.
Date: October 21, 2017
Place: Starved Rock State Park, Oglesby, IL
Bride: Daena Wallace
Groom: Joshua Galasso
Good Boy: Charlie
Entourage: Susan Galasso Seleen, Andy Seleen, Rebecca Galasso, Jake Class, Mario Navarez
Newbie Wedding Photographer and Mother of the Groom: Priscilla Galasso (me)
Phase I: The Hike In to Council Overhang and Ottawa Canyon
Phase II: Practice Shots – Susan, Andy and Charlie
Phase III: Bride and Groom under the Overhang
Phase IV: Setting the Stage
Phase V: The Veil
Phase VI: Fun Bridal Portraits by Mario and The Groom
Phase VII: Galasso Family Photos by Jake
Black & White Photo Challenge: Tracks and Train
For Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge. Mono(chrome) Rails and Tracks in Black (& White).
Columns and Vertical Lines
Time to stand up, be vertical, visible, viable…
…and PROUD! 
The Kiss
Forty years ago today, the Love of My Life kissed me for the first time.
Yesterday, I kissed our son goodbye before he moves with his wife to Oregon.
To new beginnings and continued love.
A selection from my file marked “Widow’s Story”:
“I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I found out that he was in the same English class as my older sister, so I gave her a note to pass to him. I fastened it with a safety pin because I didn’t want her to read it. It was decorated with doodles and stuff, like a goofy schoolgirl with a crush would send. Basically, I offered to make him a cassette tape of my parents’ PDQ Bach album because I knew he was learning some of the madrigal pieces in choir and found them very funny. He sent me a note back, or spoke to me, and we agreed that I would give him that gift the next day before he got on the bus to go to the beach with the Senior class for Sneak Day. So, early on the morning of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Out of This World
The Earth is a vastly fascinating place! You may think of rocks and trees and animals as familiar things, but they are often as unknown and otherworldly as specimens from Mars.
Here’s an example of a cave formation in Wind Cave National Park known as “boxwork”. Could be the surface of a distant planet, don’t you think?
Could these be aerial photos of alien landscapes? Or the skins and bodies of alien life forms?
Does this structure look like something you’ve seen before?
This one could be a satellite image of life on a distant moon. 
The startling discovery of unfamiliar living things is possible in your own back yard. Go take a look!
Weekly Photo Challenge: A Face in the Crowd – Anonymity
“Explore the use of anonymity to express both that which is common to all of us and the uniqueness that stands out even when the most obvious parts of us are hidden.”
I feel that monochrome is the perfect format for this idea. So, what can you tell about these subjects?
“Explore silhouettes, shadows, orientation, and other ways to mask your subject.”
Back in the 19th century, before photography was available to the masses, silhouettes were a very popular form of portraiture. How distinct is a black profile? What can you tell about this subject? Male or female? Young or old?
“If portraits aren’t your thing, get even more creative with your use of shadows, reflections, animals, and patterns to represent a sense of anonymity.”
My thing is mostly about nature photography and about the impact of one dominant species on the planet – humans. I like to think of myself as a Wilderness Advocate. This is my idea of a self-portrait, taken very near to Bears Ears National Monument and Canyon of the Ancients. It makes me think of the possibility that homo sapiens will be just a shadow in the rock some day, as we were at one point in the past. Sunrise at the canyon edge is a very peaceful time. I enjoyed blending in to the surroundings and finding a quiet place of anonymity.
In case you missed it, I’m the shadow sitting cross-legged on the bright part of the rock in the upper right, elbows out, taking the picture.
Favorite Memories of Jim
Today is the tenth anniversary of my husband’s last birthday. I guess that’s just a confusing way to say that if he hadn’t died, he would be 57 years old today. I’m reblogging the first post I did for him, six years ago. Feel free to add more favorite memories, if you have them.
As always, dear Jim, I love you and miss you and will be ever grateful that you were born.
In the Galasso family, we have a birthday tradition. When we are all gathered together for the birthday meal, we go around the table, and each person relates his or her favorite memory of the birthday person. When I was with Emily last Sunday, she wouldn’t let me leave until she had told me her favorite memory of me. I had almost forgotten this ritual, and I’m so glad she didn’t. Today would have been Jim’s 51st birthday. We would be celebrating our combined 100th birthday. (We went to a couple’s 100th birthday party once…huge affair with fireworks and everything!) Well, in Thich Nhat Hahn’s words, it is another Continuation Day. Jim continues in all kinds of ways on this earth. Ripples of his deeds, his attitude, his progeny, his molecules and other whatnot are still around.
So here is a favorite memory of Jim that came to me on…
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