Michele Ford Photo

I hear jingle bells...

2011-11-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

The Christmas & Holiday Season is now upon us and I hear the jingle bells! Stop by my Zazzle shop for gifts and goodies featuring fine art photography... Zazzle has a "Black Friday" sale going on over there today only... Coupon code: ZBLACKFRIDAY (on select items). Coffee mugs, mousepads, posters, iPad & iPhone cases, jewelry, tshirts, postage stamps - all kinds of cool things! :) No long lines or traffic...

Rocky Patel at Jersey Smokes, Michele Ford Photography

2011-11-04T14:02:00.000-04:00

Everybody had a great time at Jersey Smokes in Jackson, New Jersey last night. I stopped by to take some photos of the event. Rocky Patel hosted with a Buy 2 Get 1 promo.

Let's see those smiles!

You can always count on Charlie!

The Rocky Patel shirts rock... where do I get one?

Nothing like great company for a nice smoke!

Stop by the lounge and relax...

Nobody bothers you here.

Leo had some nice Jerky... beef, ostrich, oh all kinds!

Leo and Charlie with Allison from Rocky Patel!

No tobacco store is complete without the wooden Indian statue!

Next event, Thursday, November 17th.

Stop by Jersey Smokes' Facebook page for more!

Have an event you need covered?

Contact me... michelefordphoto@gmail.com

Bat's Crazy - A Treasury List On Etsy

2011-10-07T22:56:00.002-04:00

'Bat's Crazy' by micheleford

It's bat time of year again! I've created this Treasury List on Etsy full of bats for your Halloween-time enjoyment. So many creative masterpieces of perfect bat pleasure!

23 Spooky Bats removabl... NothinbutVinyl $19.99	Halloween Themed - 44 B... WilsonGraphics $24.00	Bats Decal Pack - LIMIT... decallab $19.95
Vinyl Wall Decal Sticke... wordybirdstudi... $14.95	Lot of 11 Big bats Hall... victorialogode... $19.99	Witch ing You a Happy H... VinylWallAccen... $78.00
Halloween Scene vinyl d... canodesigns $15.99	Bat Attack/Vinyl Wall A... Pillboxdesigns $21.99	The Bat's Tree Viny... Pillboxdesigns $49.99
Halloween Decoration, V... Twistmo $20.00	Flying Bats Vinyl Wall ... tweetheartwall... $15.00	Halloween Wall Decal - ... evgieNev $40.00
Halloween vinyl wall de... circlelinestud... $57.50	Halloween Wall decal -S... zapoart $44.00	Halloween Vinyl Wall De... InAnInstantArt $15.00
HALLOWEEN BATS Vinyl Wa... PlanetWallArt $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Support independent artists. Click on over to Etsy to enjoy these Halloween treats!

Vintage 1968 Beatles Yellow Submarine Metal Lunchbox with Thermos

2011-07-23T14:53:00.000-04:00

We have this rare and amazing find listed for sale on eBay and we were asked to provide more photos of the Thermos. Well, here they are! Have a look at them and click over to the listing to put your bids in.

Don’t delay since the opportunity to own this fabulous piece of Beatlemania ends in 1 day…

Click here to visit the listing and Bid now!

Abby's Favorite Pink Finds, An Etsy Treasury

2011-06-07T21:25:00.001-04:00

Michele Ford Photo's "And The Garden Got Pink" is featured in a new Treasury collection on Etsy!

Have a look at all of the wonderful PINK creations in this Treasury by clicking here:

Abby's Favorite Pink Finds

A big thank you to AidforAbby for this bright and beautiful collection of fine handmade arts and crafts!

Please visit AidforAbby's Etsy shop. Abby suffers from Autism, Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AidforAbby

An Afternoon of Easter Fun with POAC

2011-04-29T16:48:00.025-04:00

The Point Pleasant Elks invited the P.O.A.C Families to "An Afternoon of Easter Fun". Michele Ford Photo went along to capture some of the memories of this great event!

Children and families decorated Easter Eggs. The tables were lined with balloons and decorations while the Easter Bunny and a Clown kept in charge of the fun!

Lunch was served! The Elks made delicious hot dogs and french fries for all!

Next it was outdoors for the Easter Egg Hunt! The children were all so excited and couldn't wait to get those egg!

It was great fun to watch as they ran about collecting the hidden goodies!

It was a great day for everyone, thanks to the Point Pleasant Elks and POAC!

Please visit Autism Awareness NJ's website for more information and how you can help raise awareness for Autism!

Up-coming events:

Tomorrow!! April 30th, at 3:00 pm!

Tomorrow!! April 30th, at 3:00 pm Jersey Mike's Subs 1st Annual Dodge Ball Tournament... Be sure to be there and show your support for this worthy cause! 270 Chambers Bridge @ Brick BMAC

The House on Hurley Pond Road

2011-04-23T22:17:00.012-04:00

Today we joined author Darren Fitzgerald as he went to Barnes & Noble Booksellers to see his book, The House on Hurley Pond Road newly for sale on the shelves there!

This large Barnes & Noble book store is located in the same part of New Jersey as the story is based in Monmouth County.

We ventured inside to see his books! We entered the store and looked to the left, and there it was in the New Paperback section right up in front of the store...

The story takes place in the home where Darren and his family grew up. What happened there is beyond scary!

"Within a few days of moving in, Darren and his older sister Coreen began to notice that something wasn’t quite right with their new residence. First came the doors that would mysteriously open and close along with lights that would turn themselves on and off by no physical means. Then came the threatening writing on the walls which eventually escalated into all-out physical attacks directed at members of the Fitzgerald family as well as anyone who attempted to enter the house."

Excerpt taken from the books' website, hurleypond.com.

As we were taking a few photos a reader was thrilled at the impromptu "meet and greet" with the author!

Mr. Fitzgerald was more than happy to sign this young lady's new book after she purchased it! I'm sure you'll agree, the look on her face is priceless!

As we walked through the store and browsed some other books of interest, we spotted the book in another location in with the New Jersey books.

The book is on the same shelf as books on topics similar to paranormal events such as ghost hunting, The Jersey Devil, ghosts in Central New Jersey, as well as books on the Monmouth County Park System, Asbury Park Boardwalk, New Jersey Railroads, The Pine Barrens, and many more books local to New Jersey history.

You will also find the book right by the checkout along with the Event poster for the May 21st Book Signing and Reading. Pick up your copy as you're walking by!

I hope you'll join author Darren Fitzgerald at Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, New Jersey on Saturday, May 21st, 2011 at 7 pm for a Book Signing and Reading!

For more information and current news, please visit the book's website: www.hurleypond.com.

Michele Ford Photo wishes the best of luck to author Darren Fitzgerald on the launch of his book, "The House on Hurley Pond" in this Barnes & Noble Booksellers store and the many more to come!

An important note: Mr. Fitzgerald shows unending generosity with his willingness to donate a large portion of his book sales’ proceeds to the Parents of Autistic Children Charity. You can visit the Autism Awareness NJ's website for more information and to support this worthy cause.

http://www.autismawarenessnj.com/.

My sweet black cat...An Etsy Treasury

2011-01-24T15:01:00.003-05:00

Some might ask what's all this about a treasury?....

Etsy says "Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery comprised of lists of items."

Have a look at all of these lovely handmade creations by clicking here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d3c8b32b6136d91fc27aa4a/my-sweet-black-cat

A big thanks to cucamaluca for curating this nice collection and including my photo, Curious Black Kitten in this Treasury...

Please visit cucamaluca's Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/cucamaluca

Congratulations to our winner!

2010-12-31T10:54:00.016-05:00

Thank you very much to everyone who entered our giveaway! We were blown away with so many entries and so many beautiful comments!

And now for the winner....

Congratulations go out to Cerena Leigh!

etsy.com/shop/cerenaleigh

Thanks again and we'll be contacting you soon by email, Cerena!

Happy New Year to all! We'll be offering more giveaways in the months ahead - be sure to follow our blog to find when!

Giveaway update!

2010-12-29T16:49:00.002-05:00

Hello there folks!

We hope you have had a pleasant Christmas holiday and are gearing up for a great New Year!

We are so pleased over here at Michele Ford Photo with the huge response we have had to our giveaway. Thank you so much to all who entered and we are wishing you good luck in being the winner!!

Stay tuned, the draw will be held by random and the winner will be announced at 12:00 Noon on 31 December, 2010.

The Beauty of Snow

2010-12-13T21:26:00.010-05:00

Winter is fast approaching and so are the snow storms! Not many things are better than taking a walk through the woods after a freshly fallen snow with my camera...

I like to walk softly and listen to the sound of the snow crunching under my boots while looking out for pretty scenes that I think would make a nice photo. I liked the depth of the snow resting on the fine pine needles in the photo above.

"Snow Love" is what we'll call the picture above. There's a heart shaped snow clump resting at the end of the snow covered branch. I couldn't resist taking this photo!

"Snow In Love" 9x12 Fine Art Print on Etsy
Click here to buy it from my shop!

The wonder and beauty in nature never ceases to amaze me! Just look at all of the tiny little flakes that make this stuff up - and think about how much it takes to move it all with the shovel!

Snow, snow, snow... oh I can't wait for the snow :)

Etsy Handmade Wonder

2010-12-05T17:52:00.013-05:00

This holiday season, support local and independent artists, designers and crafters!

Please have a look at all of the wonderful handmade creations in these Etsy Treasury collections in which Michele Ford Photo has been selectively included. While you're browsing, we hope you'll find something that makes a great holiday gift for that someone special on your list :) Etsy is a terrific online site for buying and selling handmade art. Enjoy...

Treasury 1.

Stay Warm By The Fire.

Fire Up Your Life!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf96080ec858eefaef50947/stay-warm-by-the-fire

A warm thanks to NerdyDog for curating this firey collection of art and for including this photo, Autumn Fire 8x12 Fine Art Photograph Metallic Print:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59378511/autumn-fire-8x12-fine-art-photograph?ref=tre-4cf96080ec858eefaef50947-14

Treasury 2.

Black cats with golden eyes (sometimes shut)

Artwork with black cats (one white) and golden eyes:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf7af42ebd96d916af8490c/black-cats-with-golden-eyes-sometimes

A big thanks to PrettyFloor for curating this Etsy Treasury collection and including my photo,

Fine Art Photography Curious Black Kitten 12x18 Large Print:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63111329/fine-art-photography-curious-black?ref=tre-4cf7af42ebd96d916af8490c-10

Some might ask what's all this about a treasury?....

Etsy says "Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated
shopping gallery comprised of lists of items."

Visit Etsy for more great finds: http://www.etsy.com/

Happy Holiday Shopping from Michele Ford Photo,

Michele

"Enjoy the beauty in everything!"

The Colours of the Butterfly

2010-12-04T09:36:00.006-05:00

Take a stroll through Mother Nature's garden and be inspired by the amazing colours of the iridescent butterfly...

Enjoy the beauty that comes to visit, in all its myriad shapes, colours and patterns.
And although each one dances and sings to its own silent song, just like us, each has its own unique beauty.
Yellows, blues, oranges, browns, black - can you be anything but in awe of Mother Nature?
Oh, the wonder of how these beauties go about their business; how they float so graciously on the air.
.
And flutter so delicately to decorate the landscape with all their magical colours...

From naive pink to purple serious or from dawn to dusk?

2010-11-26T20:45:00.003-05:00

Some might ask what's all this about a treasury?....

Etsy says "Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery comprised of lists of items."

Have a look at all of these lovely handmade creations by clicking here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cee0c9e63268eefd30402f4/from-naive-pink-to-purple-serious-or?ref=pr_treasury

A big thanks to Linaline for curating this nice collection and including my photo,

I Heart Iris, 9x12 Metallic Fine Art Photo

Please visit Linaline's Etsy shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Linaline

Old cameras lead to new adventures...

2010-11-21T18:05:00.011-05:00

I was looking back on some of my old photos and I came across a few that I took with one of my favorite cameras...

This is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC H-1. It was introduced in February 2005 and it was Sony's first foray into compact, big zoom image-stabilized cameras. This camera has a huge 12x optical zoom and is loaded with automatic, semi automatic and manual exposure modes, it has a big 2.5" screen and captures VGA/30fps movies in MPEG format. It was easy to learn on and led to many great times out taking pictures.

This was the first time I actually shot the moon! This camera made it easy to control the settings and the built-in image stabilization was right on. I had the camera on my brother's hiking stick/monopod when I took this picture. The details on the moon are amazing!

In the mid-afternoon sun, I stood before the forest... Gosh it was lovely that day looking through the young thin green bamboo shoots into the forest filled with giant old brown trees, the sun peeking in and forming a brilliant shine...

The color doesn't get much better in flower pictures, than on a Sony. This picture wasn't altered at all to brighten the color. The sun was shining and the bees were busy at work.

Bunnies always amaze me with the color of their fur and the different textures. I like how the bunny's ears are so soft looking while his coat is more coarse. The details with this camera are amazing.
I just had to pull the car over on my way to work this day! The sun was coming up over the sod farms out in the country of New Jersey as the mist was rising off the fields... It was so beautiful!

The macro setting on the Sony H-1 is amazing and again, so is the color. This butterfly bush was one of the prettiest flowers in the garden!

Even the smallest details of the dandelion are captured by this little camera. Don't you want to blow?

This is "Oddball"! He never sat still very long, but with this camera's huge lens, I was able to take his picture from the distance. He's an outdoor cat where I used to live about 2 years ago and I used to feed him, as well as some of the other neighbors did. It's nice, I saw him just last week and he's still looking well.

The focus and color on this camera are amazing - have I mentioned that? This is really one of my favorite pictures from this camera. I can almost smell the soft scent lingering in the air when the Iris bloomed...

This camera is for sale on eBay, along with a bundle of accessories. If you're looking for a nice camera, you know where to find it. It's all ready to start taking pictures when you get it home!

To see the lisitng and to place your bids on this camera, follow this link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110614417235#ht_531wt_997

A Stroll on the Beach of New Jersey

2010-11-08T14:34:00.015-05:00

Sometimes it's nice to take time off from everything else and go for a stroll along the beach.

This day was cold and windy... The snow fences stood firmly in place along the boardwalk, just waiting... The plants had lost their summertime life and were shivering in the wind.

Fragmented shells and rocks scattered themselves about on the shores, left behind by the tides that so quickly change. Every now and then a beautiful piece of sea-glass; a brilliant green sparkled like an emerald in the sand.

The seagulls were resting on the beach, most unwilling to be pulled in every which direction by the wind's relentless fury. Until I passed by...

I watched in amazement as they took off in their order, one by one or two by two, flying above into the air over the chilly sea.

So if you can't make it down to the beach today, why not take a walk through my shop on Etsy and bring home one or two beautiful high-quality fine art prints instead. All photographs are professionally printed and ship within one business day. Have your frame ready :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/micheleford

Memories of the Sunflowers

2010-11-05T22:23:00.013-04:00

When I lived out in the country, I had some wonderful neighbors. One couple in particular grew a garden out in the back lot. All of the tenants were told they could use the land for gardening if they wanted to, but this couple was the only one who farmed out the land with vegetables, herbs and sunflowers.

I saw my neighbors each day while they carried buckets and buckets of water out to the garden and pulled the weeds, even on hottest summer days. They took great care of their plants and the reward was well worth it...
Their sunflowers were outrageous! Each time I passed by the garden, I would stop for a few moments and stare in amazement at the beauty of nature and remenber the good natured friends and neighbours who made this possible.
I can't thank them enough! I still stay in touch with my sunflower-growing neighbors and return to the country for visits with them regularly. Sunflowers will always remind me of my days in the country as well as the seeds for friendships that grow.

Thanks for stopping by today! After all, we're all friends and neighbors in blog-land!

Until we meet again,
Michele :)

The Days Yet To Come

2010-11-04T20:37:00.007-04:00

"The golden glow of the sun mixed with the purple of twilight's approach made for a joyful sunset that reminded me of days gone by and days yet to come..."

As I took this photograph, I enjoyed the peace of the birds flying around while the rest of the world seemed to stop and stand still. The magical colors changing in the sky as the sun went down through the clouds were so beautiful - purple, yellow, gold, orange, blue and a slight pink. The trail of the our faithful friend's reflection over the rough waters reminds us of it's impending return. This photo was taken in Belmar, New Jersey at Shark River.

I've just listed this print for sale in my Etsy shop as "The Days Yet To Come". Have a look and... "Enjoy the Beauty in Everything"!

We always love getting a package!

2010-11-03T21:51:00.013-04:00

Michele just received our eagerly anticipated parcel from Silver Comics with two copies of our amazing Facebook friend, Michelle Bryson's new book enclosed.

We ordered one copy each and are so excited for Michelle. We can't wait to start reading the book. It has a wonderful cover by Scott Seeto and marvelous illustrations by Frank Brunner.

Visit The Skull Army's Facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Skull-Army/157076497657855

The packaging was great! This sticker was on the back of the mailer!
Our shipment included the 2 bookmarks shown! It was a wonderful touch!
Check out Silver Comics at http://thesilvercomicsblog.blogspot.com.

We're wishing you all the success in the world, Michelle Bryson!!

- Kevin & Michele.

Sunflowers, an Etsy Treasury Collection

2010-10-29T13:25:00.005-04:00

Michele Ford Photo's "In My Garden"
is listed in a new Treasury collection on Etsy!

Have a look at all of the wonderful SUNFLOWER creations in this Treasury by clicking here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cca2482e22e8eefa259ca23/sunflowers

Thank you to LizzieJoeDesigns for this nice collection.

Please visit LizzieJoeDesigns's Etsy shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LizzieJoeDesigns

The Ride to the Fruity Forest

2010-10-29T10:35:00.010-04:00

Fall in New Jersey is such a beautiful time of the year. As I was taking some pictures in the woods, my nephew suggested we go for a bike ride to take pictures of the pretty trees around the neighborhood.
So off we went! He was on his three-wheeler with his camera and I was on my mountain bike with mine. He peddled and peddled and peddled and I had to keep peddling backwards :)
He'd say when it was a pretty tree that we needed to stop and take pictures. Ok, he'd tell me we were stopping most of the times. He learned as I nearly ran into him a few times and so did I!
The trees were absolutely popping with color out there. It might have been the best day of the Fall for it. I kept thinking too bad the sky wasn't bright blue, but hey - that's how it was that day.
Some of the trees situated together just looked like paintings, the colors were so perfect. My nephew's mom and dad also love trees and photography, so he has a very good eye for what is pretty!
This was one of the times he stopped short - or was that me? Anyway, he's checking his shot and making sure he got the picture he wanted. I think this was also about the time his battery started to die...
This tree was just on fire - it was so pretty as so many that lined the streets were! At some points, we stopped the bikes more than we rode them.
Sometimes it was a bit shaky taking pictures with handling the bike and watching the boy so some of these are a little out of focus. Like this one of my bike's tire, but it was just part of what was going on so I thought I'd share them too. Not every picture comes out perfect!
It was getting dark and the boy was getting tired, but he insisted we continue down this street. He wouldn't tell me why, just that we had to keep going...
So he peddled and peddled and huffed and puffed, while he kept asking me, "Why do you keep peddling backwards, Aunt Michele?" and at the end of the street here it is:
"The Fruity Forest"

I was amazed when I saw this. I am not sure if he knew that's where we were going, or if that's just where we wound up, but wow! what a sight this was to see! I am so excited about how pretty this is that I have just added this print to my Etsy shop! http://www.etsy.com/listing/60237422/fruity-forest-9x12-metallic-fine-art

"Enjoy the beauty in everything!"

**** UPDATE ****

November 2, 2010 ....

I'm pleased to announce The Fruity Forest SOLD in my Etsy shop. No worries!! I've re-listed it.

You can purchase it here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60380398/the-fruity-forest-9x12-metallic-fine-art

"Nightmare on Etsy Street" Treasury Collection

2010-10-28T15:30:00.002-04:00

Some might ask what's all this about treasury....
Etsy says "Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery comprised of lists of items."

Have a look at all of these lovely handmade creations by clicking here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cc9b8a364146d9193f6b120/nightmare-on-etsy-street?index=0

A big thanks to Rusticblend for this nice collection.

Please visit Rusticblend's Etsy shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rusticblend

A Walk in the Woods & Cameras

2010-10-28T11:24:00.012-04:00

Nature's beauty was stunning as I got out in the woods with my cameras the other day... The weather was beautiful and the colors of the fall foliage were spectacular!

While I was roaming around the woods, I started thinking about photography and some of the cameras I've had over the years... I have been taking pictures digitally since 1999 when I got my first digital camera. It was a Sony MVC-FD91, with only 0.8 mega pixels and it took the pictures directly on to a floppy disk. I also noticed the reds, greens, yellows, oranges and brown colors of all of the trees. I kept thinking to myself, "whoever painted these colors was spot on"!
My newest camera, which I just got a few months back and am still learning a bit about, is a Sony DSLR A350, with 14.2 mega pixels. The pictures in this post were taken with this camera.
My other favorite camera is my Sony DSC-W300, with 13.6 megapixels. It's a simple automatic camera with some manual settings and a very good lens and sweet macro capabilities. I've been shooting with this camera since 2008. It's very small so I always have it with me on the go!
Of course, I always have my cell phone camera with me too - my pockets get loaded! If I get too excited about how pretty it is, I'll usually upload a picture to my Facebook page while I'm on the shoot... I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to taking pictures, I guess ;)

I'll be posting more pictures of this shoot from my other camera soon. Thanks for coming by to have a look! Take a moment to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

Keep having a great day & "Enjoy the beauty in everything"!

Beautiful Colors!

2010-10-27T21:43:00.003-04:00

I took some time off from working at the computer yesterday and I went for a nice walk in the woods with my camera! This is one of my favorite photos out of the bunch and I'll soon be posting more...

A Halloween Treasury on Etsy...

2010-10-26T10:11:00.002-04:00

A week before Halloween and all through our shops....

Have a look at all of the lovely handmade creations listed here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cc5d035f7e56d91519c32a2/a-week-before-halloween-and-all-through

Thank you to Olivesmiles for this nice collection.