171/365 Sparkle

"Afternoon Sparkle"

Bokeh is just one of the magical things about photography.  It is an awesome effect that can transform an ordinary photo into a stunning image.  This photo is purely a technical one.  The composition, our newly blooming crepe myrtle, is nothing spectacular, but the bokeh does make the background kind of sparkle.

While I was outside "playing" this afternoon, the sparkle in my rings caught my attention.  I decided to photograph this sparkle as well.  

My mom passed away four years before Weber and I got married.  My dad gave us my mom's engagement ring, whose stone we had reset.  It is very special to me to have this piece of family history as we create our own history.

The starburst in this image was an added bonus.  A few days ago, photographing to achieve a starburst was one of the technical lessons.  I did not accomplish it.  Now I can cross that one off of the to-do list.  I have to admit though that I put no intentional effort into creating this starburst.