Before you know it, American Thanksgiving is coming up this week along with Black Friday, Cyber Monday next week and shopping for Christmas presents! This year Black Friday shopping will be quite different in many cities, with COVID restrictions and lockdown implemented to curb the second wave. 

Most of my family and friends have already switched to online shopping earlier this year, even for their groceries. My friend commented the other day that although extra payment is needed for delivery, the amount of time it has saved her - not having to drive to the store, line up to get into the store (when limited number of shoppers are allowed at one time), navigate through the aisles with a shopping cart, wait for the cashier in socially distanced lines - all these are enough to justify the delivery fees. Every Friday morning she receives her groceries, and stores them away in her fridge and pantry before starting her workday in her home office. Amidst the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we're adjusting our lives to suit and making new discoveries!

Here is a new discovery I made recently in my photography - with the aid of a post-processing software, I was able to turn a simple photo of summer flowers captured in a garden into an artistic image of shimmering jewels. Let's continue to explore new or creative ways of doing things in our lives, whether in obtaining our day-to-day goods or in photography.

Summer Floral Jewels - 1A simple photo of summer flowers in the garden turned into an artpiece of shimmering jewels.

Those of you who have been reading my blog (or seen my Publications webpage) may recall I had previously self-published photo books titled "Dreamy Florals" and "Art and Design in Photography". Today I want to share the news with you that they're now available for purchase in Apple iBooks! Yes, this means you can start your shopping now, for your friends who prefer to view digital formats.

Dreamy FloralsA book of dreamy floral photography to bring peace and hope to your heart. To say thank you, to brighten someone's day, and for all flower-lovers.

Here is where you can preview and purchase "Dreamy Florals" (a perfect gift for anyone who could use the peace and calm from seeing dreamy photographs of roses) and "Art Design in Photography" (for all photographers who want to create more artistic imagery).  For family and friends who still enjoy flipping through pages of a book, hard copies are also available. Please see my Publications page for more details, including other eBook formats of these photo books. 

Art Design in PhotographyPhoto book with sample images and text for 10 art design elements that can be applied in photography to create impactful images.

Wishing everyone in the US a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving!

Please stay safe while shopping for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.