Shades of Autumn: Red 10.30.11

After a weekend on the Oregon Coast, I spent a little time Sunday capturing red for the Shades of Autumn Challenge. It was rainy and windy, which created some interesting conditions. Luckily I had my mom along to hold an umbrella for me :o). I also had a headache which made everything seem brighter than it was. When I opened the photos in Lightroom they did seem a bit bright but not as bright as when I took them. I got a few good shots, but I was disappointed. Many of the trees I had scouted earlier in the week had dropped most of the true red leaves, leaving more orange than red. I was reminded of the fleeting nature of fall. In the end I am happy with the results and the rain added some visual interest to the leaves. My favorites are the ones of the ground. What do you think? Do you feel fall is going by too quickly? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/125, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Red and green hue/saturation shift, basic setting adjusted in Lightroom

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Post Processing: Black clipping adjusted and vignette in Lightroom

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/200, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Cropped, basic settings adjusted and vignette in Lightroom

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Basic settings adjusted in Lightroom

"Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change." - Edwin Teale


Linking up with the Shades of Autumn Challenge. Check out the other red shots!

Project 64: Turquoise Blue Ocean 10.29.11

Very rarely do I get up in time for the sunrise on a weekend. However, being at the ocean and waking up to the sounds of the wave through the open window makes everything easier, even getting up early. I must say that is was well worth it. The sky looked as if it were painted with water colors and the ocean was a beautiful turquoise blue, the color this week for Project 64. My goal was to capture the subtle colors created by the light and communicate the expansive nature of this view from the room we were staying in. In post processing, I upped the vibrance and saturation and added minor fill light. I love the result. I love the tranquility and the softness. I could have stayed there forever just to capture the ocean at different lights. Do you have a place that makes you feel content? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200, 30mm, ss1/15, f/14 (full manual, on tripod, cloudy wb)

"For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise or the magnificence of a full moon, but it is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the universe that surrounds us." - Richard H. Baker

Linking up with Project 64 to see the other turquoise blue finds and Sunday Snapshot to see the shots people want to remember!

 

Siletz Bay Crane 10.29.11

I spent this weekend at the beach, to be specific the Oregon Coast. We started in Lincoln City which is one of my favorite places on the coast. I think it is because of the variety of beach from rocky coastline to a driftwood covered bay to the soft sand. The Siletz Bay area is the aforementioned driftwood covered bay and at the time we visited the tide was out and I walked a long way out on the sand that had been under water just a little earlier in the day. My shoes got covered but it was worth it to get this shot of what I think is a crane. This little guy was certainly aware of me but let me get close enough to snap a picture with my telephoto lens before flying away. I kept it SOOC as there wasn't much I didn't like about it. Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 100, 250mm, ss1/500, f/8.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before." - Robert Lynd

Linking up with A Moment in Time Challenge where the prompt is wildlife. Check out the other photos!

Favorite Photo of the Week: Golden Carpet 10.22.11

I am writing this post from my favorite place...the beach! I am listening to the sounds of the ocean and soaking up the contentment that I always feel here. I know it may seem crazy to go to the beach in October but I could go every month of the year. It is my place to recharge and reflect. I am sure you have guessed by now to expect lots of pictures this coming week of my Autumn at the Ocean weekend :o). As for this past week, it was again tough to pick a favorite as I took so many autumn shots full of beautiful color. However, this one stood out. I captured this shot at Flaming Geyser State Park near my house last weekend as a creative interpretation of the color gold for Project 64. I thought of a golden carpet with the leaves covering the ground and the picnic table. My goal was to capture that feeling and to convey the peacefulness of the scene. I think I achieved my goal. What do you think?


Settings: ISO 400, 46mm, ss1/100, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Basic settings adjusted in Lightroom

"Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

Linking up with the linkups below. Take a moment or two to check out the other favorites.

Good to Wow Edit: Fallen Leaves 10.22.11

Despite the exhaustion of this week that feels like it should have ended days ago, I was excited to check out the guest tutorial Michelle wrote for the Good to Wow Edit challenge. You can check out the amazing tutorial here. Basically she showed us how to have a photo displayed through words. I downloaded a trial of Photoshop Elements to try it out and I loved how simple Michelle's tutorial was. It produced such an amazing result. Thank you Michelle! I edited my other SOOC shots for the challenge using Lightroom Presets from Preset Heaven which had a post called "28 Free Presets from Chris." I wanted to make the photos look a bit aged. I also used the preset that comes with Lightroom for rounded corners. You can see the SOOC shots and read more about my memories here. 


Now on with the edits!

"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air." - Eric Sloane

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the amazing before and afters! 

I Clicked it Up a Notch - October

Is it really almost the end of October? I cannot believe it! I have been spending this week meeting with families and talking about student progress. While I throughly enjoy meeting and talking with families, it makes for an exhausting few days and nights. This morning as I arrived at work tired and gearing up for another long day, I was greeted with this beautiful sight...

Settings: ISO 100, 7.7mm, ss1/60, f/2.8 (auto)

I only had my point and shoot with me, but it didn't matter I just had to capture such a beautiful sunrise. In post processing, all I did was remove a few distracting lights with spot removal in Lightroom. I was a bit disappointed not to have my DSLR with me and not be able to "make" the shot in manual mode. However, I learned that for some moments capturing it in whatever way you can is the most important thing. 

Now, as it is the end of October, Courtney at Click it Up a Notch is hosting a picture share for your favorite picture of October. I decided to go with a picture I took of a foggy morning outside of my house. I love that I was able to capture everything I wanted SOOC and then bring it to another level with a simple edit. You can see the SOOC shot and read more here. 

Settings: ISO 200, 42mm, ss1/100, f/22 (full manual)

Edited with Photoshop - Healing Brush and Pioneer Woman's Lovely and Ethereal Action

"To speak technically photography is the art of writing with light. But if I want to think about it more philosophically, I can say that photography is the art of writing with time. When you capture an image you capture not only a piece of space, you also capture a piece of time. So you have this piece of specific time in your square or rectangle. In that sense I find that photography has more to do with time than with light." - Gerardo Suter

Linking up with the fabulous linkups below. Be sure to check out the other photos and blogs!

 

Tones on Tuesday #6 10.25.11

Welcome back to Tones on Tuesday for those of you who have been here before and welcome for the first time to those you are just joining us!

All of the entires last week were beautiful. Here are the ones that caught my eye and are being showcased this week. Be sure to grab your showcase button below!

Kathy at You'll Shoot Your Eye Out

Not only is this a beautiful capture of a rose, but the gray tones give it such a softness. Thank you for linking up Kathy!

Emily at Then Along Came the Boy

I am a huge fan of selective coloring. I love how the blue pops in this photo and how the light is really played up by the muted tones. Thank you for sharing with us Emily!

Ana at Wonderland

The simplicity of black and white has always appealed to me and I love how this photo maintains the simplicity and uses it to convey a nostalgic feel. The hint of peach in the tones adds such a warmth to the photo as well. Thank you for joining the link up Ana!

Be sure to grab your button if you were showcased! (button for linking up can be found after the guidelines)

<br /> <a href="http://scatteredhorizons.blogspot.com" target="_self"><img border="0" alt="Scattered Horizons" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X0qE3kcJQKFCeiup5RF462UP1KBtya6qEad3jhNwEnSmWe0PKglTwDqqTQCWeoyyyzO1a2hDPjgJcKPftHD2pnvTIZ0nuZRcaCxHwalC-z5H1zdBSgXf0WQOH-X73kTvQ6wO3_lyzA/s1600/showcasedtt.jpg"></a> <br />

Now it's your turn to share your photo with altered tones. Here is the guidelines for Tones on Tuesday:

• The basic idea is to share one photo where you have altered the tones. Such as a black and white photo or a sepia toned photo. Feel free to share the original and edit, or just the edit.
• Please share a photo that you have taken and edited yourself.
• If you have more than one photo in your post please indicate which one if for Tones on Tuesday.
• Please link up with your permalink and not your blog address.
• Attach the Tones on Tuesday button to your post
• Leave comments for the other participants, share the love :o)!
• Have fun!

<br /> <a href="http://scatteredhorizons.blogspot.com" target="_self"><img border="0" alt="Scattered Horizons" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_U2oqLh1UmXZMxfX_WPVaPVWJYh_HuiqvmOJi2frJOmTvsFe8rQPCPuzZfqD9Rm5Lz1E9ijR7i5_09GjPNDZeIcGNOwpU1VlkboGqGPGHxc0q-s28fzb99utdKzU6TvONWyodJtseQ/s1600/tonesontuesday2.jpg"></a> <br />

Disclaimer - By participating you give Scattered Horizons permission to share your photo on this blog. Photographers will be given credit for their work.

In my photo this week I decided to alter the tones using hue and saturation shifts in Lightroom. This can be done using the HSL / Color / B&W section of Lightroom. I merely adjusted the sliders on the Hue setting to increase the green and orange and decrease the yellow. On the Saturation setting I increased the orange and yellow and decreased the green just a tad. I wanted to give the photo a surreal quality. I don't know how to use this section of Lightroom very well except that I know it can make colors pop or alter them. This brings me to my tip for this week. Sometimes the best way to understand something is to play around with it for a while. I often find that if I have experimented and taken risks with a feature on my camera or in editing I have a basis from which to learn more. Discovery can be a powerful learning tool and you can always undo to try again!

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Lightroom Edit

"He who never made a mistake, never made a discovery." - Samuel Smiles

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots!

  

Good to Wow SOOC: Fallen Leaves 10.22.11

The prompt for the Good to Wow Challenge this week was Memories. I really had no idea what I was going to shoot or what the concept for my shot would be. All I knew, my intention, was to not force it. I just wanted it to happen naturally during my day of photographing. On Sunday I spent the day driving around, catching up and taking pictures with my best friend. Due to all the picture taking I have been experiencing fall in a new way this year. While my friend and I were out and about we commented on how many of our kids (we are both kindergarten teachers) have not experienced raking leaves into a pile and jumping in them. This brought back memories of when my dad used to make a big pile of leaves and I would jump in them and then spend hours making him rake again so I could jump over and over. I did not have a rake with me :o), but these shots reminded me of the joy that fall brings. Even though there was no big pile I did spend a few moments shuffling my feet through the leaves and fondly remembering my childhood.

Here are my SOOC shots, the leaves are just begging to be enjoyed whether off the tree or on it...

Settings: ISO 400, 30mm, ss1/500, f/6.3 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/500, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/500, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"My memories are inside me - they're not things or a place - I can take them anywhere." - Olivia Newton-John


Linking up with Good to Wow! Head over and check out the other SOOC shots.

Shades of Autumn: Orange 10.22.11

Today I spent the day admiring the fall colors. I was able to drive myself around and spend some time with my best friend as I finally got a new car. The colors were beautiful and the range of shades had me captivated. My goal was to of course capture the Shades of Autumn color of orange, but also to communicate the essence of fall. The changing colors and changing of the landscape are what makes fall such a breathtaking season. The variety of oranges that I had the privilege to see was astonishing. It was a great day of shooting!


Settings: ISO 400, 55mm ss1/125, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb) 
Taken at Flaming Geyser State Park
Post Processing: Basic settings and vignette in Lightroom

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb) 

Taken at Flaming Geyser State Park

Post Processing: None - SOOC

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm ss1/500, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb) 

Taken in Enumclaw

Post Processing: None - SOOC

Settings: ISO 400, 28mm ss1/200, f/6.8 (full manual) 

Taken at the local Fred Meyer

Post Processing: Crop and spot removal in Lightroom

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." - Emily Bronte

Linking up with the Shades of Autumn Challenge. Check out the other orange shots!

Project 64: Gold Toned Foliage 10.22.11

The color at Project 64 this week was gold, which is a very hard color to find in nature. I was determined to try. I went on my first photography exploration in my new car and while I did not find the literal color gold I did find golden tones. These photos were taken at Flaming Geyser State Park. Fall is certainly in full swing the Pacific Northwest and it is beautiful!

Settings: ISO 400, 30mm, ss1/320, f/11 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Split Toning in Lightroom and Straightened in Photoshop

Settings: ISO 400, 46mm, ss1/100, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Post Processing: Basic settings adjusted in Lightroom

"As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time." - John Mason

Head over to Project 64 to see the other gold finds and Sunday Snapshot to see the shots people want to remember!

 

Factoria Sunset Silhouette: 10.15.11

I had planned to post this much earlier in the evening, but I finally got a car today. I have been car-less for the past couple of weeks after my car died. The same and only car I have had since I was 16. I have been looking for a car for a while and I have to say that I hated most aspects of car shopping, especially sales people who try to tell you what you want. Luckily today I found a salesman and dealership that made me feel comfortable and I got the car that I wanted. I also had a very supportive mom and family along for the ride. I feel very blessed. I can't wait to go take pictures! Is it weird that that was one of the first thoughts I had after buying the car?

As for my photo, I am linking up with a few challenges and for the A Moment in Time Challenge the theme is I Heart. I heart sunsets. There is nothing better than a sunset, except one on the beach. I haven't had the chance to get to the beach in a while, but I have had the chance to witness some pretty incredible sunsets. One just last weekend. I have also been honing my skills at picking the proper settings and getting the best SOOC shot possible. So today I am sharing a SOOC sunset shot. My goal was to capture the great range of color in the sky. I think I did that SOOC. I don't think editing was necessary to communicate the beauty of the sky. What do you think?

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/100, f/7.1 (full manual)

"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." - Oprah Winfrey

Linking up with SOOC Saturday, A Moment in Time, Scenic Sunday and SkyWatch. Please check out the other amazing photos!