Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Everett 10th Street Marina 11.25.11

When I was editing the first photo below from my day after Thanksgiving photo shoot I realized I had taken a similar picture and posted it on my blog as a flashback. It was before I started shooting manual and before I knew all that I know now about how to take a proper picture. Despite that, I really love both of them. I am excited to see how much I have grown though and to see one of my old photos next to a new one and know what I would do differently (smaller aperture number! cloudy wb!) to fix what I didn't like about it. 

What do you think? Do have those moments as well?

Date: November 26th, 2011
Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/320, f/5.6 (full manual, sunlight wb)
Post Processing: Blacks, Contrast and Brightness to make the blue more vibrant

Date: June 11th, 2011
Settings: Shot in Auto - 1/200, f/10
Post Processing: Sharpening, Color Levels (to bring out more of the green and magenta)

"Growth demands a temporary surrender of security." - Gail Sheehy


One of the reasons I feel I have grown so much is by linking up and learning and becoming inspired from other photographers. Here are a few great link ups that continue to help me grow!
 Live and Love...Out Loud and then, she {snapped}  

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tones on Tuesday #11 11.29.11

Welcome back to the 11th edition of Tones on Tuesday! I can't believe it! Thank you for joining each week or for the first time. Seeing your pictures and being in awe of your talent is one of the highlights of my week. Now on to the showcases...

Cedar at Cedar's Photography
The light in this photo is AMAZING! I love the way it works with the expression on her face and the composition to capture a serene moment. Thank you for sharing Cedar!

Deanna Leigh at Life. Captured.
The mood of this photo pulls you right in. The tones are stunning and the mystery is just enough. Wow, Deanna Leigh, what a beautiful capture. Thank you for sharing!

The colors could not be more exquisite and I am guessing that the slow shutter speed used is what makes the waves and water look ethereal. Thank you for sharing with us Sara!



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


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, sepia toned, selective coloring or colored 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!
Disclaimer - By participating you give Scattered Horizons permission to share your photo on this blog. Photographers will be given credit for their work.

My photo this week was taken in Everett at the 10th Street Marina. The sun was shining on the Friday after Thanksgiving and despite the biting cold wind, I was able to capture the stunning blue of the sky, the fluffy white clouds and the vastness of the space. For my edit I straightened, cropped and adjusted the blacks, brightness and contrast to make the blue tones pop. I was very excited to learn how to straighten in Lightroom as I thought I lost that ability when my trial of Photoshop expired. Just in case you are wondering...to straighten go to Tools>Crop. Then point your cursor to a corner of the photo, but be sure to be off of the photo. You will have a curved double sided arrow. Click, hold and adjust to straighten using the nifty little lines :o). I am so excited to have found this feature. I would love to know what you think about the photo. Take care and until next week...

SOOC Settings: ISO 100, 35mm, ss1/500, f/10 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Edit
"When we look up, it widens our horizons.  We see what a little speck we are in the universe, so insignificant, and we all take ourselves so seriously, but in the sky, there are no boundaries.  No differences of caste or religion or race." - Julia Gregson

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down!
Live, Love, TRAVEL   Sweet Shot Day

Monday, November 28, 2011

Good to Wow SOOC: Thanksgiving Morning 11.24.11

Thanksgiving began with a beautiful sunrise that I was able to capture with my camera. The light pastel of the clouds through the trees was intriguing and reminded me to start the day off being thankful. For the rest of the day I only got the camera out a few times. I was indoors for the day and I just am not inspired by the shots due in large part to the lighting. Maybe that will be my next task to practice...indoor lighting. I hope your were able to give thanks this past Thursday and had the opportunity to share your thanks with family and friends.

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/160, f/8.0 (full manual)
"Stop thinking about the past, and don't worry too much about whats going to happen in the future. Your presence is a present, so live for today, and appreciate everyone and everything you have. Stop thinking about what you don't have, what you wish you had, who walked out of your life, and whatever else that falls in that category. Think about what you have, who you have in your life, and how fortunate you are." - Junethea Crystal Centeno

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

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Shades of Autumn: Favorites 11.27.11

I have LOVED participating in the Shades of Autumn Challenge. I have always loved fall, but I have a much deeper appreciation of the varied shades and the fading nature of the time of year. There is no other time so fleeting yet so vibrant. Here are my favorites from the past few weeks.

Green: I did not participate in this week initially but here is a green shot from the beginning of fall.
Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/30, f/5.6 (full manual)

Yellow: A pumpkin patch and fruit stand provided an array of yellow hues.
Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/320, f/5.6 (full manual)

Orange: A visit to a state park and a small town filled my memory card with orange. 
Settings: ISO 400, 55mm ss1/125, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

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

Red: Raindrops and red make for a beautiful combination.
Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Purple: My favorite color and fun to find in a local small town.
Settings: ISO 100, 43mm, ss1/320, f/5.0 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Brown: At first I assumed this color would be dreary and dull, but it is anything but. 
Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/100, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

White: Snow in my old college town across the mountains was peaceful and a beautiful beginning to winter. 
Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/50, f/9.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 53mm, ss1/250, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Linking up with the Shades of Autumn Challenge. Check out the other favorite photos!

Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge

Friday, November 25, 2011

Favorite Photo of the Week: Birch Trees at Wanapum 11.20.11

The Friday after Thanksgiving came and went with me out taking pictures on a bay up north. It was cold, but peaceful and I am excited to post pictures this week. As I look back on last week, the picture below is by far my favorite. I love how the trees are growing in different directions but all upward. I love  the detail on their bark and I love how the edit made the fading colors of fall pop. To read more about this photo and see the SOOC shot, head here


Settings: ISO 200, 43mm, ss1/100, f/6.3 (full manual, cloudy wb)
Processing with a Free Lightroom Preset called Clear Yellow/Purple Split Tone Mild Vintage

"Trees are your best antiques." - Alexander Smith

Linking up with the link ups below. Be sure to check out the other favorite shots!
    Happily Mother After 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving - Good to Wow Edit: Winter Moments 11.20.11

I hope you had a Thanksgiving filled with food, friends, family and fun. I know I did! Here are my edits for the Good to Wow Challenge, just simple and clean. This is my second post with very little words, I didn't think it was possible (I tend to be wordy as you may have noticed :o). 


SOOC Shot
Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)


Edit
Processing: Basic settings

SOOC Shot
SOOC ShotSettings: ISO 100, 29mm, ss1/250, f/10 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Edit
Processing: Straightened (finally figured it out in Lightroom!) and Basic settings

SOOC Shot
Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/250, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Edit
Processing: Basic settings

"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily.  The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." - Terri Guillemets

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the beautiful grateful shot edits!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Frosty Leaf 11.20.11

I am thankful for my wild and wonderful life!

SOOC Shot
Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/800, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." - G.K. Chesterton


Linking up with Wild and Wonderful Wednesday. Wonderful frosty leaf :o). Also linking up for Wordless Wednesday at Live and Love Out Loud. Take a moment to check out the other shots!



 Live and Love...Out Loud

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tones on Tuesday #10 11.22.11

Between the prompt for the Good to Wow Challenge being gratefulness and Thanksgiving fast approaching I have been thinking more than usual about what I am grateful for. One thing that I am thankful for is Tones on Tuesday. I know I have said it before, but I learn so much from all of you. Seeing your photos not only teaches me, it also inspires me to continue to grow and expand my skills. Thank you for sharing your photos each week! I look forward to seeing what you have in store for this week.

Showcases from last week...

Rachel from Crinkle Photography
This photo captures such a wonderful moment and I think the black and white brings attention to his adoring expression framed by the interesting light in the background. Thank you for sharing Rachel!

I love the vintage feel of the tones in this photo, it makes it feel as though this could be a newly discovered photo of the past. Thank you for sharing Lili.

I love sunsets and the lines, color and light in this shot are amazing. The texture adds such an ethereal feel for an all around stunning photo. Thank you for sharing Lynette!

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

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, sepia toned, selective coloring or colored 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!
Disclaimer - By participating you give Scattered Horizons permission to share your photo on this blog. Photographers will be given credit for their work.

The photo I am sharing this week is of some beautiful trees at Wanapum State Park I took this weekend during a trip over the mountains to find some snow in my old college town of Ellensburg, WA. I love the SOOC shot, but I wanted the colors to pop a bit more. I used a Free Lightroom Preset called Clear Yellow/Purple Split Tone Mild Vintage to bring out the oranges then I upped the blacks and contrast to bring definition to the trees. I added a small vignette to add a bit of mystery to the photo. I love that other photographers are willing to share their presets and allow me to learn from them. And I love how this photo turned out!

SOOC Shot
Settings: ISO 200, 43mm, ss1/100, f/6.3 (full manual, cloudy wb)


Edited Photo

"If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees." - Hal Borlan


Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down!
Live, Love, TRAVEL   Sweet Shot Day