Tones on Tuesday #28 3.27.12

I know I say this almost every week, but thank you for linking up and for inspiring me with your talent and your journey. I am honored that you choose to join me on Tuesday and share your photos! It was very difficult to choose three photos, but I would not have it any other way :o). Now to the showcases...

Nicky at Awesomeville

My first thought upon seeing this photo was that it was breathtaking! The colors are exquisite, the light extraordinary and the mood ethereal. Thank you for sharing this amazing photo Nicky!

Ansku at Photo by Ansku

The black and white tones, along with the texture, are soft and timeless. The staging and quote (from my favorite movie) tell such a great story. Thank you for linking up Ansku!

Ashley at Ashley Hauck Photography

I love the dramatic feel of this photo and the deep tones. The texture of the petals and the hint of green just add to this gorgeous photo! Thank you for sharing with us Ashley. 

Nicky, Ansku and Ashley please go HERE to grab your showcase button.

Now it's your turn to share your photo with altered tones. Here are 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.
• One photo per photographer please. 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 or a link back here to your post
• Leave comments for at least 3 other participants, share the love :o)!
• Have fun!

<center> <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> </center>

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

This photo was completely inspired by Melissa Noste at Melissa Noste Photography and her post on the daffodil fields and the zone system. 

After reading Melissa's post that the daffodils were blooming up north of where I live I knew I had to head up there and get a taste of spring. I love the amazing bright yellow of the flower against the deep greens. I love the shape of it and its petals. And I LOVE seeing a sea of flowers. There is something so magical about it. I was also intrigued by the zone system. I spent the drive up north reading the tutorial Melissa recommended, which can be found HERE. This system was developed by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer for black and white sheet film and has been adapted for use with digital photography. For me, it boils down to focusing on capturing colors as true to life as possible. The tutorial does an amazing job of explaining the technique and what it means in practice. 

In the photo below I metered off the yellow of the daffodil and put it in Zone VI, which is used for brighter colors such as pure yellow. This means I overexposed by 1 stop (+1). A more detailed explanation can be found in the tutorial. I was so excited by the SOOC result, the yellow was so close to what it looked like and that is one of the things I strive for when I photograph. I by no means understand the system well, but I am interested and intrigued and want to try more!

I love that I learn so much from other photographers and have the chance to try things out with my camera. I enjoy the journey of learning something new and I am so glad that Melissa shared her journey on her blog! Being inspired by fellow photographers is one of my greatest joys. 

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/1250, f/3.2 (cloudy wb, Zone VI)

Intent: The shape and details of the daffodil

SOOC Shot

Lightroom Clean Edit

Upped blacks, brightness, contrast, clarity, vibrance and saturation

Decreased lights, darks and shadows using the tone curve

Intent: To make the colors pop a bit

"Inspiration doesn't really work like that - you're not looking out for it. Inspiration is something that tends to capture you rather than you capture it." - Joan Armatrading

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down! Share inspiration and be inspired!

         

Vast 3.18.12

The theme this week at Mortal Muses is "I am." This is the sort of question that could have many different answers and all of them would be accurate. I am a daughter, a sister, a friend. I am a teacher and a learner. I am a photographer. I am a perfectionist. I am a hardworker. I am loyal and caring. I am simply me. 

As the quote below says so beautifully, all I can do each and every day is be the best me I can be. From there I am but a small boat in the vast ocean that is the universe.

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/400, f/7.1 (SOOC)

Intent: The vastness of being on the ocean and the amazing sky

Lightroom Clean Edit

Intent: Make the colors pop 

(removed spots and adjusted basic settings and tone curve)

"There is only one thing for us to do, and that is to do our level best right where we are every day of our lives; To use our best judgment, and then to trust the rest to that Power which holds the forces of the universe in his hands." - Orison Swett Marden

    

Favorite Photo of the Week: A Shell on the Shore 3.18.12

At first I was going to choose one of sunset photos I took this past weekend. You can see them here or here. However, when getting ready to post there was just something about the photo I took on the rocky beach at Kitsap Memorial Park. The colors and the texture just seemed to pull me in. Originally I did a clean edit in Lightroom. For this one I also cropped it a bit. The quote I have chosen to go with this photo perfectly captures my feelings toward photography. I continue to run into obstacles, yet my passion and desire to become a better photographer supersedes them. This photo took a few tries and edits to get the texture and light I wanted, but I had to persist. When you have the hunger you have no choice :o). 

I would love to know your thoughts! Thanks for stopping by! 

On a side note, are you planning on seeing The Hunger Games this weekend? I read the books a long time ago and I am pretty excited for the movie. I think the quote applies to that story as well!

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/4000, f/2.0 (cloudy wb)
Intent: The texture of the shell and the color of the rocks

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way." - Les Brown

        

The Rocky Shore 3.18.12

My goal for March has been to find a better balance in my life. One of the things that has been helping is getting back to spending one day on the weekend using my camera. Not only does this allow me to take photos to share with you, but it also helps me recharge. Taking photographs is a time to focus on something I am passionate about and something that brings me joy. This past weekend, my mom and I headed to Kitsap Memorial Park after a fun ride on the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton. The weather was not the best, but the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out a bit. With the weather being what it was, I was drawn to the shells and rocks covering the beach. I thought it was the perfect place to capture some natural texture. I really like the end result after a bit of a clean edit in Lightroom. I also attempted a self-portrait. I framed the shot, set the settings and then had my mom take the photo. While there are elements I like, I am still not a fan of my self-portraits. I am determined to continue to try though. What do you think of the photos below? Thank you for sharing!

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/4000, f/2.0 (cloudy wb)
Intent: The texture of the shell and the color of the rocks

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/2500, f/2.5 (cloudy wb)
Intent: The texture and detail of the barnacles

Settings: ISO 200, 41mm, ss1/320, f/5.0 (cloudy wb)
Intent: The leading line to the canal and to use the available light

"A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for." - John A. Shedd

  

Wordless Wednesday: Sailing Under a Changing Sky 3.18.12

One of the many perks to living in the Pacific Northwest is the ability to head out across the water on a ferry ride. Ferries are a part of the culture here and make travel across the sound convenient and fun! After driving on and securing the car, I like to head to the very top of the ferry where the views are unobstructed. And although the windy is stronger and the temperatures colder, the sky and water seem to stretch out before you endlessly and make it all worth it!

These were all taken on the Bremerton to Seattle ferry. A route map can be seen here with the ferry sailing from B to A.

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/650, f/7.1

Intent: The cloud formation and color of the sky

Processing: Clean edit in Lightroom

Settings: ISO 200, 21mm, ss1/250, f/7.1

Intent: Cloud formation and the range of colors in the sky

Processing: Clean edit in Lightroom

"If you have enthusiasm, you have a very dynamic, effective companion to travel with you on the road to Somewhere." - Loretta Young

    

Tones on Tuesday #27 3.20.12

Welcome to Tones on Tuesday! I am enjoying all the new faces and photos linked up, and of course I love that many of you are regulars here. I feel like I get to know you a little more each week through your photos :o). I can't wait to see what you have to share this time around. Before we get to that, though, let's take a look back at the amazing shots you shared last time. I think I am ready for Spring to come based on the photos I am showcasing...are you?

Ruth at RHWest: Photography, Art and Inspiration

The softness of the photo draws me in and the bright purple gives such a create depth. And then there is the light! This just screams Spring. Thank you for sharing with us Ruth!

Seeing Each Day

Where to begin with this photo? The vibrant colors, the light making the flower glow or the beautiful boken in the background...it all makes for an exquisite image. Stunning, simply stunning! Thank you for sharing this inspiring photograph!

Evelyn from Within My Focus

Soft, delicate with a touch of vintage flair combined makes for one gorgeous photo! I love how the tones are subtle and compliment the composition so well. Thank you for sharing and linking up here Evelyn!

Ruth, Seeing Each Day and Evelyn please go HERE to grab your showcase button.

Now it's your turn to share your photo with altered tones. Here are 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.
• One photo per photographer please. 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 or a link back here to your post
• Leave comments for at least 3 other participants, share the love :o)!
• Have fun!

<center> <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> </center>

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

This week I am sharing a photo I took on Sunday while on a ferry headed to Bremerton. Living in Washington State for most of my life I have been on many ferry rides and each time I have the same feeling. I feel like I am setting out on some grand adventure for places unknown and I am filled with a childlike wonder. The photo below was taken through the window of the ferry of the ship cranes at the Port of Seattle. Having taken countless field trips to Seattle as a teacher, I often refer to these as the "dinosaurs," a term I picked up from my students. I love the lines and the colors and the mechanical feel of them. For my edits I used a few different presets in Lightroom (after I had done a clean edit). With the first photo I used the HDR Effect - Medium preset that I still cannot find the source of (I hate when that happens as I like to give credit and a link to download it - if you know where it came from please let me know, thank you!). I like how it emphasized the colors and made everything pop. For the second I used the B&W Creative - Sepia Tone and the B&W Filter - Red High Contrast presets that are standard in Lightroom. I wanted a vintage feel, as if it were taken years ago of the same port. 

In both cases I did spot removal before the final edits. I removed a light reflection as this was taken through a window and a smooth part of the water that did not match the rest. If you are unfamiliar with the Spot Removal tool in Lightroom it is amazing! What I have learned is to try both the clone and heal functions to find which works best for that particular spot and to keep lines lined up to make it look as natural as possible. Removing distractions is a simple thing that can do so much for an image and the Spot Removal tool makes it easy to do (as long as your spot is not too big or in a complicated place - Photoshop is better in those cases). What do you think? Which do you like better? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200 50mm, ss1/800, f/5.6 (cloudy wb)

HDR Edit

Sepia Edit

"It is the childlike mind that finds the kingdom." - Charles Fillmore

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down!