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!

 

Favorite Photo of the Week: Factoria Sunset & Gasworks Park

Late posting today as I had a book club meeting. After photography and travel, my next favorite activity is reading and talk about books. Needless to say I had a wonderful time. As for the photos, I had two and I just could not decide between the two. So I decided not too. I hope you don't mind :o).

Favorite #1 - Gasworks Park 10.08.11

The starbursts and framing are what I love the most and that I was able to get a night shot even with a lot of wind.

Settings: ISO 800, 24 mm, ss13.0secs, f/23 (full manual on tripod)

Post Processing: Cropped and added orange and brown photo filters

"No matter the sky is black or blue,
No matter there is stars or moon,
As long as Your heart is true,
Sweet dreams will always be with You." - Unknown

Linking up with Fabulous Friday and Favorite Photo Friday. Be sure to check out the other photos!

   

Favorite #2 - Factoria Sunset 10.15.11

I still can't believe that this sky is SOOC, I am really proud of that. 

Settings: ISO 800, 109mm, ss1/100, f/7.1 (full manual)

Post Processing: Spot removal and noise reduction

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.  When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence." - Ansel Adams

Linking up with Favorite Photo of the Week and Photo Friday Link Party. There are many great shots to check out by clicking below.

 

I Learned: Factoria Sunset 10.15.11

This week I learned that sometimes the most beautiful moments happen in the most unexpected places. On Saturday while driving around trying to find a place to photograph the sunset from, we pulled into a driveway to turn around. The driveway was to the Tmobile Complex in Factoria and it just seemed like there might be a spot to view the rapidly changing sky. After a few twists and turns and almost turning back, we reached the top building in the complex and were rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen that was not at the beach or on the water. I did nothing to the sky in post processing and it is almost an exact match to what I saw. I did remove a few spots in the tree line with spot removal in Lightroom and do some noise removal. Then I used the healing brush in Photoshop for some spots on the buildings. Who would of thought that these colors and view (I think of Seattle) could be found at a corporate complex in the middle of the city? I wonder what other unexpected places I can find next :o)?

Settings: ISO 800, 109mm, ss1/100, f/7.1 (full manual)

"If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail." - Heraclitus


Linking up with the fabulous linkups below. Be sure to check out the other photos, you never know what unexpected inspiration you might find!



  

Tones on Tuesday #5 10.18.11

Welcome back to Tones on Tuesday! I have to mention how wonderful it was to see so many new faces linking up last week. Wonderful and yet it made picking a few to showcase so much tougher! I wouldn't have it any other way though :o).

Here my three showcases from last week. I have made a button for those who have been showcased so be sure to grab it!

Jeanne from Butterfly Tales

What I love about this picture is that it is not a simple black and white, it has a bit of color. I love how the texture and the tones work together to convey a vintage mood. Thank you for linking up Jeanne!

Ashley Sisk from Ramblings and Photos

Ashley has been sharing some amazing history from her Europe trip. These photos are from the Catacombs in Paris and the tones communicate a moody vibe that works so well with these images. I also love the soft feel of all of her black and white photos. Thank you for linking up Ashley!

Rachel from Crinkle Photography

The perspective of this shot is so interesting and I think the black and white seems to freeze this moment in time. Thank you for linking up Rachel!

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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nb2adXWvuDU/Tp0bdkcJBlI/AAAAAAAAAM8/34ueiklmgZc/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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oheKkR_BFoQ/ToqWTprynwI/AAAAAAAAAJE/eQ5mj0lgqx4/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.

For my photo this week I wanted to try something I had in mind when I envisioned this link up and that is coloring the tones of a photo. In this case I used two photo filters in Photoshop - one brown and one orange to get the effect I wanted. As I was editing I was having trouble getting the result I wanted, until I realized I wasn't sure what I wanted. This leads me to my photo tip for Photo Tip Tuesday. My tip is to have an intention, an intention for capturing the photo with your camera and an intention for editing. This is not always necessary and "accidents" or the unplanned can be beautiful. However, I find that when I have an intention for what I want to communicate I am able to focus and bring about the best possible shot. 

For this photo, my intention when shooting was to capture the Seattle Skyline framed through the structures at Gasworks Park and to capture the starbursts of light. Therefore I used a high aperture number to get the starbursts and set up my tripod to get some of the structure on each side. In editing, my intention was to remove some of the gray in the photo and replace it with warmer tones to showcase the light. Thus the orange and brown photo filters. I would love to know your thoughts and if you find having an intention helps or hinders you. Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC - except for the removal of a streak from a plane due to slow shutter speed

Settings: ISO 800, 24 mm, ss13.0secs, f/23 (full manual on tripod)

Edited in Photoshop with Orange and Brown Photo Filters

"It is one of life's bitterest truths that bedtime so often arrives just when things are really getting interesting." - Lemony Snicket

Linking up with Jaymi's Photo Tip Tuesday. I learned so much last week and I can't wait to learn more! Also linking up with Capturing Beauty and The Creative Exchange. Be sure to check out the other beautiful shots. 

  

Good to Wow Edit: Foggy Morning 10.08.11

Today was one of those long, exhausting days. It wasn't a bad day, actually the opposite during the teaching portion. I just had a TON of stuff to get done tonight before I left that required a lot of mental and physical energy. When I came home to do my edits my brain was fried and I kept trying different things, using different presets and actions, but nothing worked. In an effort to focus I thought about what was missing from the photos compared to how I saw the scene. I really liked the SOOC shots, but I thought they lacked a bit of the magic of the moments I was trying to capture. Looking through my Photoshop actions I saw Pioneer Woman's Lovely and Ethereal Action and I gave it a try. The ethereal quality was just what they needed. I did some minor healing brush work on the first one to remove some distracting light flares.

I would love to know what you think about the edits. Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC Shot

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

EDIT

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

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/100, f/13 (full manual)

EDIT

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

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." - George Burns

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

I Learned: Faces of the Clickin Walk 10.08.11

As I mentioned in my posts for the past few days, on Saturday during the Clickin Walk I spent a fabulous day walking around the Freemont area learning from some amazing photographers. It was a bit of a challenge for me as I don't really take photos of people other than the occasional family shot or self portrait for Facebook. I didn't really know where to start, but after watching the other photographers and getting some tips from Melissa I took a few photos of the fantastic models who came along with us. I learned that photographing people can be fun and challenging myself can be rewarding.

I was drawn to photographing the children who came along as I really felt like I could capture their personalities and because I had such a fun time talking to them. As I was taking the pictures I really didn't have time to think about all the things I think about when I take a landscape or nature shot because these little people move quickly and a lot! So when I opened the photos up when I got home I noticed all the things that could have been better. I know I have a long way to go and I know I will most likely focus mainly on landscapes and nature, but I do think learning about people photography can only make me a better photographer overall. And that is what my journey is about!

I would love feedback on these images and any tips and tricks for shooting people. I would love to learn more!

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual)
Edited with Lightroom - adjustment to white balance, minor adjustment to basic settings

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/1000, f/5.6 (full manual)

Edited with Lightroom and Photoshop - minor adjustment to basic settings and healing brush

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/200, f/5.6 (full manual)

Edited with Lightroom - adjustment to white balance, minor adjustment to basic settings

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.  There are seven million." - Walt Streightiff

Linking up with Click it Up a Notch for I Learned and What's Up Wednesday. Be sure to check out what others have learned this week and the other photography blogs!


 

Project 64: Brick Red Trough 10.08.11

The color of the week for Project 64 was brick red, which turned out to be a bit more pink that I imagined. It was a little difficult to find. I am not sure I found the perfect match, but while on the Clickin Mom's Clickin Walk yesterday I found this trough near the Freemont Library. My goal was to capture the red tones, but also the contrast between the foliage and the trough (not sure if that is what it is called, but oh well :o). In post processing I adjusted the basic setting in Lightroom and then ran Pioneer Woman's Lovely and Ethereal Action in Photoshop.

What do you think? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual)

"Charm is a product of the unexpected." - Jose Marti

Linking up with Project 64 and Sunday Snapshot. Check out where others spied Periwinkle and the moments others want to remember this Sunday!

 

Clickin Walk: Freemont Peace Sign 10.08.11

Today was the day of the Clickin Mom's Clickin Walk in the Freemont neighborhood of Seattle. It was a fabulous day of photography, learning and meeting others who share the same passion. I was out of my comfort zone as much of the time was focused on portrait photography, but with a little help I was able to even get some shots of the fabulous models that I will share later in the week. Along the way I also was able to take the scenic shots that I love. The first shot I took was of a sign hanging above a storefront. I loved how it was hidden among the leaves and how the leaves contrasted with the yellow wall.

In post processing I wanted to warm it up a bit and somehow remove the awning that was in the left side of the frame. I also wanted to make the sunlight pop more. The warming up and sunlight pop were achieved by altering the basic settings in Lightroom and then using Pioneer Woman's Sunshine action in Photoshop. The awning removal however was a bit tougher. Luckily some of the other Clickin Walk participants were talking about Content Aware feature in Photoshop. I found a tutorial and after two fills and a tiny bit of work with the healing brush. I am proud of the results and amazed by the power of the Content Aware Fill. Thank you Clickin Ladies :o)!

SOOC

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/50, f/5.6 (full manual)

EDIT

Edited with Lightroom and Photoshop

"Nobody can bring you peace but yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson 


Linking up with SOOC Saturday and the edit with Better than the Best. Check out the other photos!

Favorite Photo of the Week: Clark Lake Sunset 09.30.11

This is the first week where my favorite photo of the week is one that I did not post during the week, but it is from the same shoot as the others I posted. I had a ton of pictures from my Clark Lake Park photo shoot and this one has been sitting waiting to be editing. I had a hard time editing it as there was something off. At first I thought it was the amount of black on the lower left corner, but when I removed it the natural frame was lost. After staring at the photo for a while and taking a break and coming back I realized that the line of the far shore of the lake was not straight. I found a quick tutorial about straightening a photo with Photoshop and applied what I had learned. It did exactly what I wanted it to and was so simple! Thank you Adobe TV!

My goal with this photo was to use the natural frame of the trees and the shore and to capture the beautiful colors of the sunset sky. If you follow along you know I have an addiction to sunsets :o). The color, the light and the mood are just so powerful. I have been learning more and more about capturing sunsets in manual mode and have found it to be more complex than I ever understood. At the same time, it is truly capturing a moment in time that can never be repeated in the same way again. I always feel a great sense of accomplishment when I get the shot I am after. This photo was exactly the shot I was after, with some editing help from Lightroom and Photoshop of course :o). 

Thank you for stopping by, I would love to know what you think!

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/100, f/14 (full manual)

"A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety." - Ansel Adams


Linking up with these fabulous Friday link ups! Please spend a moment or two visiting the amazing photos of those who also participate!

    

Tones on Tuesday #2 09.27.11

Welcome to the second ever Tones on Tuesday! With the difficulty I had last week in getting everything all set up, I am writing this post on Monday night and scheduling it to post tomorrow. I love that I can do that :o). Last week there was one entry, which made me a little sad. Then I realized that one beautiful entry is better than no entry and it can only go up from here!

Here is the entry from last week from Charlotte at Butterbean Row:

I love the brown tones, the detail and the drop of water. Very nicely done Charlotte and thank you for being the first Tones on Tuesday participant :o)!

Now for Tones on Tuesday how to's:

• The basic idea is to share one photo where you have altered the tones. For now, 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 our button to your post
• Leave comments for the other participants, share the love :o)!
• I will pick a few photos that catch my eye to share on next week's post.
• Have fun!

Button tweak is in the work, so one more week of this one:

<br /> <a href="http://scatteredhorizons.blogspot.com" target="_self"><img border="0" alt="Scattered Horizons" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mTsNEWswOuU/TnlZez79MlI/AAAAAAAAAHc/H4YgGS5ikkI/s1600/tonesontuesday.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.

Here is my photo:

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/160, f/6.3

Edited with Adobe Photoshop using Pioneer Woman's Vintage and Sunshine Actions

"First I shake the whole Apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf." - Martin Luther

Linking up with Sweet Shot Tuesday. Check out the other sweet shots!