Reverse 365: Catch-Up

I have been MIA from the blog for a bit as I had to travel to Kentucky for my grandmother's funeral. I am still not feeling too creative, but I know that if I neglect my goals any further I may not achieve them by the end of the year. So on with the photos...

This first set of photos is from Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area in Eastern Washington. I love how the sunset started off soft and pastel and then turned a fiery reddish pink. 

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/500, f/8.0

Date: June 10th, 2012

Location: Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area near Quincy, WA

78/365 - March 19th, 2013

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/125, f/22

Date: June 10th, 2012

Location: Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area near Quincy, WA

79/365 - March 20th, 2013

 Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/640, f/7.1

Date: June 10th, 2012

Location: Quincy Wildlife Recreation Area near Quincy, WA

80/365 - March 21st, 2013

Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6

Date: June 10th, 2012

Location: Quincy, WA

81/365 - March 22nd, 2013

Next up is the Fourth of July, my favorite holiday. These two shots are before the fireworks began. I was scoping out my shooting location for the main event. 

 Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/60, f/22

Date: July 4th, 2012

Location: Columbia River East Mooring Basin Astoria, OR

82/365 - March 23rd, 2013

 Settings: ISO 100, 33mm, ss0.4secs, f/6.3

Date: July 4th, 2012

Location: Columbia River East Mooring Basin Astoria, OR

83/365 - March 24th, 2013

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie

Reverse 365: That's How Life Is - Day 71/365 3.12.13

Most of the time I would clone out a sun flare like the pink one on the right side of this photo. However, I love how it looks like it was created by a super sonic bird. One of those clicking the shutter at the right moment.

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/250, f/22

Date: May 26th, 2012

Location: Doeswallips State Park on Hood Canal

Day 71/365 - March 12th, 2013

“Of course, that’s how life is. A turn of events may seem very small at the time it’s happening, but you never really know, do you? How can you?”  ― Tom Xavier

Reverse 365: The Right Light - Day 52/365 2.21.13

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/320, f/22

Date: April 14th, 2012

Location: Lincoln City, OR - Siletz Bay

Day 52/365 - February 21st, 2013

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."  - Aaron Rose

Reverse 365: Grace - Day 44/365 2.13.13

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/100, f/7.1

Date: April 13th, 2012

Location: Birch Bay Park

Day 44/365 - February 13th, 2012

"When despair for the world grows in me, and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be -- I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought or grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free." - Wendell Berry

Reverse 365: Dark and Deep - Day 29/365 1.29.13

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/640, f/7.1

Date: March 24th, 2012

Location: Chuckanut Drive near Mount Vernon, WA

Day 29/365 - January 29th, 2013

"Can ye fathom the ocean, dark and deep, where the mighty waves and the grandeur sweep?" -  Fanny Crosby

Reverse 365: Natural Characteristic - 9/365 1.9.13

I feel extremely blessed to have such an amazing family who even on an outing for a birthday breakfast they support the indulgence of my photography passion. 

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/320, f/7.1

Date: March 3rd, 2012

Location: Alki looking across to Seattle, WA

9/365 - January 9th, 2013

"Just as the bird sings or the butterfly soars, because it is his natural characteristic, so the artist works." - Alma Gluck 

Favorite Photo of the Week: Cormorant on Alki 3.03.12

Photographs of birds 2 weeks in a row...more than a coincidence? I'm not sure yet :o). There is just something about the visual interest that they add to a shot. As I mentioned on Monday I wanted to capture the parallel lines and the contradiction between nature and man-made. This is one of those cases where I feel completely satisfied that I was able to accomplish what I set out to with a photograph. I would love to know what you think! Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/250, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

         

Cormorant on Alki 3.03.12

This weekend was my brother's birthday. My brother is younger than me and as he has grown up I find it strange to remember him when he was younger and see the person he is turning into. A kind, wise person who I look up to (both literally and figuratively) and who I could not be prouder of. Happy Birthday brother of mine!

In celebration of his birthday my mom, brother, his girlfriend and I headed to Salty's on Alki for their famous weekend brunch buffet. It was amazing! The carmel cinnamon rolls, the chocolate fountain, the mac and cheese and the eggs benedict were just some of the delicious food we got to sample. And all of it was enjoyed while looking out over the water at the Seattle Skyline on the other side. Following the meal we drove a little ways down from the restaurant and stopped to take pictures (one of the hazards my brother faces with a sister and a girlfriend who love photography). 

I even took a family photo using my tripod, which means I am actually in another photograph and I am willing to post it on my blog. Small steps toward those goals of mine :o).

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/320, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

It had actually turned into a pretty day with a bit of blue sky breaking up the overcast clouds. There were some cormorants resting on the pilings and bracing themselves against the wind. This meant their heads were tucked in, but every once and a while they would peek their heads out and the stunning yellow and orange of their beaks would show. That is what happened in this photo. My goal was to capture the cormorant with the Space Needle in the background. I loved the parallel lines and the juxtaposition of nature with the bird versus man-made with the structure. In processing I cropped to fill the frame with those two objects, added some saturation and vibrance and worked with the tone curve to make the colors pop a bit more. 

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/250, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces." - George Santayana

     

Tones on Tuesday #19 1.24.12

I am so glad the snow, ice and power outage did not keep me from getting Tones on Tuesday up! I know I say this every week, but I so enjoy seeing your work, learning from you and being inspired. Thank you for linking up! Now on with the showcases from last week (which seems so long ago due to the week I have had)...

Kristy from LifenReflection

Kristy is one of those photographers who has a distinct style. I love the collages that tell a beautiful story and the softness and texture of her photos. Another stunning job Kristy, and just what I needed after the crazy winter weather!

Melissa at Serendipity is Sweet

I love the power of black and white to freeze time in a way that color photos cannot. This photo is a lovely example of that. Not only is the subject adorable, but the combination of tones and contemplative expression makes this one of those photos that tells a story. Thank you for sharing and linking up Melissa!

Nancy at A Rural Journal

What a beautifully simple photo! And yet it is so dramatic with the tones and the texture. Great job Nancy!

Kristy, Melissa and Nancy please go HERE to grab your showcase button. 

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!

<center> <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> </center>

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

One of the positive byproducts of the snow week was having the opportunity to spend time taking pictures around my house. One Wednesday, day 4 of snow and day 2 of snow days, there was a group of at least 30 robins who were flying among the trees in the back yard presumably trying to stay warm. My goal was to capture the robins, the snow on the trees and the snow falling. I must say that wildlife photography is difficult, yet rewarding. What I learned from shooting the robins is try to set your setting as quickly as possible and be patient. It took a while for the robins to become comfortable with my presence and the zoom lens sure helped :o). The first shot is SOOC and the second is a black and white conversion in Lightroom with the basic settings adjusted. 

If you love snow and ice shots be sure to come back this week as that is all I from the past week. I am glad to be decompressing and thawing out! I would love to know what you think and if you prefer the color or black and white. 

Settings: ISO 400, 250mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Converted to black and white in Lightroom

"Birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler state of being which we may strive to attain." - Doug Coupland

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

    

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!