Tiptoeing through the Tulips

Every spring a tulips come to the Pacific Northwest and fill the fields with color! There is something magic about spending an afternoon walking among them. 

Settings: ISO 100, 25mm, f/6.3, ss1/200sec

Taken on April 9th, 2015 at Tulip Town in Mount Vernon, WA

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." - J. B. Priestley

   

and Finding Beauty

Project 52: Week 18/52

I mentioned on Tuesday that I had an amazing photography experience on Saturday. Let me set the stage, on Friday at 8:00pm I saw on Facebook that the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival would be having balloons launching the next morning starting at 5:45am. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is located in Woodburn, Oregon and that is a 3 1/2 hour drive from my house. I had seen the same post last weekend, but I had other plans. With weather conditions being ever changing in the Pacific Northwest, the balloon pilots only give notice the night before. I said at the time I would go the next time around, not expecting it to be the very next weekend. 

Upon seeing the post, I went to bed immediately. I woke up at 1am and my wonderful mother and I left at 2am. I am so glad she came along as she drove down while I slept and I drove back while she did. We arrived after 3 1/2 hours right as the balloon pilots were pulling in and the sun was just coming up behind Mount Hood. It was quiet in the field, with only the sounds of the balloonists firing up the hot air and other photographers talking about how to get the shot. It was one of those experiences where you marvel at the fact that you get to be there as you take it all in. 

Below is a collection of images from the morning, including all 4 of the balloons that took off that day. I was cursing the fact that I did not have a wider angle lens because my best photo came from my iPhone. I used PicTapGo for editing. If you have an iPhone I highly recommend it! It is amazing!

Even so, I feel like I was able to capture some of the magic with my 50mm and 100mm. After shooting at the tulip field we tried to go see Mount Hood near some lakes, but the roads were closed for the winter. So, I climbed a trail up near some power lines where the road was closed and was able to get the last two shots of the mountain. There is something so elegant about Mount Hood and I just loved those clouds. It was such an amazing day even with the lens issues and struggles with light. The challenges just added to the experience!

I would love to know your thoughts and favorites! 

Settings: ISO 100, 100mm, ss0.4sec, f/16

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/5sec, f/22

Settings: ISO 100, 100mm, ss1/10sec, f/14

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/160, f/14

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/250, f/9.0

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/400, f/9.0

Settings: ISO 100, 100mm, ss1/400, f/9.0

Settings: ISO 100, 100mm, ss1/800, f/4.5

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/1000, f/4.0

Settings: ISO 400, 100mm, ss1/400, f/16

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/400, f/16

"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

          

Project 52 - Week 16/52

On Tuesday I mentioned that I spent this past weekend visiting the Woodburn, Oregon Tulip Festival. The flowers were beautiful, the weather cooperated and I am very happy with the photos I was able to capture. When I first arrived at the field I had no real intention on what I wanted to shoot, but I knew I wanted to use my macro lens as much as possible. As I started though, I realized that it was not as simple as pointing and shooting. I assumed that with so much beauty the shots would come easily to me. It became apparent that I had to be very careful in choosing my composition to convey more than just a vast field of flowers. The quote that follows the photos is not only a beautiful sentiment, but it also captures how I approached my shots. I either had to focus on the blend of tulips or on how they stood out from each other. I found it easier to focus on the details than the whole fields. There was no shortage of details to photograph and I am sure I could have taken many more photographs if I had more time. Not only was this shoot fun and beautiful, but it was also challenging for me and stretched my composition skills. In the end though, that makes these photos even more rewarding to me. 

I would love to know what skills you have been working on lately. How have you been stretched by what you have been shooting?

Settings: ISO 800, 100mm, ss1/500, f/4.5

Settings: ISO 800, 100mm, ss1/160, f/16

Settings: ISO 800, 100mm, ss1/80, f/16

Settings: ISO 800, 100mm, ss1/1250, f/5.6

"Every person is like a single tulip. While they may blend when together, each one is special in its own light." - Daniella Kessler