Reverse 365: Outside World is a Dream - Day 162/365 6.11.13

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/2000, f/2.8

Date: December 2nd, 2012

Location: Snoqualmie Pass

162/365 - June 11th, 2013

“Snowflakes swirl down gently in the deep blue haze beyond the window. The outside world is a dream.” - Vera Nazarian

Reverse 365: Winter's Kiss - Day 161/365 6.10.13

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/800, f/2.8

Date: December 2nd, 2012

Location: Snoqualmie Pass

161/365 - June 10th, 2013

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” - Lewis Carroll

Reverse 365: Catch Up

Report card time = falling behind on Reverse 365. 

Finishing report cards = rewarding myself with shooting and editing time.

Enjoy some photos from Fall and Winter of last year!

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/1600, f/14

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Astoria, Oregon at the Astoria Column

152/365 - June 1st, 2013

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/1000, f/14

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Off Highway 101 on the way back to Washington

153/365 - June 2nd, 2013

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/800, f/14

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on the way home from Oregon

154/365 - June 3rd, 2013

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/1600, f/14

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on the way home from Oregon

155/365 - June 4th, 2013

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/400, f/10

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on the way home from Oregon

156/365 - June 5th, 2013

Settings: ISO 1600, 50mm, ss1/500, f/10

Date: November 25th, 2012

Location: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on the way home from Oregon

157/365 - June 6th, 2013

Settings: ISO 1600, 50mm, ss1/160, f/6.3

Date: December 2nd, 2012

Location: My brother adding life to photos of our Christmas tree

158/365 - June 7th, 2013

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/8000, f/2.8

Date: December 2nd, 2012

Location: Snoqualmie Pass after the Christmas Tree Adventure

159/365 - June 8th, 2013

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/1250, f/2.8

Date: December 2nd, 2012

Location: Snoqualmie Pass after the Christmas Tree Adventure

160/365 - June 9th, 2013

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.” - Louisa May Alcott

Project 64: Iced Yellow 1.19.12

The color at Project 64 was yellow. Amidst the ice and snow of recent memory the yellow leaves of this plant stood out beckoning me to take a photo. 

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/125, f/2.8 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment." - Robert Collier

     

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!

    

Favorite Photo of the Week: Snowy Sunset Surprise 1.15.12

This post is going up three days late. It has been a week of beauty, stress and challenges. As I mentioned before my absence, we had a snow storm hit Washington State. At my house we got 5 inches of snow and then an ice storm hit. It knocked out power and then more snow fell on top of that. We were without power for about 60 hours, but lucky enough to have a generator to keep us warm. Prior to the snow storm, I had dreamed of snow as we hadn't had any this winter. But I never could have imagined that it would be as much as it was. I have not been to work since Friday, January 13th and will finally get to go back tomorrow January 24th. 3 of the schools in our district are still without power, which is an indication of just how bad this storm was.

My favorite picture from the past week was the shot I took before the worst of the snow hit. We had done some exploring and were driving back home. If you follow along you know I LOVE sunsets, but I was resigned to the fact that I would not be able to get a sunset shot due to the snow clouds. So when I glimpsed the sunset I had to pull over and shoot it. It was so unexpected and one of those shots that I didn't know I really wanted to capture until it presented itself. It felt like a dream. My goal was to capture the snow and the colors of the sunset. In processing, I removed some distractions and played with the basic settings.

I hope to get back on track now that the stress of has began to ebb. I hope you have been staying safe and warm!

Settings: ISO 400, 32mm, ss1/6, f/8.0 (full manual, tripod)

"I'm looking for the unexpected. I'm looking for things I've never seen before." - Robert Mapplethorpe

              

A Snow Perspective 1.16.12

We are now on our third snow day. I am grateful for the snow and the chance to see things from a different perspective. I have mentioned before that I find that snow changes things. Not only does it soften the landscape, but it also slows down the pace and allows you to see things in a way you may not have before. Without the snow I may not have been drawn to the moss clinging to the trees and the weathered bird house perched among the branches. The snow provided a contrast with the greens and amplified the details. I love the texture of the moss, the snow and the bird house. In processing I did a little work with white balance for the first time in a while. I found that snow makes it difficult to get the white balance right. I also worked with the basic settings to play up the details and the contrast. Any tips for getting snow white balance right? Do I need to get a gray card? Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/60, f/8.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/160, f/5.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful." - John Constable

Linking up with the link ups below! Take a moment to check out the other fabulous photos.

 

Tones on Tuesday #18 1.17.12

Happy Tuesday! It has been wonderful to see so many new faces linking up to Tones on Tuesday as well as so many returning participants. I love "getting to know" you through your beautiful photographs. I apologize for how long it took me to visit your photos from last week. I am woefully behind on visiting and commenting in general, but I am working on getting back on track :o). Now on with the showcases from last week...

Maboe

I love the softness of the tones and the way that the leaves look like they could be made out of metal. Thank you for sharing with us Maboe!

Marit from Norway

The contrast of the snow with the colorful sky is stunning. I like how the houses and trees frame the sky. Thank you for sharing Marit!

Lynette from Backwoods Photographer

The depth of field draws your eye to the acorns, the color is soft and the feeling is of a moment in time. Thank you for linking up Lynette!

Maboe, Marit and Lynette 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.

On a walk his morning before the world was awake, I had the chance to experience the snow. I tried to capture the way the world changes when it snows. I liked how these old mailboxes looked as though they could not have been opened in the near past. With the edit I wanted to keep the softness but add a bit of a vintage, timeless feel. In Lightroom I clicked on Black and White adjusted the blacks, recovery, contrast and clarity. Then I added a small black vignette. I wanted to keep it simple to play up the simplicity of the black and white. What do you think? Do you enjoy snow? Has it made an appearance where you live? I can't wait to see your photos this week! Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/125, f/4.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Edited with Lightroom

"No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place." - Zen Proverb

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

    

Snow Covered 1.15.12

Snow has come to the Pacific Northwest! Despite an incident yesterday, I had the chance to take a few pictures. What I love about snow is that it transforms the landscape. It makes the world softer and a peace descends that can make a simple walk feel like traveling to another world. The pictures below were taken off the side of a highway on the entrance to a forest road. My goal was to capture the details that the snow drew my attention to. They are all SOOC. The snow continues to fall here and we shall see what happens in regards to school tomorrow. I hope I get to enjoy the snow for a few more days.

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/1000, f/2.5 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/40, f/2.8 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/40, f/8.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old." - Lady Bird Johnson

Linking up with the link ups below! Be sure to check out the other photos. 

  

Snow Day 1.15.12

It has been one of those days that started out one way, changed trajectory in the middle and then changed again in the end. The morning began with the first snow fall of the winter season, filling me with excitement to enjoy the snow and take some photographs. After going out for a while, I came back in and against my better judgement walked on the kitchen floor in my slippers. The floor and slippers were wet and I am sure you can guess what happened next...I slipped and landed quite hard hitting my back and tailbone on the floor. I spent the afternoon icing it and taking Advil. I felt well enough to head out for a few pictures on a nearby highway that heads toward the mountains. I wasn't too excited about the photos and I was in pain. On the way home, however, there was a tiny break in the clouds and a beautiful sunset appeared (pictures to come this week :o). The day ended with me coming home, opening the day's photos and being presently surprised. 

The photos below were taken off of Highway 410 just before sunset. It was snowing and I had my rain sleeve on my camera (I LOVE that thing!). My goal was to capture the variety of textures coming through the snow and the peaceful setting. When I opened the photos in Lightroom they seemed a bit blue in terms of white balance, but that is exactly what the light was like in person. Therefore, I just bumped up the brightness and fill lights a tiny bit to compensate. I am off to do some more icing of my back. I hope to feel good enough tomorrow to take some snow photos around my neighborhood. I wish you a great beginning to your week. Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/125, f/8.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/50, f/8.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow." - Sara Coleridge

Linking up with the link ups below. Find some awe by looking at the photos linked up!