Good to Wow SOOC: Winter Moments 11.20.11

The prompt this week for the Good to Wow challenge is gratefulness. I am of course grateful for my family and the good things in my life. For this challenge, though, I wanted to focus on what I am grateful for when it comes to photography. I am grateful for the journey I have been on since August. I am grateful that I stopped worrying about not being good enough and just tried to figure out this DSLR camera thing. I am grateful for all the talented photographers I have had the chance to learn from. I am grateful for all of the comments and critiques that have helped me to grow as a photographer. I am grateful to have a family who supports my passion, accompanies me on photography adventures and encourages me. I am grateful for the moments I have captured and the moments I have yet to capture. I am grateful that photography brings me joy and peace.

I am grateful for the coming of winter and the new challenges and opportunities it will bring to my photography. These SOOC shots are another step in the journey and I am grateful I had the chance and means to capture them on a journey across the mountains to Eastern Washington.

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/80, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 100, 29mm, ss1/250, f/10 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/250, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life." - Joel Osteen

Linking up with Good to Wow! Head over and check out the other SOOC shots.

Shades of Autumn: White 11.20.11

Throughout the Shades of Autumn Challenge, my goal has been to really capture what autumn means to me...the changes in the trees and leaves and the vibrant colors that make the landscape in the Evergreen State look different for a while. I feel like I have been successful and have experienced autumn in such a deeper way this year. When it came to this week's color - white - I decided to keep with my interpretation of the challenge and capture white in a way they represented the transition from autumn to winter. And what better way to do that than with snow! While we don't have snow where I live, just across the mountains in Eastern Washington snow has arrived. My mom, who loves snow, accompanied me. We went to Ellensburg where I went to college and recalled fond memories while finding the snow. It was a great day trip and I was able to take some photos that showcase winter white. For processing I did minor editing of basic settings in Lightroom and the products are below. Which one is your favorite? Thank you for visiting!

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/50, f/10 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/125, f/6.3 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/50, f/9.0 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 53mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 53mm, ss1/250, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" - J.B. Priestley

Linking up with the Shades of Autumn Challenge. Check out the other white photos!

Project 64: Orange 11.20.11

The color this week for Project 64 is orange and I was a little worried about finding it with the colors of fall quickly disappearing. However, on a trip over the mountains to Eastern Washington I found some wonderful examples of orange. The color is so vibrant and striking and my goal was to capture that in its different forms. The first photo was taken in snowy Ellensburg where I went to college. It was fun to go back for a visit and enjoy some of the snow. The other two photos were taken at Wanapum State Park on the Columbia River in Vantage. The last photo of the tree bark is my favorite as I have never seen tree bark that color. I left it SOOC because it was exactly what I saw in person.

Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/250, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/60, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

“Orange is the happiest color.” - Frank Sinatra


Linking up with Project 64 to see the other orange finds and Sunday Snapshot to see the shots people want to remember!

 

I am also including my Purple Mountain Majesty color find from last week as last week I was not able to post it. It is a picture of a flower from my front porch that is still hanging on despite the cold weather. 

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/13, f/5.6 (full manul, cloudy wb, on tripod)

Leaves in the Rain 11.12.11

Vibrant red leaves, backlighting and a drop of water...is there anything more to say? 

Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/40, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams." - Ashley Smith

Linking up with the sites below, be sure to check them out!

  

Favorite Photo of the Week: Water Droplet on a Backyard Leaf 11.12.11

The past two weeks have been very difficult and due to some events my posting rhythm and schedule got all out of whack. I also have not been as diligent responding to your kind comments and visiting other blogs. Luckily the weekend has arrived and I can get back on track and ready for what I have to believe will be a better week. To take a step in that direction I picked my favorite photo of the week because it is simple, represents an accomplishment in my photography journey and captures a moment and mood. For more information on this photo go here. Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/50, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope." - Corazon Aquino

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

     

Water Droplet on a Backyard Leaf 11.12.11

Last night I watched Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind on Oprah Winfrey's Network. They were profiling famous photographer Annie Leibovitz. I am the type of person who loves behind the scenes things. If a DVD has a behind the scene special in the bonus features I HAVE to watch it. Needless to say, I loved getting to see the behind the scenes process that Annie Leibovitz goes through to capture the shots she does. What intrigued me most was her new book "Pilgrimage," which involves her traveling to different places both natural and historical and photographing what she sees. My ultimate dream would be to do the same thing. I feel I am doing a modified version of it by going to places near where I live that I want to capture with photographs, but one day I hope to expand and discover the world with my camera in tow :o).

While my photo for today is not of any amazing new place, it is something I have wanted to photograph for a while - a droplet of water. While I do not have a macro lens, filter or extension tube just yet I decided to give it a try anyways. I am very pleased with the results. I love the detail on the droplet and the lines of the leaves. For processing, I used a Lightroom preset called "Clear Yellow/Purple Split Tone Mild Vintage." I need to do a better job of keeping track of where my presets came from as I can't recall for this one. I love how it gave the colors a bit of pop and the overall picture increased dimension. I would love to know what you think and what has inspired you this week.

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/50, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” - Bo Bennett

Linking up with Wild and Wonderful Wednesday. Wonderful moment in wild weather. Take a moment to check out the other shots!

Tones on Tuesday #9 11.15.11

I am very behind in my posting this week. I am going to try and do some catch up soon, but I wanted to be sure to get Tones on Tuesday up for those who want to link up. I remain inspired and awed by your photos and am so happy to get the opportunity to see and learn from you. Here are my 3 showcases this week, followed by my own picture and the link up. I can't wait to see your alterations :o)!

Nadege at Moments in Time

I really like what the black and white does for the mood of this photo. Nadege titled this post "Come, Sit, Relax." That is exactly what this photo makes me want to do :o). Thank you for linking up Nadege!

Gillian from Building Bumps

I love the complete innocent of this moment captured. The soft tones and the natural frame of the crib are just lovely. Thank you for linking up Gillian. 

Jeanne from Butterfly Tales

Each week Jeanne manages to produce a work of art with the way she edits the tones in her photo. I love the vintage feel of this barn, you can just imagine that it has been standing for years and will be for years to come. Thank you for sharing Jeanne!

Be sure to grab your this 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, 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!

<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.

My photo for this week is a simple black and white conversion of a foggy scene I took on a visit to Tolt McDonald Park in the rain with my brother's girlfriend who has become a good friend of mine and a great photography buddy. I took this photo with my telephoto and my goal was to capture the fog while staying under an awning in order to prevent my camera from getting soaked. For the black and white I followed a simple video tutorial that Courtney from Click it Up a Notch created for use with Lightroom. Easy to follow, yet allows for me to put my own stamp on each photo.

SOOC Shot
Settings: ISO 400, 250mm, ss1/320, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Edited Shot

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots!

   

Shades of Autumn: Brown 11.12.11

Initially I felt uninspired by the color brown for the Shades of Autumn Challenge. However, when I headed out to some nearby parks I found the beauty in the different shades of brown and the contrast with the other autumn colors. Despite the rain and wind I found some lovely examples of brown and was impressed by how many hues of brown there were. I am sharing a few of my favorite shots. They are SOOC as I felt they captured the essence of the rainy day, which complimented the brown tones. The first 3 were taken at Soaring Eagle Park, which is full of trails frequented by mountain bikers and the last one is taken on dry riverbed in Tolt MacDonald Park.

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/60, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/125, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

Settings: ISO 800, 55mm, ss1/100, f/5.6 (full manual, cloudy wb)

One take on the meaning of the color brown - "Brown says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the color of our earth and is associated with all things natural or organic." 


Linking up with the Shades of Autumn Challenge. Check out the other brown photos!

Favorite Photo of the Week: Fox in the Road 11.06.11

If you are fan of my Facebook page you have seen this photo earlier in the week. Last weekend while at Mount Rainier National Park we were driving back down the mountain when we came around a bend in the road and found this fox sitting there. Another car was pulled over getting a picture and the fox just sat there looking right at the driver. I knew I had to have a picture as well, but was not hopeful of getting the shot. Wildlife are not the most cooperative of subjects. I took out my camera and grabbed a shot, but it was with the wrong settings. I thought that was going to be it. However, the fox turned away from the other car sat down and stared at me with what felt like an expectation that I take a picture. So I did. After a couple of shots with better settings I drove off not wanting to block the road any more, but I am pretty certain the fox was a little disappointed that the photo shoot was over :o).

Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/160, f/5.6 (full manual)

"Every animal knows more than you do." - Native American Proverb


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