Good to Wow Edit: Lighting Up the Holiday 12.13.11

I go back and forth between enjoying this time of year and feeling the stress of it. I love the lights, the music and the joy. On the other hand, though, there is so much to do and so little time. I stress about the deadlines and the responsibilities. I am trying to remember that it always gets done every other year and I know it will this year too. I just have to concentrate on what I love about the holidays and take the time to enjoy it. Thank goodness for photography challenges and blogs! They continue to stretch me as a photographer and because so many of the prompts and themes are holiday related I don't need to look far to remember what it is that makes Christmas time so special. So, thank you to everyone who is helping me to keep my Christmas spirit! I am grateful for you :o).

Now for my edits for the Good to Wow Challenge - Bokeh Lights. I loved my SOOC shot so I stuck with a clean edit in Lightroom as I didn't want to stray too far. However, I was playing around with the Vibrancy and really liked the look of putting it all the way down...almost black and white with a hint of blue. So you get to see both, lucky huh :o)? What do you think? Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 800, 44mm, ss1/10, f/5.0 (full manual, tripod, tungsten wb)

Edits

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the stunning Bokeh Light photo edits!

Good to Wow SOOC: Lighting Up the Holiday 12.13.11

On almost every photo blog I frequent there is at least one picture of Christmas light bokeh. I have been so inspired by the beautiful shapes and lights created and I had to try it. The Good to Wow prompt this week is "Bokeh Lights," which gave me a great excuse to make my first attempt at intentional bokeh. I found the tutorial Jill posted to be extremely helpful. I had to work with the lens I had though, which meant that I couldn't open my aperture up as wide as I should have. Despite this fact and some frustration in setting up the shot, I am extremely pleased with the results. I set a table up in front the tree, put a mirrored plate down for some nice reflection and then placed a lit candle on top in blue to match the tree light colors. It is SOOC, except that I straightened it a tad bit as my tripod and I had some difficulty working together.

Settings: ISO 800, 44mm, ss1/10, f/5.0 (full manual, tripod, tungsten wb)

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

    

I also played around photographing the outside lights with a tutorial that Courtney at Click it Up a Notch posted about how to get beams of Christmas lights. It is so fun! You should give it a try :o). I will be trying out some more bokeh and light related shots in the coming days. I enjoyed learning and trying out new techniques and appreciating the lights of the holiday in a different way!

Settings: ISO 100, 96mm, ss4.0 sec, f/5.0 (full manual, tripod, tungsten wb)

"Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man." - Wilfred A. Peterson

   

Tones on Tuesday #13 12.13.11

If you are like me, holiday tasks and traditions are beginning to or have already taken over :o). I hope you will still link up with Tones on Tuesday and continue to blow me away with your amazing photos. Maybe this can be another part of your holiday this year :o). Now, on with the showcases from last week...

Rohit at My Third Eye

The purple hue adds a vintage type feel in a new and interesting way. I love the lighting and the almost frozen in time feel brought out by the tones. Thank you for sharing Rohit!

Yvonne at Half Past Wonderful

Bokeh fascinates me and I love how Yvonne made her own star bokeh, amazing! I also love how the soft tones compliment the light. Thank you for linking up Yvonne!

Lisa at Advent's and Other Fine(nell) Adventures

There is something about this photo that seems to capture the essence of the holiday season and that sense of anticipation. I love how the tones and the slight blur add to the overall effect. Thank you for sharing Lisa!

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.

This weekend I got a tree, made a Christmas list, decorated and did some work so I wasn't able to do much shooting. I plan to take some bokeh shots tonight, but until then I leave you with a photo I took a few weeks ago in Eastern Washington where there was plenty of snow. There is something about snow that puts me in the holiday mindset even though there is never a guarantee that snow will be around in the Pacific Northwest during the holiday season. I went with a black and white edit to give a softer, nostalgic feel. I really like the result, what do you think?

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/60, f/9.0 (full manual)

"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood." - Andy Goldsworthy

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

  

Sun on the Water 12.04.11

My holiday decorating begins today so I will make this short and sweet. Here is an SOOC shot of the sun hitting the water I took while on the ferry to Orcas Island last weekend. I love ferry rides. Something about gliding through the water, seeing the scenery leaves me feeling blessed to live where I live and get to experience the things I experience. I hope you have a great Saturday that leaves you feeling grateful :o).

Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/500, f/18 (full manual, sunlight wb)

"Every day it seems like something happens to assure me I'm in the right place, and that doing anything else would be wrong. I feel so incredibly blessed." - Lucas Grabeel

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

  

Favorite Photo of the Week: Sunset from Mount Constitution 12.04.11

I am so glad it is Friday! I am looking forward to a weekend of Christmas decorating and trying my hand at holiday bokeh :o). Before beginning the weekend, I reflect back on the my less than full week of photos and pick a favorite. I have two. The first one I posted on Sunday for the Project 64 Challenge: Black. It was taken on Orcas Island on the way down from Mount Constitution. The second I didn't get a chance to post, but it was taken about 5 minutes later of the same sunset. In both cases I did minor work to the saturation, vibrance, blacks and contrast in post processing just to refine the colors and the silhouettes. Is there anything more stunning? I just cannot get enough of sunsets and silhouettes :o)!


Settings: ISO 200, 39mm, ss1/100, f/9.0 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Settings: ISO 200, 39mm, ss1/30, f/6.3 (full manual, sunlight wb)

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

     

Good to Wow Edit: The Holidays Begin in Anacortes 12.04.11

I am still not back on track with my posting being that I missed yesterday :o(. Slowly but surely I am making my way back to my previous success with a post a day. On a more positive not however, I am feeling more and more in the holiday spirit and I think that is due in large part to seeing all the amazing holiday photos. I am inspired not only to take my own holiday pictures, but also to embrace the holiday spirit. You see, I am usually slow to fully commit to Christmas when I am still working. Once Winter Break starts at school and that stress is removed, I feel like I can turn my attention to Christmas. This year is different and I am enjoying feeling like I can do both. Thank you to all of you for inspiring me :o)!

Now for my photo edits this week I wanted to go with a vintage feel for the first one and to emphasize the stained glass colors in the second one. For my holiday lights photo I lighten the photo and put the vibrance all the way down so the red popped. Then I worked with the contrast, saturation and brightness and followed this with a creamed colored graduated filter using Cedar's guest tutorial this week. For the church stained glass windows, I cropped and upped the blacks all the way. I then played with the saturation and vibrance to add some depth to the colors in the window. Very different intents and products for my edits, but I really like both of them. What do you think?

Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 200, 30mm, ss2.0sec, f/14 (full manual, tripod, tungsten wb)

Edited in Lightroom

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 200, 32mm, ss1.3sec, f/6.3 (full manual, tripod)

Edited in Lightroom

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." - Agnes M. Pharo

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the inspiring Thanksgiving photo edits!

Tones on Tuesday #12 12.06.11

Another Tuesday...you know what that means, right? :o) It is Tones on Tuesday time! I hope you are as excited as I am to see what everyone has in store this week. First we begin with the showcases from last week's link up...

Jennifer at Fotoplicity

Such a great expression captured! Like she knows something wonderful and she just might let us in on it :o). The black and white tones make her eyes and the detail on the door pop in such a lovely way. Thank you for sharing Jennifer!

Aurora at Aurora 365

I like how the tones give the vintage sign a vintage feel. Thank you for sharing your shot Aurora!

Life-n-Reflection

This collection of images is beautiful and the softness of the tones compliments and enhances the details. Thank you for sharing with us!

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.

For my photo this week I decided to try something a little different using some photos from my trip to Mount Constitution on Orcas Island. I went with a similar composition in 3 photos that had different tones due to the changing light of a sunset. I did alter the tones of each photo by altering the basic settings in Lightroom, but the real alteration to the tones was from the color and light that slowly changed as the sun fell below the horizon. I made a collage using Lightroom as well. I clicked on the "Print" menu and used the Lightroom template called "Custom Overlap x3 Landscape." I did not like the how the overlap looked so I changed the file dimensions, moved the boxes and added the pictures I had edited first. I added a small border by clicking "Inner Stroke" and clicked on "Print to File" to save it. I imported the new file, added my logo and exported using the settings for my blog. I like the effect of seeing the different lighting hitting Mount Baker side by side. What do you think?

(click to enlarge picture)

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” - Aaron Siskind

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

  

Good to Wow SOOC: The Holidays Begin in Anacortes 12.04.11

As I mentioned yesterday, I had a great day of shooting on Orcas Island! To get there we had to take a ferry from a town called Anacortes. On the way back home the holiday lights were shining and I was excited to have something to photograph for this week's prompt at the Good to Wow Challenge. The prompt is Holiday - Christmas and believe it or not I have not decorated the house yet. My family tends to wait for a time when we can all be together to do it (one of our traditions), which often comes later in the month of December than I would like. So right now for me the holidays are about watching the lights go up around town and enjoying them that way :o). Below are my two SOOC shots, one of a store front of a cute little shop called "A Little Bit of Everything" and the other of beautiful stained glass in a church window. For the store front I went with a high aperture number to get some starbursts on the lights and for the church shot a slow shutter speed to showcase the softness of the stained glass. I love that these two shots represent different facets of the holiday and seem to call out Merry Christmas!

Settings: ISO 200, 30mm, ss2.0sec, f/14 (full manual, tripod, tungsten wb)

Settings: ISO 200, 32mm, ss1.3sec, f/6.3 (full manual, tripod)

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." - Author Unknown

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

Project 64: Black 12.04.11

For most the weekend I felt tired and under the weather. Somehow I managed to feel good enough to head out today to take pictures. My mom, dog niece and I headed to Orcas Island to enjoy the beautiful, but cold day. After a ferry ride and a relaxing drive around the island we made it to Mount Constitution. At the top of the mountain are the most stunning views, which I plan to share later on in the week. The sun was setting and our fingers were freezing so we headed back down. On the way we rounded a bend and were greeted with an exquisite sunset. Luckily there was a place to pull over and of course we did. I just can't put into words what seeing this kind of thing does for my soul. I wanted to capture the stunning color and the clouds and water down below. In processing I did a tiny bit of work straightening and tweaking the basic settings to make it most closely match what I saw in person. And just my luck, the silhouette I captured has this week's color for Project 64 - black. Another silhouette shot to add to my growing collection!

What do you think? Is there a place or a sight the touches your soul? Have a great week!

Settings: ISO 200, 39mm, ss1/100, f/9.0 (full manual, sunlight wb)

"Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears." - Edgar Allan Poe

Linking up with Project 64 to see the other black!

Good to Wow Edit: Thanksgiving Morning 11.24.11

For my edit of my Thanksgiving sunrise photo, I went with a basic settings edit. I love the softness of trees in the SOOC shot, but I felt like it was competing with the colors of the sky and that was what I truly wanted to capture when I snapped. Therefore, my goal with the processing was to make the sky color a bit more vibrant allowing it to pop more. I upped the blacks, contrast, exposure and recovery and another beautiful silhouette was born! I think I may have an obsession with silhouettes. Yesterday I posted two similar pictures taken months apart, I thought I would do the same thing in this case. Then you can judge, is my obsession getting out of hand?


Thanks for stopping by!

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/160, f/8.0 (full manual)

Edited with Lightroom

"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?" - E.M. Forster

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the inspiring Thanksgiving photo edits!

Some silhouette shots from the past...

  

 

 

 

Wow, I think it may be official! I have a silhouette problem. I guess there are worse obsessions to have :o).