Monday, December 3, 2012

Tones on Tuesday #56 12.4.12


It was impossible to pick just 3 photos from last week. What amazing photography and amazingly talented photographers you are! I am awed by your images and grateful that you choose to share them here at Tones on Tuesday. Thank you! So, I decided to pick 5 photos. I hope you don't mind :o). 

The softness of the black and white works so well with the thoughtful expression captured. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photo with us Sarah!

Shiju at Cranium Bolts
What amazing color and clarity! I love the shape of the water droplets. Stunning photo Shiju, thank you for sharing it here!

Tamar at Random-osity
The juxtaposition of the constructed building and the natural plants is lovely and played up by the beautiful life. Thank you for linking up with your wonderful photo Tamar!

Love the black and white of this adorable little guy! The catchlights in his eyes are exquisite and I love the lights in the tree in the background. Thank you for sharing your stunning photo with us Jaymi!

The way the light shines through the bee is just beautiful! What a stunning capture LeiShell, thank you for sharing it here!

Sarah, Shiju, Tamar, Jaymi and LeiShell please go HERE to grab your showcase button.

Now it's your turn to share your photo with altered tones. Here are 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.
  • One photo per photographer please. If you have more than one photo in your post please indicate which one is for Tones on Tuesday. If you link up more than once only the first photo will be considered for showcasing.
  • Please link up with your permalink and not your blog address.
  • Attach the Tones on Tuesday button or a link back here to your post.
  • Leave comments for at least 3 other participants, share the love :o)!
  • Have fun!
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 my family and I went to our favorite tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree. Afterward my mom and I headed up to Snoqualmie Pass to spend some time in the snow. I was able to use the macro lens a bit more thanks to my rain cover, the best Christmas gift ever! Here are two shots I was able to capture. I am a bit disappointed in the second one as my focal point was a bit off. However, I love the composition of it and am still getting the hang of focusing with a lens that is macro and does not have image stabilization. 

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/400, f/2.8

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/320, f/2.8
"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life." - William Morris

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down!
 Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley    and then, she {snapped}




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Location: Snoqualmie Pass, WA, USA

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Style Tips and Tricks: What Have I Been Shooting Lately?

I thought for my tips and tricks post this week that I would share what I have been shooting lately - a mix of sunset shots, landscapes and macros - and what I have been pondering. Lately, I have been wondering a lot about my style. I must say that I have a great deal of learning and growing to do before I am specifically able to define my style. However, I wanted to share a few things I have discovered about it so far.

1. True to Life - Don't get me wrong, I love presets, textures and other techniques that drastically change a photo from what was seen. However, I feel most accomplished and fulfilled when I am able to produce a photo that is as close to what I saw in reality as possible. 

2. Vibrant and Saturated - I love for my pictures to have vibrant and rich colors. At times I over saturate and use the vibrance a bit too much in my editing, something I am working on, but I feel that the world is full of such amazing color and I want my photos to show that. 

3. Details and The Big Picture - With the new addition of a macro lens I now find myself wanting to capture not only the big picture of the landscape, but also the little details. A variety of perspectives is something that is important to me in life and in photography. 

4. The Feeling of a Place - My goal has evolved as I have taken more and more pictures from capturing what I see to capturing the feeling of what I see. One of the things I love about travel is that each place I visit leaves me with a lasting feeling, whether it be the serenity of the beach or the awe inspiring beauty of a sunset, I always walk away with something. I strive to communicate that feeling in my photos. 

The concept of style has been elusive to me and I have only started to understand it as I have discovered photographers who inspire me who have a distinct style - something that makes me know a picture was taken and edited by them. I don't think I have that yet, but I am moving in the right direction :o). 

I would love to hear how your search for your photography style is going. Feel free to share in the comments or on the Facebook page!

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/125, f/16
Location: Astoria, Oregon Riverwalk

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/400, f/16
Location: Astoria, Oregon Riverwalk

Settings: ISO 400, 100mm, ss1/400, f/6.3
Location: Fort Stevens State Park

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss1/640, f/10
Location: Fort Stevens State Park

Settings: ISO 400, 100mm, ss1/250, f/6.3
Location: Fort Stevens State Park

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/1250, f/14
Location: Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/400, f/2.8
Location: The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass 


Settings: ISO 1600, 100mm, ss1/320, f/2.8
Location: The Summit at Snoqalmie Pass
“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” – Steve McCurry


Coming up in the next few weeks for Tips and Tricks - 
1. My favorite iPhone and iPad Photography Apps (I will also be hosting a giveaway for the apps I feature)
2. My favorite photography blogs and photographers
3. Is there something you want to know about? Just let me know!
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Monday, November 26, 2012

Tones on Tuesday #55 11.27.12

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time being thankful for the amazing people in your life! I am thankful that you have chosen to link up again with Tones on Tuesday!

Tina at Tina's PicStory
The combination of softness and drama of this black and white is beautiful! Thank you for sharing it with us Tina!

Laurie at Pride in Photos
What amazing fall colors and a lovely representation of the season! Thank you for linking up Laurie!

Charlotte at The Life of Mummy Rawles
The colors and set up of this photo are beautiful and the expression is adorable! Thank you for sharing your photo with us Charlotte!

Tina, Laurie and Charlotte please go HERE to grab your showcase button.

Now it's your turn to share your photo with altered tones. Here are 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.
  • One photo per photographer please. If you have more than one photo in your post please indicate which one is for Tones on Tuesday. If you link up more than once only the first photo will be considered for showcasing.
  • Please link up with your permalink and not your blog address.
  • Attach the Tones on Tuesday button or a link back here to your post.
  • Leave comments for at least 3 other participants, share the love :o)!
  • Have fun!
Disclaimer - By participating you give Scattered Horizons permission to share your photo on this blog. Photographers will be given credit for their work.

I was thinking this past week about how thankful I am to have photography in my life. I have never considered myself an artistic person and have always felt that I had no skills in that area. At the same time, I love the process and product of creation. Through photography I feel like I have found my creativity and my passion for something artistic. While photographing nature and landscapes is about realism for me, I still feel that I am able to capture my interpretation of reality. There are certain moments when I feel most myself and whenever I am taking photos I have those moments. So I guess I have to admit that I do have a little bit of artist in me :o). 

Settings: ISO 400, 100mm, ss1/500, f/3.2
"The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfilment of its own nature, which was to fall and fall." - Helen Garner 

Joining the link ups below. Be sure to check out the beautiful shots and join the Tones on Tuesday link up found further down!
 Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley    and then, she {snapped}
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