Reverse 365: The Most Beautiful Planet - Day 111/365 4.21.13

Another case of being able to get to a location just in time for the sunset. I was taking my brother to a wedding at Lake Chelan and just happened to reach the lake at the right time!

Settings: ISO 100, 24mm, ss1/40, f/6.3

Date: August 12th, 2012

Location: Lake Chelan, Washington

111/365 - April 21st, 2013

"We have the most beautiful planet - the Rockies, the purple fields of the United States, the lake District, the Pyrenees, the turquoise seas of the tropics." - Dan Aykroyd

Reverse 365: Natural Resources - Day 110/365 4.20.13

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss1/160, f/18

Date: August 17th, 2012

Location: Wenatchee, Washington

110/365 - April 20th, 2013

“The nation behaves well if it treats its natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Reverse 365: Voltage - Day 109/365 4.19.13

I have been shooting in RAW for about as long as I have been shooting in manual mode. When it comes to editing though, I wasn't seeing the power of RAW until recently. I started zero-ing my photos in Lightroom instead of letting Lightroom add values to take a RAW photo closer to a JPG photo. I have found that this provides me with more possibilities when editing and more room to "save" a photo that I may have otherwise overlooked. 

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss1/40, f/11

Date: August 12th, 2012

Location: The Cove, Normandy Park, Washington

109/365 - April 19th, 2013

"I took to photography like a duck to water. I never wanted to do anything else. Excitement about the subject is the voltage which pushes me over the mountain of drudgery necessary to produce the final photograph." - Berenice Abbott

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

          

Reverse 365: Show Not Tell - Day 108/365 4.18.13

I attended a wedding on the water with beautiful gardens and was able to take some photos during the reception. 

Settings: ISO 100, 50mm, ss1/400, f/3.2

Date: August 12th, 2012

Location: The Cove, Normandy Park, Washington

108/365 - April 18th, 2013

“Flowers don't tell, they show." - Stephanie Skeem

Reverse 365: An Opportunity - Day 107/365 4.17.13

The past few days I have been sharing photos from a sunset I was lucky enough to capture at a park in Vancouver, Washington. I had been to this park before but had missed the sunset by minutes. This time I got there just in time to photograph the gorgeous sky. As I looked back on these photos I realize how far I have come in shooting and planning my shots since then. 

Settings: ISO 400, 55mm, ss1/250, f/11

Date: August 25th, 2012

Location: Vancouver, Washington

107/365 - April 17th, 2013

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." - Charles Kingsley

Reverse 365: Awakens the Soul - Day 106/365 4.16.13

Settings: ISO 400, 18mm, ss1/125, f/11

Date: August 25th, 2012

Location: Vancouver, Washington

106/365 - April 16th, 2013

"Beauty awakens the soul to act." - Dante Alighieri 

Tones on Tuesday #73 4.16.13

Dina at 4 Lettre Words

Such beautiful softness here, in the tones, the depth of field and the subject. Thank you for sharing Dina!

Ruthie at Journey with Joy

I love the feel of this photo. I always feel small when I stand next to the ocean and I get that same sense from this photo. Beautiful colors and well. Thank you for linking up Ruthie!

Yolanda at Peanut Butter and Jelly

The dramatic tones and the lovely texture create for a moody, stunning photo. Thank you for sharing Yolanda!

Dina, Ruthie and Yolanda 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!

<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.

This weekend as I ended my Spring Break I headed down to Woodburn, Oregon to see the tulip festival there. I am lucky where I live to have a tulip festival to the north, in the Skagit Valley, and to the south. I had never been to the Oregon one so I was excited to go. While the Oregon festival is smaller with only one field, there was no shortage of beauty to capture and I enjoyed experiencing a new event. There were a ton of photographers there and many people asked me to take there picture, one of the hazards of looking like you know what you are doing I guess :o). However, even with the many people there were times when I felt like it was just me and my passion trying to create something. I plan on sharing tulip photos on Thursday, but for today I thought I would share a photo I took as we were leaving. The rain had miraculously held off all day, but just after this photo it began to come down. I could not resist the strong shape of the tree and the ominous clouds. I used an HDR technique here. I love when things come together for a spectacular day of shooting!

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/125, f/11

"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

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

  

Reverse 365: Love, Beauty, See, Light - Day 105/365 4.15.13

Lots of sunset photos lately...it seems like last summer was filled with beautiful sunsets that I just had to capture. I can't think of a better way to spend my time!

Settings: ISO 100, 28mm, ss1/40, f/18

Date: August 25th, 2012

Location: Vancouver, Washington

105/365 - April 15th, 2013

"To love beauty is to see light." Victor Hugo

Reverse 365: Nature's Greatest Performance - Day 104/365 4.14.13

Settings: ISO 400, 18mm, ss1/4, f/9.0 (on tripod)

Date: August 11th, 2012

Location: Sunset Lake, Oregon

104/365 - April 14th, 2013

"I love to be here at the beach to watch the sunset - the greatest performance of Nature.  Like in a theater, but it’s free." - Gina De Gorna

Reverse 365: Magician - Day 103/365 4.13.13

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss1/60, f/22

Date: August 11th, 2012

Location: Del Ray Beach, Oregon

103/365 - April 13th, 2013

"Softly the evening came. The sun from the western horizon; Like a magician extended his golden want o'er the landscape; Trinkling vapors arose; and sky and water and forest; Seemed all on fire at the touch, and melted and mingled together." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Reverse 365: Something Beautiful Remains - Day 102 4.12.13

Settings: ISO 400, 18mm, ss1/50, f/9.0

Date: August 11th, 2012

Location: Del Ray Beach, Oregon

102/365 - April 12th, 2013

"The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand. The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers on the land. The music stops, yet echoes on in sweet, soulful refrains. For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains." - Unknown

Project 52 - Week 15/52

I love living in the Pacific Northwest. I love how much natural beauty is within a drive of where I live. I firmly believe that my love of landscape photography is a direct result of living in a place where there is an endless variety of opportunities to capture the terrain here - the ocean, the mountains, the fields, the forests. At times though, this can be an extremely frustrating area to photograph. The weather and the light don't always cooperate. When I began my photographic journey I used to fight against it and come away with no usable pictures. Now, however, I try to see the beauty that is still there and at times enhanced because of the weather. On this day I was at Manzanita Beach in Oregon and the rain had stopped for a few seconds. I played around with different perspectives and found a way to photograph the subtlety and softness of the beach. Following this shoot I was reading Photography Week - a wonderful iPad magazine that you can try for 5 weeks free - and they did an article on creative landscape shooting in different weather situations. It opened my eyes to the possibilities and I actually look forward to using the weather to my advantage the next time. *Note - I am not being paid to promote the magazine. I just really enjoy it, have found the contents helpful and wanted to share.*

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/2000, f/11

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/2000, f/11

“Nothing reminds us of an awakening more than rain.” - Dejan Stojanovic

          

Reverse 365: Unmatched - Day 101/365 4.11.13

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss1/500, f/22

Date: August 11th, 2012

Location: Del Ray Beach, Oregon

101/365 - April 11th, 2013

"Oregon is blessed with a coastline of scenic beauty and variety unmatched on this continent. It's a delightful place, where the Pacific surge washes and sometimes pounds the western edge of our continent. It's a land of storms and sunburns, of wharves and lighthouses, of salt air and fading paint. It's a perfect place for the human psyche to unwind, for workaday tensions to be washed away by the rhythmic cadence of the surf." - William L. Mainwaring

Reverse 365: Beautiful Reserve - Day 100/365 4.10.13

I used the stacking brushes tip regarding the blur effect from the tutorial I am working from this month. 

Settings: ISO 400, 29mm, ss1/2500, f/4.5

Date: August 5th, 2012

Location: Point Defiance Park Gardens, Tacoma, WA

100/365 - April 10th, 2013

"One of the most attractive things about the flowers is their beautiful reserve." — Henry David Thoreau

Reverse 365: Restful - Day 99/365 4.9.13

I am in love with the dramatic light and shadow here. With all the photos with dramatic light I have posted lately, I think I need to put that on my list of types of lighting to become more familiar with. 

Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/500, f/5.6

Date: August 5th, 2012

Location: Point Defiance Park Gardens, Tacoma, WA

99/365 - April 9th, 2013

"Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts." - Sigmund Freud

Tones on Tuesday #72 4.9.13

Welcome to those who just joined and thank you to those who come back every week even when I have trouble keeping on schedule. I appreciate all of you!

Nita at Nita's Photography

I agree with Nita that selective color has its place and it works really well here to bring out her beautiful eyes. Thank you for linking up!

Alexa at Photo Fun

The catchlights in the eyes are lovely and the deep orange color is beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

Lorik at Lorik Art

I love the dreamy, ethereal feel created by the soft tones and glowy effect. Thank you for linking up!

Nita, Alexa and Lorik 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!

<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.

This is the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale located at my favorite places Fort Stevens State Park. On this day the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing and only the die hards were walking the beach. I was one of about 5 people braving the weather and with my rain cover on the camera I was able capture a few shots. I love being on the beach no matter the weather. 

Settings: ISO 800, 50mm, ss1/200, f/5.6

"Life is better at the beach." - Unknown

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