Reverse 365: Tradition Creation - Day 89/365 3.30.13

Two year ago my mom and I stumbled upon the Illwaco Fireworks show that is held at the port there each Saturday on or after the forth. There is a street fair and then everyone sprawls on the grass to await the main event - the fun and beautiful fireworks show. We have been two years in a row and I just love the atmosphere of a small town celebrating the Fourth. Here is the view while we waited for dark...

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/320, f/11

Date: July 7th, 2012

Location: Port of Illwaco, WA

89/365 - March 30th, 2013

"There is no creation without tradition; the 'new' is an inflection on a preceding form; novelty is always a variation on the past.”  ― Carlos Fuentes

Reverse 365: Parchment Sky - Day 3/365 1.3.13

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, 1/2000, f/7.1

Date: February 5th, 2012

Location: Tokeland, WA

3/365 - January 3rd, 2013

"The sky is that beautiful old parchment in which the sun and the moon keep their diary." - Alfred Kreymborg

A New Camera Bag at the Kirkland Marina Park 3.03.12

After the fantastic birthday brunch for my brother on Saturday, we headed to REI and I just had to look at camera backpacks :o). I wasn't expecting to find one, but I came across the Lowepro Sling Shot AW Series and it is exactly what I wanted. Being that I shoot outdoors and often have to walk a ways to capture my landscape and nature shots, I wanted something that was comfortable and easy to use. What I love about this backpack is that I can wear it on my back, swing it to the front and easily grab my camera or change lens. If you click on the link above you can see a video of what I am talking about. I also love the plethora of pockets and compartments that allows everything to have its place. Here is my camera fitting snugly in its new home :o):

Taken with the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone 

Edited with the Photogene2 App 

I have to mention my camera strap. I won it in the Shades of Autumn contest a few months back. It is by Gina at Stylish Beach Bum. I love the black and white and that the inside is soft and plush. It is a joy to wear.

Once we left REI we headed to Kirkland Marina Park and of course I had to put everything in my new camera bag in car so I could try it out (of course I did :o). It worked perfectly and allowed me to change my lens and feel secure even in a very intense wind. What I love about this park is that it is in the middle of downtown and on the water. It was filled with families and couples enjoying the sun despite the wind. There was an interesting sculpture in the middle of the park that I wanted to photograph. My goal was to get the lines of the sculpture as a silhouette and the bright blue of the sky with the soft texture of the clouds. The birds were a bonus! In processing I worked with the basic settings and the tone curve to make the colors pop and the silhouette stronger. What do you think?

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/2000, f/10 (full manual, sunlight wb)

"Sculpture occupies real space like we do... you walk around it and relate to it almost as another person or another object." - Chuck Close

 

Project 64: Sky Blue on the Cranberry Coast 2.5.12

A day on the coast driving Highway 101, exploring new beaches and towns, soaking up the natural beauty and capturing it all with my camera..there is no better way to spend the day!

Tokeland Marina

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/640, f/7.1 

(full manual, sunlight wb, clean edit in Lightroom)

Highway 101 on Willapa Bay

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/1000, f/7.1 

(full manual, sunlight wb, clean edit in Lightroom)

"I never get tired of the blue sky." - Vincent van Gogh

      

Everett 10th Street Marina 11.25.11

When I was editing the first photo below from my day after Thanksgiving photo shoot I realized I had taken a similar picture and posted it on my blog as a flashback. It was before I started shooting manual and before I knew all that I know now about how to take a proper picture. Despite that, I really love both of them. I am excited to see how much I have grown though and to see one of my old photos next to a new one and know what I would do differently (smaller aperture number! cloudy wb!) to fix what I didn't like about it. 

What do you think? Do have those moments as well?

Location: 10th Street Marina Park, Everett, Washington

Date: November 26th, 2011
Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/320, f/5.6 (full manual, sunlight wb)
Post Processing: Blacks, Contrast and Brightness to make the blue more vibrant

Location: Cathlamet Marina - Cathlamet, Washington

Date: June 11th, 2011

Settings: Shot in Auto - 1/200, f/10

Post Processing: Sharpening, Color Levels (to bring out more of the green and magenta)

"Growth demands a temporary surrender of security." - Gail Sheehy


One of the reasons I feel I have grown so much is by linking up and learning and becoming inspired from other photographers. Here are a few great link ups that continue to help me grow!

    

Flashback: Cathlamet Marina 06.11.11

It seems my photographic life is now split into "pre-manual mode" and "post manual mode" :o). This picture is a "pre-manual mode" picture taken in the small southern Washington town of Cathlamet. I was visiting my dad for the weekend and he took my brother and I on a ferry ride across the Columbia River from Westport, Oregon to Puget Island, Wa. I have been in many ferry rides having been a Western Washington resident for most of my life, but this one was different. It is very small with a wonderful $5.00 price, it is across a river and not the sound and it is completely open. It also feels different...more intimate and connected to nature. It was a fun experience I would definitely recommend.

Once we disembarked from the ferry we headed to the small town of Cathlamet and explored the town, including the house of Julia Butler Hansen. We then headed to the marina and I was instantly drawn to the flowers for their color and the interest provided in the background. I shot this photo in auto mode and focused on the flowers with no thought to what the background would look like (in terms of focus). I do like how it turned out, but think I could have done it differently in manual mode. The composition and framing are what I love most about this shot with the line formed by the flowers and the visual interest in the background. 

Flashback #3

Location: Cathlamet Marina - Cathlamet, Washington

Date: June 11th, 2011

Settings: Shot in Auto - 1/200, f/10

Post Processing: Sharpening, Color Levels (to bring out more of the green and magenta)

What I Like: The framing and composition

What I Think Needs Work: The lighting and sharpness

"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." - Hans Christian Anderson