Wordless Wednesday: Clark Lake Park 3.8.12

I love visiting national, state and local parks not only for their scenic beauty, but also for the unexpected places within them that are beautiful in a different way. These shots were taken at Clark Lake Park and were areas I happened upon that caught my attention and pulled me in. I was also able to capture the color for this week at Project 64 in the first and last shots. Clean edits in Lightroom for processing. Do you like to shoot the grand sweeping scenes or the finer details? Or maybe like me both :o)? Happy Wednesday!

Color for this week's Project 64

Settings: ISO 200, 37mm, ss1/250, f/7.1 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Intention: The sun hitting the water amidst the grasses

Settings: ISO 200, 34mm, ss1/500, f/7.1 (full manual, sunlight wb)
Intention: The bright sky and the meandering path

Settings: ISO 200, 36mm, ss1/250, f/7.1 (full manual, sunlight wb)
Intention: The sun and the shadows on the path

“Let your thoughts meander towards a sea of ideas.” - Leo D. Minnigh


     

Tones on Tuesday #26 3.13.12

It's Tuesday, which means it is time for another Tones on Tuesday! Each week you share the most beautiful images that make it so tough to pick just 3. Alas, that is my task and without further ado here they are!


Giorgio from Foto di Spalle

This photo is exquisite! The ethereal feel of the mist, the stately tree and the sun combine to make an impressive and inspiring photo. Thank you for sharing it with us Giorgio.

Shiju at Cranium Bolts

Stunning vibrant colors and beautiful depth of field! This is the epitome of Spring to me. Thank you for linking up your photo Shiju.

Mindy at A Day With Lil Mama Stuart

This perspective is strong and regal. The drama of the black and white tones along with the lighting make such an imposing photo. Thank you for sharing Mindy!

Giorgio, Shiju and Michelle 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 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 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_U2oqLh1UmXZMxfX_WPVaPVWJYh_HuiqvmOJi2frJOmTvsFe8rQPCPuzZfqD9Rm5Lz1E9ijR7i5_09GjPNDZeIcGNOwpU1VlkboGqGPGHxc0q-s28fzb99utdKzU6TvONWyodJtseQ/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.

For my photo today I decided to go a different route than I usually do. I went with a creative edit. To me, a creative edit means that you do not aim to make the photo look as close to the natural scene you saw. Instead you aim to put your artistic interpretation on it. So for this shot of the Clark Lake Park sunset, I decided to take what was already there and bring it out through making the colors vivid and bright, more so than could be considered natural. I did this in Lightroom by upping the vibrance and saturation to the same level (a trick I learned from Ashley Sisk back when she was hosting the edit part of Shoot and Edit) and then by using the tone curve and the HSL levels. This I learned from a friend of mine who is a contributor at Click it Up a Notch. Melissa had some great tips for the tone curve that I also applied to the HSL levels. I think because I do not usually go with creative edits, I kept this a little more on the subtle side in comparison to others' definitions of creative edits. For me, I simply love it! What do you think?

SOOC Photo

Settings: ISO 200, 21mm, ss1/60, f/11 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Creative Edit Photo

"Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties." - Gail Sheehy

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

    

Sunbursts Galore 3.8.12

Whether you call them sunbursts, starbursts or sun flares, there is no denying the beauty of seeing rays of sunlight in a photograph. Ever since I learned to capture them in September I have been fascinated with photographing the sun in this way. I love the magical quality it gives the photo and the way it adds definition to the sun. During my shoot at Clark Lake Park this past week I was once again compelled to shoot the sun with its majestic rays. It was a rare day filled with warmth and sunlight. What better way to photograph it than through sunbursts :o)? My tip for shooting sunbursts is a high aperture. I use some where between 22 and 29 depending on which lens I am using and the available light.

For this first shot, I wanted to capture the reflection of the sun in the lake as the water was still and calm, almost like glass. I purposefully put the tree line in the middle and did not use the rule of thirds as I wanted to play up the duality of the suns. In processing I removed some distracting flare (a hazard of shooting sunbursts that I am not sure how to correct while shooting...tips are welcome :o) and worked with the basic settings for a clean edit.

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/320, f/22 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Intention: Dual suns and reflections

In this second photo, my goal was to capture the colors of the sun sinking below the horizon through the silhouette of the trees. In processing I removed another distracting sun flare (I left a bit of it in this time as it was very difficult to edit out entirely) and added some vibrancy to the sunset sky. 

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/160, f/22 (full manual, sunlight wb)

Intention: Sunset silhouette

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun." - Pablo Picasso

     

Refreshing with the Clark Lake Sunset 3.8.12

In anticipation of the last nice day for a while, I decided to rearrange my work load a bit in order to be able to squeeze in some time in the sun with my camera in between the end of my work day and an evening activity at my school. Last month was a very difficult month for me and I just couldn't seem to break free of the constant expectations and obligations. This month I am determined to get a better balance of work, home and photography. So far, so good :o)! It is something I have to work at and I am by no means a master, but I do feel proud of my self for trying. This excursion was a successful attempt at refreshing my soul with one of my favorite things in the world...photographing the sunset.

I went back to Clark Lake Park which is very close to my work and fit perfectly with my tight timeline. It was a glorious hour spent reflecting, photographing and enjoying the sun. The lake looked like glass most the time we were there and it made for the most amazing reflections of the sun and the exquisite colors of the sunset. During my shoot, I took some time to think about the things I learned from my experience with Critique Me. I tried to focus on being conscious of the rule of thirds and of my intention. Below are a few of my favorite SOOC shots. More to come this week. I would love to know how you think I did. Thank you for taking a look!

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/160, f/22 (full manual, sunlight wb, SOOC)

Intention: The sunbursts in the sky and the water

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/100, f/22 (full manual, sunlight wb, SOOC)

Intention: The stunning reflections

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/200, f/11 (full manual, sunlight wb, SOOC)

Intention: The lines of the dock pointing to the sunset

"Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work." - Ralph Marston

    

Favorite Photo of the Week: Cormorant on Alki 3.03.12

Photographs of birds 2 weeks in a row...more than a coincidence? I'm not sure yet :o). There is just something about the visual interest that they add to a shot. As I mentioned on Monday I wanted to capture the parallel lines and the contradiction between nature and man-made. This is one of those cases where I feel completely satisfied that I was able to accomplish what I set out to with a photograph. I would love to know what you think! Thank you for stopping by!

Settings: ISO 200, 250mm, ss1/250, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

         

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

 

Wordless Wednesday: Seattle Skyline from Alki 3.3.12

Following my brother's birthday brunch the family headed to take some photos of Seattle from Alki across Puget Sound. The first shot is quintessential Seattle with the Space Needle and the ferry (and the cloudy skies :o). In the second the skyline continues. One of the things that I love most about living where I live is that within a short drive I can be near the water, in the mountains, downtown or at the beach. The variety is amazing and the perfect playground for a photographer!

Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/800, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

 Settings: ISO 200, 50mm, ss1/1600, f/7.1 (full manual, cloudy wb)

"The landscape you grow up in speaks to you in a way that nowhere else does." - Molly Parker