Tones on Tuesday #39 07.24.12

I apologize to those of you were looking for Tones on Tuesday last week, I had some problems with Blogger. I got most of them worked out. Thank you for coming back again and linking up this week! Now on with the showcases...


Nita at Nita's Photography

I love the drama of the lighting in this edit. The magic nature of the sky is simply stunning! Thank you for sharing this beautiful photo with us Nita!

Mock-Turtle at Jack's Paper Moon

I LOVE the color scheme of this photo! From the backdrop to the floor to the clothing on handsome Jack, it all goes together so well. And his eyes just pop! Thank you for sharing with us!

Tara at Daisy Path Photography

What a cutie! The close up, along with the dramatic black and white makes for a beautiful photo.  Thank you for sharing with us Tara!

Nita, Mock-Turtle and Tara 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 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="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.

I spent yesterday at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. I used to go there all the time when I was younger on school field trips and with my family. Now I go on free educator days and with kids I know. One of the best things about the PSC is that they have a big exhibit that changes on a regular basis and is usually fabulous! The last one I went to was of tons of things from the Harry Potter movies. This time it was relics from King Tut's tomb. I love going to museums and learning about history. I always walk away knowing more and having a greater appreciation for the past as well as the present. What struck me about this exhibit was the beauty of the cravings and artifacts. I can't imagine the time and energy it took to make one of them, let alone the thousands found in King Tut's tomb. The lighting was dramatic and beautiful and made for some amazing, yet difficult shooting due to the low light. The photo below is the topper of a canopic jar that held one of the organs after the mummification process. This photo required very little editing and I love how the beauty seems to shine through. 

Settings: ISO 400, 48mm, ss1/30, f/5.6

"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different." - Aldous Huxley

*Next month will be the 1 year anniversary of the blog (I can't believe it!) and I would love to host a giveaway. If you have a product or service you would like to giveaway please email me at scatteredhorizons.esc @ gmail . com. Thank you!*

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

       

Tones on Tuesday #38 07.10.12

Welcome back or welcome for the first time! Thank you for sharing your amazing photos. Here are a few from last week that captured my attention...

Bunch of Barrons

I love the whimsy feel of this photo and the bright vibrant colors. It looks like the perfect summer day and an amazing family moment. Thank you for sharing!

Candy at Lazy J Bar C Farm

I love the use of selective color here to emphasize the flags. It adds to the symbolism and patriotism of the photo. Thank you for linking up Candy!

Molly at Mixed Molly Designs

The soft light is beautiful and the depth of field gives the sense of movement that has me imagining I am there listening to the grasses rustle in the wind. Thank you for sharing with us Molly!

Bunch of Barrons, Candy and Molly 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 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="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.

Settings: ISO 200, 55mm, ss1/125, f/5.6 (shade wb, lens hood)

"Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul." - Thomas Merton

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

      

Favorite Photo of the Week: Fireworks Over the Columbia 7.4.12

This is one of those rare occasions when I knew exactly what type of photo I would pick for my favorite of the week. I knew it had to be a fireworks shot. Not only is it from my favorite holiday, but I did a lot of prep work to get the photos and am really proud of the results. Picking which firework shot was a little harder! I decided on the shot below as it is not only visually appealing, but it captures my perception of the scene so well as it brings together the beautiful setting with the amazing fireworks.

To read about how I got this shot and see others, check out this blog post. 

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss12secs, f/11 (on tripod, shutter on bulb)

"Fireworks are an art form that uses the night sky as the canvas." - Larry Crump

            

Fourth of July 2012!

My favorite holiday just happens to be Fourth of July. I connect with the sense of patriotism and the ideals of freedom, sacrifice and bravery. And then there are the fireworks! There is just something about a fireworks display that makes me happy. The color, the sense of wonder and the sheer beauty is such a wonderful way to celebrate this country that I live in and those who have made and continue to make it possible for me to live free.

For this Fourth of July I am visiting my dad who lives in Astoria, Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. They have a fireworks display over the Columbia that is done from the East Mooring Basin. I had never been, but was excited to experience a new fireworks display with my dad. We got there a couple of hours before the fireworks were set to start which was perfect timing because we were able to park right across from where the fireworks were going to be set off before the parking lot got full. While we waited I spent some time scoping out the area and photographing the sunset.

Settings: ISO 100, 55mm, ss1/320, f/22 (sunlight wb)

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss1/30, f/22 (sunlight wb)

Finally, the sun dipped below the horizon and that meant the second amazing show of the night was going to begin. I wasn't sure where would be the best vantage point to see the display, so I just found where the tripods and photographers were lining up :o). Last year I got a few good firework shots using auto mode. This year I was determined to shoot in manual and be more intentional about my shots. Prior to heading out I read a couple tutorials, one from The Organic Bloom and one from Digital Photography School. 

For my set up I used my tripod, my 18-55mm lens and my remote control. I set the ISO to 100 to prevent grainy images, my aperture to f/11 to get a wide depth of field, manual focused so that the whole scene was in focus and set my shutter speed to bulb (which leaves the shutter open from when you press the remote button until you press the it again). I had never tried this type of set up before so I really didn't know how it would work out, but once the fireworks started I got into a rhythm. With my remote and the timer on my camera I had two seconds before the shutter opened and then I left it open between 3-12 seconds depending on how many fireworks were going off and how many I wanted in the shot. After a while I found that the best timing was to hit the remote right when I heard the boom and to leave the shutter open until the firework(s) began to fizzle out. 

I LOVE the results. They are so different from what I captured last year and I feel like the preparation really paid off. The 3 shots below are from the beginning, middle and the finale of the show. I really like the trails of the firework reaching the sky, the colors and the framing around the fireworks. For editing I did basic settings in Lightroom on all and for the second shot a removal of distractions and the Fresh and Colorful action by Pioneer Woman in Photoshop. I think the first one is my favorite, but that could be due to the sunset :o). What do you think? 

I hope you had an amazing, safe and fun fourth!

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss12secs, f/11 (on tripod, shutter on bulb)

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss7secs, f/11 (on tripod, shutter on bulb)

Settings: ISO 100, 18mm, ss7secs, f/11 (on tripod, shutter on bulb)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -  The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

    

Also linking up for the Firework Challenge at Kent Weakley's Blog