Holiday Photos

What better time to take photos than the holidays. Here are a few that I'm rather pleased with.

What great photos did you get this holiday season?

Santa

I'm sponsoring a Christmas Photo Scavenger Hunt with my Facebook Friends. One of the pictures on the list is a picture of Santa.  This year, I haven't seen a live Santa, but I've seen several Santa decorations. This one is on my usual path for walking around the neighborhood.

Christmas Lights

One of the many things I enjoy about this time of year is looking at all the decorations.  Last night Mr. Shutterbug mapped a route and drove me around to see all the Christmas lights. I'm still working out how to take photos in the dark, but I think I managed to get a few good ones.

What do you like about this time of year?

What Goes Through My Mind When I Look Through The Lens

Over the years people have asked me what goes through my mind when I look through the camera lens, because I tend to take pictures of the strangest things: frosted spiderwebs, snow slush in the street, water drains/faucets, close ups of lemon slices in a glass of water.  For me half the fun is picturing what is beyond the lens. Sometimes, it's not the picture you take that you are after, but the picture that you edit - does that make sense?  It's the end product.

Here are a couple of examples.  The first one is what I actually saw through the lens and the second one is what I saw in my mind.

Photo Challenges

When I'm out and about at events, some people still ask "Did you bring your camera?"  Those that know me just laugh. They know I'm more likely to forget to wear my shoes than go out without my camera.  Of course I have missed some great shots because I forgot to put the SD card back in the camera after uploading photos, or I forgot to charge the battery, or as was the case last night, forgot to change the lens. Earlier in the week I had taken photos of a school concert and was using my long lens.  When we go out to social events I usually just slip the camera in my purse. (Yes, I pick my purses based on whether or not they will hold my D90 and a book and my iPad, but I digress.)  When we got to the event I realized that I had the wrong lens for taking photos of a small gathering.  Yet I attempted photos anyway.  And with a little editing, I managed to get a few interesting ones.

What kind of things create challenges for you when taking photos?

Happy Thanksgiving

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.  ~Author Unknown

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.  ~Edward Sandford Martin

May your stuffing be tastyMay your turkey plump,May your potatoes and gravyHave nary a lump.May your yams be deliciousAnd your pies take the prize,And may your Thanksgiving dinnerStay off your thighs!~Author Unknown

I am thankful for wonderful books and the authors who write them, free libraries and the librarians who make them run so smoothly. I am also thankful for my camera and that God has allowed me to see so many amazing things through my camera lens. I am thankful for my family, friends and the followers of  this blog.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! And treat yourself to a good book!

A Blue Moon

In addition to being obsessed with getting a great picture of Pike's Peak, I'm also obsessed with getting a good shot of the moon.  The problem is two fold - I never seem to have my tripod handing and I'm not really sure what setting to put my camera on in order to get a decent shot. The tripod is important because it takes a very slow shutter to get a picture of the moon. And it's almost impossible for a person to stand still enough to get a picture without blurring.  Still, I'm not one to give up.  Here is my latest attempt.

It's better than what I usually get, but of course I couldn't resist playing with it.

What a Deer picture!

I often find that I like the content of the picture I took, but my technical skills were lacking when I pressed the button.  Back in the days before digital cameras, that could get expensive - printing out all those photos that just didn't quite pass the test.  Now you can simply delete the bad photos OR you can use a little editing to see if you can turn a not so good photo into something interesting.

Before - not too bad

After - but this one isn't too bad either

Thing Smokes a Cigar

Before

After

Things have been a little crazy in my life lately and I've not been able to work on my photos as much as I would have liked.  But as I've said before sometimes the trick to getting an interesting photo is just being the right place.  You also have to look outside the box. I'm often taking pictures of things that make other  people frown in confusion.  You have to be able to see not only what is in front of you, but you have to be able to imagine what that photo could become.

It's Been A Slow Week for Photos

I often find great photos when I'm walking. Lately, with the change in weather, it seems I'm always walking in the dark. Not exactly the best time to take photos.  This is another one of that bird that I'v been very interested in. I didn't have my long lens, but I got pretty close with the short one. My husband was with me and tried to flush the bird out of the tree so I could get an in flight shot.  Below is the result.

Close Up of The Peak

Yesterday I finally remembered to take my long lens on my morning walk. I was hoping to get a really good close up of a certain bird that I frequently see when walking.  No such luck, but I took this photo of the book - this is a close up from miles away. Just imagine what I could have gotten with my dream lens. Maybe someday.

Sometimes a photo is a good photo, not because it's perfect or because the technique is spectacular.  Sometimes it's good because it captures the moment and the fun spirit of the person in it.

Happy Veterans Day

If you enjoy your freedom, take time to thank a Veteran.

Hmm? Cold and Blustery? Or a nice Indian Summer day?

This picture makes me think of cold and chilly winds, but it was actually taken on a rather nice afternoon walk.  A little editing can totally change the mood of a picture.

The Search for the Perfect Flag Photo

Many of you know that I'm obsessed with getting a great photo of Pike's Peak. You might not know that I'm also determined to get a great flag/patriotic photo. This week I'm hosting on Facebook a Veterans Day Photo Scavenger hunt. One of the things I'e asked participants to find is a photo of the flag. This is my entry.  What do you think?

There's that bird again!

It seems I'm doomed to always be without my long lens when I run into this bird or a flock of them.  It really is a beautiful bird and my photos do not come close to doing it justice. Maybe someday, I'll be lucky and get a truly good close up photo.

More Reading Photos

I'm especially pleased with this.  You may recognize my youngest son in this one. He's very photogenic - provided he doesn't know the camera is pointed at him.  If he knows you are taking his picture, he either fidgets, looks like someone punched him or hams it up so much you can't get a decent shot.  I wasn't too please with the original of this one, but a little editing went a long way.

More Fall Photos

I like this photo because the details of the leaf are highlight by it being a solitary leaf.

My youngest son loves to pose for the camera. But he's so aware of the camera it's often difficult to get a good shot where's he's not totally hamming it up or looking goofy.  Thank goodness for digital cameras.  Mistakes can easily be discarded.  This is one of my better shots of him.

Edgar?

It's Halloween time and I recently read Charlie's Raven by Jean Craighead George, so ravens have been on my mind. Not that I would know a raven if I saw one.  I don't know what kind of bird this is. I thought it was a blackbird when I took the picture, but when I uploaded the pics he has more of blueish tint. I know he's not a bluebird.  Whatever he (or she) is, he's a handsome fellow.