Winter Time Again

We had a beautiful autumn this year.  I don't know if it's ever taken it's time snowing here.  I was able to get some amazing pictures of the leaves turning such beautiful warm colors.  Now it's time for winter.  I've been thinking about what season I like to shoot in best, and I think as every one of them comes about I remember why I like photography the landscape in the current season.  I will admit that by February I will be ready for spring, but right now the snow looks absolutely amazing.

One of my favorite places to take pictures is in my yard.  My front yard is where I do most of the photography.  I love taking the photos because as I look through them, it doesn't look like my surroundings anymore.  It's fun to get just the right angle where I can't see any houses, but I can see my kids' bench under the tree and take the shot. 

Aspen Alley

September was a busy month, but we're trying to get out and do something fun and not only do what needs to be done.  I'm glad we couldn't go sooner though, because this past weekend was perfect for autumn pictures in Aspen Alley.  Aspen Alley is in southern Wyoming fairly close to Encampment, Wyoming.  Although not really well marked, we found it and the leaves were perfect fall colors.  The aspen trees are taller than I'd expected them to be.

My son got a camera for his birthday so all of us had cameras.  We didn't stay long; we should have eaten lunch before we went looking for the place.  I'm hoping to start getting out with my camera more.  This weekend was perfect for it.

Summer Tree

Victoria had the most amazing parks. On our last day in Canada, we went to one of their parks and had a great day. I had my camera and had a ton of fun taking pictures of all the summer landscapes.  When I saw this tree, I knew I had to get a picture of it.  This tree was so unique. It had a really neat trunk.

I'm not used to the size of parks that Victoria had.  Parks here are more for a picnic and playing the play ground.  I'd say the difference is all of our national parks, but British Columbia isn't lacking mountains. 

The kids played in the park and I had a really good time photographing the landscape.  We even saw quite a bit of wildlife.

Sailing In Seattle

One of Russ' favorite part of our trip was when we went sailing in Puget Sound. It was so amazing. It was the longest day of the year when we went out for our night sail.  Because of that, it was toward the end of the night when the sun started to set.

I took quite a few pictures while we were out there, but this is one of my favorite shots.  The sun was just starting to go down when on our way back from being out on the water.  This is one of my favorite scenes from the night; besides the ones I took of the kids steering the boat.

Summer Daisies

I planted daisies in the flower garden this year. They were awesome. I worked on depth of field when taking pictures of the flower beds.

I love how the rest of the flower bed and the bricks on the house are out of focus and leave the daisies as the only thing that catches your eye.

Oregon Coast at Sunset

We had a great time in Oregon this summer. I spent a lot of time on Canon Beach with my camera as the sun was setting. While I was taking pictures my kids hunted for hermit crabs and looked through the tide pools.

It was such a great place to take pictures. The rocks along the coast line made the scenery so much more interesting.

Blue Heron

We walked through Stanley Park when we were in Vancouver. It was such an amazing place. It was hard to believe that we were in a city while we were there.

On or walk through the park, we saw this heron in an area that was a wetland. It was amazing. The bird looks like it's posing for me. The lens I used softened the images as well.

Unique Iris

My Iris bloomed for the first time this summer right before we went on vacation. I went out and got a few photos before we left because I knew it would be gone by the time we got home.

It turned out to be an amazing bloom, and I really love how this photo turned out. I love the white pedals with a touch of purple around the edges. I sweat I bought pink irises, but I'm okay with these.

Yellow Roses

I had fun taking photos in a rose garden this summer. I loved this photo with the bright yellow bloom above the other blooms.

I used a fish eye lens on these which distorted the outer edges but left this bloom in focus. I think I could have spent hours going through photography the flowers, but the kids were ready to move on long before I was ready to go.

Exciting Summer Vacations

It's been an amazing summer for my photography. We took a two week vacation up to the Pacific Northwest, and I got to really focus on taking some amazing photos. We went to this waterfall near Portland because the front desk clerk at our hotel said it was a must see. It was absolutely amazing and a great day trip. The lush greens or Oregon again the waterfall is just refreshing. I played around with the shutter speed, and this is one of my favorite shots.

Heart Flames

My husband got me a lensbaby for Christmas this year. It definitely expands the photography realm for me. Instead of thinking of everything having to be in focus the lens baby really gives freedom to be artistic.

Some of the pieces that you can use are shaped like hearts of starts for example. The light in the picture will take on the shape. I went to my church one afternoon and had fun taking pictures. This one with the advent candles is one of my favorite.

Winter Scenes

Although a little too cold, we got more snow this past week. The snowflakes clung to the trees, and I could resist going out before work to get some amazing shots in the front yard.

This one of the bench under the tree was one of my favorites. I used a fish eye lens to distort the sides.

I love my front yard. It always is astounding what fun shots I can get from it. You'd think I didn't have any houses near by.

Beautiful Birds

I've always liked this picture, but in the background there were lights on the tree. I'm learning Photoshop Elements and learned how to use the clone stamp to blend the tree to cover it up. I haven't always been a fan of graphics programs, but as I learn to use them and see what can be done with them, I'm finding them an amazing tool in photography.

I love the vibrant colors of this peacock and love the I got rid of the Christmas lights in the background even more.