Summer's End

Although our area is known for dreary, rainy days, Pacific Northwest summers are usually mildly warm and sunny. For about eight to ten weeks, we have very little rain and nice 80ish degree days. It cools down nicely at night. If you live here, you plan every weekend from July through mid-September to be outside doing something....even if it is just sitting and reading a book, because we know the days are growing shorter and soon the rains that keep our hills and forests green, will return.
This year was a bit warmer than usual and I was not very good about keeping my garden watered enough. The poor sunflower plants really never did take hold and grow. I loved the colors and lines in this photo of the shriveled and bent plant. Even in it's state of decay, there is beauty of line, color and texture.

Dahlia in Motion

In the middle of the common area at the retirement home where my father-in-law lives, small parcels of land are carefully tended by individual residents. They grow everything from beautiful roses and dahlias to corn and strawberries. I love to wander through and enjoy the color, textures and variety displayed there. Today, the dahlias stole the show with their infinite shapes and colors. I was practicing with my macro lens and had trouble keeping the blossoms in focus because of a slight breeze that came along from time to time. I actually liked the way this picture turned out because the center stayed focused while the petals fluttered slightly giving the appearance of motion and almost explosive color. I did manage to take a few that were more sharply focused but I think I like this one the best....

Shell in Black and White

The black and white version of this shell shows such wonderful lines and texture that I couldn't resist adding one more picture today! I hope you enjoy it!

BeachTextures

Today I am enjoying a beach in Washington state near Koos Bay. When the tide was out this morning, I explored the shells and other beautiful textures left in the sand. I have tried to take pictures of the many birds in this area, but they just don't hold still like the shells do! I will have to keep trying.

Ballet at Four

 

One of the biggest reasons I record our lives in scrapbook form is to tell our many stories. I like to look back and remember the little details, like the way my granddaughter's four year old feet and hands worked so hard to move through all the different ballet positions and the look of concentration on her face.  I don't worry so much about the quality of the pictures and I don't usually create scrapbook pages that will wow others with their artistry and beauty. I am capturing a special moment in time and telling a continuing story of how important the people in my life are to me.

Macro Beauty

I have a special place where I stash extra odds and ends of cash that come my way, in order to eventually buy the totally unnecessary, but wonderfully cool, camera equipment or digital software that I want. Today, I splurged on a macro lens from Nikon. I am planning a hike with my husband and some friends, into a beautiful area of wildflowers near Mt. Rainier this weekend, and while I imagine most of the pictures I take will be of the vast fields of flowers in this particular area, I am always more drawn to the beauty in the details of individual plants and insects.
I actually started out to the camera store in search of a polarizing filter which will be a necessity for good exposures of the mountain, sky and fields of flowers, but it turns out that the lens I have been eyeing was sitting right there waiting for me at a price I could afford! How could I not buy it?
Anyway, I tried it out in the backyard while my granddaughter was napping and I think it will be lots of fun this weekend!

I love the fluffy details in the yellow 'mini-flowers' and the feathery pink center! Of course, since I am still working on black and white photos, I played a bit with this one that way too.

I think this version shows off the beautiful texture even more! I am not sure which one I like better.

Happy Birthday My Daughter

Twenty-nine years ago, I became a mom for the fourth time and entered, for the first time, the world of little girls! What an adventure it has been. I am proud of the woman our daughter has become and I wish her a happy birthday today. This is the card I made for her- with one of my all-time favorite photos from her childhood.

Black and White Calla Lily

I love black and white photography and one of my goals this year is to learn to create finished images that look more like the ones in my head. To that end, I have been reading and working through the concepts in John Batdorff's book, Black and White- From Snapshots to Great Shots. What an inspiration! His photos are incredible.
While looking for images that will convert beautifully to black and white, I saw this calla lily  tucked into a corner of the Portland International Rose Garden. I loved the way the light shone on it to highlight all the details of this simple flower. I think it makes a wonderful black and white.

Peaches times four

I love  the way early morning light makes objects glow and highlights their form and texture. These peaches were on my kitchen counter this morning and the light was wonderful. Of course, I couldn't just post one copy of the resulting picture! I played with different filters and Photoshop mixer brushes til I had four very different versions. Each one shows a unique view of a very common peach!

Perfect Beach Day

Oregon coast summer days are unpredictable at best. If it is hot inland, it is often cloudy and windy at the beach. This particular weekend was warm and the wind was still. To top it off, we got a gorgeous sunset. My oldest granddaughter enjoyed it to the fullest.
I usually create scrapbook pages in pairs because I prefer the look of continuity when they are printed in the finished book. This is the two page spread for this fun day. I took lots of pictures of the sunset as it unfolded, so I used one of the especially textured ones to layer over a background paper behind these photos. The silhouette of Ali is attached to a mask so it blends into the background. The whole thing just makes me smile!