This week’s BeStill 52 assignment was to to create a milk and cookies still life. Having been blessed (cursed?) with a sweet tooth, I was delighted to take on the challenge! We were also encouraged, following Kim’s example, to critique our own images- and this simple photo was the one that seemed to work out best. There were various other incarnations that had additional elements, including lavender in a Mason jar, a napkin, and a two tiered Blue Ridge serving plate. As usual in my world, simple turned out best. I kept subtracting elements until I ended up with the composition above. I edited with One Willow presets from the Palette collection (my Friday Find for this week- they are fabulous!). The first version has the Divine preset applied and then two layers of Kim’s sybil texture in Photoshop. The second version was created by starting with the finished first version (complete with texture)and adding a black and white preset from One Willow (I think it was Story). And now I’m off to finish eating that cookie!
On our walk
After a break in routine of several weeks, we went out on the trail again at Willow Lake and were so happy to see the water in the lake was so much higher after the monsoon rains. There were wildflowers, birds, dragonflies, and butterflies- even little fish in the shallows- and the weeds and grasses have grown high. Other photographers are posting signs of fall approaching, but it still seems like summer here in Arizona.
Barrels
I just had to post a few more shots of wine barrels from our visit to Granite Creek Vineyards last weekend.
Still Life in the Morning
The other morning, I was reading the paper and drinking coffee, when I noticed that the coffee cup and newspaper made a pleasing composition. I started to pick up my iPhone, but then thought- Hmmm, if I pull the plant over a bit and get some strawberries it will look even better. I quickly made an arrangement, snapped ONE photo, edited it in Snapseed, uploaded it to instagram, and then continued to drink my coffee and read the newspaper (and ate the strawberries . . .). If only I could have still life composition ideas come to me that easily all the time!
I was about halfway through my coffee, when I thought of getting out my Nikon and taking the photo again. After all, one of the BeStill 52 prompts was cuppa. I got out more strawberries and tried to duplicate my iPhone photo- trickier than it sounds, considering focal length, depth of field etc.
So here are some Sunday morning stills, quickly taken. All have two layers of Kim’s grunge texture added.
And here is the original iPhone photo.
Linking up today with Texture Tuesday.
Winery in Arizona???
Having moved from just outside the California wine country, we were surprised to discover that there are indeed some wineries in Arizona. On Saturday we visited the Granite Creek Vineyards in Chino Valley with friends and were delighted find a bit of the California wine country ambiance only 15 minutes or so from home!
Lonnie and I both felt a bit of a rural Sonoma County vibe as we walked onto the grounds and wandered over to the tasting room- a very small, rustic building with just enough room to stand and hold a wine glass. There was a band playing outside (sixties and seventies rock, I think), and people were sitting around eating and sipping wine under the trees. Best of all, photographically speaking, there was a small barn and some outbuildings, wine barrels, and some old farm machinery lying around. And oh yes- there was a vineyard. We felt right at home!
I will most likely post more images as the week goes on, but here are a couple detail shots.
Old window
Barn door
Lost- and FOUND!
This week I was going through my antique dental cabinet and discovered some seashells that I hadn’t seen since the move to Arizona. I had always kept my father’s shells from his tour in the Pacific in World War II in the cabinet, but didn’t realize that MY small collection had been put in there too. I KNEW they would turn up somewhere! I have photographed the little green one before, but felt compelled to shoot it again, because, well, I was just so happy to see it again! So the shells are this week’s Friday Find.
And, of course, here is a black and white version.
A Few Random Clicks
Jade plant
Some bottles and jars (note the wizard oil!)
Golden Hour- EXTREME edition
We have lived in Arizona for a year now, and I am still obsessed with the changing skies. On Monday night, we looked out the window to see this (captured with my iPhone):
I grabbed my Nikon and ran outside. Unfortunately my macro lens (85mm) was on the camera, but, knowing how quickly light can change, I didn’t take the time to change it to my zoom to be able to capture a wide angle view. By the time, I got outside, the rainbow had faded and everything was bathed in an almost eerie golden light.
The clouds in every direction were shades of pink and gold, which darkened during the 5-10 minutes I took these photos.
All the photos have only minor exposure and clarity adjustments. The last one has Kim Klassen’s everyday texture added.
Sunflower Monochromes
My grocery store sunflowers are starting to droop and turn brown on the edges, alas. I took a bunch of macro shots- and then turned two of my favorites to high contrast, split-toned black and whites, which I then textured with Kim Klassen’s golden.
Linking up with Texture Tuesday today.
Prairie Sunflowers
Prairie sunflowers! At our monthly photography club meeting last week, I learned that the Flagstaff area is blanketed with prairie sunflowers in August and September. Bonito Park, north of Flagstaff, is a particularly photogenic spot as it sits between Sunset Crater and the San Francisco Peaks. My husband and I headed up there on Saturday and found it lives up to its reputation.
Here is the meadow with Sunset Crater in the background.
Looking the other direction, I photographed the sunflowers with the San Francisco peaks behind them.
As we began the drive home, we enjoyed seeing prairie sunflowers in bloom everywhere.
Say cheese!
Photography seems to run in the family. My earliest memories involve being wakened by the glare of strobe lights as my father filmed every moment of Christmas morning (perhaps that’s why I avoid having my photo taken to this day). In his retirement years, he took college classes in photography and captured some wonderful photos of my children when they were little. Today’s photo includes his Nikon on the left and my first good camera, an Argus rangefinder (right), as well as a toy camera (middle) which I picked up in an antique store when Joan was visiting. In the front are two issues of Kodakery magazine from the 1920’s, which I bought in an antique store a few months ago.
Linking up with Friday Finds today.
Sun, sun, sun- here it comes!
After the extreme rain, a day of sunshine was so welcome! Sunflowers are among my flower favorites, so- to celebrate a day of sunshine- here are a few sunflower images (and yes, some are converted to black and white- I just can’t help myself).
Monsoon
If we were in any doubt that it is the monsoon season here in Arizona, the last 24 hours have made us believers. Holy Moly! Thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods- we’ve seen them all. We’re happy to be high and dry (so far. . .) on our little hill and are watching the action on TV. When we were out yesterday, we spotted clouds hanging over Thumb Butte (not the usual view), so we went home and got my camera so I could get some shots before visibility was gone. Storms are predicted off and on all week- wish I could send some to California!
Alas, the End
Today is the end of our friend, Joan’s visit to our home in Prescott. We are so sad to see her go- we had such a wonderful time with her! Yesterday, she got to experience a true “Retirement in Prescott” day.
We started the day with a trip to our fabulous hardware store, where we spent so much time browsing that we almost forgot why we were there (to buy picture hangers and a birdfeeder extender hook). Then we drove down to the square so Joan could take photos of the courthouse and some of the surrounding buildings.
She and Lonnie enjoyed walking the timeline of the history of Yavapai County.
We did a complete circuit of the courthouse building, which is undergoing some construction, with a security guard acting as tour guide for part of the way. 
After lunch at home, we headed out to the movies so that Joan could experience the reclining seats. We saw Into the Storm (thumbs down for acting and plot, thumbs up for special effects), and afterward walked out into our own extreme storm- driving rain, thunder, lightning, and flooding roadways. Now Joan can say she has truly experienced summer in Arizona!
The sunset and flag photos each have textures added: ecru on both photos, and also waterfront 17 on the sunset (both by Kim Klassen).
Linking up with Texture Tuesday today.
Ready or not . . .
My friend, Joan, is staying with us, and we are having so much fun introducing her to Arizona. Saturday was spent touring Prescott- and shopping- and Sunday was the anticipated trip to Sedona and Jerome. I packed my camera bag with three lenses and an extra battery and planned to try some detail shots of the area, as I had photographed the places we were visiting several times. I had picked up a free Sedona guide at the airport, so was planning to bring that as well as the Arizona Highways photography guide I had recently purchased. I was READY!
As we drove into Sedona, I looked down at my feet and saw that yes indeed I had brought the guidebooks- but where was my camera? The answer became clear that I had left my camera bag on the kitchen counter. Oh. My. God.
So it became obvious that any pictures I might take would have to be shot with my iPhone. I relaxed, because I already have photos of Sedona. But when we pulled into our first stop, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, I noticed something that had been missing on our previous trips to Sedona- CLOUDS! Big billowy CLOUDS! And there was a moon- kind of taunting me up there. Darn.
So today’s post is all iPhone photos- including some Lensbaby shots, because at least I had that in my purse.
Here’s the view of Cathedral Rock from outside the chapel (notice the clouds. . .).
The chapel is awe-inspiring. After sitting quietly for awhile, I put the Lensbaby on the iPhone and tried some creative photography inside.
Afterward, I snapped another view of Cathedral Rock, before we went into town for lunch and some shopping.
Despite the camera fiasco, we had a wonderful time!
