Melinda

Old things that are falling apart

I am well aware that the title of this post could be referring to ME- so please resist making a joke! 🙂

On our drive in Paradise Valley (see yesterday’s post), I mentioned to Miles that I was going to be looking for barns and for old things to photograph. He commented that he LOVES things that are old and falling apart (again, please resist the joke!). I checked with his mother later, and it is TRUE- he is drawn to old, falling apart things- pretty cool for a six year old!

So look what we found!

Oh, I so love this barn! And the yellow flowers in front- so cool! This one was textured with 2 layers of golden by Kim Klassen.

And then there is the shot below of the same barn. I wanted the photo to look old too (although, realistically, the barn should look NEW in an old photo, right?), so I edited it and re-edited it- and edited it again- way too much time spent on this photo. Basically, I added a couple textures, brought it back to Lightroom and then decided I wanted a vintage look. Instead of starting over, I took the photo into Silver Efex Pro and used one of their presets to give it a tintype took. But the clouds had gone away! So I brought the new version in AS A LAYER over my original version in Photoshop and blended them. Then I kept playing with the textures (all Kim’s- mostly her older ones), adding and subtracting them until it looked the way I wanted. No point in naming the textures for you- I masked out and reduced opacity so many times- it would make no sense- ridiculous!

And finally- when we had finished our drive, we were in Livingston, where we took Miles out to lunch at his favorite Mexican restaurant. When we got into the car to drive back to Yellowstone, he pointed out something for me to photograph- he has quite the eye, huh? So proud of him!

Linking up with Texture Tuesday.

June 10, 2014June 9, 2014

Melinda13 Comments

Country Roads, Montana-style

One of my favorite Montana drives is between Livingston and Gardiner, Montana- aptly named Paradise Valley. My husband, our oldest grandboy, Miles, and I took a leisurely drive through the countryside so that Gramma could photograph barns and the beautiful scenery that abounds there.

There were country roads . . .

and cows, of course . . .

and beautiful red barns!

You might see a few more images from this drive in future posts; I took dozens of photos!

June 9, 2014June 8, 2014

Melinda5 Comments

Take Flight

I had other plans for my blog today- Yellowstone photos (which will find their way here soon). But I awoke with the desire to photograph this tiny feather I chased around while photographing the baby owl (no idea if it’s an owl feather or just a random feather floating by). I brought it back in a plastic baggie, which I dug out of my purse this morning, set on my dental cabinet (one of my favorite surfaces for photography) and took a bunch of macro shots. I intended to shoot more, perhaps on a mirror, but, alas, as I carried the feather through the house, the breeze from the ceiling fans carried it aloft to who knows where.

Rather than mourn my loss, I sat down and created some photo art with one of the 5 good shots I have.

Here are a few more images from this morning’s shoot .

June 5, 2014

Melinda2 Comments

App Happy and Catching Up

It’s App Happy Wednesday over at Keeping With the Times, so I’m posting a couple road trip/through the window shots today. I’m also catching up with my Start to Finish 2 Lessons, so my still life images are on here today as well.

First the iPhone photos! After a day and a half of driving (actually riding, as my husband- who has been suffering from allergies and asthma- was doing ALL the driving. . .), I was happy to see red rock as we got to southern Utah, a sign that we were close to Arizona. I think the first shot was edited in Snapseed, and then I added the text/graphic with Rhonna. The second photo was edited in PS Touch, because I needed to do some cloning- and then I added texture with Photo Wizard.

Now for the Start to Finish lesson! The assignment was to create a still life that included eggs. Hurray- something I actually have! No browsing in antique stores for me today! I realized straightaway that still life photography is still challenging for me. I feel confident in the photography and the processing- but not with the styling. I am so in awe of my classmates and their styling ability! I found that what works for me is keeping it simple; when I add too many elements, it all falls apart.

This above image was one of my last shots. Filling the frame and using a shallow depth of field- definitely my comfort zone!

The above macro shot may not technically be a still life- you barely notice the other eggs!

And here is a from above shot, which I do love doing.

I found myself opting for a darker, more matte processing style today. The blue and brown tones seemed washed out with my usual editing, and I found reducing exposure and using a matte curve gave me the look I was going for. In Photoshop I added Kim Klassen’s simple texture- and called it done!

I also played catch up with some Flickr challenges- and discovered that one of them, fast food, worked with my egg theme!

No special processing here- just a quick Lightroom edit. This might be my favorite of the day!

June 4, 2014June 3, 2014

Melinda8 Comments

Nature

We arrived home last night- so much to do! Laundry, groceries, miscellaneous to-do’s that can only be done from home- and catching up on my photography editing, posting, backing-up, blog visiting, and my still life classes. I am missing my little Yellowstone munchkins terribly; our 16 hour drive home only reinforced how far apart we are!

I’m posting some photos of new, green aspen leaves I shot on a drive the first week we were there. The snow had finally stopped and Spring arrived at the same time we did! I love the aspens in Fall, and this was the first time I had photographed their leaves in Spring. These were shot somewhere on Dunraven Pass.

The above photo is textured with two layers of Kim Klassen’s sybil, using color burn blend mode. The second photo is of the same branch, but I crouched down to get a blown out sky in the background- no textures.

June 3, 2014June 2, 2014

Melinda10 Comments

Yellowstone Memories

Lamar Valley

Elk on a hill

June 2, 2014June 1, 2014

Melinda4 Comments

Rodeo!

The highlight of last weekend was the rodeo- my Friday Find for the week. I hadn’t been to a rodeo since childhood and had forgotten what fun it could be.

There were bucking broncos. . .

and bulls!

And, of course, I love taking the detail shots.

But most of all, I loved watching Henry enjoying himself!

May 30, 2014May 29, 2014

Melinda13 Comments

Yellowstone Epic Horse Drive

Last weekend as part of the Memorial Day festivities, a large group of horses were run through the town of Gardiner (bordering Yellowstone) and up to new pastures in Jardine (in the hills). We joined the throng lining the streets waiting for the Yellowstone Epic Horse Drive. It was all over in a flash, and my photos are mostly of the, um, back ends of the horses and clouds of dust. However, the 2 or 3 minutes that it lasted were pretty thrilling. The next day was the rodeo- probably the most fun event I’ve ever photographed. Look for those photos soon!

May 29, 2014

Melinda5 Comments

Bear Aware

Yesterday morning we noticed some activity on the road (park employees going up the hill, throwing rocks, not letting tourists out of their cars etc.) in front of my daughter’s house at Yellowstone; she mentioned casually that it was probably a bear. The bears are hungry and know that the elk mamas have their babies hidden in various spots around the area. I always try to act somewhat cool and un-touristy about these things, but eventually had to go outside with my camera. I edged around the side of the house and came upon two young black bears partway up a tree, with the park workers patiently waiting for them to come down. When they did, the guys chased them across the road, but they kept returning, especially the cinnamon colored one, who was not the least bit afraid of humans. Within a short while, there was a group of photographers with their long lenses gathered outside- how do they always know where to go? My husband and I went to town, and were surprised to see that the cinnamon bear was still on the hill across the street when we returned; the female elk had ganged up on him and chased him off the lawn. We haven’t seen any more of the bears since then, but it was a reminder that we are in Yellowstone and in bear territory.

May 28, 2014

Melinda3 Comments

New Growth

We are on the second week of our visit to our daughter’s family in Yellowstone National Park. A few days ago, we took our traditional drive through the park with our son-in-law as tour guide. This time we drove up to Dunraven Pass, where we enjoyed beautiful views of the spring meadows and hills, the snow capped mountains, and, of course, bison and elk.

As we got higher and higher, part of the burn area from the 1988 fire was clearly visible ahead. But as we drew closer, we could see the small green trees that have grown up between the skeletal burned pines, as the forest renews itself.

A small dried weed from last summer poked its way up through the snow.

All photos are textured with Kim Klassen’s canvasback and 2110.

Linking up with Texture Tuesday.

May 27, 2014May 26, 2014

Melinda6 Comments

Virtual Blog Tour

Today I am participating in something called a Virtual Blog Tour. It has been going on every Monday for a few weeks at least; I was invited to be part of it by Terri Porter of Photographically Speaking and Focusing on Life. I actually had the pleasure to have met Terri in person last month- you can read about it here. Terri is a super photographer and such an involved and connected blogger- I was flattered to be included!

The way the Virtual Blog Tour works is that everyone answers the same set of questions and then links to another blog or two or three, who will post the next week. Be sure to check out Terri’s blog to see how she answered the same questions I’m answering!

So here goes:

1. What am I working on?

Well, I’m always working on becoming a better photographer- which is why I do this blog. I started with a Project 365 in 2011, right after I retired, and published a photo a day for two years, with the goal of learning to use my camera. My partner in crime was my college roommate, Carol, who got her camera the same week I got mine and started her 365 when I started mine (check out her blog, In Focus Daily for some beautiful photography). I now post 5 times a week, most weeks, and try to publish my *best* work of the week. Currently, I’m involved in two of Kim Klassen’s classes- Start to Finish 2 and Be Still 52. Both concentrate on still life, an area where I would like to improve my skills. I’m also involved in two photography groups in my town, the first time I’ve had my photos *judged*- a scary prospect for me! All my learning has been online, and that is my comfort zone.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Hmmmm- a tricky question! I’m not sure what my genre is! I would like it to be fine art photography, which is what I’m drawn to, but I am more of a generalist, I think. And as for my “style”- I have no idea! I do a lot of closeups and macros of flowers, and, of course, hundreds of photos of my grandchildren. I love the dreaminess of photos with a shallow depth of field and the drama and emotional qualities of black and white photography. I am comfortable with the journey I’m on and with not knowing where it will lead.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Like most people, I have always taken photographs to record events. I originally got my DSLR to take photos of my grandchildren, but found myself falling in love with my camera and Photoshop as a means of creative expression. One of my grandsons once said intensely as he ran into his lego filled room, “I HAVE to build!” That’s the way I feel about my photography- I HAVE to photograph this! I HAVE to edit! It’s a passion for self expression that has been dormant since adolescence, when painting and drawing were a big part of my life.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

I have found that my creative spark appears first thing in the morning. It is not uncommon to see me setting up a still life with morning coffee in hand or running outside while still in my bathrobe to catch the best light. I would like to say that I have a disciplined routine for my photography, but I tend to fly by the seat of my pants- and that’s fine with me! After all, photography isn’t my job, it’s fun, it’s creative, it’s what I love to do! I also must say that I am so inspired by the online communities I’m a part of- Flickr and the Kim Klassen community. There are so many talented artists out there creating beautiful images!

And next Monday, I hope you continue the blog tour by visiting the blog of a wonderful Canadian photographer, Gracie Binoya, whom I’ve been following for several years. Gracie started started shooting a few years ago, mainly focusing on nature, and then moved on to portraiture, which is her current focus. As an amateur photographer, photography is something that she does on the side. She works as a second shooter for a wedding photographer friend and is also currently enrolled in a commercial photography program, hoping to learn more and enhance the skills that she’s acquired over the years. You will enjoy seeing her work!

May 26, 2014May 25, 2014

Melinda8 Comments

View From the Front Porch

Bison and their babies!

Linking up with Friday Finds!

May 23, 2014May 23, 2014

Melinda3 Comments

Owls!

Before we came, my son-in-law texted me a fantastic iPhone shot of a great horned owl that he took from the front porch here at Yellowstone. I knew from my experience a couple years ago that there was probably a nest in the very high tree by the Visitors’ Center. I photographed mama and babies very unsuccessfully back then, and I really hoped to get a better shot this time. This morning I saw the other photographers lined up with their uber long lenses and tripods, and I joined them with my 18-200mm zoom and no tripod (I do have it with me, but it’s not going to help me get any closer). I did get a couple photos that are better than last time, and they are super cropped. I’m hoping to get a better shot when they are on a lower branch or a roof.

May 22, 2014

Melinda3 Comments

iPhoneography On The Road

Our road trip to Yellowstone gave me plenty of opportunity to practice my iPhoneography skills. The road was long, but scenic, and I had fun editing shots as my husband did the driving. Of course my Nikon was my main camera, but nothing beats a cameraphone for instant results- photos edited with iPhone apps, uploaded to Dropbox during the drive and immediately available on my laptop to post to my blog.

We stopped at Hoover Dam on the way to Yellowstone- first visit for both my husband and myself. Both these photos were edited in Snapseed using the HDR filter. I also warmed them up and added a bit of sharpening and “structure.”

We spent the night in Idaho Falls, a familiar stop for us. After dinner we drove over to the falls, where I snapped this photo. I used Snapseed again for a simple edit (contrast and sharpening) and also used the selective adjust feature to add a bit of a vignette (lightening the middle and darkening the edges). On my wishlist for Snapseed is a vignette filter! I do love the selective adjust feature however; it is similar to the control points used in Nik software.

As you can see from this photo (edited with Waterlogue, we arrived at Yellowstone!

I’m linking up today with Barb’s “app” happy Wednesday. I learn so much from reading her posts and the others who link to her.

May 21, 2014May 20, 2014

Melinda8 Comments

a rose is a rose is a rose

This might be the last view of these beauties. In Lightroom, I did a black and white conversion (to go with the black and white theme for this week’s Texture Tuesday), and some split toning to add a hint of pink. In Photoshop, I applied three textures at very low opacity (jacob, lovely lavender, and patina) and called it done.