The Photo Advantage

People watching with your camera.

2011-05-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

You never know what you will see when you people watch.

I once met a woman who was a professional photographer. She talked with me at length about using my camera as a people watcher. "You have an advantage," she said. "You take the time to sit and watch and capture moments that others pass over."

After quite a long discussion, she shared that some of her best photos had come from her sitting on a park bench and simply watching. People playing chess or having a picnic lunch. Children exploring, perhaps blowing bubbles. Grandmas and grandchildren. The possibilities are endless.

It is important to make certain you carry release forms with you in case you snap a photo that you think is a keeper. In a situation like that, you need to approach folks for their permission to use the photo. I carry releases with me whenever I go people watching.

The world is at your feet.
Inside: I believe you can be anything you want to be.

Every once in a while however I snap a photo from behind ~ like this little boy playing in a puddle at the zoo. I have had this picture in my portfolio for years. By now, the child must be a teenager. When I saw it a few months ago, I decided to pull it out and experiment.

This little guy is now one of my more popular greeting cards. The picture actually takes me into days with my own boys when they explored and splashed their way through many a rainy, muddy day. Perhaps that is why this photo warms my heart. It somehow captures the innocence of those good old days when for a little while none of us had a care in the world.

Comments always welcome.

Let photographic visions drive creativity.

2011-04-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

I love you, honey.

A photo advantage is often about expanding your vision. Let me tell you about my cats. Actually, let me tell you about two kittens.

They were born in October, sometime around the 6th or 7th of that month, in a liter of six kittens. The mother had all good intentions of raising her wee ones. However, she fed them well for two weeks and then stopped.

I’m uncertain whether the kittens were too hungry or whether they bit her as they suckled. I do know she abandoned them. They were so little and young and pretty. I joined with several other friends, and we raised them on a milk supplement that surprisingly we found at a local Walmart.

One friend selected a yellow striped tabby cat. Another took that cat’s twin along with a second, white with splotches of grey stripes. I kept a white male cat with splotches of yellow striping and a female calico. While the sixth kitten didn’t make it, I thought we did pretty well with pulling these wee ones through.

Share your vision with others. It's totally fun.

I’ve had a lot of fun photographing my two kittens as they’ve grown. They are known as Starsky and Hutch, with Hutchie being the female. This photo was taken as they slept in a rocking chair. All tuckered out from hours of jumping in the air and tumbling over each other, Hutch sprawls atop her best friend sound asleep.

So here is my vision about cat photographs. I want more than to focus on their face. I want to capture a feeling of some sort so that I can communicate a message.

This picture isn’t the best in the world. Far from it, and yet it is a huggable pose that says ‘I love you’ in its easy way. I played with the picture even more using a Topaz Filter and then in Photoshop used layers to add text.

The resulting cartoon-like picture takes on a whole different feel and still says ‘I love you’. I’ve used both photos in greeting cards. The results are quite captivating. It all started with a vision…and so I encourage you to play with your pictures. Tell a story. Look for a feeling, and then find a way to use it so that everyone takes pleasure from your creativity.

Your comments are forever welcome.

Simple cropping creates intimacy.

2011-04-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

The combination of orange and purple is so lovely.

As I write about my photography and the love I have for the adventure of making new captures, I think about the concept of working a subject. So often I will come across a gathering of colorful flowers or an interesting building, maybe old dilapidated cars or playful children. I can't just take one photo or two. I have to snap and snap from all different angles until I feel satisfied.

Then of course it's a matter of downloading my photos and playing with them in the computer. I always feel like a kid in a candy shop as I click from one pix to the other. Great rainy day fun. It's wonderfully entertaining. Guess that's another advantage to being a photographer. I always have something to look forward to, and that makes life pretty terrific.

Often I have a vision in my head about what I am looking to accomplish within a picture. Maybe it's a feeling I want to communicate. Perhaps it's a focus on certain colors, lines in architecture, or even rust on a truck.

Close cropping creates intimacy to your subject.

The photos I'm showing you today illustrate the beauty of springtime tulips at the Botannical Gardens in Buffalo, New York. I want to give them credit because their spring flower show is always breathtaking. These particular tulips were a new color. I hadn't seen them in previous years.

What I'm aiming to show you here is how you can play around with simple cropping to get a closer, more intimate look at your subject. This is something every one of you can do. Play around with what you have in your picture, and sometimes you will find delightful results as I did here.

I've learned to use the same technique with animals and children too. There are often subtleties you can highlight by focusing on a smaller area. That intimate focus draws the viewer into the experience. Here for example, don't you feel like you want to pick a tulip or at the least bend over and look inside each bloom?

Comments welcome. May your Easter be delightful.

Animal photography challenges me.

2011-04-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Why just look at that cute little girl over there.

If you’re into taking photos of animals, good luck. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and patience. I find them much like children because they find countless ways to fiddle and squiggle, and twist and turn.

Cats and dogs are a huge challenge, especially in their playful moments. Horses are constantly chewing or flicking flies off themselves. Zoo elephants will rock from side to side as they think about the day. Monkeys like to fly through the trees with the greatest of ease. They are almost impossible.

I made a few good captures at dog shows. Groomers constantly work with their animals so they sit very still. I’ve found if I am around later in the morning or afternoon, I’ll come upon some tired dogs napping or looking bored like they’re ready to call it a day. That’s when I get my best pictures.

Make my day! I would so like a backrub.

The zoo in Buffalo, New York can be fun. I make frequent visits in the spring because on a pleasant, sunny day, many of the animals are lolling lazily in the sun’s rays, occasionally waking to yawn or check out the tourists. Snap! Good picture. The same animals may get overheated and dive into pools of water. Another good photo op! Feeding time doesn’t always work because the animals are restless. They have one thing on their mind and it isn’t sitting for a portrait.

I have luck in our zoo’s gorilla house. Those gorillas sit and pick at each other or their food for hours; meticulously making sure everything is clean. When they are content, they lie around and stare at the world walking by their windows. I feel a bit sad for them because they are so contained. I must confess I wonder what they are thinking as we harass them with our cameras.

What I like to get in my animal photos is similar to what I search for in children. I like the photo with an expression that fleetingly presents itself. In one moment a tip of the head, a blink, a slight smile, a bored or thoughtful eye, even a yawn tells all. If out of 50 photos, I get one good expression, then my afternoon at the zoo is totally worthwhile.

Comments welcome. Feel free to share.

Take a risk. Be an artist.

2011-04-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Be an artist and smile.

I love color. I love all color. How could I ever pick a favorite? There was a golden book my mom used to read me when I was little. It was The Color Kittens: kittens playing in paint and spilling colors until new colors were created. It fascinated me.

I don’t think of myself as an artist. However, when I indulge in photography, I marvel over color combinations that catch my eye. The brighter, richer colors light a spark that warms me all over.

Once I have a photo with color, I enjoy playing around with it. Often I adjust the levels and then accept the photo for what it is. At other times, I diffuse it or apply a vignette blur as I did in the photo above.

The blur in this picture used one of the Nik Color filters. I like that the filter helps me make the picture soft and easy while highlighting the flowers at the center.

As you’re playing around with your camera, think about color combinations: purple and yellow, red and blue…all the colors of the rainbow. I guarantee the resulting photographs will brighten your day. In the process you will feel like the artist you didn't think you were, and you'll smile. I guarantee it.

Comments always welcome.

My New Year's Day in Spring!

2011-04-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just whisper a little prayer.

In my last few posts, I've written about ways to escape the doldrums of grey days. Doesn't matter whether it's snow, rain or just the darkness that comes with the tug-of-war between winter and spring weather. Photography is an escape for me, and reading.

Now since the purpose of this blog is to help you know me better, I'm sharing yet another escape. It's one I enjoy every April, and because I love photography, I can communicate my escape in a photo or two.

The Buffalo Botannical Gardens hosts a spring show that is always awash with color. As a photographer it thrusts me into the bright, beautiful world of daffodils, tulips, lilies, and hyacinths, taking my breath away. A visit into the glass garden walls empowers me and gives hope. It's my 'coming out' celebration. I leave winter behind to capture growth in its purest sense.

Inside: Let's escape. Maybe plan a picnic and spend the day?

When I enter the Gardens, I stand under the large dome and look up. Here I feel as though I am in the presence of greatness. I smell the earth that nurtures so many blossoms. I hear voices chatting as they 'oh' and 'ah' over this flower and that. I still look up as folks walk around me. I can't help but whisper a thank you prayer that I am back to start yet another year. Spring to spring. It's like another new year's party for me.

There are benches strategically placed in this dome area. I find one and sit to gaze as the sunshine streams in through the glass. It's perfect. What more could I want?

Tall vegetation reaches proudly for the warmth. I lean back and stare up, then look around at the crochuses and tulips. I feel small next to this beauty. Thankfully I have time and a camera. I've even packed a lunch. This will be a great day!

Comments forever welcome.

Photos show you I am also a bookworm.

2011-04-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors.

I love to read. I could lose myself for hours in a book. In fact, I make myself stay away from reading during the day because if I got started I would still be immersed in that book till dark. Then I’d get nothing done. That would not be good. I have too much to do.

I reward myself with books normally. I have this internal dialogue that says, “If you get this done or that done, you can sit and read for an hour.” Sometimes that works out just fine. Other times, I have to delay my reward until I have uninterrupted time to wallow in the wonders of fictional adventures or pursue the knowledge of non-fiction insights. Often I read before I fall asleep at night, frequently waking up with the book straddled across my chest.

Snow days in the wintertime are the best! I wrote in a previous post that I indulge in my photographs on days like that. When I’m not doing photography, I’m rewarding myself with a good book. That is especially cozy when the electricity goes out. I light a candle or find a flashlight and curl up with my book. Sigh.

Some of my best reads have been Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes, House Rules and The Pact. I give them a great reference. Most of Nicholas Sparks books warm my heart. Wish I could write like he does. I loved The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. That’s a book I will never forget, and then Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is totally memorable. The Harry Potter Series will be an all time favorite. I could list my favorites for hours and hours.

Inside: Take a book off the shelf and put your feet up.

I’ve decided to make myself a snow day even in the summertime. Periodically, I think we all would benefit from leaving our responsibilities for an afternoon or a day and retreating into a good book. Make a cup of tea. Depending on the time of year, curl up with a quilt or sprawl in front of a fan. It’s the most wonderful mental health day ever…like a vacation without spending a dime.

For that reason, I've created a greeting card that you can send to a deserving friend or family member, especially if they are on the 'schedule treadmill' meeting all kinds of deadlines and taking no time for themselves. Invite them to take a snow day even in summer. Take a snow day. Grab a book. Explore new lands, solve a murder mystery, fall in love or read up on a subject that is yet unknown.

I hope you get everything done you want to do today. I will do my best because I have 'a carrot' waiting for me tonight. I will read and love every minute of that relaxation. Join me?

Comments welcome. Maybe recommend a good book.

Fresh insights and changed perspective.

2011-04-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Holly fairies twist and turn with liquify.

Ever tried something funky with your photography and the results were really fun? I love to take an hour now and then to experiment, losing myself in photo filters and techniques. Photoshop is wild when you free yourself to follow your heart. Anyway, when the end photo is a surprise, I realize my creative adventure was worth the time.

Amazed at seeing a big holly bush last summer, I snapped a few unbelieving photos. The lighting was right. At the time, I remember thinking how crisp the holly bush highlights and shadows presented themselves. You know I've always said presentation is everything and that holly was doing an excellent job at catching my eye when I walked by.

Later I cropped my picture and tucked it away into a project folder on my computer. In retrospect, I’ve discovered I need to open those project folders more often. Good pictures can get lost or forgotten.
So on a winter snow day from school when I had a little time on my hands, I explored my computer for hidden treasures. I found my holly picture and decided it might be fun to play with it.

First I experimented with the liquefy filter. Playing around with different swirls and twists, I thought about holly fairies dancing around imaginative places of escape and fun.

Playing with hue and saturation opened me to the wonders of recreational experimentation.

Adding adventure to imagination, I manipulated hue and saturation, changing the original green holly to rainbow colors galore. What I ended up with was a burnt orange wonder that triggered my warm feelings and gave me a whole new perspective.

Seemed there might be a life lesson here. Like if we look at an issue or a problem from different angles, working the subject the way we work a photo, perhaps our perspective will change and problems will be solved with fresh insight.

Interestingly, when I entered this into a photo class, it was selected as a photo of the week. So I’m guessing it would make sense to dabble in those project folders even more. I might just have another treasure hidden deep inside. Now let’s see…hmmm.

Comments always welcome.

Nothing so sure as change.

2011-03-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

I'm getting tired of taking snow photos. Bring on spring and summer!

There’s nothing as sure as change. My 93 year old mother has said those words for years. I have to admit she’s right, totally right, and with a chuckle I will acknowledge like a teenager how hard it is to give your mom credit for being so wise.

Living in Western New York drives home the idea of change. One day it is 50 degrees giving hope to spring blooms everywhere. The geese return. Earth smells fill the air with anticipation. I have thoughts of getting into the garden again. But alas, the next day it is snowing, 28 degrees and promising 4-10 degree temperatures in the extended forecast. We are right back into winter.

For the last four days temperatures slowly rose. Mud was oozing out from under our feet as we walked across thawing country parking lots. Blue sky and sunshine peeked through the clouds. I thought surely change was here. Maybe we would see 40 degrees. Sunshine could fill us with Vitamin C and D, even put a lilt in our step.

I woke this morning to snow on the trees. While the sight was almost magical on my drive to work over rolling foggy hills, I was aware of a gnawing wish that the snow would quite simply go away.

I wanted to shout, “C’mon! It’s time to move on! It’s time for warmth and green, rainbows and flowers.” Right about now I need to give mom a call, tap into her optimism. I’m sure she will remind me to keep the lid on until April because after all, there’s nothing as sure as change...and April is tomorrow.

Comments forever welcome. Make my day!

The beauty of being balanced and in sync.

2011-03-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am so ready to be in sync with the natural world again.

Every once in a while I want my life to be in perfect balance. I wish I was operating totally from my center. Not always - especially in the winter - do I find myself feeling in balance.

In the cold weather months, I read often, work on the computer, write frequently, and manage the cold temperatures, dressing in layers and layers to stay warm at our horse barn. No matter the weather, there is always work to do there, and then I spend indoor time steeping tasty teas and wrapping in warm quilts.

Sad to say, I withdraw in the winter like a hibernating bear, mainly because of the cold and snow. In Western New York, those winter days can be a challenge, making it difficult to keep the car on the road safely. Besides, taking pictures of snow covered trees and hillsides becomes a bit boring. Consequently, I take fewer photos and do more word puzzles.

Often winter is the time of year I pour over photos I took during the other three seasons of the year, categorizing, cropping, and manipulating the best in photoshop, just in case I can enhance them. I take a photoshop class or two on Betterphoto.com. I work at creating new greeting cards for my card business; I enjoy putting Christmas gifts together so friends and family get something special from me.

Come spring I'm ready to get in sync again. As many of you know, I am an English riding instructor and summer camp director. So spring means organizing staff, recruiting campers and getting our facilities in shape for summer. There's lots of outdoor time in warmer temperatures, reconnecting with all those wonderful folks who love horses, the land and our camp spirit.

Trillium speak to us of hope and promise.

Spring inspires me to take colorful photos. Watching tulips, crochuses, cherry trees and rhodedendrohn unfold their beauty is special. Looking for good lighting becomes an adventure. Working a subject takes on new meaning and then there's my visit to the Buffalo Botannical Gardens, truly a photographer's delight.

I get excited for the spring mud to disappear so I can hike the woods and maneuver streams until I find hillsides of trillium. Like the geese returning and the blackbirds singing, the trillium are a genuine sign that warmer temperatures are not far away.

Then summer engages me. Time around the horses is relaxing, and 'in sync' helps me remember that photo advantage. Because we photographer's notice natural, unique details everywhere, we delight in new growth, shades of green, and rainbows of color. We catch faces of children who are free to explore outdoors and love the animals in their lives. In my heart I join them in their puddle splashing and horse hugging. I also celebrate that once again I will be balanced. Hallelujah! Amen.

Comments are welcome. Hope you're anticipating lovely spring photographs.

You rock my world!

2011-02-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

You rock my world!

Every once in a while, I need something to pick up my spirits. That happens to most of us. It so happens that back in 2006 or 2007, I visited a wildlife preserve out in the state of Washington. They have the most wonderful things in Washington. This was a preserve where animals from Hollywood are retired.

That's right. It means animals from movies like Gentle Ben have a place after the hoopla and celebration of being in a great show. It also means folks can see them in their more natural habitat.

We had great fun that day. Took a loaf of bread with us and tossed it to the bears, I remember. They responded with tricks that apparently had been part of their repertoire in the movies. A few of them were bad mannered and argued over their bread, but this guy was as happy as they come.

I snapped my photos and proceeded to lose them inside my computer for a few years. When I revisited oldphoto folders, I rediscoverd this guy. My sagging February spirits were revitalized. He is a joy, isn't he?

I've put him into a greeting card. Actually, he is in two greeting cards. One says, "Got a minute to chat?" That one is blank on the inside. The other one says, "You rock my world". On the inside, "There. Ta-dah! I knew I could make you smile!"

Guess this just proves that we photographers need to revisit those old photos once in a while. You never know when you'll find something that is a real treasure. It might make all the difference.

Comments? Of course. Anytime.

Snow photography has its challenges.

2011-02-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

Trail ride memories and snow photography come together.

Every once in a while I have an opportunity to enjoy dear friends and horses at the same time. It makes me smile when I hear the kids chatter about their horses. I am even more elated when I feel the spirit they share with each other. That is priceless.

Through their connection with horses, these teens build memories that infect them with a wonderful sense of belonging. When school stresses overwhelm, the horses bring them peace. After deadlines are met and tests are taken, they come together in their horsemanship and laugh over funny stories from their week.

Riding in the snow is particular fun. With the horses picking up their feet higher than normal, it's like riding a grand champion to music. Of course, I usually have my camera handy so I can capture moments to be treasured come summertime. I'm challenged often by bright snow photography. However, I've learned that polarizer, filters and the recovery tool in Photoshop are helpful.

Comments welcome, especially if you love to ride in the snow.

Wanted: old trucks with character!

2011-01-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Anyone want to buy an old truck?

Until recently, I have not entered photo contests. With the encouragement of friends who like the pictures I take, I've become a little more daring.

In December I submitted the above photograph to a contest offered by BetterPhoto.com. I uploaded the photo, figuring it would get lost amongst the thousands of photos submitted by photographers worldwide.

In fact, 15800 photos were submitted. Imagine that. Imagine judging that many photos in search of a winner. My goodness! Well, I'm pleased and proud to say that I was one of 880 finalists selected. For any of us connected to BetterPhoto.com, this is a definite honor.

There is a bit of story surrounding this photo. I visited my sister in Sequim, Washington last August. She showed me around the state. We traveled to scenic mountains, the seashore, Forks, Washington, and even the rainforest. It was a wonderful week. My camera was very busy.

One afternoon we drove along a road near her home and I shouted, "Stop! I want to take that picture!" She had no idea what I had seen and yet very kindly pulled over to the side of the road.

When I climbed through tall weeds to these two old trucks, my sister wondered why anyone would want a picture of two trucks for sale. I told her they had character! You see, true photographers have an eye for pictures. They just do. Well, my judgement about these trucks making a good photo was verified when another car stopped and the driver said, "I don't know what folks see in those old trucks, but they're stopping here all the time to take pictures."

Guess there's an advantage to being an amateur photographer. It gives me an excuse to be silly sometimes, tapping my playful and creative inner child. So many of us take the ordinary for granted. Not me. I'm forever surprised when my best pictures are snapped by the side of the road.

Comments about my old trucks? They have character.

A Dog Show Afternoon for Fun Photos

2011-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Some days I have all I can do to get up and dressed!

One thing about being a photographer is that I'm always searching for new subjects to photograph. I think that's one of the advantages of photography. I look for details in the world around me that perhaps I might miss if I wasn't focused on finding unique pictures.

I also take myself places that on a normal day I might not go. Like last Saturday I went to the dog show at the Hamburg Fairgrounds in hopes that I might snap a picture or two that would be new and different for me.

It was an adventure getting there in a snowstorm, and it yet it was worth the effort. I had a great time watching dog owners pamper dogs of every breed. Many of those breeds I've only seen in encyclopedias.

Oh honey! You take my breath away!

I couldn't believe how fancy a poodle can look or how beautifully a proud basset hound can carry himself. Afghan hounds wore funny hats or wraps to keep their long ears clean while waiting for their turn in the show ring. Border collies and hound dogs made me realize that Lily has a reason for looking and acting the way she does.

Every dog seemed so patient. I would guess that's their training. No dog fights at all. Very little barking. They were much better with their social skills than some children I know!

Other owners powdered their dogs. One man brushed and brushed and brushed his long haired sheep dog, fluffing the dog with white powders so that his whites were truly bright white. I saw him brushing the dog when I arrived at the show. He was still brushing that dog when I left three hours later. Made me smile. I was amazed the dog would sit so still for so long. If that had been me, I'd have laid flat and started snoring!

Did you see that border collie over there? He's so handsome.

I have no idea what breeds of dogs I photographed. I had fun looking for expressive pictures that captured my heart. Owners seemed pleased when I wanted to snap their well-groomed friends. I guess I need to say if anyone reads this blog and recognizes their dog, please contact me. I'm happy to send you a picture.

Anyway, enjoy these cute guys or gals. I've more pictures in my computer to share. These are two of my favorites. I'm thinking they probably wouldn't do well with horses what with all the burdock we have to contend with, but I'll bet they have personalities that might capture our heart.

Comments always welcome. Any idea what breed of dogs these are?

Valentine cards before the last minute.

2011-01-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

This satiny looking card may be perfect for you.

I am looking ahead to Valentine's Day. Thought this was about the time to design a few cards so that I could list them on my for sale list. As you can see, I've been having fun.

My first photo was created from a picture of tulips. They were such pretty colors that I thought possibly they would create a lovely Valentine and I am happy with the results. I've put this picture into a card already and it printed well, if I do say so myself.

Here is what the Valentine says: (Outside) Happy Valentine's Day; (inside) What can I say? You've changed my life. If you're interested in this Valentine, let me know by leaving a comment below. I'll also be posting it in my etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpruceConnect.

Inside: I'm thrilled we found each other.

The second Valentine is from a photo of pink and purplish clematis. The shades in the picture were lovely enough to catch my eye. I am hoping it might catch yours. Using the flexify filter, I could play with different intonations until I found just what I wanted, something soft and delicate looking.

This too will soon be up in the Etsy shop, along with many of my other cards. I hope you stop by sometime to take a peek. Meanwhile, I'll keep working on Valentines so you have a choice. After all, you don't want to wait until the last minute and then find there's nothing left for your sweetheart.

Comments warm my heart.

My old mill greeting card possibility

2011-01-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

This is a photo that I've played around with on photoshop. Because old buildings are not always straight, it's a bit tricky to find the proper adjustments.

I love old mills, barns, and covered bridges. There's a history to them that inspires my appreciation for what has gone before us. It brings out the nostalgic in me. I wonder how many lives have been intertwined or connected to an old building.

I would like to make this photo into one of my greeting cards. As long as the photo prints well, then I think it is a possibility. That is my primary concern. If it won't print well, then it's simply a picture I'll keep on my computer for personal enjoyment.

If you have thoughts for a greeting that might go with this card, let me know. I have a few possibilities that I would like to share and would be interested in your input.

(1) We have a history...and it's all good; (2) I love our history. It warms my heart; (3) Thank you...for your continuing interest in me. I appreciate your thoughtfulness; or (4) I am so thankful we're still friends.

One more suggestion came from a friend, "Come home. You feel so far away. I miss you."

What do you think fits well with this photo? Do you have an idea? Please share. Meanwhile, I used Topaz Adjust to enhance this mill, and added a vignette blur from Color Nix Pro.

Comments welcome. Leave your suggestions behind as you pass on through. Thank you.

Send flowers to say 'I love you'.

2011-01-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

Just to say 'I love you'.

Have you ever felt like sending flowers to someone just for the heck of it? I feel that way often. Like my niece has just moved in to a new apartment and flowers would be a perfect house warming gift.

I have a weakness for beautiful flowers. It doesn't seem to matter what the species, there's a miracle in each perfect flower. I think that's why I love going to the Botannical Gardens. Never is my visit there the same. Every time new blossoms, crisp and colorful, welcome me into the peace of just being in a garden.

For me, enjoying flowers is a mini trip into the gardens of my past. From the time I was a little girl, I could appreciate a good flower.

There was a lady who lived across the street from our family home. Her name was Mrs. Sibley. She taught me the fun of watching flowers grow, talking to me about how each flower raised its face to the sun. The flowers had special names and I thought they were like friends.

Well, guess what? She was growing flowers for the County Fair. I didn't know that. I was four years old. One afternoon, I picked those flowers and brought them home to my mom. Oh dear. Not good. My bad. Never did I see someone so upset as Mrs. Sibley on a summer afternoon in August 1949.

This four year old had no idea she had ruined someone's summer long project. I thought I was showing my mom that I loved her with perfect flowers. Today it's fair to say that lessons learned from Mrs. Sibley I remember today. Now I photograph lovely flowers perhaps as a tribute and apology to a little old lady from so long ago.

Comments about where flowers fit in your life?

The growth process in a photo.

2011-01-07T03:26:00.000-08:00

What is your perspective?

Life is not always as it seems. I've come to realize there are layers to our experiences no matter whether a walk on the beach or down a city street, a conversation, an educational challenge, or a new adventure. No matter where we are or what we are doing, there are definitive layers to what is happening.

Those layers could be thought of as different perspectives. Photographers might consider them as angles. I think we could talk for hours about how feelings get involved, history, a sense of future, spiritual and philosophical orientation, family, even outlooks or attitudes. Each one of us would have input here.

For me, those layers of experience enable growth: individual and group growth. Perhaps there are new and interesting insights. Personal hurts may come to light. Enthusiasm, eagerness to learn and knowledge is shared as doors close and windows open into new opportunities. Relationships develop, and in the end, we could find a sense of peace or possibly a new sense of balance in our hectic living.

My photo today is layered. It is a picture of a sidewalk in the Adirondacks combined with a photo of a succulent plant from the Buffalo Botannical Gardens. Simple. Complicated.

After making changes in the hue and saturation, the ending photo looks golden and hopefully reflects my optimistic respect for the growing process, its detours, inspiration, and celebration. From where I sit, growth is golden. What is your perspective? Can you make a photo that registers your view of the growth process?

Comments reflect your viewpoint. I hope you will share.

Photo creativity outside the box.

2011-01-06T03:33:00.000-08:00

This was the original photo.

The beauty of photography is that it allows me to think outside the box. Once I have the photograph I challenge myself to look at it in a variety of ways, especially when the photo is mediocre.

I snapped the above photo in the spring last year. It was quite simply a spring picture with lots of color. It wasn't an outstanding capture, just had a lot of color and it caught my eye. So I played with it, using a variety of filters and came up with something fun.

Using a Photoshop filter called Flexify, I took my spring photo and had a tremendous lot of fun, strengthening the purples and golds while changing the total form of the picture. Hard to believe that such changes can be made with a little playing around.

I continued to play and think outside the box, coming up with options that caught my eye and made me smile. These were two of the many results of my playing around, all from the same original picture.

You're witnessing here one of the reasons I absolutely love photography. In the comfort of my home, I can take pictures from any season of the year and manipulate them into something unique that is totally outside the box.

Creativity is so much fun. If you've never tried manipulating your photos, then experiment. You might be surprised with the results. At the least, you will 'oh' and 'ah' and giggle a little as you see the changes you enjoy during your photo adventure.

Comments are fun. Make my day!

Give me some input here?

2011-01-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

Make a stand. Look your photos in the face. Hard decisions.

Another subject I enjoy photographing: trees. I'm happy about snapping photos of all kinds of trees. It doesn't matter whether it's summer or winter. Trees fascinate me. I am totally drawn to them.

I think it's because I love being outdoors. Much of my life is spent hiking through woods, slopping through streams, or lying on my belly - even my back - to get a terrific picture. If you are a true photographer, I do believe you go to almost any extreme to work a subject and find a perspective that is unique or different.

I know it's one thing to go out on a long walk searching for trees that have a tale to tell. Every once in a while though I come across trees while I'm driving in the car that catch my eye.

That happened after I visited the Buffalo Botannical Gardens the day after Thanksgiving. It was Black Friday. Most folks went Christmas shopping. I packed up my camera and planned a day of photos at the Gardens. While I was there, it snowed. So driving home, unexpectedly, I came across this most enchanting view of trees, muffled with snow under a dark afternoon sky. It was magical.

The original photo came out quite dark so with photoshop and a few filters, I played until I came up with a picture that felt good, using Color Efex Pro and Topaz Simplify filters to bring both color and depth into the stand of trees.

I was going to clone out the post at the front of the picture but after much thought left it there. What do you think? Would you remove it?

Your comments would be helpful.

Dahlia, dahlia, who is the fairest of them all?

2011-01-03T03:39:00.000-08:00

One day at a time, you are making a difference.

Last August I spent a week in Washington state. Thoroughly enjoying the sights, it was my photographer's vacation, a delight and totally relaxing getaway.

I am blessed to have a sister and brother-in-law in Sequim, Washington. They live on Paradise Lane, and as far as I am concerned, it is truly paradise with mountains right outside their front door.

One of the stops on our journey around the area was a Japanese garden. For those living in the local area, this garden is an ideal escape from the stresses of the everyday. Many walk their dogs through the park as they enjoy the trails, trees, and pond filled with water lilies.

I personally celebrated my discovery of a layered garden of beautiful flowers, all kinds. Perfect dahlias filled the top layer and because it was late in the summer, they were at their peek. I spent time snapping my Nikon shutter, oohing and ahing at the dahlia colors, and vowed to enjoy them as the winter snows shut down the growing season in New York State.

So here is one of those lovely dahlias just for you. I did run it through Topaz Simplify and was pleased with the results. Have a wonderful January 3rd. Flowers to you!

Comments? Love them.

Join me on my journey?

2011-01-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

I invite you to join my journey.

So it is January 2nd and we are all gifted one more day to recoup before the work week begins. We are also given this day maybe to reflect on the possibilities ahead in this new year.

In my photography I love gates and doors, windows and roads that seem to go on forever, perhaps into nowhere, but maybe somewhere. We can only wonder.

There is something magical and enticing about what is beyond all that we can see. It keeps us open to mystery, the unknown, and speculations about what might be rather than what was.

For me a road or a path invites me into new growth where I might continue to discover my potential. New ideas. New perspectives. Fresh and different angles using shadows and light. Enlightenment. I like the sound of that and relish the process that enables discovery.

Come with me. Let's see what lies ahead.

I ask myself questions like how will I be different if I pursue this? What is hiding out there for me to discover? Will my life be enriched by my curiosity? Is there a perfect picture waiting around the corner or over the bend? Can my life get better? How can I know for sure? Am I prepared for the challenges?

So like an explorer I pursue the journey and in the process I learn. That is my hope for 2011. To keep on learning and growing and taking the best pictures I can take, all the while appreciating the beauty that surrounds me everyday in every season of the year.

Comments make my day. Leave me your feedback on my photos, and if you were to make a greeting card from these pictures, what would your words be?

Meaningful greeting cards can happen.

2011-01-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

Outside: Our friendship is classic. Inside: We stick together no matter what.

I've been very slow to enter new posts to this blog, partly because I write two other blogs. They keep me going and so then this blog sits. As a New Year's Resolution, I aim to make more entries into this blog because this is where I show you what I can do with my photography.

Today I am happy to announce that I'm marketing a new series of photo greeting cards. They are on special eco-conscious paper and they feel really good in your hand. I am impressed with their quality.

These cards have several selling features. First, there are original sayings in these cards. Several have sayings on the front of the card that invite you to look inside; the words communicate a genuine message. Happily, these are meaningful cards.

Outside: The clouds are lifting. Inside: Tomorrow there will be sun.

For example, outside, "You are so naturally you!" Inside: "I love how real and genuine you are."

You'll find, outside: "What an adventure!" Inside: "I couldn't have done it without you."

Then there's, outside, "One day at a time." Inside: "You are making a difference."

And, outside, "It has been too long." Inside: "Let's get together soon and catch up."

I personally like, outside: "You help me keep my balance." Inside: "Thanks for being such support."

And, outside: "Life gets a little prickly at times." Inside: "I'm here for you every step of the way."

Second, each card is frameable. Because they are 5" x 7" cards, they are attractive pictures for putting color into a bedroom, bathroom, hallway, kitchen, even living room. I have framed several in my own home and am totally pleased with them.

Outside: You help me keep my balance. Inside: Thanks for being such support.

Send a frameable greeting to a special someone. Write a meaningful message; the card can be framed and saved for posterity. Your message will be housed inside the frame and can be read again years from now when it may be time to frame a different photo.

Finally, I love reader input. You may have an original greeting. I invite you to send me that greeting and I'll create a special card with your message. And if you want to know what photo I have put with what message, ask away. I'm glad to share.

I don't know about you but I am tired of cards that don't really say what I want to say. This is a way to create something lovely and real, a keepsake. Meaningful greeting cards really can happen.

Comments are always welcome. Share your ideas!

Photo Personalities

2010-03-02T03:27:00.000-08:00

Photography is opportunity. It is an opportunity to capture a moment or a place in time and make that moment our very own. Sometimes those captures amaze. At other times I think I'll delete them from my digital camera because they are flat, overexposed, grey, or quite uninteresting. However with photoshop as a tool, I've learned to be careful about those deletes. They can turn into mysterious captures with awesome personalities.

I live on 120 acres of rolling hills that are beautiful. There are woods, forest beds, streams, meadows, and a small lake. Some might call it a pond. I prefer to have a bigger vision. It is my lake and it is ever changing with weather, seasons, and time of day.

These two photos were in my throw-away pile. The first photo was a dark, grey capture of a cold November afternoon. I snapped the picture simply because the clouds looked interesting over the lake. It was a spontaneous capture that in the moment caught my eye.

For several years the photo sat in a file on my computer. Then I took a class in High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. I made this photograph into one of my subjects and was amazed at the character I saw emerging from that drab picture. It was as if I discovered the personality within the person. You see the results above. You'll have to let me know what you think.

The second photo was taken on an October morning when really wierd weather changed the colors of the sky and grass and trees to orange. It felt as though a tornado was brewing.

I grabbed my camera, took quite a number of photos, and soon realized the camera was having trouble registering the strange colors in the atmosphere. It acted as if it didn't know how to focus. That was way before I understood how to manage manual focusing. When I think back to what I could have taken that day. Sigh.

All but two or three of those photos I deleted. This one was another picture of the lake only this time it was in the colorful fall. Slightly out of focus and overexposed, it captured me somehow, but I didn't know what to do with it. Much later I took a photo class that taught me how to use filters. There are many filters available through photoshop. I experimented over and over again with this picture and then found a filter called 'accented edges'. Ta-dah!

With that filter, I changed the picture completely. It's probably nothing I will ever sell. However, look at the amazing personality that was waiting to express itself: vibrant, fun, entertaining, even a bit eccentric. I love it. Best of all, in the process I discovered I could be a bit of an artist myself.

Comments are welcome below. Love to hear from you.

Tell me a story

2010-02-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

Way last spring I started this blog. Then it sat because I wasn't sure how to connect it to my photo website. Recently, I've upgraded in Better Photo so that I may now offer photos for sale. In the process - ta-dah - my blog is connected, and that feels really good.

So why did I pick the name Photo Advantage for my blog? That deserves some explanation so that you understand where I am coming from.

Much of my experience with this world of ours is within nature. As a child, I spent summers camping on a lake in the Adirondacks. Our campsite was literally on the edge of a lake so we always had morning, afternoon and evening views of sunrises, loons, storms, water skiiers, canoers, speed boats, seaplanes, and sunsets.

Getting a different perspective, we hiked into the woods, climbed area mountains, identified trees and birds, chopped and carried our own firewood, cooked our meals on a campfire, and yes, dug our own latrine. It was an awesome growing up adventure. And then around age 8, I was gifted my first camera. When I discovered how to capture my memories on film, that was the start of something big. I've taken photos ever since.

As an adult, I've lived near the ocean and now on 120 wooded acres with streams, hillsides, meadows, hiking trails, wild flowers, and a lake. I actually run a children's summer horseback riding camp and live on the grounds. So between nature and children, I always have reason to photograph another glorious memory.

My camera - gift that it was - continued to gift me every time I snapped a photo. My camera - now upgraded to a Nikon - has helped me capture cherished memories and simultaneously communicate my perspective.

I for example love catching a split-second connection between a horse and rider. It may be an eye-to-eye glance that reflects love and trust. Perhaps it is one moment when the rider touches their horse's shoulder as they are 'just being' together. Right then all seems right with the world, and every time I look at that photo, I experience the same peace I felt when first I viewed the finished photo.

My photos will hopefully inspire you as the viewer to feel something. Perhaps a photo will tell a story or inspire you to wonder what transpired prior to the taking of the picture. I love when a photo catches you and for a few minutes you use your imagination to wonder what transpired previously.

In my mind and heart, photos are a gateway to something more. Only you the viewer can say what more there is. It depends on where that photo takes you in your personal treasure trove of memories.

For example, can you look at a photo and say, "You know, I remember when..."? And as you start telling your story, we are mysteriously connected because we empathize with one another. Besides, we all love to share stories.

So photos give me an advantage, just as your photos might give you an advantage. Miracle that they are, our photos keep communications open, introduce perspective, allow for stories, and carry the past into the present so that we may be connected. What a gift! Need I say more?

Comments on this post are welcome. I appreciate your 'hellos', suggestions, applause, and greetings.

From Hobby to Business

2009-04-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

One advantage to pursuing photography: it is a soul-searching journey. Photography challenges me to assess my world view and then discover new depth to who I am and how I see life around me. In a strange way, I feel drawn to photographing windows, doors, gates, and bridges as symbols to the adventure facing me, and I wonder about the journey on the other side.

I examine my personal perceptions, viewpoints, opinions, judgements, ideas, and beliefs so that in the field I am open to an expansive variety of photo subjects or topics. I practice, experiment, delete, retake, and embellish, all the while dreaming of the day when someone might actually buy a photo I make.

Years ago I studied in Bogota, Colombia. Training for that semester experience introduced me to a theme that stays with me today: Be Prepared, Expect the Unexpected, and Accept the Unaccepted. Today that framework guides my approach to most situations whether they involve family, my job, friendships, day-to-day issues, or photography.

I know preparation makes sense. It feels like a no-brainer. Just like the gardner preparing for planting, having the right tools and techniques is basic to making the best photo you can make. Even things like getting enough sleep so you have the stamina to pursue your subject is as important as researching your subject ahead of time. The results can be beautiful.

Expecting the unexpected is the fun part of photography. I anticipate the element of surprise and am thrilled when I capture a photo that wasn't planned. In a split second without any time to ponder all the technical settings, I grab my camera and shoot...a laughing child, a rainbow, a bird in flight. That is the ultimate photographic moment. I love those photos. That's it. Done deal. Often the results are rewarding and the resulting photo is a totally pleasant surprise.

Accept the unaccepted. Here is where I am challenged. To see the homeless on city streets and actually photograph them feels intrusive. To encounter a beautiful old building and stop to click a picture seems as if I am trespassing somehow. To meet a person who draws you toward making a photo of them means asking for permission and I get scared they will be offended by my request. Consequently, I am doing that soul-searching I spoke of earlier to make peace with what I call a photographer's mentality and reality.

Come along with me on my journey. That's why I've started this blog. I've taken photo classes and continue to learn as I take more photo classes. I carry my camera with me everywhere just in case a photo moment awaits me.

Now I want to sell my photos and that requires more than just looking in a window. It means opening a new door, stepping inside a gate or walking across a bridge to the business world where photography is more than a hobby. This is a choice I have made that exposes me to people everywhere and demands that I believe in me.