Be My Guest

For those of you who don't know, I used to do a lot of photography. Of course, this was back when camera phones were not really a thing. Now I still do a lot, but so does everyone else! And what do we all do with all of these photos? Well, except for the few AI things I have been playing around with for fun, all photos on this blog are taken by yours truly! 

I am excited to say that yesterday I was featured on the Viewfinder website! You can find my post here! Please go and check it out and come back and let me know what you think! 

Lest you think I am using this as a cop out for posting today, I will leave you with the following five places I would go back to, in photo form. These are in no particular order, and are "including but not limited to!" 

Patagonia

Maine

Croatia

South Africa

Nepal

Have you been to any of the places I have mentioned? Do you like taking photographs? What places that you have been to would you return to? 

If you haven't already, you can fill out this form with any questions you want answered for my upcoming ask me anything post!!

This post is part of NaBloPoMo. You can find the rest of my posts for this challenge here. You can find the list of participants and their information here. 

Capture the Colour

My buddy Lindsay over at My Life as a Foreigner thought that I would like to be a part of the Capture the Colour (hey that's how they spell it, so I am going to follow suit) contest. And she was right! She is a fun Canadian girl, living in Denmark, who loves to read and travel and take pictures. Plus she has a Danish boyfriend who let's her take pictures of him sleeping and post them on her blog. Who would NOT get along with her?

Except for the fact that by suggesting it to me, it caused me to have to go back and look at all of my photos in order to find the perfect one, I was very excited that she alerted me to this contest! If you know me, you know I have a lot of photos to go through! I didn't go through ALL of them, but I did find some fun submissions for the contest. Here they are! PS, whoever wins gets 2000 pounds to spend on travel! That's a ton of cash (get it? ton? I crack myself up)!! Wish me luck.

Here's the thing. At first I though I would just submit photos that I liked which were mainly of the color that they were looking for. This would mean I had tons of photos to pick for the blue category due to lots of photos of water and sky! But the judges didn't just want a mostly blue photo. Or a photo that everyone has already taken, like of a yellow flower. For example, the blue judge wanted "clever use of blue...your take on the word blue...a splash of blue that captures the attention of your viewer or any other interesting non obvious way of using blue..." This made it harder, as most of the judges noted the same thing. So, in case you were wondering why a certain photo isn't mainly X, that is why!

BLUE:

Venice, Italy

This shop full of color really caught my eye. I love rows, bins or buckets of things all lined up!

GREEN:

Gokyo, Nepal

If those clouds weren't there, you may be able to see Mt. Everest. The feeling at the tops of these mountains is indescribable. 

YELLOW:

Jodhpur, India

 This man in the Mehrangarh Fort with his white clothes and contrasting bright colored turban caught my eye.

WHITE:

Sao Luis, Brazil

This unexpected storm on an otherwise beautiful day kept us indoors for only a short while. 

RED:

Ushuaia, Argentina

Known as the "most southern city in the world", this place is cold even in the summer, but it's snow capped mountains, great hiking paths and beautiful vistas like this one are worth the long trip down there. Plus they have penguins.

You still have time to enter as well! I know some of you photo buffs may be interested: Jess, Nilsa, Kate, Jill, Raquelita?? Any takers?

What is your favorite color to take photos of? What color catches your eye the most in a photo? If  you look through your old photos, what do you have the most photos of?

Worth A Thousand Words

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Since this is the case, I have books (tomes even) worth of photos. Luckily, because of the digital age, we can do this, without having a box, photo album or film canister full of photos. Now we have a computer full. One of my projects for this year is to go back and print out some of my photos and put them into an album. I am doing pretty well; of the 10 years worth of digital photos I have to print, I have put about 8 of them into albums so far.

I probably take a photo every day. Maybe not every single day, but most days. I looked back on January, February and March and there are probably only 2 days that I did not take a photo, either with my camera or phone. One of the things I found helps me to remember to take photos is to bring my camera with me everywhere, even when it seems like a pain to carry it.

There are so many different reasons to take photos. Here are a few of mine.

To play: As you know, each week I contribute one photo to Triptych, a site where we give you a word to interpret how you want. Each photo is different and it's fun to see what other people get out of the same word. This also goes for photo of the day sites and lists (a couple of fun ones are: Fat Mumslim's Monthly List and Capture Your 365's Monthly List). I don't do these every day, but sometimes it's fun to make a day out of it.

Triptych's SPLENDID prompt

To capture a moment: These photos are often a little blurry, but they are a freeze frame of something remarkable. Of your baby's first steps. Of a smile. A vacation. A good night out with friends. Or a bicycle ride for two down the streets of a Brazilian town, 4 seconds before you ran into the curb and fell to the ground.

He's on the handlebars, taking the photo as we are riding along.

To remember: I travel a lot and love seeing all the beautiful places in the world. But with time, memories fade and that thing that you thought you would always remember can be just a fuzzy thought. I like to take photos so this doesn't happen. Like this one of my trip to Yosemite in 2004 with my Dad and Grandma, and my botched attempt to die my hair red.

To laugh: I snap a lot of photos with my iPhone. Of signs. Of people wearing silly hats. Of "butt rub". Of naked people walking down the streets of San Francisco. Yup. That really happens.

Bay to Breakers 2010

To create: I used to just snap photos left and right without thinking about it. Now, sometimes I take the time to get the light right, or the setting, or even just the frame. And sometimes I just get lucky.

To chronicle: I use my photos in lieu of a journal sometimes, since I often fall way behind in writing in it. Also, when I do decide to finally write in my journal, I have an easy database of photos to pull from, and to remind me of what I was doing.

Thailand: food to them; bugs to me.

To show:  I take a lot of photos with my iPhone to show my loved ones, who are far away, what is going on in my life. Even if it's as mundane as "look what I bought at Target" it's still fun to feel like they are right here with you, doing boring day to day stuff, as well as the fun things. Or, oftentimes, I show you too! This photo was taken by my Dad after we reached the summit of Mt. Shasta, and sent to my Mom from the top.

I'm ready to get down now

To remind: Different that "to remember" this is more like taking photos of something to remind myself of something...which wine I DO like, what book I want to buy, or how much batteries are at one store, so when I go to the other I can compare. It's like easy note taking.

These clips are cheaper at Target

And mostly, I take photos because it's fun!

Why do you take photos? What do you take the most photos of? Do you ever print your photos out and put them in an album?

A New Kind of 52

I mentioned in this post that I had done a few different 365/52 projects over the past years. I really think that they are a good idea, becuase they do encourage you to get out and about and to take in your surroundings. Whether you are taking photos of your pets, the grass, things around the house, the beach or even the kitchen sink, you realize there is beauty in everything! And it's fun to learn how to use your camera, the light and different angles to make something that makes you happy!

This year I am not doing a 365 project per se. Actually, since this year is a leap year, it would technically be a 366 project. But I am not doing that either. I do plan on taking photos pretty much every day, just like I have for the last couple of years, but I will not be posting them online. I am also not doing a 52 week project per se.

However, I AM doing a project. This year, two of my aunts and I are doing a photography project together. We are calling it Triptych, because it is the three of us and our three different interpretations of things. Based on words sent in by friends and family last year, we will each take a photo a week and post it online. We encourage all of you to participate as well! You can link up with your photo showing your interpretation of the word! Our first post went up last Wednesday and our next post airs today, Monday the 9th. Posts will go up each Monday from now on.

Our first word was BEGINNINGS. Come over and see how we each interpret the word and share your interpretation as well! Today's word is HAIRY. Our link up for HAIRY will be up until next Sunday, January 15th. Please post your photos and link up with us!

Also, if you have a word you want featured, leave me a comment or shoot me an email. We like weird words!

What weird things do you take photos of? How would you express "beginnings" in a photo?

Grab a Flute

Happy New Year everyone! And goodbye to 2011! Instead of grabbing a beer and looking what happened last week, let’s get in the mood and grab a glass of bubbly. Also, since this week has been filled with Christmas and things like that, I think we’ve had enough photos and recaps of the last week! I am going to take a different tack, and talk a little about photography.

As you all know, my posts are peppered with photos. I’ve always loved taking photos, but my “career” really took off in 2010, when I started a 365 project. I did not post a photo for each day, but it did help me learn that there is beauty all around us, not just when we are on vacation in Mexico. I still take a photo almost every day, and I find it a great way to record memories and to open your eyes and look around a little rather than taking things for granted.

In 2011, I decided to take it down a notch, to a 52 week project. Again, I slacked on posting photos each day, but once again, I DID take a photo pretty much every day! I also took an online course, 12 Weeks to Better Photos, which helped hone my skills even more. I look back on the last 2 years of photos (and beyond) and realize that I have improved a lot.

But what do you DO with all the photos!? Obviously, I post a lot of them here, but there are so many more that never see the light of day. My addition and computer skills aren’t that great, but I think I took somewhere around 25,000 photos this year. That’s 69 photos a day! So, for my own satisfaction and yours, I am pulling some of them out of the archives, for A Year in Photos, 2011. Post Card Style. Got your Champagne? Okay, let’s go.

Also, in 2012, I am happy to say that I am doing another photography project! I will talk more about it soon, as it is still in the works. I am very excited to share it with all of you!

Did you do a 365 / 52 (or any photo) project this year?  Have you ever not reached your goal but still learned something from the process?

12:12 Camera Accessories

This is the last week of 12 Weeks to Better Photos! Thanks Kate for hosting! It was fun to play along and have a "classmate" to study with!  In case you missed it,here are the links to the first 11 weeks:

Week 1: Aperture
Week 2: Shutter Speed and ISO
Week 3: White Balance
Week 4: Flash
Week 5: Composition
Week 6: Shooting Indoors

Week 7: Shooting Outdoors and Macro

Week 8: On The Go
Week 9: Portraits
Week 10: Landscapes
Week 11: Your Daily Environment

Week 12 is really just a rundown of what types of accessories you can get for your camera. So, instead of going into detail about this (you can read the pdf HERE), I am going to talk a little about a couple of accessories I have found to be useful and a couple that I would like to have. If you are a camera person, please tell me what else YOU think I should get next.

My newest lens is this one. It's a 35mm. So far, so good, except I have to keep remembering to take a step back, since my kit lens is an 18-105 and so it gets a little more into the frame.

Source: google.com via Kyria on Pinterest

One of the best pieces of advice I received was to buy a UV Filter. It helps protect the lens from getting scratched and filters the light as well. It screws right on the lens and does not affect the lens cap from going back on.

Source: google.com via Kyria on Pinterest

I also have a tripod, which does wonders when you are shooting landscapes etc, but I have to admit, is a pain in the butt to cart around most of the time.

What I would like to have is:

Because I hate that red-eyed look:

Source: target.com via Kyria on Pinterest

Because sometimes you want a good group shot:

Source: google.com via Kyria on Pinterest

Because I like to throw my camera in my purse:

Source: amazon.com via Kyria on Pinterest

Check out my Photography Pinboard HERE. 

Also folks if you are looking for a new camera, here are a few good deals I have seen lately!

At Target: Canon Powershot. $129.99 for regular priced $179.99 -- 12MP 4x optical zoom

Source: target.com via Kyria on Pinterest

At Costco -- Fujifilm 500EXR -- comes with camera case and memory card -- 16MP / 15x optical zoom *I can't find the price online, but I think when I was in the store, it was about $129.00.

Source: shop.costco.com via Kyria on Pinterest

Do you have a favorite accessory? Is there something that you use all the time and love?

10:12 Landscapes

Landscape photography is something I feel more comfortable doing. The mountains don’t move. Okay, maybe they do, but at least it’s really slow. They don’t talk back either. They are calm and huge and fun to take photos of! However, there are several things you need to consider when taking landscape shots. As always, you need to think about the composition of your photo. Like we learned in week 5, you need to eliminate distractions, apply the rule of thirds, keep an eye on the horizon and try a new perspective from time to time. So, how can we do that when shooting landscapes?

The rule of thirds is easy; just make sure you are lining up a tree or a mountain or the sky in one of those quadrants, like we practiced. You can also use a natural line to create the rule as well as drawing the eye into what you want the viewer to focus on.

Trying a new perspective can be fun. Look at things from above or below in order to take a photo that everyone else has not already taken. Can you get a birds-eye view of something, instead of taking the shot from ground level?  

For those of you with a point and shoot, use the landscape mode, which is the little mountain icon, to shoot your photo. This will cause the camera to have an increase f/stop (remember that from week one?) which will cause the whole photo to be in focus. If you have a lower f/stop, only certain parts (foreground / background) will be in focus and with a landscape photo, you want the entire thing to be crystal clear. Remember, Ansel Adams shot photos at an f/64! If you are not using a point and shoot, remember, the higher the f/stop, the less light is being let in, so you may need to slow down your shutter speed or bump up your ISO if there is insufficient natural light.

Here’s the question we want to consider this week:

What does your view of the world look like?

The assignment was to share your view of the wide, wide world. We were reminded to select an f/stop around f/22, compose our photo with the entire scene in mind, and apply any of the following 10 tips:

1. Use a wide angle lens (if you have one)

2. Find a bird's eye view

3. Locate a focal point

4. Consider composition

5. Pay attention to the time of day

6. Play with shadows, silhouettes, and reflections

7. Use lines to lead the eye

8. Consider a city scene

9. Take a panoramic photo

10. Capture a nighttime scene

As you can see, in the first photo, I achieved a bird’s eye view of this landscape by climbing up to the top of another mountain. Maybe hiking is not your cup of tea; that’s okay. You can take the elevator to the top of the Empire State building and get the same result.

In this photo, you can see that the focal point is that mountain top, which I was trying to get to!

In this photo, I used the line of the river to draw your eye. I also tried to apply the rule of thirds, but I may have wanted to raise my camera just a bit in order to have a little more sky in the photo.

In this, the lines of the beach and the lines of the sun are good, although I should have maybe stood a little closer to the water to make more of an angle, rather than the flat line of the ocean.

This photo used the city as the landscape instead of using natural elements.

This photo shows you what a difference the time of day makes. In the earlier morning, the sun is not up enough, so the light is kind of grey, instead of being warmer. The colors of the trees and water are more pronounced when the sunlight is on them. The contrast of the blue sky instead of the washed out grey one makes for a more interesting photo.

What I learned: Take your time. Like I said before, the mountains are not moving very fast. You can afford to think about your shot and compose it right. Try standing in a few different places to get a better angle. Consider the time of day. As you saw in the last photo set, it makes a big difference. Go to the same place several times; you may be surprised at the differences each time.

Don’t forget to link up with Kate and to join us next week when we will be looking at Our Daily Environments. We only have two weeks left, but you can still join in the fun at any time!

Do you like taking landscape photos? Do you prefer city-scapes or natural landscapes?