Taken My Way

Winter Cabbage...

2012-01-26T23:47:00.004-07:00

A pretty kale in the planter in front of my office.

Top 11 of 11...

2012-01-15T12:06:00.009-07:00

Yes, I am a little late with this post. I hadn't planned to post it at all, since I was pretty lax in my blogging for 2011, but then I was looking at some photos and decided I really did want to try to Round Up my Favorites.

So here goes, my 11 favorite photos from 2011 in no particular order:

Capital

Smile

Sittin' Pretty

Circle of Light

Golden Pheasant (Boise Zoo)

Falling

A Rose by any other Name

Time is Fleeting

Gathering Moss

Looking Up

Project 52 and 365...

2012-01-13T17:15:00.005-07:00

I have joined 365project.org this year. I started on Dec 29th and hope to get all 365 photos taken this year. I am also going to try to join the My3Boybarians Project 52. This is one one photo a week for a year, each week has a new theme to help you along. My 365 photos are a mix of Quick Cell phone snapshots and more thought out/edited shots. I want to make Project 52 more structured and pull out the real camera and do some serious photography.

This week will be my first for P52, the theme is "Made with Love" so I have to put my thinking cap on.

Here is a sampling of my P365 photos so far...

Christmas Cheer...

2011-12-23T23:56:00.008-07:00

I can feel it...Christmas is coming!

I {Heart} Faces Holiday Bokeh Link Party

Oregon Trip

2011-12-20T14:10:00.002-07:00

A few shots from a recent trip to Oregon...

Multnomah Falls

Wahkeena Falls

Downtown Oregon City

Downtown Portland

Puppy Face

2011-12-12T21:03:00.003-07:00

This week on I Heart Faces they want to see Pet Faces!!! That's easy! ;)

Camera was packed...

2011-12-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

My camera got packed, I got moved and then I got a PUPPY! All I have photographed lately is this sweet little thing!!!

Pictures on Canvas...

2011-09-13T14:38:00.002-06:00

I recently joined a Photo Walk in Downtown Boise, it was specifically tailored to view, photograph and learn about the Historic buildings we have downtown. I have always loved taking photos of flowers and buildings, so one of my favorite shots is a mix of the two. I loved these pretty geranium baskets.

Rather than just print the photo on 8x10 photo paper and framing it, I took advantage of an offer to get one of my Pictures on Canvas from Easy Canvas Prints and had it printed 16" x 20". Ummm, WOW! It can out so crisp and clean, I Love it!!! I ordered it as a Christmas gift, but, I may keep it!!! ;)

I love the feel the canvas texture gives a photo. I am no artist, but this makes me feel like one!! :D

I had the edges done with a continuation of the photo itself, you can choose a solid side, a mirror image of the edge or like mine. You can also choose a 1' 1/2" deep side if you want.

A Huge thanks to Easy Canvas Prints for the great canvas!!!

Pictures on Canvas

*I was given a special offer to try out Easy Canvas Prints and give an honest opinion of their product on my blog. My post is a not a result of any pay, my opinion is based on my experience with the company as a whole, from their website, ordering experience and shipping.

Historic Boise Photo Walk...

2011-08-26T03:57:00.005-06:00

Tuesday evening I joined Amber Daley for her amazing Histora{c}ity Photo Walk through Downtown Boise, it was a truly amazing experience! I have seen the architecture of downtown, but never thought to look at it through a lens. What I found was surprising and beautiful!

Amazing buildings...

{Just Click to Enlarge any Photo}

and Alleys, who knew alleys could be so cool?

Of course the beauty is in the details...

Thanks for taking a look!

Girl's Weekend...

2011-08-24T18:57:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago I traveled to Indiana for my Annual All Girl's Weekend with my LOSTie Sisters. Most of the photos that were taken that weekend are Not meant for public viewing! LOL We *may* have consumed a bit of alcohol!!!

We stayed at one of the girl's homes in Seymour, Indiana. It is a stunning Historic Home!

1876...
Original Shutters, I am in Love!

I also wanted to post a few shots I got of the Amazing cake my friend Kris made for our fellow LOSTie, Jessica. It is AMAZING!

The top tier is Boston Red Sox themed. *GO SOX*

The Second tier is LOST themed, of course!

And the bottom tier is a nice fun Beach Scene!

Here is a shot of the entire Masterpiece...

Here is a fun "Out the Plane Window" Shot...

Magic Hour...

2011-07-14T20:18:00.002-06:00

I have been enjoying a new App on my Droid called Magic Hour, so fun to play with different actions and make your own!! I played up a few of my sunset shots recently.

This was last week looking West in my backyard...

Here is a shot the next night looking East, the sun lit up the clouds on the other side of the sky!

And another quick Magic Hour photo...

I am in No ways a Green thumb, but Holly Hocks don't hate me, so they are my favorite flower to grow! :D

4th of July Barbeque...

2011-07-05T13:31:00.005-06:00

What a wonderful 4th of July Weekend! I spent some amazing time with friends and family, no sunburn, not fireworks injuries, just Fun!!!

I'll share a bit of my Independence Day with you...

My brother giving me the "Death Awaits You, with Big, Sharp, Pointy Teeth" gesture...

Some Matrix-Like Trampolining by the boys...

Getting warm after Trampoline + Sprinkler = Fun...

Oh My, here it is, the beginning of the end. He will never be the same!!! :)

Fireworks!!!! (Love the look on his face, even though this photo is not Technically good.)

And my Favorite pics of the day...

Bing Cherries

Catalpa Blooms

Night Flowers

(My "Sweet Shot" for Sweet Shot Tuesday at My 3 Boybarians)

(Entering this in the Red, White & Blue Challenge at I {heart} Faces)

Lightning Bursts

2011-06-23T19:04:00.004-06:00

Last night Boise was treated with a Rare Summer electrical storm. I stood in my driveway and soaked up the ozone and felt the energy for at least an hour. I only had my cell phone with me and didn't think to run inside for a different camera! I took at least 100 pictures and was able to catch lightning 3 times, I took it as a win!! :)

I think this one is my favorite, it almost makes a heart!

Capitol Building

2011-06-19T09:57:00.004-06:00

Idaho has a Beautiful Capitol Building! It was recently restored, the columns and windows and doors and floors all redone to look as grand as it did when it was first built. While I am not a huge fan of marble on every surface it certainly is grand!

My favorite part of the entire building is the inside of the dome! Their are stars in the center and a huge flag hanging down through the center of the floors. The details are amazing!

And I can't take my camera anywhere without grabbing a Flower shot!! :D These pretty Pink roses are next to a statue on the grounds of the Capitol.

Thanks for looking!!

Fresh

2011-06-14T12:52:00.005-06:00

This week Love That Shot is asking us to show you our "Fresh" photos. I recently snapped some shots at the Boise Downtown Market and I Love this Bright, Fresh Lettuce shot!

I also wanted to share these shots of my Fresh Faced Niece ;) (OK, they really don't fit the Fresh theme, but she is just so beautiful and sweet that I had to throw them in here!!) :D LOL We were enjoying Crepes at the Market when I grabbed these shots...

May Flowers...

2011-05-16T11:49:00.011-06:00

This week's iheartfaces Link Up Challenge is Flowers, YAYAYAY! My favorite thing to photograph!! (I really Really need a Macro Lens!!!)

Our Aprils Showers here in Idaho sure brought out the May Flowers! I love the beautiful color all the spring blooms give the neighborhood...even if my front lawn is mostly Yellow from all the Dandelions, good thing I love them! :)

My neighbors have all kinds of gorgeous Daffodils and Jonquils, my son took advantage of that come Mother's Day, I got a beautiful bouquet of "borrowed" flowers! :)

I was So excited this weekend when the Lilacs in the backyard started opening up, don't you love the smell of Lilacs????

All Post Processing was done on Picnik.com

Afternoon with Nature...

2011-05-05T14:18:00.005-06:00

I recently took an afternoon and went to the MK Nature Center with my son, he loves the fish behind the glass and the chance to search the big pond for the massive Sturgeon that live there. (No luck this trip, they must still be sleeping in the deep waters.)

I took along my new "Big Girl Camera" and got some shots of the Spring Greenery and flowers.

I'm not sure what this bush is, but the budding flowers were so pretty in this pre-blossom stage...

The next picture is my contribution to this week's Skywatch Friday Link Up

Some gorgeous blossoms (Cherry? Apple?) I loved this tree and spent quite a lot of time snapping pics of the branches.

A closer shot of the blossoms, I can't get enough of these and they Smell Amazing!!!

A lovely field of Phlox, I need some of this for a weed infested patch in my side yard...

And some Periwinkle (Vinca?) too, they seem to spread and fill in well in the spring...much better than the burs I have now! :)

Thanks for stopping by and seeing things "Taken My Way."

Pretty Pink Flowers...

2011-04-19T20:29:00.008-06:00

Every year I see a gorgeous bush with coral flowers growing on it and I want one. This year I saw the same flowers on a tree. I made a U-turn and had my son hop out and grab some of the flowers so I could identify them. I still haven't, so if you know what this is Please comment and let me know! :)

Photo taken with RetroCam App on Droid

As I was trying to identify the flowers my friend mentioned Crab Apples and I decided to play with some shots I had from last spring.

All Post Processing done on Picnik

So what do you think? Are the pretty flowers up top the same as
the Crab Apple tree I already have? The tree/bush I see in
the neighborhood is MUCH smaller than my Huge tree,
but maybe it is just a different variety?

Playing with my Droid...

2011-04-03T13:20:00.006-06:00

I got a Droid Incredible recently and one of the first things I did was look for the Famed Instagram App...turns out Instagram is iPhone only...but that didn't stop me, I forged on and found the RetroCam App...I LOVE this app!! I haven't taken a picture with the phones regular camera since I got it! When I first opened it up it was set at the Barbl camera...and I shot away all afternoon at the zoo with it...

And then...my eyes opened up and I saw that there were multiple camera settings!! There is a "Little Orange Box," a "xolaroid 2000," a "Pinhole Camera," and a "FudgeCan!" Each processes your photo in a different way, with a blue or green cast like the xolaroid 2000 or Hi Contrast like the Little Orange Box.

Here are a few of my favorite shots so far...

Flowers in Mom's Kitchen (xolaroid 2000)

Flowers in Mom's Kitchen (Little Orange Box)

Off to Go Fishing (Barbl)
Bread Rising (Little Orange Box)

Cookies (Pinhole Camera)

Zoo Boise...

2011-03-27T18:55:00.000-06:00

The weather was sunny and a little cold today, we thought maybe the cooler weather would make some of the animals at Zoo Boise come out and play...we were right!

I love big cats and was so happy to see the Snow Leopard out of his little house...

And the tigers were prowling their enclosure too...

We have seen the lions 3 or 4 times now, but this is the first time we were right there next to Papa when he put on a real show...he roared over and over for a few minutes, later we heard him do it again, from across the Zoo!

There are two Giraffes at Zoo Boise, one is 2-3 years old and one that is 1-2 years old. This is the smaller one...

A new addition to Zoo Boise, it is some kind of Pheasant, I wish I had written it down! Will come back and update if I can find it...

We found the brick with Connor and his cousin's names on it! (We donated $50 when they were building the new African Plains area)

And just for fun, here are a couple Retro Cam App shots from my Droid...

Rally to Save the American Dream...

2011-03-01T14:01:00.020-07:00

This past Saturday there was a Nationwide Rally at Capitol buildings and in other large cities to show support for the Wisconcin Public Employees. Here in Boise we had a good sized crowd of around 400 people show up. The speakers were wonderful and the energy was high. It was a wonderful day!!

I grabbed some shots from the crowd, mostly of some of the more creative signs, but I couldn't resist a shot of the Capitol building, as well.

My Mom has been to many rallies in her day...I won't lie, we are a pretty vocal, political family and my Mom was coming of age in the 60's. ;) This was her first rally in Years, though! I had to take this pic and do some fun post processing to give it that 60's Vibe! :)

After about 45 minutes of speeches and chanting this pup, who had been nosing around the entire time, finally got fed up and found a spot of sun to take a little Dog Nap!

Here are a few of my favorite signs...

(click to enlarge image)

This one is for the Idahoans, our own Education Bill is in the State Senate and includes reduced Collective Bargaining and Free Laptops for all students...

And one more for the Idahoans...

(The cardboard sign in the back says "Badgers Yes, Otter No")

1.1.11

2011-01-01T18:33:00.001-07:00

Today is a Day for Newness, for looking forward and not back, for taking what is in front of you and Grabbing it while it is there. I have done a lot of thinking in the past few weeks about my personal fears and hang ups. I hope for 2011 and beyond to be able to let go of some of the fear that grips me. This is not ordinary fear of spiders, heights, snakes, things like that. This is a personal fear...possibly a fear of success, I am not sure, I haven't really labeled it, but I do know I have a tendency toward self sabotage when things get too good. I end things...jobs, relationships, classes, etc when i think they might be going well. Why you ask? I am 100% sure, but i suspect it is easier for me to end things than let "them" end them and leave me the one that is hurt.

I also recognize I have a real competitive core to myself, which in itself is ok, we all need drive, ambition and competition to "stay in the game." This can get destructive though...especially when you hang your self worth on being better than you were before every time you do something...or being better than someone else. We are all as good at something as we are. That is all. That is what matters...should you strive to get better? Of Course! But if you take a step back or have a bad day should you quit? Get Discouraged? NO! You should push on and accept those little bumps!

I have chosen a word (a la Ali Edwards) this year...no resolutions, just One Word...and this word, I hope, can enter into all aspects of my life this year and bring with it some peace, happiness and growth.

That word is "Simplicity" as defined by Merriam Webster:

sim·plic·i·ty

: the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded

: freedom from pretense or guile

: directness of expression : clarity
: restraint in ornamentation : this will be for my Home more than my personal self...I do love my bling ;)

One of my creative goals for 2011 is to participate in a p52 (Project 52, one photo per week.) I like the idea of a p52 over a p365 because I think it allows you to chose meaningful photos, moments and meaning each week instead of Forcing yourself to take and post a picture just because it is a day in your life.

Something I discovered last night at a Wonderful New Year's Eve Party is that I am too serious about my photography...I take Art pictures 9 times out of 10, close ups, Macros, Landscapes...make everything look perfect kind of photos. Last night I let go and started snapping away...my friend and I were actually having a camera war...and the photos, while not Perfect in Any photography rule book on the planet...are just that, a Perfect representation of a night of frivolity, fun and general chaos with some of my favorite people in the world!

And She Silenty Slips into Winter & Darkness...

2010-12-21T00:50:00.007-07:00

This is the first time the Winter Solstice and the Total Lunar Eclipse have met since 1638. Galileo was alive!

Holiday Bokeh, sort of...

2010-12-13T10:33:00.004-07:00

My 3 Boybarians was having a Holiday Bokeh Party. My camera is a small cheap point and shoot, but I have successfully gotten Bokeh with it before, so I set out to try some Holiday Lights Bokeh.

Well...what I discovered is, a white Christmas tree makes it Very hard! So does a small house, not much light and no where to set the cute little pine cone Hedgehog. I ended up rearranging furniture to get it done. And in the end my lights aren't pronounced like I want...it is more just a big white blur behind the ornament. I still like it though, so here it is....

Snow Day...

2010-12-01T13:19:00.006-07:00

First Snow Day of Connor's School career today, his friend is at his Grandma's house up the street and we have 7" of snow. There is no better way to make a 7 year old happy! :)

Well, I will probably have to give him Hot Cocoa later to make it a Perfect day! ;)

This picture says it all, doesn't it?

I took pictures as fast as the camera would let me. I deleted quite a few blurry ones and ones with very strange faces, but in the end I also got this picture, so worth soggy feet and frozen fingers! Just keep shooting!!!

Here is a shot of the back yard...

Couldn't resist this one...

Snowy Pine...

2010-11-24T10:39:00.003-07:00

Woke up to snow this morning. I'm not sure who is more excited, me or the 7 year old!!

More Pumpkins...

2010-10-28T10:17:00.005-06:00

For this week's Love Your Shot! Link-Up, my tip is to not be afraid of Post Processing, yes, you Can over do it, but sometimes you try an action or a effect that will amaze you with it's simplicity. For this Photo I ran the VampiraScope in Picnik just for giggles and I Loved the results.

Sweet Shot Tuesday is back at My 3 Boybarians! Link up your Sweet Shot from this week!

Fix-It Friday with I Heart Faces

2010-10-24T18:39:00.004-06:00

Fix It Friday at I Heart Faces...so fun to play with actions and color on someone else's photo, no emotions keep in telling you what it Should look like, you just go with it!

This is the original:

Pumpkins in the Patch...

2010-10-24T13:48:00.005-06:00

Took the kiddo to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday. I got very dirty because I was taking pictures most of the day. I think the most important thing about pictures is getting down there with your subject, in this case it meant literally lying on the ground.

I think I'll throw this in the hat at

Kent Weakley's Photo Contest. (Why not, right?)

Metal Dandelion

2010-10-20T11:15:00.004-06:00

A Huge sculpure at the Foothills Learning Center.
I took about 40 pictures of it, this is one of my favorites...

Entering this in Kent Weakley's Photo Contest this week.

U Pick Apples...

2010-10-18T11:02:00.004-06:00

This week's Photo Contest at I Heart Faces is "In the Orchard."
The photo has to have a human face and follow the theme, I thought this
adorable picture of Connor was the perfect one.

Bee in your Bonnet...

2010-10-14T12:50:00.006-06:00

A shot from my Hulls Gulch nature walk.

Another entry for Kent Wheatley's Photo Contest.

Fall at Hulls Gulch

2010-10-13T09:03:00.003-06:00

Here are a few shots I grabbed on a recent hike at Hulls Gulch in North Boise. My Mom and I took my son out for a Sunday Hike (ok, it was more of a nature walk,) and I spent most of the time snapping pics. :) Connor spent most of the time chasing Grasshoppers, so I call it even. It was a wonderful day!

I just about piddled when I saw this!!! It was like these little ladies were just Waiting for me and my camera!!!

I have a "thing" for CrabApples. :) I LOVE the beautiful flowers that Cover my tree in the spring, but the tree at my house is HUGE and never holds its fruit until it ripens all the way...instead they dropp All over my driveway and car. There was a Small tree at the Foothills Learning Center that was covered in the gorgeous red fruit...

(What do you think, did I overdo it with the "Texture" on this one???)

I am entering these in the Kent Wheatley Photo Contest

Music Saves My Soul #4...

2010-10-10T10:10:00.000-06:00

Another Saturday, another one of Marcea's "Music Saves my Soul" Link Ups! :)

Yes, I do know how macabre this song is. I heard it on Supernatural last season and I love it's haunting sound. I have always enjoyed traditional music (watched Oh Brother Where Art Thou about 10 times!) This video also has pics of the Hottie Winchester Bros from Supernatural, so that makes it even better! :)

My Favorite Face...

2010-09-30T10:53:00.005-06:00

My son, Connor, is 7 years old going on 30. He is such a mature child and is wrapped up in logic and exploration. At night, after a nice hot bath, however, he becomes my Little Baby Boy again! He will snuggle on the couch and just be...he will stop thinking, arguing and exploring for just a bit.

Earlier this month I snapped this shot of him all wrapped up in his towel and enjoying the evening on the couch. His hair was still damp, but dry enough for the red to really come out and so clean and soft I just wanted to sit and play with it for hours!

This photo breaks many photography "Rules" and is not a technically correct photo, but really, when your kid is this cute, who cares?!?!?! Right?? :)

I am linking this up to Love That Shot's Love Your Shot! Link-Up: Your Favorite Faces

Thanks for taking a look!

More Morning Glories...

2010-09-28T11:01:00.011-06:00

OK, I told you a few weeks ago how much I LOVE the Morning Glories climbing over my back fence, right? Well...I'm back with more shots! :)

First I went straight to Super Macro on my little Point & Shoot...it is my Go To for flower pics, I love getting right in there like a bee! :)

But they look good a s a little group with the next batch all curled up like a drill bit to the side...

Speaking of that curly-Q Bud, here is another S-Macro shot...

Today is Sweet Shot Tuesday on My 3 Boybarians,
so I am linking this up over there, go check out
all the other Sweet Shots! I am also linking this up for the Shutter Love Tuesday "Blue" Theme and
Kent Weakley's Photo Contest Wednesday!

More Food...

2010-09-15T19:59:00.004-06:00

I like food, I like New Food and I like taking pictures of food. So after I whipped up a little Quinoa Caprese tonight I snapped a shot. I love the way Olive Oil glistens! :)

This photo was cropped a tad and then I added contrast and a fade border, other than that it is SOOC

Glory of the Morning

2010-09-14T14:27:00.008-06:00

Earlier this summer my Dad and I cut down Most of a dead tree that had been in my backyard since I moved in. Just recently I saw that a vine was growing from the neighbor's yard up the fence and around the trunk on my side of the fence. I was excited to see it bloom, because I Suspected it was a Morning Glory. I was so happy to see that it really was! Two Gorgeous blue flowers were worshiping the morning sun when I walked outside.

There is just something about the inside of a Morning Glory Bloom that makes me happy!

I took this picture using my SMacro setting. (I have a little point and shoot, but it does pretty good. There was a lot of ligh ton the flower, so I post processed it with quite a bit of added contrast.)

And here is the full flower, you can just see the second one in the background.

(Click to see a larger view)

I am submitting this to 3 boybarians' Sweet Shot Tuesday

as well as the Love Your Shot! Link Up at Love that Shot

Thanks for looking!

Wild Rose...

2010-08-23T14:35:00.005-06:00

This is a picture I took on a hike to Jump Creek Falls in Southwestern Idaho. I loved all the beautiful flowers and trees we saw on the hike, I was actually surprised at how many there were since Jump Creek is in the High Desert and surrounded by mostly sagebrush.

I snapped a close up of a wild rose blossom and was happy to find when I got home just how clear the details were.

(Editting done via Picnik)

Food Photography...

2010-08-16T10:50:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things in life is Good Food. Just ask my thighs! :) Why not combine two of my favorite things and take Pictures of good food!?!?! My online Sisters (Sisterhood of the LOSTies) and I started a food blog to share recipes, Not Quite Fish Bisquits (it's a LOST thing.) I have been taking pictures of some of my recent food adventures to post with the recipes. (If you would like the recipes just click over to NQFB.)

Leftover Baked Potato Hash...
Cheesy Potato Casserole (AKA Funeral Potatoes)...
Baked Potato with Brocolli...

As you can see I am not into taking a photo of the entire dish, I like to get closer and pay attention to the details.

Fix It Friday...

2010-08-13T09:28:00.006-06:00

It's Friday and that means Fix-It Friday on iheartfaces.com! This week they have an Adorable picture of a little boy is little red polo shirt...Adorable little boy and a great photo...now we get to play with it! :)

Original:

I cropped the photo to take out the shoulder of the other little boy...then I warmed the entire photo to remove the hint of blue in his face and to redden up the shirt. I also boosted the entire photo and added a vingnette edge, then I did a quick Focal Soften on the face so everything else just becomes background. (all edits made using Picnik)

I really like how the edits brought out his eyes and made the shirt more vibrant. I worry a little that I blew out the nose area too much...what do you think?

Fix #1

For this one I cropped it a bit more, did the same warming then played a little with the available effects Picnik has to offer, I ended up with a little Focal Soften and the "60's Effect" with this one, I could play all day in Picnik!!! :)

Fix #2:

Thanks for looking...more of my own photos coming soon!

Apple of my Eye...

2010-08-10T18:09:00.004-06:00

I love taking photographs of flowers, plants, rocks and fruit...I go on vacation and get millions of pictures of the flora and maybe 2 pictures of myself there With the flora...*shakes head sadly*

When we took a family day trip to Weiser to pick Jonathon Apples (The Best apples on Earth!!!) I had a great time photographing the beautiful Fall fruit. This is one my favorite images from that day...my Mom even painted a wonderful oil painting for her kitchen from it...

I did all of the Post Processing for this using Picnik!!! (Except the watermark which was a quick add in PhotoSuite) Have you ever tried Picnik? This was all the Free stuff...I bet the Premium is Super Fun!!!

Thanks for looking!!

Fix It Friday...

2010-07-30T08:54:00.004-06:00

Do you love photography and post processing as much as I do??? Then you HAVE to check out i heart faces! There are so many wonderful tools offered...tips, challenges, inspiration...my friend Michelle writes some of the tutorials and I have learned So much from her! (You should check out her new site love that shot, it is an Amazing resource for photography and post processing information!)

One of the things i heart faces does is a weekly "Fix It Friday" Challenge, they give you a picture and you fix it...however you want...it is just a way to practice your skills. I don't have PhotoShop, so I did mine in PhotoSuite, but I plan to get PhotoShop soon and will be using the Fix it Friday challenges to bone up on how it all woks.

For my "fix" I added some boost and played around with the contrast and saturation, then I added an edge effect called "Vignette" and rounded the edges, I almost left it at that, but in the end I decided to throw in a Focus Soften...that leaves one spot sharp and softens all around it...that way I could really call attention to her beautiful face.

Here is a look at the changes...
Thanks for stopping by!!

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

My Crabapple Tree...

2010-07-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog! As if I didn't have enough, right?? But I wanted a place to put my photography stuff, separate from my other crafty posts...so here it is, "Taken My Way!"

My favorite thing about my house is the Huge Crab apple tree next to it, in the Summer it can get messy with crab apples falling all over the driveway, but the Spring flowers are So worth any sweeping I have to do. The buds come on a Deep Fuchsia color and then out come these amazing pink and salmon and blush blossoms. They cover the tree and when they are spent and the wind blows it is like a pink snow storm!

I took this photo last spring (2009)

I took the original photo with a Digital Point and Shoot (Olympus FE230) and did the post processing in PhotoSuite. As you can see I softened the photo quite a bit and toned down the colors to give it a softer look.
Thanks for looking!

He who plants a tree, plants hope. ~Lucy Larcom