Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Tea... and Photography Tips???






This post combines some photography tips with my enjoyment of tea. Hmmm.... sounds strange, doesn't it?

I think it will work though.









I was at the library, waiting for my son who ran in to pick up books and videos being held for the family...  and I saw a glimpse of pink flowers on a tree.

 I was unable to leave my vehicle to get closer because of where I was waiting, but as usual, I had been looking  around for what was interesting. I carry a camera with me most of the time because I never know when I will see something I want to photograph.  I was looking or wouldn't have noticed this tree since it was across the parking lot from me. It was also a cloudy dreary day and the light was not in a good spot at all.

I wish I would have thought to photograph what my view, from the car, actually looked like... there was nothing inspiring about it. That's the reason I didn't take a picture, but it would have helped make my point in this post. 



Another picture... just blah...   some pink, but not great at all.  I did zoom in to get this much, as the view from where I was didn't show this much color.  Both pictures are boring though.














 There was a tree, with new little green leaves, beside and in front of the pink tree and I liked the combination of the pink and the green together, but as you can see, it was still not wonderful. It was better... but still...... rather boring. 


I continued taking pictures... a little green on the side, lots of pink.... some half and half... just various combinations of those two colors. They were better... but still needed something.


 It was frustrating to me, because I love macro photography and I knew if I could get closer to the tree, I could get some amazing photos... even with the lighting conditions. Since there were no parking places and I couldn't leave the vehicle, I played around with taking the pictures I could take from where I was sitting.

Since we can't always wait for the perfect lighting conditions... or to be able to get as close to the subject as we want, we can use other ways to get better pictures.




Taking one of the "blah" pictures, I tweaked it a bit.  I darkened the shadows a little which really helped show the richer colors. Then I did a slight highlight to the colors also. This picture looks much more appealing than the other ones did. It actually looks more like it would when the light hits it better. 

If you are new to photography and find your pictures uninspiring... don't despair as there are so many ways to improve a less than wonderful picture.  

I take many pictures that are "perfect" and I do nothing to them.  Others get cropped... maybe even cropped again... and again until I find what I really like best. Sometimes colors get enhanced... sometimes the pictures sit in a file on my computer as I think maybe I can do something with them someday. Sometimes I do... sometimes I don't. I have taken many thousands of pictures and am still taking them.

By the way, maybe you feel a bit intimidated by other's fancy photography equipment...  it's easy to feel that your camera isn't good enough... but as you continue to learn, it is amazing what wonderful pictures can be taken on a simple little camera. If you get a better camera, great... but if you don't, just keep learning and taking pictures... and have fun!  :) 

So..... what to do with these pictures.... hmmm.... I like tea and wanted to make a quote picture and so created one.

 By the way, I really do enjoy tea and drink it at various times during the day....  not every day, but most days.  So the sentiment expressed on the picture really does fit me. 

There really is just nothing like a cup of tea!  :)  










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Sunday, March 12, 2017

A Few of My Favorite Things



Here are just a few of my favorite things....

 Going on photo shoots with my kids.....




A nice hot cup of tea.....



















Seeing my husband spend time in God's Word....









Country scenes..........























                                   Clouds.....                                           .



                     A bench in a peaceful place.....







A beautiful walking path for a family walk......

   


Reflections in water.....







   We all have so many favorite things... it is nice to think of them from time to time....  these have been just a few of my favorite things.  I would love to hear what some of your favorite things are also... please feel free to share them in the comments.  :)   

I hope you have a wonderful week.....



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Sunday, March 5, 2017

In the Life of a Squirrel......



Squirrels are a nuisance.... but they can also be cute.


    I am not fond of them.... and part of the reason is that they steal my tomatoes!!!  You can read about that here:

Lessons From Squirrels?
















They are busy and quick to dart from one place to another.










    They are fast... and they seem to be nesting again.... sigh.....   I have another blog post about a baby squirrel that was out of the nest. You can see those pictures, if you would like. Just click on the link below:

Baby Squirrel Out of the Nest





 I turned this one into a Happy Birthday Squirrel. You are welcome to save this image to use for wishing someone a happy birthday in an email or on Facebook or other. I just ask that you leave the Gentle Joy Photography on it and use the picture only as it is... and do not sell it.  Thank you.






Another previous post about squirrels is here:

Birds and Squirrels


















 Well, anyway.... I continue to  take pictures of these silly little creatures. Though they steal my tomatoes, I must admit that they are rather cute to watch. 















 This little guy looked shy and a bit worried....  I wondered about putting captions with some of these pictures, but haven't done so yet.



This squirrel seemed to be injured... he held that paw up until he needed to use it....







These creatures were made by God...  and I continue to be amazed by God's creativity.    Thank you for visiting today....... I hope you have a delightful week.


"Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."    Psalm 150:6







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