Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

Texture Tuesday: Heavenly Hydrangea

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Today I have two treasures to share with you. First up is the Ball Jar, found while browsing antique stores in Prescott, AZ with three of my blogging friends: Melinda, Terri, and Barbara.

It was Terri who alerted us to the jars. She collects them and even knows the dates they were manufactured according to the typeface used for the logo. I figure this one was made sometime between 1910 – 1923.

Hydrangea in Ball Jar, Texture Tuesday

Hydrangea in Ball Jar, Texture Tuesday

Second up is the hydrangea. It was so dreamy I couldn’t decide whether I liked it in the Ball jar, or just a plain old white vase, so I went crazy and posted both versions today.

Hydrangea White Vase, Texture Tuesday

Hydrangea, Texture Tuesday

Hydrangea White Vase, Texture Tuesday

Tomorrow I’ll be posting my Waterlogue version and what I did to get the results I wanted.

BTW, don’t forget that “app” happy wednesday is tomorrow and I really hope to see you there! It’s a fun place to share your photos edited with apps and maybe learn a few tips and tricks from fellow bloggers.

Check it out here: “app” happy wednesday.

Have a wonderful day!

 

kk_berrily (LR Preset)

kk_sybil texture on Soft Light

Friday Finds

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This week I found myself on the way back to Arizona (waiting for our flight which was 3 hours late). We had driven to AZ a couple of weeks prior and then flew home to celebrate Easter with our family. Then we flew back to AZ and in a couple weeks we’ll be driving back home. Make sense?

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I took a photo of this (tree) before we went back home for Easter…

Friday Finds, Arizona

… and look at it now! Just over a week later! Where did that come from?

Friday Finds

Things move fast in the desert!

Friday Finds, Arizona

This Saguaro was kind enough to dip down low so I could see it up close.

Friday Finds, ArizonaSaguaro, Friday Finds

Now, I debated as to whether or not I should include this one. It’s some kind of weird (scary?) growth on a big old Saguaro… hmmm… shiver…

Saguaro, Friday Finds

So that’s been my week. I’ve found that the heat has zapped my energy and I haven’t even taken my camera out. Thank goodness for my phone!

How was your week? I hope it was a good one!

“App” Happy Wednesday – A New Linky Party!

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Hello all!

I’m just popping in to announce that I’m going to be hosting a Linky party on Wednesdays. It will be a place to share your photos edited with “apps” of course!

  • Use any “app” you like and perhaps explain how you used it. Did you use just one? Did you use several?
  • Simply create some art. Post it on your blog or Flickr or wherever you are uploading your work, and then come back here and link it up!
  • Visit a few friends to see what they are up to and perhaps learn some fabulous new tips and techniques.
  • Link back with a text link or use the “app” happy wednesday button which you will find at the bottom of this post.
  • Each party will start at 5:00 am on Wednesdays and will stay open until the following Sunday at midnight.

Here’s an example:

Snowy Trees

I took this with my phone then used PicsPlayPro to crop it into a square, adjust exposure, and then I ran the HDR Bright filter of which I’ve never used before.

That’s it, that’s all! Fun! I hope to see you there!

*sorry … this series is closed

Friday Finds: The Colours of My World

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If not for the evidence found in this little fellas coat, I would say that winter is not going away this year.
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Rabbit, Spring

And if not for these …

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Rabbit

Rabbit-Spring-PussyWillow-1-copy

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Spring, Rabbit, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds, Kim Klassen

and if not for these …

Geese

It’s been a cold, snowy, gray/brown week. But also a happy, productive week.

I finished up a tutorial, went for lunch with the ladies and visited a greenhouse!! where I bought some sweet little succulents. I felt overwhelmed with happiness and anticipation of the new gardening season that is sure to come, right?

As this is the Easter week-end, hubby and I will be spending some time with our family (so excited).

I hope you have a wonderful and happy Easter!

Waterlogue Wednesday?

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This is just a collection of photos feeding my Waterlogue obsession. It’s not a linky party and I can’t seem to find one so I’m having my own private party… I wonder if there is enough interest out there? Would you play along if I started one? Crazy idea?

Painted in Waterlogue from {Keeping With the Times}

It’s instant art for the masses… and perfect fodder for scrapbook pages…

Painted in Waterlogue from {Keeping With the Times}

This is an example where I used the “Rainy” setting – it’s not one I use often but it seemed to work with this little birdhouse on my potting bench (which is covered in snow this morning).

Painted in Waterlogue from {Keeping With the Times}

And of course, Arizona dreaming…

Painted in Waterlogue from {Keeping With the Times}

So what do you think? Leave a comment if you might be interested in a party. I know it’s a big undertaking to set one up, so perhaps you just need to hit me on the head with a dose of reality!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Texture Tuesday: Wabi Sabi

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Texture Tuesday, Perfectly Imperfect, Wabi Sabi, Kim Klassen, Barb Brookbank

Right now my whole world is the colour of a pussy willow; off-white, cream, brown.

Yesterday I observed a rabbit that had this exact colouring! It’s starting to change from the snowy whiteness of winter to the dusty brown of summer.

We have old dirty snow, brown grass, and tangles of branches everywhere.

It’s beautiful. It’s my world, and I feel alive.

Today Kim talks about Wabi Sabi. Oh my! it’s the only reason I got this posted this morning. I won’t say any more… you must pop over to read about it! Thank you Kim!!

Disclaimer:

I’m going into town today with the girls, and I’m making a bee-line to the flower shop …

Have a wonderful Tuesday and thank you for stopping by!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_sophia

Arizona in Instagram

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Homeward bound … this late flight got us home safely and we were in bed by 2:30 am. We’re glad to be home, but are not impressed with the snow banks that greeted us …

Arizona in Instagram

When we left Arizona, the temperature was 35C (95F). The Palo Verde trees were blooming their little (big) hearts out!

Arizona in Instagram

 

Arizona in Instagram

I love these Fairy Dusters. I caught this using my Olloclip.

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The desert is bursting with blooms!

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And the greenhouses are packed with fresh new succulents.

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The amazing Agave!

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IMG_9507-copy So today is a “get back into the old routine” kind of day, and a nap is certainly not out of the question.

Have a happy Saturday!

Texture Tuesday: For the Love of Simplicity

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Antique Wooden Bowl

I love simplicity in everything whether it’s art, decorating my home, or life in general. And even though I can’t claim that my whole lifestyle is simple, I do try to keep it that way.

Antique Wooden Bowl

I have the luxury of keeping my life simple. I hope I always do.

Happy TT!!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_justatouch2

Cactus? Tarantula? Both?

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We were just strolling along, enjoying the scenery, minding our own business. Suddenly I spied a monster… eek! what is this?!!

As I crept close to it with my phone, I felt a tad uneasy. I was pretty sure it was simply a cactus buy oh. my. word. it looked like a tarantula that got stuck going in … .

I posted this shot on Instagram and I got mixed reactions. Some people were pretty dismayed, but others were suitably impressed.

One poor lady wanted desperately to “un-see” it … I kept watching my followers to see if anyone would abandon me, but so far, that hasn’t happened.

old man cactus

There was a lot of discussion as to what type of cactus it is, but so far, no conclusions.

old man cactus

I have a good lead on one idea, but not everyone agrees.

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… aacckk … keep back …

old man cactus

Is nature not incredible!!? It almost seems like this plant is trying to look fearsome to keep predators away.

Shivers…

Anyone have any ideas?

Friday Finds: Waterlogue Sunflowers

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Good Friday morning! I can’t believe how fast the weeks go (and how I’m struggling to get posts published).

Good Heavens! I’m on holidays surrounded by sun and warmth and flowers and trees. You’d think I’d be brimming with inspiration. Not.

I only just brought out my big camera (after a week) and I haven’t taken any photos. So once again I turn to Instagram.
Waterlogue Sunflowers

I found these lovely sunflowers at Trader Joe’s, set them in a vase on my old weathered Mexican table, took a quick photo with my phone, and called it a day.

Waterlogue Sunflowers

Can you believe I forgot to put water in the vase? I was pretty puzzled when I got up the next morning to find my flowers drooped over and looking pretty sad. Now that’s just weird.

Anyway, today I want to find my mojo. I’ll let you know if I find it …

A Trio of Visual Triangles

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Texture Tuesday

I have this thing about collecting little jars and filling them with dried bits and pieces. Here we have some birch branches, a sprig of yarrow, and some poppy seed heads. I considered this arrangement for quite some time and decided what I like about it is the orderliness of it all.

The image is made up of three visual triangles:

  • The jars themselves; shorter to taller then back down to shorter. The little small one in the middle draws the eye across the bottom.
  • The three dried sprigs.
  • The colours; dark gold yarrow at the top, a brown and beige label on the left, and the dark bottle on the right.

Yes, I am a little bit obsessed with triangles. I believe it goes back to my days at “Get It Scrapped” where Debbie Hodge devotes several classes to just this concept. Then she teaches a class about how to throw out the whole idea of visual triangles … wait a minute … hmmmm … anyway I now look for visual triangles everywhere I go. I think I love them. You can see it at work on some of my decorating when I created “My Quirky Autumn Mantel“.

Couple things to note today. If you are an Instagrammer, there is a fun little challenge going on called #prettywaterlogueapril hosted by @prettyhandygirl. Check it out on my feed “keepingupblog“, it’s nothing but fun!

Focusing on Life  has a new theme for April, which is “Earth Day”, lots of fun there too! You can participate on Instagram, your blog, or flickr – check it out!

And don’t forget to check out all the beauties over at Kim Klassen dot com for Texture Tuesday. I used Kim’s kk_1808 for my image today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Also check out Still Life Photography at Cheryl McCain Photography.

No, I Didn’t Drop Off The Edge of the Earth

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arizona

Although I must admit it feels like it…

I’m just getting back on my feet after a marathon drive from Central Alberta to Fountain Hills, AZ. Yes, I know many people have done it – but knowing that only helped a tad. On Day 1 we traveled 1250 km (12 hours) to Idaho Falls where we spent a rather restless night. Leaving early the next morning we buckled down and drove 1500 km (15.5 hours). I was almost delirious by the time we drove up to our little condo. But spare a moment for the poor guy who did all the driving – hubby is pretty amazing… he drove, I watched the road and chattered to keep him company (and I am NOT a chatterer) so I did my duty too. On top of everything else, hubby had a MAN cold… and you know what I mean by that… I’ve never seen someone sneeze so much in my life.

But what amazing and beautiful country we drove through; Alberta, Montana, Idaho, Utah, a tip of Arizona, Nevada, and then Arizona again. Sadly, I didn’t get any photos – only drive-by shootings that are blurry and uninteresting … there was just no time whatsoever.

I’m not afraid of endless plains, or mountainous passes, but I have to say that I was terrified as we navigated through Las Vegas – one wrong move and off into the wild unknown we would have gone (it’s a huge fear of mine to take a wrong turn in a city) but of course hubby drove through like he’d done it a hundred times.

Anyway, we’re here! Yay!

This is our neighbor’s rosemary bush which I furtively snip pieces of as I walk by…

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a walk after dinner…

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… and then we fell into bed.

Today is a new day and I’m off to unpack my camera!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finds: My Long Lost Photos!

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Tulips

You know how some days you get up, you have a plan; you know exactly what you should be doing but an hour later you find yourself immersed in something totally off-track?

Well that was me yesterday. I started out fully aware that I should be writing a tutorial but I ended up organizing photos in Lightroom … then 8 hours later I realized the day was gone …

But oh my goodness, a light bulb has come on. Suddenly I am able to see photos that have been buried for years and years.

I must admit it started out quite rocky when I imported the first batch and couldn’t find them, and then when I did, I couldn’t figure out how to move them. So I went and sat on the sofa for a few minutes and thought to myself “Barb! just use your head!” So I went back to the computer and followed my instincts based on what I’ve learned over the last year or so. I had to let go of my Windows Explorer and Bridge “brain”. I had to think differently.

Anyway, loooong story short, I’ve organized over 20,000 photos so far and it all makes perfect sense! Oh and hey! there are those vacation photos from 2009! wow! and look at all my flowers and still life images! and look at the grandkids – how much they’ve grown!! Now my husband will be able to look at all the photos I’ve taken (something he’s been wanting for years). I am so stinkin’ proud of myself! Plus, everything is also backed up, neat and tidy.

So that explains my tulip image this morning … it must have aged while waiting for me to find it!

Winter Waterlogue Wonderland

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Winter Waterlogue

This is a scene I saw many times during this (almost past) winter. Every time I walked by I took about 10 photos because it was truly magical.

I can’t remember everything I did to edit the photo, but the main app I used was Waterlogue. And then because I’m a scrapper I had to create a layout with it using some great new products from designer Susie Roberts. I really love the white cardstock, it’s great for blending and creating artsy images.

So now that I have hundreds of winter photos, I’m so done with it. However, we still have a foot of snow in our yard and more is on the way … oh winter, please let go …

 

Cardstock – Blank Canvas by Susie Roberts
Alpha – Rubber Stamp by Susie Roberts

 

Medalta Pottery Still Life

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Here’s another photo of my lovely Medalta pottery bowls, and while I started the edits in LR, I did allow myself to take it into Photoshop to finish it up.

I’m so much more pleased with the results this time.

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I used a series of similar images in a collage last week for Friday Finds. I had challenged myself to see if I could create a collage from start to finish in LR, and while the results weren’t great, I posted it anyway. It’s part of my ongoing struggle with LR, which I am proud to say I am slowly conquering. Slowly.

This morning I received an e-mail from Pinterest saying that they had removed one of my pins due to a copyright complaint. Gasp! I almost had a heart attack! But they were quick to explain that the complaint was not directed toward me, it was against another user. Hmmm, in the future, I think I’m going to be more careful, maybe visiting the original site and reading their policies before I re-pin something. Stealing content is the last thing I want to be accused of. This has been my first brush with the dark side of Pinterest.

Today this country bumpkin is heading into “town” with friends for a day of shopping and lunching. The perfect antidote to the March blahs…

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_anne

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Pink Tulip Still Life

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.

May your heart be as light as a song.

May each day bring you bright, happy hours.

That stay with you all the year long.

It’s a beautiful Monday morning; sunny and bright, and I just returned from my walk with the “ladies”. Apparently there’s snow on the way, but so what else is new for March?

But I’m excited to start a brand new week. I signed up for “The Art of iPhoneography: Self Portraiture” with Susan Tuttle. Whoa! what a challenge this is going to be! especially when I hate to see myself in photos… I think I’m going to be heavy into the blurs and the textures and shots of my feet.

I’m also trying to catch up with Start to Finish and Beyond Beyond over at the cafe. What an inspiring lesson for Day 47 of 2B! It’s bursting with tips and inspiration!

I learned a little tip about WordPress this week. If you’ve ever written a post in Word and then copied and pasted it into your blog, you’ll know that it comes with so much strange formatting that it’s just not worth the trouble. Well, I learned that if you press Ctrl Shift V as you add it to your blog post, the text is stripped of all that annoying stuff. I think that’s pretty cool!

What are you up to this week? I’d love to hear!

 

Medalta Pottery in White: Friday Finds

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Medalta Bowls Still LifeSo Kim is back, and I ventured into the S2F classroom and oh, my, goodness. What a treasure trove of inspiration I found! It was just what I needed and I had to stop midway through a video to run and set up my still life. I love it when that happens.

When I watched how she set up her photo shoot, it reminded me that I have a pretty amazing spot to catch the light (if I’m early enough), and that would be our bathroom. In my previous post “Direction” I had revealed how I set up a small table in the bathtub. Today I covered that table with an old flour sack and hung some cotton tea towels on a foam core board as a backdrop. I found the tea towels at Williams Sonoma and they were worth every single penny. They wash beautifully and end up with just the right amount of wrinkle. When I’m finished with them I hang them on a back of a chair so that they don’t get fold lines since fold lines drive me nuts.

OK, so what did I find this week? First up, I found this beautiful big white Medalta bowl to go with my smaller bowls – major score!

I found that I could edit and save my collage in Lightroom with the help of Kim’s free template. I’m becoming a lot more comfortable with Lightroom (never thought I’d see the day) but this is the 5th version of my bowl collage, and I’m still not completely happy with it. In Photoshop I use lots of masks to control where adjustments appear and I haven’t figured that out in LR yet. What I did find amazing was that after I added my three images to the template, if I made an adjustment in the Develop Module, it was reflected in the template – way cool. It has been a great learning experience!

So that’s it for today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you found this week!

Texture Tuesday: From Above

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Today the theme for TT is “From Above”. This has to be one of my favourite types of photography. Kim first introduced it in one of her classes (I can’t remember which one), but I fell in love with it immediately. It tells a story like no other type of photo can, and she sent me in a whole new direction, full of ideas and possibilities.

For this image I used one pot of the succulents I’ve been wintering, along with some pebbles, garden shears, and a photo that I took last spring (of the potting bench). You see, there is a story here … but this is not the potting bench, it’s simply a small bench I keep indoors for a prop.

Texture-Tuesday-From-Above

So many possibilities … I have a hashtag on Instragram called #fromthepottingbench where most of the photos are from above. I even wrote a tutorial for Digital Scrapper called “Art From Above” where I explain how to set up a photo, and then draw inspiration from it to create a layout.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and have a Happy Tuesday!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_0603

Faux Northern Lights

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Faux Northern Lights

Good morning! You would think that living way up here so close to the North Pole, I’d have seen some real northern lights. Well, I have. I just haven’t felt like going out to get photos in sub-zero temps. They truly are an incredible thing to experience. You don’t just see them, you experience them.

Of course I’ve never seen northern lights that look like the ones in my photo here, but I was sitting on my warm sofa last night, wearing my fleece pj’s, playing with #picfx, and this is what happened. I should mention that I took this photo in broad daylight – how fun! This is why I love Instagram! Are you following me on Instagram? You should (tee hee). Anyway, here’s a little blurb:

WHAT ARE NORTHERN LIGHTS? The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as ‘Aurora borealis’ in the north and ‘Aurora australis’ in the south.. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.

northernlightscentre.ca

I’m hitting the road and heading to my country home, and yes, I did get this city home cleaned up spick and span (in-between Starbucks and trips to the greenhouse).

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen

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Hover your cursor over this image to see the “before” photo.

 

I think I may have become so accustomed to playing with iPhoneography that it has spilled over into my TT creations. I’m also working on a tiny laptop with questionable monitor colours. So I guess I’m asking you to forgive me if my image looks a bit, shall we say, different today.

Oh good heavens! I need to get over it – I’m just having fun! We’ve been suffering through dangerously cold temperatures with ghastly wind chills on top of it, so if I want to go a bit wild on my Tucson doors, I guess that’s what I have to do.

When I added Kim’s “cherishedscripted” texture with the “Hue” blend mode, something magical happened. Hover your cursor over the image to see the “before” photo and you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s the texture I used:

kk_cherishscripted-example

I also ran a couple Photoshop filters to simultaneously sharpen and blur the photo.

I know spring is around the corner, at least that’s what the calendar tells me. And that’s what the stores are telling me too. They are overflowing with colourful capris, and t-shirts, and light jackets, and I’d be lying if I said I had resisted the urge to pick up a “few” new things … it’s a form of dreaming, I guess.

So what about you? Are you caught in the vise grip of winter too? or are you enjoying spring? Do tell!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Friday Finds

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Well, this is where I found myself yesterday. Even though most of the day was sunny, there were wind gusts between 40 – 50 km/hr which as you can see were causing some whiteout conditions on the roads.February Snow, Friday Finds

It was pretty nasty so when I finally got home and was having a cup of tea, I sat and counted my blessings and sent out a little thank-you to the Universe.

So what should I do today? I’m at my city home, so should I clean house? Work on some tutorials? Or should I go to Starbucks for coffee and then to the greenhouse to drink in the warmth and humidity and colour? Hmmmm, you can see where this is going, I’m sure.

I think the housework can wait one more day …

#onmywalk and 10 Things I Love about my Home

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It doesn’t matter how many vacations a person takes, when you come home to this you simply have to embrace it.  My part of the world is peaceful, calm, beautiful and safe, and I’m beyond grateful for that. I have the luxury of going for walks and noticing the everyday miracles. Like this frosty, crusty lock on the mailbox. Do you see the heart? #iseehearts
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Deja vu.

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Sorry if my pic’s are getting monotonous.

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The snow ghosts are back.

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Yes, we walk no matter what (well, actually I draw the line at -25C with a windchill).

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I’ve been a bit slow this week and can’t seem to get going some days. I’m feeling a bit uninspired and I’m eating too much; i.e. carbs. Must be post vacation blues. Wait a minute … I ate too many carbs on vacation too … hmmm …

I know it can’t be a lack of light because Alberta has an abundance of sunshine and the days are getting longer. Where it used to be dark at 4:00, it’s now still light until after 6:00. By the summer solstice, our sun sets after 10:00 and for a few days is seems like the light lingers in the sky almost all night.

In my post last week “10 Things I Love about Arizona” I promised that when I got home I’d write a list of 10 things I love about my home. I just realized that I’ve practically written it today.

1. It’s peaceful, calm, beautiful and safe.

2. There are miracles everywhere.

3. I love my house, my bed, my kitchen, etc.

4. I love that we live on a lake.

5. I love that we have so much sunshine, even though it’s cold.

“Alberta enjoys the highest number of sunny days in Canada — more than 2,300 hours of sunshine each year. Even in winter the sky is often clear as the sun shines brightly on the sparkling snow. In June, daylight hours can reach 16 to 18 hours per day.”

Environment Canada

6. Even power poles and lines can be beautiful.feb-snow5-copy

7. Our family is here.

8. I do love the changing seasons.

9. We’re close to Jasper and Banff – world class destinations.

10. It’s just plain home. It’s in my blood.

Have a wonderful Friday. I’m off for my walk.

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There’s a New App in Town

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And it’s taking Instagram by storm! It’s an app that takes your photo and turns it into a watercolour.

Now, I personally think they look fantastic – especially on Instagram in the tiny view, but they look pretty good in larger sizes as well. So here are some images I created in #waterlogue:

barrie viejo

 

red-wall-waterlogue

tulipswatercolour

barrio viejo

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Tiny pieces of art! Way to much fun!

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day everyone!

The Doors of Barrio Viejo

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barrio viejo

This is one of the images I took while on our photo walk in the Barrio Viejo, Tucson. I liked how the green window frame and the green leaves on the tree had some of the same tones; almost neon. I also liked the way the tree was creating a frame across the top of the building and drawing the eye in.

I’m contemplating having this put on canvas and then hanging it in our little kitchen. The tiles on the counter are this same blue, with some rusts and greens and reds – sounds perfect! Hope I follow through!

I’m a bit out of the loop – I see TT is about love this week so here’s my nod to love…

barrio viejo

kk_seriousmagic on the top photo

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

 

Butterfly Wonderland, Arizona

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Last week I visited the Butterfly Wonderland in Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, with the “ladies”.

Whoa! I didn’t know where to start. There were hundreds of these beauties flitting around, landing anywhere they pleased, including on my head. They weren’t shy, that’s for sure.

At first I was using my 55-200mm lens but it didn’t take me long to figure out that all I needed was my 18-105mm, and at times, my 40mm f2.8.Butterfly Wonderland, AZ

I wanted to get this fella with his wings open, but that was near to impossible. It’s too bad because they were the most gorgeous bright blue, but every time it landed, it closed it’s wings. Still pretty, though!

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When we finished at the Butterfly house, we all went for lunch at Mimi’s and enjoyed about an hour and a half of eating and talking (pretty much nonstop). How fun! Just like we’ve known each other for years.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Monday!

Just Playing With Poppies

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Good Saturday morning everyone! Hope this finds you well!

I’ve been playing around with my Nikkor 40mm f2.8 and was reading that with this particular lens, the best images are taken at least 6.4 inches away from your subject, and then on to portraits and landscapes.
Poppies

But then I captured this … I think I was about 1 inch away from this poppy.

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Perhaps it has to do with getting the best possible focus, and not taking into account artistic expression.

Lately I’ve been studying up on my camera and my lenses and its amazing how much more control I’ve gained over my photography. A quick push of a button and a turn of the command or sub-command dial and you can change ISO, exposure, metering, etc. You all probably know this, but I’m a slow learner, or at the very least, I’m slow to study up on my equipment.

Having said all this, I still end up deleting over half my images, mostly due to dreadful exposure or focus.

What’s one thing that you’ve learned, either about your camera or a lens that you’ve found helpful? What lens do you love the best? I’m dreaming about the Nikkor 18-300mm f 3.5 – 5.6 … dreaming, I said … .

The Doors of Barrio Viejo in Tucson

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On Wednesday I joined the ladies for a day of photographing the beautiful doors and windows in the Barrio Viejo in Tucson. What a magnificent photo opportunity! Everywhere I looked there were colours and textures and shadows and light, all coming together in hundreds of different ways. Already I know I need to go back there because I’m quite sure that I could take ten photos of this wall and come up with something new every time. Something I didn’t notice, or that wasn’t even there (like shifting sunlight and shadows).

Tucson barrio viejo

If I had to pick a favourite, it would be this door. I didn’t get the photo that I wanted, so there you go – I have to return …

Tucson barrio viejo

Tucson barrio viejo

Just look at that texture!

Tucson barrio viejo

Just look at that Deanna!

Tucson barrio viejo

I loved this one for some reason …

Tucson barrio viejo

Oh, and this … I love this …

Tucson barrio viejo

But look at this little cutie! what? the cat? or Terri?

Tucson barrio viejo

Is it not an amazing world we live in? When I started blogging over 3 years ago, did I know where it would take me? Did I anticipate I would find myself in Tucson with 5 other women photographing doors and windows and cats? Ummm, that would be a resounding no … .

But there I was, and from the moment we all happily greeted each other in the parking lot to the moment we said our sad good-byes I was marveling at this incredible turn of events.

If not for blogging I would never have found Deanna S, Teri P, Barbara H, Barbara C, and Cindy C; a group of women who share not only a passion for photography, but a passion for life and a passion for sharing that life with others. We shared what lenses and cameras we prefer, what editing programs we use, and little tidbits and insights into our own lives.

There have been times in my life where I felt like flotsam and jetsam (true story, I even said it). But definitely not for many years since I discovered the world of photography, and Photoshop, and blogging. So if you’re feeling at a loss, find a passion and find the kindred souls that share that same passion. Take chances. Follow dreams. You never know where it will take you.

Photographing Desert Finds with my Phone

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desert-botanical-garden

flowers-greenhouse-az

succulent

desert-botanical

car-red-wheels-az

As I’ve probably said a hundred times, I love using my phone camera and I love Instagram. At the end of the day, I look through my album, pick a few photos to play around with, upload them, then spend some time looking at all the images posted by the people I follow. I love all the mini pieces of art, some are fun, some are ordinary, and some are absolutely stunning.

If I hadn’t been participating in the #red prompt with Focusing on Life, I believe I may have walked by this VW without even seeing it! Well, I might have noticed it, but not appreciated it as much as it deserved, know what I mean? That’s what a camera will do, it focuses attention. I never leave the house without it.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday, I’m off to see what I can see!

LR Presets and Actions in Action!

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I took these shots around 4:30 in the afternoon when the sun is lower and the light is warmer. In the winter in my house, the sunshine pours in and splashes across entire rooms. It’s a real mood booster and I’m always expressing gratitude for it (even though it shows the dust … oh my … the dust …).

So that’s what I love about these shots – the warm sun and how it makes me feel.

Still Life Photography

Still Life Photography

Even though it’s Texture Tuesday, I didn’t use a texture. But don’t worry – I used Kim’s LR preset “kk_berrily”. I love this preset but it doesn’t work on everything – it tends to flatten colours and tones. I think it worked here because of the sunlight. Then I ran an action from Florabella called Warm Vintage which I’ve seriously become addicted to.

Have you ever run an action and then picked it apart to see how they do it? Well, the Warm Vintage action de-saturates, adds warm tones, adds a subtle bright haze, and then a warm bluish tone. Knowing that has led me to try writing some of my own actions – they don’t always turn out, but it’s a great way to learn.

Today I’m off to get my haircut! woo hoo, do I need a “do” or what! The dust will just have to wait!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!