Merry Christmas Eve!

Since I know

most of you are gathered with family

and it is a busy time...

I just wanted to post a

Happy Christmas Eve message

along with

a Merry Christmas too!

 

Thank you all for being in my life...

 

You mean the world to me!

 

 

This little picture was taken last year.

 

It is a driveway across the lake from our side of the lake...

 

but I loved the gate and the snow,

and somehow,

it just feels like the

road their family takes to get to a family gathering...a real

Christmas scene to me...

 

 



I also hope 2013 brings you good health and happiness!

I can't get them out of my mind....

I am like most of you...

 

in mourning

over

those precious little souls

lost

in the school shootings this week.

 

 

I just can't get them out of my mind.

 

 

Recently, I visited a local cemetery

and

found this lovely angel headstone.

 

She looked forlorn to me,

and

sad.

 

 

Now, she has taken on new meaning to me

as it seems she is looking down from

heaven

onto the earth

and wondering,

like us...

how this could happen................

 

 

 



May God be with all the families in compassion and strength.

This and That from late Autumn.......

Well, Google's blackmail did work....

I ended up paying the new plan of

$2.49 a month

in order to continue posting pictures on my blog.

Even though it let me post a few more

with smaller loading,

it stopped letting me load pictures again,

saying I had taken up too much space.

So much for a "Free blog", huh?

So, I bit the bullet and am now paying to do this.

But since I have so many images

that I love to show you,

and because it has led to a few "jobs" for me

in the photography world,

I decided to continue here.

Today?

I have a few images from this past autumn.

I am still so far behind in post processing

my many, many, MANY autumn images,

that I may be showing you quite a few more

over the next few weeks/months until I get caught up.

We are expecting a HUGE

snowstorm over the next few days.

(The flakes JUST are starting outside my window as I type this).

So, before I know it, I will be donning my snowshoes

and getting out in the wild white wonderland to get some

winter scenes too!

I hope this big guy made it through this hunting season..I took this in November right before our hunting season began...



This guy is NOT legal to hunt here (yet)....a bull moose. We saw him a few days in a row, we found where he was hanging out....but then after that we went back the next week, and he had moved on from the area we saw him before.

And despite the cold, cold weather, the same day we saw THIS....

poor little thing was moving in slow motion (probably FROZEN). Sure hope he got somewhere safe to hibernate for the rest of the winter!:

Maybe

I better do the same????

Gotta Love that Bokeh!

Say WHAT?

 

What is Bokeh you say?

 

(I know, I had NO idea what it was either until I started into photography for reals).

 

Bokeh means "blur"...it is when you do a closeup of your main subject and purposely blur

the background....

and if you want to experiment,

you can be creative with your bokeh

by making a lens cover for your camera

lens in shapes....

 

 

Here are some we did in photography class a few weeks ago!

Believe it or not, I hung mini Christmas lights in the background behind these objects, but
I cut out a "fake" lens cover with a snowflake design in the middle
and used a rubber band to hold it around my lens and snapped away...
and
THIS
is what you get!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, I used a homemade lens

where I cut out a little heart

in the middle

and rubber banded it

around and in front of my lens

and got

THIS!!!:

Now?

 

 

NOW?

I am bugging all my scrapbooking friends

to borrow their

cutouts to make more homemade lens...

 

I think I have "bokeh FEVER"!!!!

 

 





All about late Autumn...

Today, I will start a series on some shots  I got in late autumn

(October, 2012)

Enjoy!

A mallard couple on the pond:

Some hidden falls we saw down an embankment..

there was no way to climb down to them

without risking my life. LOL:

Seed pods..just love them in the fall when they are like this!:

An impending storm at the pond....

We had to walk across a bog to get that last shot..I was afraid I was going to sink in!

More late autumn pictures to come on the next post, so stay tuned!

 

Photo Class Assignment: Motion

Well, I don't know what happened, because I haven't paid Google yet, but I tried to load these pictures today and they loaded!!!????

So, today's subject? I am in a Photo Class again, and the assignment was "motion" photos..since I love water motion and waterfalls so much, I took that kind of motion photo...

Here are the four I submitted to class:

This was a little rapids on a river when we went for a hike about a month ago:

I wanted to play with how the water was swirling around the through the rocks on this one:

I love how the water fans out at the bottom of a small rapids, so I played with the shutter spped so I could get this right:

And? Last, but not least...

when I saw how the water was spraying off the clump of leaves,

well, I couldn't RESIST trying to capture it with my lens!



Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

I hope I can continue to post on here...

I did make the images smaller before posting them, so thanks everyone for the tips

and maybe now I can continue to post...

we will see when I post the next one...

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving if I don't post before then...

I am thankful for each and every ONE of you readers of my blog!!



What the heck?

I went to blog three times this week,

and

Blogger wouldn't load my photos!

 

Finally,

I get a message that says unless I PURCHASE

more memory for photos,

I can no longer post photos!

 

What the heck??

 

Do any others of you (that post a lot of photos)  purchase memory for photos for your blog?

 

I did it once a year for two years for about $5.00, my credit card got misused by someone other than me, so my credit card number got changed...

and then when we were on vacation they tried to automatically renew it again, couldn't because

the credit card was denied,

and now

they want to charge me alot MORE and charge me EVERY MONTH instead of yearly...

 

I am highly disgusted...

am thinking of changing my blog to another FREE site..

 

So what say you, my Blogger Friends/??

 

Are you on another blog site that does NOT charge to load

unlimited photography on your site?

 

IF so, 

PLEASE leave me a comment as to where to set up a new blog

and how you like it???

 

I have always been happy with this site until NOW>

HELP!!!????

 

 

 

Worldwide Photography Walk: Marquette Michigan Photos : Part Two

If you missed my last post, drop down and read it first.

 

This is part 2 of the Worldwide Photo Walk

that I participated in a few weeks ago.

 

 

Our community site was at Park Cemetery, a lovely, huge old cemetery full of old headstones, a pond

and gorgeous autumn trees.

 

 

Here are some more shots I took while there:

 

 



I just loved this old, ornate mansoleum (spelling?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved doing this in black and white with just a touch of color in the rose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colorful tree spreading nature over the headstones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another mallard shot in the lilies...they were so pretty there that day!

 

 

 

I have a few more I will still share with you next time...

Hope you are having a wonderful autumn and treasuring each and every day of it!

 

Worldwide Photography Walk: Marquette Michigan Photos

I was fortunate enough to be part of our area's

Worldwide Photography Walk day.

Our photo club picked the Park Cemetery

in

Marquette Michigan

for our site.

The idea is for a bunch of area photographers to go to the same site and the same time

for a limited amount of time and capture what shots appeal to you.

When the group is done, you are allowed to submit just ONE photo into the contest to win prizes if the Judges pick yours.

The club will also pick ONE more photo from all of our photos to submit on behalf of the club.

If that photo is picked by the Judges, the club wins prizes.

I thought it would be fun just to participate to see what others took in the way of photos.

Here is our group photo before we went on our photo walk (picture was taken by club member: Mike Hainstock):

I am the third one from the right (wearing the black coat and brown boots, front row).

At first, I was hesitant to go as it was pouring rain outside when I left home and very chilly. But I dressed in layers and headed out....by the time we started the photo shoot, the rain stopped and it warmed up to the balmy 40's and 50's and the sun even peeked out a few times....

I was SO glad I decided to go!

Here are some of the photos I took

when I went out with my photo club members.

I am always drawn to baby and children's tombstones...they make me sad but I can't help it....

To my surprise and delight, there was a large pond or two within the cemetery...

and?

it was FULL of ducks!!

Everyone was around the ponds taking shots, so I had to go back after everyone left to get a spot

by myself...but I did find a few mallards, and loved capturing them in my lens:

I loved the lily pads, all the textures from the autumn!

 

Stay tuned for more photos of this cemetery photography assignment....

U.P. Autumn Roads!

Some of you already read me on Facebook,

so you have seen these photos.

 

I am taking another photo class,

and last week's assignment was:

 

"Colorful autumn Roads".

 

 

 

Since that is one of my all time favorite things to phtograph,

I loved it.

 

 

Here are the two I submitted to class:

 

 



 

That one was taken on an old highway near where we live.

I take an autumn shot there every year and always love to do that due to its canopy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one was my favorite.

I loved the way the light looked dreamy at the end of the road...

 

It was a gorgeous day when we went out to take these..

and making images of it, makes our memory of it all the sweeter.

 

 

The instructor and class seemed to like them,

I hope you do, too.....



A Decision, an Apology and a Promise......

I have come to a very difficult decision.

 

And I have three reasons for that decision.

 

So as not to cause drama, I will get right to it.

 

 

I have decided to discontinue my monthly

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

for now and during 2013 as well.

 

 

It was like my child.

 

But like any family, I had to review how things were going.

 

 

Here are my three reasons:

 

1. Entries have dropped off significantly. Not that the ones entered aren't spectacular. But I need at LEAST ten or more photos each month for the contest to have any meaning. The winners should feel good about winning against several competitors, not just two or three others. I realize a lot of the drop off in entries is because I am not blogging as often (which I hope to improve over this coming winter months, thus the word PROMISE in the title of this post).

 

2. I'd  like to give the winners something of value. I loved having widgets made where the winners could post their winning widget on their blogs for forever bragging rights. Try as I might, I could not find another widget maker for me. If you all know of someone who can do this at a reasonable rate, please send me a message? Because I still hope to do this contest again beginning in 2014, if I can find another designer.

 

 

3. My Judges got worn out. I believe I will need to recruit three SAME permanent Judges, ones that know photography and are willing to Judge the contest every month. I think I can ask someone in my photography club to do this for me, but I need to make sure when I reinstitute the contest that #1 and #2 (above) are in place first. I think that having knowledgeable photographers that are consistent and can give professional reasons why they picked the winners they do will help us amateur photographers improve as we see why each winning photo was chosen.

 

 

***************************************************************************

That being explained, I want to thank each and every one of you that submitted photos into my photography contest faithfully all these months from the bottom of my heart.

 

You have such talent. And? I loved getting your email entries...they made my day as they were entered!

 

 

*******************************************************************

 

Since I did get some entries for the last month's theme of :

"something round",

and we won't be picking a "winner"....

I still want to share them with you as I think they are wonderfully creative and they ALL deserve to win.
 

Thanks to everyone who did enter this one, and I know my readers will love looking at them as much as I did!!

This one was from Margaret Gosden. Her blog is called: "Margaret Gosden 2".

This one is from LindyLouMac. Her blog is called: "News from Italy".
 

 

 

 

 

This is from Arti S. Her blog is called: "My Yatra Diary".

This is from CrazyCris. Her blogs are called: "Here, There and Everywhere" and "Cris Crossing the Globe".


***********************************************************
Weren't they wonderful??????????????!!!!!

I am going to miss this monthly contest...but if all goes right,
LOOK for it to RETURN in 2014
along with new, consistent Judges
AND
widgets for your blog if you win!

Thanks everyone for your understanding of this decision,
and most of all, thanks to each and every one of you that entered photos over the past!!


 

 



We have a WINNER: August 2012's FREE PHOTO CONTEST: theme: Seats:Anything to sit on!

Again, the Judges have spoken!

 

(They would have spoken a LOT sooner if I had gotten them

the photos on time!) My bad!

 

 

August's FREE PHOTO CONTEST theme was:

"Seats: Anything you can sit on!"

and,

due to my confusing directions and late annoucement of that theme,

we only got three entries.

 

But, they were great. All of them different and unique.

And the Judges liked them all for different reasons...

One, for its perspective.

One for the shadows...

and one for the composition.

 

But they did finally come to an agreement on only

one winner:

 

 

Congratulations to Linda R! Her blog is called: "Linda Letters".

 

The Judges liked hers for the emotional response it brought...they all said they wouldn't mind sitting there a spell and enjoying the garden and watching the birds in the birdbath!

 

 

Again, thanks to all of you faithful readers and photographers for continuing to submit  your photos to this contest.  It is always such fun to see what creative shots you submit and to watch your talents.

 

************************************************

Don't forget to submit your photograph into the Sept. 2012

FREE PHOTO CONTEST.

 

The theme is:

 

anything

ROUND!!

 

You don't have to be a Blogger to enter!

Just follow

THESE RULES!!

 

 



We have a Winner: July 2012 FREE PHOTO CONTEST! Theme: Red, white and Blue

The Judges have spoken!

 

We finally have a July 2012

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

winning shot!

 

 

In case you forgot the entries, just click

HERE

to refresh your memory!

The theme was:
The American flag or anything red, white and blue!

 

 

And now....

 

here is  your WINNER!!:

 



Congratulations to Margaret G. Her blog is called: "Margaret Gosden 2".

The Judges thought her capture was very unique.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo for July's contest!

 

Stay tuned for August's winner on the next post!!

 

**************************************************************************

Don't forget to submit your winning photo

into the Sept. 2012's

FREE PHOTO CONTEST!!

 

The theme is:

 

ROUND

 

 

Get your photo in no later than midnight on Sept. 30th, 2012

following

THESE RULES.

Here They Are! Entries for the FREE PHOTO CONTESTS: Two month's worth: July 2012 (Theme: Red, white and Blue or the USA Flag) and August 2012 FREE PHOTO CONTEST: Theme: Seats, anything to sit on!!

Where did the summer go???

Where was I???

Missing in action, that is for sure.

I realized today that I had not even posted the July 2012 entries for the FREE PHOTO CONTEST
OR
the August 2012 entries either!!

Good grief!

July's theme was:

RED, WHITE and BLUE or the USA FLAG!

and


August's theme for the

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

was

SEATS! Anything to sit on!!

and

we got some interesting, creative entries!

We didn't get as many entries for those two months as usual. (I blame myself! People are probably giving up on this blogger and her contests! LOL) But what we did get in was wonderful, for BOTH months....

Sit back, and enjoy!:


First, the July entries:

This is from Margaret G. Her blog is called: Margaret Gosen 2.

This is from Arti S. Her blog is called: My Yatra Diary.

This is from Muffy. Her blog is called: Muffy"s Marks.

This is from Linda R. Her blog is called: Linda Letters

This is from LindyLouMac. Her blog is called: News from Italy.



*************************************************************************
Weren't they wonderful???????????????????

And now?

August's entries for the theme of:

Seats, anything to sit on!!:

This is from Linda R. Her blog is called: Linda Letters

This is from Arti S. Her blog is called: My Yatra Diary.

This is from LindyLouMac. Her blog is called: News from Italy.

***************************************************************
We only got three entries for August, and again, I feel it is my fault for not posting more blogposts and for not reminding everyone more often during the month because of that confusion of not posting July entries until now.

That being said, PLEASE notify me no later than FRIDAY, SEPT. 10th if you did send me a photo entry for JULY or AUGUST and don't see it above...if I forgot you, I will repost them along with YOUR photo included. IF I don't hear from anyone that I forgot them by Friday, midnight...I will send all of these entries for my Judges to choose both a July winner and and August winner.

*****************************************************************
Thanks to all you loyal readers who are hanging in there with reading my blog and thanks especially to those of you who have continued to faithfully enter your wonderful entries into the monthly photo contests!!!
***************************

Now, you ask....
what on earth is SEPTEMBER 2012's

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

theme????


Why,

it is:

ROUND.

Anything ROUND!!!!

Send in your entry no later than midnight on Sept. 30, 2012'
You don't have to be a Blogger to enter.

Just follow these rules!

Today, since I am so behind and it has been so long since I could regularly post for you,

I just went into archives from April 2012 and pulled flower photos and waterfalls for you to see!

Enjoy!!

My garden pansies:

Raindrops on the pansies:

Side profile:

Twins!:

My  husband has taken me to this set of hidden falls four times.

Each time, the lighting has not been right for photos.

We went in the rain,

we went in the sun,

we went on cloudy days that when we arrived there, the sun broke out of nowhere and "washed out" the shot...

and finally...

FINALLY!

on this day, the lighting was perfect.

A little side rapids below the falls which I liked the rocks at:

A macro of a teeny tiny

Trout Lily...the first of the wildflowers to bloom in our area!:

I miss blogging every other day.

I miss being current in my photography post-processing,

I miss you all....

but my wish has come true in that I have gotten to sell some of my photography

and have won some photo contests which landed me some photography jobs...

So, I must do my "calling" before I can blog.

Please keep my blog on your blogroll, and I will post whenever I can, I promise!!

Thanks to each of you that keep me on your list!!

I forgot to post the July 2012 photo entries for the theme of RED, White and Blue (or the USA FLAG)
Stay tuned, they are coming!!

************************************************

Don't forget August's theme for the

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

is:

Seats! Anything you can sit on!

Get your photo in no later than midnight, August 31st, 2012

following

THESE RULES.

You don't have to be a blogger to enter.

We have a winner!: FREE PHOTO Contest for June, 2012: Theme: Trees!!

Well, June and July came and went and we are well into August...

can you believe it???

So, that means one thing!

The Judges got back to me after their busy month

and have chosen a winner for June.

They all said it was VERY hard...they had it between three,

and then had to pick ONE....

So, HERE is our winner!!:

Congratulations to Cathy C. at Yooper Yarns!!!!

They loved the simplicity of it and it is striking!

Honorable mention also goes to:

--Djan

--Nat

****************************************************************

Thanks to every one who submitted photos into the contest...

they were ALL spectacular!!!

July's theme was RED, WHITE and BLUE or the USA FLAG

****************************

August 2012's theme for the

FREE PHOTO CONTEST

is:

"Park Benches, stools, chairs or any kind of seat"

Yes, I know...it is unusual....but if you look around, you will find a favorite chair, a secret park bench in the park or something to fit this category...and you will say to yourself: "now, why haven't I photographed this subject before?" You will start noticing every thing that anyone sits on for a seat....

So go out there, tell that person to get their butt OFF what they are sitting on, and snap those photos!!!!!\

Enter your photo no later than midnight on August 31, 2012

Just follow THESE RULES...

you don't have to be a blogger to enter!!