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Old-Timey Joy
I made this holiday greeting card after practicing with the concept of macro shots for Julie’s Sunday Stills challenge. The topic of Julie’s Week 3 Sunday Stills challenge was macro. So, using my iphone camera and the macro setting in Camera+, I took 3 little blocks and photographed them at different distances from the camera.
I need to go back and review Julie’s lesson. I changed my distances even though my phone app had a macro setting. Is that right? I tried to use the touch zoom feature but it seemed easier just to move closer. I also have a macro feature on my point and shoot camera with a zoom lens. But I was having trouble focusing; I do think the low lighting was a factor. My camera has a manual setting option, but I have yet to come close to figuring it out. For now, I’m hoping to learn concepts that can be applied to my simple photography.
As assigned, I selected one of the images as seen below.
Joy Distance 1
Then I fashioned it into a holiday card by adding text and a old-timey frame!
JOY
And, as you saw in the first blog photo, I added a little teddy bear into a shot to see how it would look. It may break the rule of having an odd number of items for a still life shot, but I think it’s cute!
Happy Holidays from me to you!
Christmas Bounty
It is Christmas Eve and Santa must be loading up his sleigh. Santa Claus is coming to town. When I was a kid, I could easily think of something to wish for and eagerly awaited Christmas morning. I was a lucky kid and always had a bounty of presents from Santa.
It was exciting to go into the living room and see all the amazing things that Santa had left. Santa did not wrap our gifts, so it was like a visual explosion of sights , and we were thrilled as we wondered what to look at first!
“Look at this!” Look at this!” My brother and I would call out to each other and hold up our gifts for display! It was an exciting time.
I realize how very lucky I was. Lots of love filled the room.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas filled with love and joy!
December-The Changing Seasons- V2
December
December Haiku (White)
Weary but hopeful
December will settle in
Washed in winter white
***
I need to say that I prefer the decorative coating of winter white in this photo to any wintry white mix of precipitation! I am not wishing for, I dare not even say it, s-n-o-w! A mild winter would be fine by me. It seems hard to believe that December is here, and now nearly gone. This month has been tiring, and I am ready for some energizing rest and holiday cheer. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
***
This is my Version 2 entry into Cardinal Guzman’s Changing Seasons Challenge. Check out his blog for other interpretations of the theme and think about joining us in the photo challenge! I am pleased that the Cardinal will keep hosting my favorite challenge in 2017! You can see my previous entries by clicking on the Changing Seasons header at the top of my page.
Christmas Tree Festival
I went to a city festival of Christmas trees this weekend held at the Hotel Roanoke. The historic hotel and conference center was fully decorated for the holiday. In addition, there were thirty four trees specially decorated and entered in the charity event. All of the proceeds went to the United Way. You could vote for your favorite. All of the trees had different sponsors and each was beautiful or interesting in its own way. I took a few pictures to show the variety. In case you are wondering, I voted for the Sweet Pink Tree that was entered by an elementary school because I thought it was creative.
I also included a picture of our Roanoke City Christmas tree, taken as I went through a walkway that joins the hotel property to the downtown area. It was a clear but chilly day. The outing was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit as we count down to Christmas Day.
Colleen of Silver Threading had the idea for people to share Christmas Trees around the world. These trees may not be in my home but they are in my hometown of a Roanoke, Virginia.
I always put up a Christmas tree. This will be the first Christmas that I will spend without my mother since she passed in August. She always enjoyed supervising the tree decorating and admiring the finished product. Without her this year, I settled on a simple table top tree. It may not be the biggest tree that I have ever had, but the tradition stands!
Tiny Tree
Happy Holidays everyone!
Country Market-The Changing Seasons 12
It’s all about the festive red and green at the Country Market this month! Vibrant poinsettias and fresh Christmas Trees fill the greenhouse and line the lot. The scent of pine fills the air. The market is a busy place, helping customers select the perfect tree and ringing up the holiday sales.
I also noticed that there was a sign advertising the sale of the market itself. A clerk told me that there were no definite plans to sell right now. Whatever the outcome, I hope the market stays open and keeps its country feel. I have enjoyed stopping by each month to see seasonal changes, make purchases and capture the simple beauty of the market.
I plan to make a wrap up of select photos before the end of the year. I understand that the Cardinal plans to continue this challenge, with some minor changes, next year! I better start scouting for a new location. This is my twelfth installment for Cardinal Guzman’s Monthly Photo Challenge. We are to post 5-20 pictures each month at a nearby location to showcase the changing of seasons and hone our photography skills. You should check out his photos and the links that he posts to other entries you may also enjoy viewing. You can see my previous galleries by clicking on the Changing Seasons header at the top of this page. Think about joining us next year as the challenge continues!
Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings to you all!
Oops-Light Streams
Light Streams
Well, here is my oops photo. I wanted to take a nighttime shot of a lighted Christmas Tree to include in my Changing Seasons series. (You can click on the header at the top of my page for more information and photos!)
Clearly, I am not a master of night photography! I had pulled into a nearby lot and zoomed in for a picture. Feeling rushed, I didn’t make any setting changes. I think that my unsteady hands also contributed to the streaming effect in the photo.
Weirdly enough, I actually like this photo. While not technically perfect, or even close, there is still something about it that I like. I think it seems dynamic and alive!
What do you think?
Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings to you all!
*posted for the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge:
Oops!
Simple Santa
Merry Christmas!
This is one of my favorite Santas because of his simplicity. He is dressed in all white which makes me think of Winter Wonderland. Arms stretched out, he sits on my mantle near vases which glisten with light from my Christmas tree.
Today is Day 5 of the Black and White Photo challenge given to me by Desleyjane and it is also Christmas Eve. So, Santa seems a fitting subject.
As usual, I used my iphone 5s and camera+ app to change the photo to black and white. I think it adds a nostalgic feel to the picture. Today, I extend an invitation to anyone who wants to give black and white photography a try. To join the challenge, post a B&W photo for 5 days and invite someone else each day. Also, there is still time to check out Lucile’s Photo101Rehab for inspiration.
Merry Christmas!
Twinkle Twinkle
Tis the season! Ornaments kissed by twinkling light. Merry Christmas!
*weekly photo challenge: Twinkle
*Photo101Rehab info: picture shot with iPhone 5s using camera+ app with edits for cropping, clarity and contrast.
the beespeak 