Constructive Feedback

Over at I Heart Faces they are doing a Constructive Feedback Friday. I decided to play along, and actually add my link. I've been "playing" without linking.

This is a photo where I had turned to do something else, or change position ... something! When I looked back at the bride and groom this is what I saw and tried to quickly snap it before they were aware of me again.

Obviously the camera and I weren't ready for the low lighting conditions.

Here is the original

And here is my edited copy

I look forward to hearing any suggestions on how to improve this moment. Photography I love, editing I'm still struggling and learning day by day! :-)

What I did - lightened the couple, removed some distractions - ie, the truck that drove by, gave it a soft focus and cropped. Again, I truly welcome ideas! Like what can I do about that sky - it was raining and overcast or any other great suggestion. :-)

Round Robin - Numbers

If I said this was an easy challenge, I'd be lying through my teeth. Each day as I was driving around, I would be looking for numbers. Nothing jumped out at me. Sure I saw numbers just nothing that screamed at me!

Last night I was ready to write Karen and Carly to tell them I wouldn't be participating. No inspiration - none, zip, nada.

However, the inspiration hit me this evening as I was searching through my closet for something unrelated to the entry, I saw this number and it immediately made me smile.

I remember sitting and watching my youngest son play football on Friday nights for his high school. While I was never a fan of football before, I didn't miss a game. He played both offence and defense, meaning he NEVER left the field! The poor kid would be so exhausted afterwards. Which meant a peaceful quiet evening for me! :-)

While putting together the entry this evening and with thoughts of my youngest son, it hit me, I have a favorite number this month - 18. That's the day my son returns home from deployment, it's the day I get to hear his voice again and know he is safe on US soil!

All that time I spent looking for numbers OUT THERE, waiting for something to 'scream' at me to photograph them and all the time the numbers were quietly waiting for me here in my home. :-)

Be sure to check out the other photographers who participated in the Round Robin Photo Challenge.

This Old Place

Seriously, TWO weeks passed? I had BIG plans for this entry. I knew several locations within Tacoma that I wanted to photograph.

Unfortunately, two weeks passed and it pretty much RAINED every day! I just LOVE living in the great Northwest! (sometimes). So, being that I never photographed what I wanted, I dug through some old files and found the following for this entry.

San Francisco's famous painted ladies as seen from Alamo Square. The 'painted ladies' are Victorian and Edwardian homes painted in three or more colors. I love seeing the colorful Victorian homes with the modern city skyscrapers in the background.

Staying in the Great Northwest, I couldn't resist sharing Pike Place Market which celebrated it's 100 birthday in 2007. I love the hustle and bustle of this market. People watching is the best here! Many sights, sounds, fragrances and colors to stimulate every possible sense.

This last photo in the Northwest area, I've shared a few months ago on my blog. I figured the Round Robins haven't seen it so it was worth sharing. It's an old grist mill (age of mill unknown). I forgot how old it was, it was over 50 years old.

Returning to one of my home states - Indiana. This beautiful covered bridge was burned (vandals) in 2005. This photograph was taken the year before. In 2006 the community got together and rebuilt a replica of this very bridge.

Thank you for visiting and taking this quick tour through time to some beautiful old places. Please be sure to take a moment and check out the other participating photographers who participated in this Round Robin Challenge -> ROUND ROBIN.

Spring Break

I don't know about you, but I seriously need some sunshine and spring flowers! So I did the next best thing, I bought a mixed bouquet of flowers and then I got my camera out so I can share some color. Besides I LOVE "playing" with my camera.

Hope you enjoy this mini "Spring Break".

The roses were from my daughter a few weeks ago, aren't they beautiful.

Round Robin ~ Purple

Once again it's time for the Round Robin Photo Challenge and this time we were looking for the color of purple.  This past two weeks slipped right past me and I never had the opportunity to go play and find purple items.

The other day when I was at the craft store I found this purple silk water lily, I thought it was perfect for the challenge so I bought it!

The three above were all taken when Chihuly had a display at our beautiful Victorian style conservatory here in Tacoma.  The last photo of the group also has blue frog feet!  

Three bridesmaids in shades of purple caught goofing off while the groomsmen were getting their formals taken.

Taken sometime last year.  I can't remember where or when! ::sigh::   Does it count?  It's more of a periwinkle isn't it!

This last photo is an old photo - about two years old.  It's a favorite of mine, all I did as add a wee bit of saturation.  This was taken one winter evening at the beach during one of our weekend escapes.

If you would like to see more purple go check out what the other photographers found - Round Robin. 

** I was early with this and didn't even realize it! I was a day ahead of myself.  Since I was early, I've come back to add this new photo.  I stopped to take some flowers to a friend and fellow blogger in the hospital.  I found PURPLE carnations so I HAD to take a photo of them to share. :-)

Round Robin - Light Moves

Originally I was going to post these photos in the entry below with the other photographs taken at the Seymour Conservatory in Tacoma. The conservatory is celebrating it's 100 th anniversary. In honor of the milestone, Dale Chihuly (a Tacoma native) created an impressive display for the celebration.

Luckily, I remembered to check out the Round Robin Challenge before I posted the previous entry. Once I read the current challenge, I KNEW I had to share some of the photos taken at the conservatory for this particular entry! :-)

I love how the light moves with and through the glass.

The other photo I would've used for this challenge I used as my new header. :-)

Please take a moment or two ;-) to check out all the participants. There are some wonderful photographers in the group. Also, if you enjoy photography please come join the fun, new photographers are always welcome!

Check out the Round Robin Photo Challenge!

Chihuly at Seymour Conservatory

Today I headed over to the Seymour Botanical Conservatory at Wright Park in Tacoma. This happens to be my personal favorite time of the year at the conservatory as it's full of beautiful tulips, daffodils and fragrant hyacinths that impact your senses as soon as you walk in the door. This year it's even more impressive because of the Chihuly glass display among the foliage.

This weekend is the last for the Chihuly glass exhibit. So, this was a great time to get back to the conservatory for some photographs. If you haven't been, I highly recommend making the trek over to the conservatory. It's worth a visit with or without the glass!

We had photographed a wedding at the conservatory on Valentine's Day and it was afterwards that I had an idea of HOW I wanted to take a photo to remember the beauty. I'll share that photo first. The other photos are from this current visit and from my visit in December.

I hope you enjoy visiting the conservatory via my photographs!

This is from the wedding, you can see the rest at my wedding blog: Wedding. The wedding was in the evening and the lights inside provided a dramatic effect on the glass.

Anyone care for some blue frog legs?

What Makes Your Heart Happy

What a joyous challenge we have going on at the Round Robin Photo Challenge this week. "What Makes Your Heart Happy?"

Naturally there are many things that make my heart happy and I could fill the page with my fur babies, grand-babies, my children and last but certainly not least my husband.

However, I felt I should keep the entry down and decided on two photographs that simply warm my heart and makes me smile every time I look at them.

I apologize in advance for this first photo as it's a scanned copy. It was taken on a tripod with the timer and an old early digital camera.

This was taken about 5 years ago, I had my entire family home for Christmas. That in itself was a treat as my two son's are in the US Navy. We went outside for a family portrait which was supposed to include our dog Toby, he obviously had other plans!

The second photograph are my two beautiful granddaughters. Who are simply precious and bring much joy to this grandma.

I'm long overdue for a visit. This economy better pick up so I can go visit them before they graduate high school!

Please take a moment to check out all the other photographers who took the time to participate. You can find the linking list here -> Round Robin.