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.

Tookie Tookie

This is our new cockatiel, Tookie Tookie. We used the name from George of the Jungle. I wasn't sure of the spelling and looked it up, Wikipedia had it listed as I have it spelled above and the other spelling they offered was Tooky Tooky. I preferred the first and ran with that!

Anyway, isn't he handsome? He's a real character too. He loves to be held and will fly over and want to cuddle in the crook of your arm ... especially if you have a fleece jacket like I've been wearing a lot lately due to being cold.

When I first met Sonny he had a cockatiel who he had for many years. Since I loved Sonny, I knew I had to accept that he came with a bird. I didn't think they would be fun or have any personality. I soon learned otherwise and quickly became attached to Boi, the first cockatiel who has since passed away of old age.

Blogger's Community Photo Challenge

The current challenge is "food". I figured I could play along and post a couple of photographs.

This first photo is my dog, Toby, waiting for the okay to have his treat. He was a very good patient dog even if he looks like he was getting a bit annoyed with me for making him wait so I could get a photograph. Some of you may have seen this photo before on one of my blogs.

Last summer at one of the weddings we photographed, they had a chocolate fountain at the reception. Don't you just want a chocolate covered strawberry now?

One last photo - since I photograph weddings I figured I should show at least one wedding cake!

Now it's time to go check out all the yummy images from other photographers who have participated in the challenge. Just click HERE.

Not of This Season ~ Round Robin

The current Round Robin Photo Challenge is to post a photo of something you wouldn't see, or which would be very difficult to find during winter. A sunny day at the beach, an amazing sunset, summer fruits, a beautiful flower in bloom, someone wearing shorts or summer clothes, a tree filled with beautiful leaves, a pumpkin on a porch, you get the idea.

Here in the Tacoma, WA area we have been dealing all week with heavy fog and bitter cold weather. I was on the look out for the person who might be crazy enough to wear shorts but found none. I also knew I could easily use a photo on file for this challenge but, I truly wanted something taken within the past few weeks.

I decided to share the following two photos filled with beautiful spring flowers, tropical plants and Chihuly glass. All are unusual and not of this season ... YET.

***** I almost forgot! PLEASE be sure to check out the other photographers who have taken the time and effort to participate! You can find the linking list here -> ROUND ROBIN.

Camera Resolutions ~ Round Robin

I must confess, I thought today was Friday and wasn't prepared to post my Round Robin Photo Challenge photo today. The current challenge is to think of three themes for the new year and then photograph one of the themes.

First my three (actually 4) suggestions for upcoming themes:

"Childhood Memories" an example would be something that evokes a childhood memory.

"Dirty, Grungy" such as something considered ugly, run-down, dilapidated. Sometimes they can make some beautiful images!

"Silence" - again this is a photo that is going to evoke a feeling. No, I haven't really thought this one out! It was an idea that came to me this morning as I looked out the window.

And the one I'll use today is "Expressive Moments"

Yes, I'm cheating and using a wedding photograph! It's a time of MANY expressions.

This particular photograph needs no explanation!

Early last year I volunteered to be a photographer with Op: Love Reunited. It's a free service for our military who are deploying, deployed and returning home from deployment.

The photograph above was taken during a homecoming which is an emotionally charged event. I often find myself taking photos hoping that the auto setting is working because my own eyes are to misty to see clearly. The above photograph was actually published in our local newspaper!

Whoever says pets aren't expressive, obviously doesn't have a fur baby in their life! Below is Toby who isn't happy that I made him wear a silly looking hat. He's giving me an expression, the "I can't BELIEVE you are making me do this!". Which is the same expression my three children gave me on many occasions!

I hope you liked the suggestions and photographs! I'm looking forward to participating in as many Round Robin Photo Challenges as possible this year.

Please take a moment to check out all the other Round Robin Participants here -> ROUND ROBIN

Still Life

I've never been a big fan of still life photography, I rather photograph people, landscapes, and subjects that evoke feelings. Many of the still life photos that I've seen left me cold.

I find that still life photography is more demanding as you must form and create a scene that is visually pleasing, we are essentially MAKING the photo, not documenting a moment of time. And believe it not, still life is also a part of wedding photography.

This first photograph is an older photo that I have shared in my blog before. However, I want to share it again for any new viewers.

The ring was placed in the bible to create the heart shape. I especially like what we found inside the heart.

Occasionally we will use the brides bouquet to show off the rings. Not all flowers will hold the rings in a way that will best show off their beauty. This bouquet worked beautifully.

This last photo (above) was my attempt at something new and not work related - it's the photo taken especially with this current challenge in mind. Music and photography are stables of my life.

While still life photography isn't my favorite form of photography it's a type of photography that I need and want to challenge myself.

Please check out the others who have participated in the Blogger's Community Photo Challenge, just click on the photo above.

Just for Fun

Welcome to our new Photographers Choice blog! We hope you will stop by often and enjoy some of the photographs that we take when we aren't "working". This blog will feature photos from road trips, vacations, and other miscellaneous photos taken for pure enjoyment or for an online photo challenge. This first entry will have a few photos taken throughout 2008.

Several of these photographs will be on display at Borders in Tacoma as we are the featured artist during January, 2009!

Recently I was driving around town running errands when I saw these linticular clouds over MT Rainier. I couldn't get home fast enough to get my camera. What a beautiful sight.

The next set are from a recent road trip to the Columbia Gorge to photograph waterfalls and simply to escape for a couple of days.

The three above is Ponytail Falls, a short but steep hike up from Horsetail Falls.

This last summer we had the opportunity to go see Sarah Evans and Josh Gracin in concert at the Puyallup Fair. It was fun! I love all genres of music, variety is the spice of life.

Tall ship CGC Gloria when she was in Tacoma this summer. Isn't she beautiful? She wasn't here during the Tall Ship Festival over the July 4th weekend.

The following are from the recent Tall Ship Festival in Tacoma. over the July 4th weekend.

A photographers club that I belong to did a little low tide photography this summer. It was a fun to go exploring with the camera in hand,

MT Rainier is one of my favorite subject to photograph.

This was a pretty and cooling waterfall we found on a short road trip.

I grew up for the first 10 years of my life in Southern California where my dad owned an outdoor bookstore in Ojai, CA. The bookstore is still there and worth the visit! If you are in the Ventura, Santa Barbara area be sure to take a side trip over to check out Bart's Books. The new owner has kept it the way my dad had envisioned. I LOVED it.

There is a house on the property used to house first edition books and other books of value.

Just a few other Southern California photos from the trip.

This last group of photos were taken in the spring when we flew back to DC to visit my oldest son who lived in VA at the time. He's now in MD - and closer to DC.

Please come visit again to see what kind of mischief we have found!