Photography Secrets Under Changing Skies

We've had unsettled weather for the last few weeks, 

with plenty of wind and rain. 

It was a welcome change, when Saturday dawned

clear with the rising sun turning the skies

over the Cascade Mountains a rosy hue. 

Some of our trees are bare now, due to our windy 

weather, but the native Cottonwood, Alder, and Maple

 are still holding on. 

The Big Leaf Maple by the deck has given me 

plenty of work sweeping up her leaves

in between rain storms.

I just sweep them right off the end and leave them
as mulch on the path.

Some of the leaves are as big as dinner plates!

I will wait until they all fall before I attempt to rake
the grounds, and only in those places where plantings
are smothered.

(Can you see Whitey Bear photo-bombing at lower right?)

These large trees are lovely in the landscape,
lighting up the evergreen forest
with their golden leaves.

Every morning and every evening for as many years
as I have lived here,
a large flock of crows fly over to their roost
somewhere in the uninhabited foothills.

It is a lovely sound to hear them coming and going
as they call to each other along the way.

Here they are traveling towards the farm fields
early in the morning.

This beautiful hawk flew over at mid-day
showing us the wonderful patterns
on its wings and tail.

He was riding the thermals, and was soon joined by
3 crows who successfully drove him away.

I have a 'new' camera - a Canon EOS 40D SLR - a generous gift
from my son, Gabe.
He found it too big and bulky for his needs,
so I am the new lucky owner.

I am having fun playing with it and this is one of my first photos.
I love the crisp details.

My Beauty Berry in the garden.
 I am learning how to focus
this amazing camera.

 Barberry and Dusty Miller are growing in a pot on the deck
and the camera has picked up the intense colors.

A cabbage I have in a pot, also on the deck
taken with my new camera.

I have 3 different cameras for 3 different needs.

A Nikon Cool Pix 520 takes most of my zoom photos.
It zooms in across many miles and remains crisp and clear.

This camera also takes excellent photos in low light settings,
such as inside, or at dusk, without a flash.

It has excellent focus over a wide area,
which I love for landscape shots.

This glowing Maple in a sea of Douglas Fir
was taken during twilight, when the last sun rays
were lighting this tree on fire.

An example of a low-light situation.

You can see how far I have zoomed in.
The sky was cloudy and the sun's rays
were finally low enough to shine below them.

Here I have really zoomed in and the shot is a bit blurry
due to the low light, but the bare branches and fir tree
in the foreground are very clear.

This is logging land and these evergreens were planted for harvest.
The Maple is a beautiful interloper.

I have one more camera and you might be very surprised
to know that I use this one the most.

It is a small pocket camera - a Canon Power Shot ELPH 300 HS.
It is red and I call it my 'little elf'.

This little camera goes everywhere with me and it took this shot
of a cloud shrouded Mt. Rainier with lenticular cloud
hovering over the foothills like a UFO.

I took these photos on Saturday night, with my 'little elf'.

As you can see, he also zooms in quite nicely.
I captured a jet trail in between cloud and mountain.

Beam me up Scotty!

The setting sun has lit the shrouded Mt. Rainier
seemingly from within.

Even the best of cameras cannot capture
the real life beauty of this.

But I try.....

The last rays light up the lenticular cloud.

I chose my little Canon Power Shot for another reason, though. 

It takes excellent photos inside under low-light conditions

without a flash. 

Even better than the Nikon. 

There are many times you don't want a flash inside

as it reflects and distorts images 

next to glass and also throws unnatural light. 

We had driving rain one night that created this hologram

of my wind-chime the next morning. The sideways rain had caused 

the dust from the screen to leave this imprint 

on the glass! The early morning sunshine brought it to my attention. 

Isn't it amazing? (And also embarrassing to know how dirty my screen was!)

My 'little elf' was perfect to take this shot from inside

as it didn't require a flash which would have reflected in the glass. 

(The strap hanging from the bookcase is from my binoculars! 

We keep two at the ready for impromptu viewing)

So now you know my photography secrets :) 

Keeping my pocket camera with me at all times 

enables me to capture fleeting moments. 

I take this little camera with me whenever I travel, too. 

All of these photos were taken over the weekend, 

showing the changeable skies. 

Within moments, these scenes were gone. 

They were magical while they lasted. 

Next I will be playing with Macro images. 

I love having new toys! 

What kind of camera do you use? Do you have more than one? 

xoxo

Thank you, my Friends for your dear congratulations

on our upcoming little bundle of Grandparent joy! 

I also enjoyed reading your lovely comments about 

Forget Me Nots.

With every little comment I get to know each of you 

a little better. 

You are all so wonderful. 

Very, very special. 

I hope you know....

xoxo