Day 176

I can't beleive that 2014 is almost here! I've been posting a lot of landscapes lately so I thought I would switch it up with an abstract macro. I case you haven't guessed what this is yet, this is a pile of Twizzlers that was sitting on the desk in front of me as I worked today. As I was eating them I realized that the twisted lines would make a really cool photo. Not only do they have a really cool corkscrew pattern going on, they also reflected light to get some really bright white patches. I liked the original image out of the camera, but an infrared black and white effect gave it this really neat artistic look.

Day 175

This weekend we had a brief meltdown before getting back to near zero degrees today. On Saturday morning I got this beautiful shot of the sunrise shining through these weeds in a field.

Day 174

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I've been taking some time off from blogging, but I hope to be back to posting regularly next week. Today's photo was taken on Christmas Eve at my Grandpa Tom and Grandma Judy's house. This little tree was the centerpiece on the table I was sitting at, and behind it I could see the fireplace with some stockings and decorations. I tried to enhance the warm, bright, holiday feeling when I was editing by applying the Orton effect from picmonkey.com. I really like the details of the artificial tree's needles and snow, and the homey feel of the brick fireplace with the stocking.

Day 173

This is a shot I took of the path that leads from our rabbit barn to Joy's bee yard. I kneeled in the snow to get this angle so the grass and weeds would look taller and fill more of the frame. In contrast to some of the previous posts, I wanted a little color in this photo, so instead of black and white I opted for the Dusk effect.

Day 172

The snow makes everything look different and more beautiful outside. Here's another black and white winter wonderland, this one of a fence post with a barn in the background.

Day 171

Tomorrow it's actually supposed to get well above the freezing point, so the thick layer of snow seen here will soon be gone. Pine trees are always interesting in the winter because they retain their needles and shape, giving some fun shapes and textures to shoot.

Day 170

It looks like a winter wonderland outside right now, and it's getting colder every day. I do love how the snow looks, but I wish it could be warm at the same time. For this photo of the forest that borders my lane, I liked the black and white effect the really concentrate on the details in this image.

Day 169

I spent the first half of today at the hospital, and the second trying to get caught up on school work. I finally finished a Spanish paper I'd been working on, and then remembered that I still needed to post. On my desk I had my camera case, textbooks, a spool of pink ribbon from a 4-H project, and some other miscellaneous stuff. I used the front of my camera case for a textured background, and then with my left hand held the pink ric rac in front with my left hand while shooting with my right. Needless to say, it was hard to get one in focus. I'm not entirely sure the ribbon is in focus yet, but I thought the shiny aspect was a nice compliment to the ordered pattern of the camera case.  To edit, I applied black and white just to the spot of wall you can see i=behind the case, and then a small dark edge to finish.

Day 168

Even though it's not technically winter yet (the winter solstice is December 21) it sure is starting to look and feel like winter. Today's photo is a footprint in the new snow that we got this week. I took this in the late afternoon when it was already getting dark, so the snow was a dark blue color. While I liked the light blue hue in yesterday's post, I didn't like how it worked for this particular image. So I applied a black and white effect with dark edges to add some drama to an otherwise simple photo.

Day 167

My dog Lupin is not always the best subject for photos because he is constantly moving. The vision behind this photo was a nice, traditional portrait with him looking at me. That didn't work out so well because he was distracted by something to his right, but I think it still was a pretty good image with colors and texture. When I was editing I thought this photo needed something to make it really stand out. I used a black and white focal effect, so that Lupin and the surrounding area would be in the original color with the snow on the edges of the photo turning grayscale. I also added a thin black frame, as I thought it really gave the photo a finished look and complemented the dramatic lighting going on.

Day 166

Winter is almost here and the last few leaves are dangling on the trees. Here are some that caught my interest yesterday because of the beautiful red and brown colors going on. I added the Dusk effect to play up the warm, autumn feel in this image.

Day 165

Yesterday my 4-H club decorated a Christmas tree for the local Festival of Trees silent auction where the trees are sold and the proceeds go to Christmas for Kids. Our tree is adorable this year, decorated to look like a giant snowman. This ornament was on someone else's tree, but seeing as it was blue and sparkly it was one that caught my eye when I made the rounds with my camera.  I loved the way the black and white made this ornament really stand out from its surroundings.

Day 164

This probably isn't the most impressive macro of an insect you've ever seen, but it's my first one so I'm going to post it. We were out taking care of the rabbits a couple days ago and a few house flies were landing on the leaves of this tree, I got out my camera and took a few handheld macro shots. I liked the texture and color of the leaf, and the angle this fly was sitting at. A slight dark edge to bring out more detail and the colors of the fly was my only adjustment.

Day 163

It's been a little warmer recently, so I've been outside shooting more often. This rusty nail was stuck in a board in a pile near our rabbit barn, and I thought the textures would be interesting to work with. I loved the look I got when I left the nail the original rusty red but painted the board black and white.

Day 162

This Saturday my mom took me to a rabbit show, and we had a great time. Before we left I had convinced her to let me get this little Holland Lop buck, who the whole family fell in love with as soon as they saw him. He ended up being an early birthday present for my little brother Nehemiah, who gave him the appropriate name "Loppy." This photo was taken in out rabbit barn while Noah, my youngest brother, held him. I processed it with a dusk effect to add an artsy feel to an otherwise simple photo.

Day 161

Some bark on a cotton wood tree in our yard. I like the dramatic shadows and texture, which I highlighted with the black and white effect.

Day 160

This photo was taken this summer when my mom took us to visit one of her friends. I liked the random way the logs were stacked and the varying sizes and shapes. The black and white filter I thought gave a more artistic and finished look than the original browns and golds of the wood.

Day 159

My brothers found a salamander the other day, and I snapped a few shots before we had to go. If I had had more time I would have loved to hold it and take some more photos from different angles. To make the salamander really stand out, I painted black and white onto the rest of the photo while leaving him the original color.

Day 158

Today I was outside poking around a pile of wood and getting some very interesting textured photos of the weather worn planks and logs. This end of one of the planks in particular caught my eye. I loved all the ridges and the shadows they caused. I liked the black and white on this photo because it helped enhance the contrast between the shadows and highlights more than the original grays and browns.

Day 157

This morning was very overcast so I had difficulty finding a colorful or well lit subject. Finally I found this plant in a field my brother and I were walking in, and I got several very interesting shots. I love the colors and textures this weed provided.

Day 156

Snow on a wooden plank I found outside yesterday morning. I love the contrast between the dark, rough wood and the white, grainy snow.

Day 155

We got the first snow of the season yesterday, and this morning we had a big frost. I got one of my brothers to pose for me to take advantage of the morning light. The light is a little harsh on the side of his face nearest the sun, but I love dramatic light on his face. To downplay the highlights a little I added slight dark edges. (click photo to enlarge)

Day 154

Is he adorable or what? His older brother taught him to crinkle and almost close his eyes when he smiles for pictures, something that I'm not very grateful for. But it worked out in this one, and I loved the rock background with the leaves strewn here and there.

Day 153

My brothers got together a pile of firewood last weekend because they were hoping to have a campfire. Unfortunately, it was too windy and damp to have one, so the pile of logs is still sitting there. Yesterday I noticed this log which had a lot of small, strange green things growing on it. I liked the colors and strange textures in the image. 

Day 152

 We got a lot of rain last night, so this morning I woke to mud, fog, and dripping plants. The rocks on our lane looked a lot more interesting once the dust was washed off, and I thought this green cottonwood leaf had a nice contrast to the earthy monotones of the gravel. To edit, I toyed with some of the effects, but finally settled on a faded Dusk filter as I liked the way it worked with the browns in the leaf and the grays of the rock.

Day 151

With all the rain outside and it getting dark so early, I didn't have many options for a subject today. Eventually I centered on my purse, and got several really cool close ups. This one I liked because it was a tiny part of the front that was full of interesting textures and angles. To edit, I applied a black and white effect but left some of the stitches their original blue color to add some interest and highlights to the image. Plus, I love the color blue.

Day 150

Today was really productive for once. I got a lot of work done, but not much of it was photography related. So even though it was quickly darkening at 5pm, I ran outside to get a couple shots of some grass. None of them turned out fantastically, but I thought the interest provided by the blurry pieces in the foreground and all the lines was enough to warrant a post today. To edit, I added a little bit of graininess to help with a more artistic and interesting image. I also did a focal black and white effect off to the side, so that it graduated from black and white to the original colors.

Day 149

Last night I accidentally left my camera at my grandparents' house, so I today I decided to edit a photo I took a while ago and post it. This is a macro of some ponytail holders I had recently gotten and had not yet taken off the cardboard package. That's what keeping these all lined up and giving them the slightly rounded shape. To edit, I decided I wanted a super modern one point color look. Since my favorite color is blue and the blue one happened to be in an ideal location for a focal point, I opted to paint on the black and white, leaving one elastic in the original color. To add to the dramatic effect, I increased the shadows in the lower portion and increased the highlights at the top. The only thing I don't like is the one elastic that is lighter colored than the rest, as it kind of ruins the whole idea of having just the blue one stick out in the crowd.

Day 148

Even though I'm not going as the Wicked Witch of the West for Halloween this year and am not likely to melt in the rain, I cowered in the doorway so as not to get wet while taking this photo. The day started extremely foggy, and proceeded to rain continuously all day. I was not in the mood for being wet, so for today's photo my subjects were limited to what was inside and what was within reach just outside the door. This little patch of dead grass, mud, and now, water became my newest addition to the blog. To edit, I added a little boost to the color to draw out the yellows of the grass and the blues in the water, and then added dark edges to enhance the shadows the grass and mud create.

Day 147

My family and I just got back from the 2013 American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention.  I didn't have much time to post photos while I was up there, but I did take a lot. Today's photo is of the seats in the arena where the youth contests took place. This photo is kind of deceiving, because it was taken on a day when not much was going on in this room. However, on the days of the contests practically every seat was filled. I cropped this photo to a panorama to add a little more interest and really make the angle of this first row pop.

Day 146

Tonight I'm in a hotel on the way to the 2013 American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention. My little brother Nehemiah is sitting on the floor right now drawing in a notebook that I think will be full by the time we get home. To edit I applied black and white with a slight dark edge.

Day 145

This was taken at the Iowa State Fair this summer. This decorative piece was made by a 4-Her by attaching the bowls of plastic spoons around a small round mirror. I loved the round symmetry and  the shadow patterns the spoons made.

Day 144

This photo was taken in the late afternoon in my Grandpa's yard. I loved the colors the setting sun was lighting up, and took a lot of photos. Unfortunately, the majority of the images did not turn out. In this photo, I liked the bright fall colors and dramatic aspect the angle of the sun provides.

Day 143

My horse Thalia is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Even if she is slightly fat, the ins and outs of her body never cease to amaze me. Today's photo is a macro of her mouth and nose, which are very different from our own and extremely fascinating. I did not edit this photo, as I loved the natural colors and lighting already displayed.

Day 142

This photo is of an old Allis-Chalmers tractor my grandfather owns. I loved how the paint had cracked and aged, and thought it would make a really cool photo. I also like the angle I used, as it draws the reader's eye back into the photo. To edit, I applied a very slight Orton effect to add some contrast between the paint and the orange background of the tractor as the colors were pretty faded with age. I also did a really faint light edge to enhance the white paint.

Day 141

 This photo was taken on Friday morning before I left for a rabbit show I attended this weekend. I wanted to capture some of the beautiful green and gold light the early morning sun was producing on this ragweed plant. I didn't notice it while taking the photo, but I really like the spiderweb built between the two leaves.

Day 140

 Today I decided to buck tradition and post a before and after for this image. The original image is the red one, and the edited is the black and white. To take this photo I got a bunch of bright red drinking straws and bundled them together using a rubber band. I then turned on my flash and had a lot of fun. When editing the bright red color was starting to grind on my eyes, so I tried some black and white effects. I loved the stark contrast and graphic look the Infrared filter gave the photo. I'm not entirely sure why the ends of the straws came out looking a bright white, but I beleive it's because the light was hitting them almost straight on. Below is one more series of before and after shots I got in today's session edited the same as the above.

Day 139

For school I am currently reading "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." For those of you who don't know, it is about a boy who lives on a raft on the Mississippi River with a run away slave named Jim. To show my understanding of the novel I will be making a creative project featuring photos I take. Today I took my little brother to portray Huck and got some shots in the river. I also got this shot for today's post. I cropped it down to give a more dramatic view, and added a faded Holga effect to add age and artistic quality to the image.

Day 138

It's been rainy, chilly, and dreary around here recently. And I've been busy with 4-H and school. So today I'm posting a photo that I actually took labor day weekend that will hopefully brighten up both this blog and your day. This is the back of the sunflower featured in the post Day 123. I love the bright colors here.

Day 137

Today's set up is very similar to yesterday's, the only real change is the subject. This is a piece of modelling clay that I formed into a round disk and then pushed against a fireproof safe that had this cool squiggly line pattern. I really liked the contrast of the random, round lines in the clay and the straight lines in the book's cover I used as the background. Editing also was much the same, a slight Orton effect and then black and white.

Day 136

This photo was a quick set up with 7 or 8 quarters on a book on a desk by a window. I wanted to create a really dramatic lighting that really showed the detail and lines on a quarter. I love how prominent the line is on the forehead, nose, and lips of the front quarter is, as it really sets the head off from the rest of the quarter. I also like how there's bright white on the right of the frame and then really really dark shadows on the left. To edit, I first made the photo black and white, then added slight Orton and Lomo effects to help give the shadows a deeper, darker, and smoother look.

Day 135

I found my dad's old softball glove and thought it would make a good subject for today's post. There were so many interesting areas to photograph, with a bunch of different textures and looks. To give this photo an older look, I applied a slight Dusk effect and then a faded sepia to decrease some of the shine and bright colors my lighting gave it.

Day 134

This is a close up/macro of one of my dad's neck ties. I noticed the interesting pattern and that it would be a good photo subject. I love how the pattern of cubes gives an illusion of depth. To edit I applied a very slight orton effect to pull out some of the blacks and make the blues and yellows pop. I also adding dark edges to help enhance the detail in the stiches.

Day 133

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I had a doctor appointment in the morning and then was not feeling up to doing anything after that. This photo is a package of thumb tacks that came on a piece of cardboard. I loved how they were all lined up in rows. I thought it would be interesting to get an angle that showed some of the lines and angles and played with the size of the tacks as they got further away. I made the photo black and white because the tacks were a really ugly gold color and I really wanted the color not to be the focus.

Day 132

This is a photo of the pages of a dictionary. This is an unabridged version, so it's really, really thick, and I was able to fill the entire frame with the pages. It's also pretty old, and the pages are starting to fray a little giving the photo more texture and breaking up some of the black lines. I really wanted to pull out the shadows, so I made the photo black and white then added very faded dark edges.

Day 131

This morning I took some macros of a leaf, trying to get some interesting lines and angles. The only thing I really don't like about this photo is the brown spot, as it really detracts from the appearance of the whole photo. To edit, I added very slight white edges to help pull out the highlights and not enhance the spot.

Day 130

This morning we had a light rain, the first we've had in quite a while actually. So I went out to take some photos of the raindrops on this milkweed leaf. I love the diamond, unreal look of the drops on the bright green of the leaf. To edit this photo, I added a softened look to the background. I also enhanced the shadows a bit to make the details pop a little more.