Day 293; Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

Late on Thursday I got back from a week in Washington, D.C. for the 2015 National 4-H Conference. It was a truly incredible experience, and I met many amazing people from all over the country. I took loads of pictures, especially since we were there during peak cherry blossom bloom. This was one of my favorites. It was taken at the Tidal Basin, with cherry blossoms in the foreground and the Washington Monument in the background. We were there in the middle of the afternoon, so the light was a little harsh. I adjusted the saturation and exposure, which left the flowers looking a little more pink than they were in real life, but I liked the final look much more.

Day 211; Wood Lines

Leaves, ragweed stalks, and a random piece of dried tree trunk were all thrown together by the intense winds we've been having recently to form the subjects for today's photo. I love lines and textures found in nature, primarily veins in leaves and textured tree bark, so this scene naturally caught my eye. In hindsight, it seems a bit busy, but I like it anyway. I also loved how the dampness we've been experiencing and the time of year left all the items with some of the same hues and colors to lend a unified feel.

Day 101

Today I'm going to post another photo that I took while I was walking around the lake yesterday. This one reminded me of a path from a fairytale book. To enhance this idea, I softened the photo, then added light edges that I faded quite a bit.

Day 96

I was at a day camp all day today, so I didn't get a chance to take any new pictures this morning. But as I was clearing off my memory stick after I got back I found this macro of an apple tree I took a couple weeks ago. I love how there is the detail and texture of the bark, and then the fuzzy, beautiful background of the other apple trees. I added dark edges to this photo, because I think it makes the photo more finished looking, and enhances the textural appeal of the bark.

Day 87

This is one of the many waterfalls in one of the habitats at the zoo. It looks so lush and beautiful, don't you think? I wish the water was  little more in focus, but it was moving very fast.

Day 81

Today I wanted to get a sort of abstract photo of the branches of this tree. I like the patterns created by the tree's branches and the contrast between the bright blue sky and the vibrant green leaves.

Day 77

This little plant is growing in the lot next to my pig pen. I'm not sure why I took this picture, but I think it turned out interesting with the texture this strange little plant had to offer.

Day 76

The cottonwood tree in our yard was a little slower than usual in blooming this year, but today it's new little green leaves were the subject of this macro photo. I like the lighting in this photo, and the angle from which I took the picture so the sky is the background.

Day 74

Today my little brother was out playing in the grass and I thought it would be a good time to take some pictures. Unfortunately  he didn't think so. He decided that he wouldn't look at the camera, and if he did he would be anything but smiling. So here I am with a profile/sideview portrait.

Day 73

Yesterday afternoon the light shining through the leaves and grass in the forest arrested my attention. The scene just inside the treeline with the little run down shack looks almost like a picture from a fairytale.

Day 71

Some more blossoming spring plants for today. I like the composition of this photo, with the vine going at an angle through the photo.

Day 70

This morning I went out to photograph this tree whose leaves were just starting to grow into a beautiful red color. I liked the effect of the shallow depth of field.

Day 64

Spring is definitely here, and I've been taking lots of photos with lots of green. Here's a plant growing in my grandma's flower garden that was particularly interesting to me as I don't really know what it is.

Day 63

This morning I went out and was amazed by how much dew there was on everything. I took some macro photos, and was again surprised by the details I'd never noticed before. For example, in the photo above there's tiny hair like fuzz on the clovers. I think the many different depths of field in this photo and the water droplets make this one of the more interesting macro photos I've taken in a while.

Day 62

This is a close up photo of some grass in my grandpa's yard that is growing in a puddle after some recent rain. I like the bright vibrant colors in this photo, and especially the texture and depth the water adds.

Day 60

It rained all night last night, so this morning everything was wet and it was really foggy. On this photo of a tree branch I painted black and white on so the brilliant green color of the leaves would stand out.

Day 56

The other day my brother was outside playing, and I thought I would take some photos of him before he noticed me. I added the dusk effect to create that older look.

Day 54

The other day I was taking some photos of these Iris sprouts coming up in my grandma's flower garden. I like the different depths of field in this photo, and I added the focal black and white to add some interest and artist qualities to the photo.

Day 53

This morning I went out and took some photos of the daffodils that are just starting to bloom.

Day 48

It's finally starting to look like springtime here. These are some of the first little spots of green grass just starting to peek out.