Tag Archives: Photography

Another visit to Bodega Bay…my favorite place to watch the sunset

Posted on by annandmeg

Life is pretty amazing here in California. Sure, there are the same stressors and time-consumers here as there are anywhere else, but the beauty of living in California is in enjoying the outdoors and natural wonders of the region. I love exploring this place, finding all the nooks and crannies that don’t show up on the “Top 10 Things to Do” list, and discovering what it is that gives this area the pulse of life that it exudes. While I’ve discovered many a nook, I have also found that some of the most amazing places are those visited by both local and tourist alike. In this case, I point to Bodega Bay and the Bodega Headlands as a perfect example of both locally and “touristically” admired beauty, where I frequently go to find peace and revel at the unmatched awe of the ocean.

You all know I love to take pictures of the ocean, and especially of sunset. Here, I’m trying a few newly discovered features on my E-PL1, including “pop art” and “diorama.” Enjoy.

Looking north along the coast, from the north side of the trailhead.

Looking north along the coast, from the north side of the trailhead.

Looking south along the coast, toward the Bodega Head parking lot and whale watching area.

Looking south along the coast, toward the Bodega Head parking lot and whale watching area.

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The land of egrets and northern shovelers

Posted on by annandmeg

I went for a walk around the Novato Marsh last week with my good friend David. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and there were birds all around. There were northern shovelers, red tailed hawks in the air, and an egret perched on a slim strip of grass above the water.

With the water reflecting the beautiful clouds above, the northern shoveler swims along with his friends.

With the water reflecting the beautiful clouds above, the northern shoveler navigates his way to his friends.

An egret enjoys a walk in the grass at Novato Marsh.

An egret enjoys a walk in the grass at Novato Marsh.

The beautiful buildings in our nation’s Capital

Posted on by annandmeg

While visiting Charlotte in DC last week, I was able to spend some time walking around the city. I have always been amazed at the beautiful architecture we have in our nation’s Capital.  This is the style of architecture you normally see in Europe, but many of the buildings rival those in much older parts of the world. These are a few of my favorites.

Looking up while exiting the Metro station at Judiciary Square

Looking up while exiting the Metro station at Judiciary Square

Executive Office Building

Fun With iPhoto

Posted on by annandmeg

After months with iPhoto on my computer, I visited Apple last weekend for a 30 minute appointment to find out how it actually works.  Okay, I should have figured it out myself. But with just that brief tutorial behind me, I thought it would be fun to show you what a rank amateur can do to change a photograph to make it better than the original.

Here is my original photograph taken on a drive to Harrisonville:

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It isn’t rocket science that I should never take a photograph through my car window.  But the roads were really muddy and there was a car coming up behind me.  So I just stopped the car, quickly took this shot, and moved my car before the driver behind me reached the bridge.

With “quick fixes”, I was able to crop the photograph to eliminate the hood of my car from the photograph:

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After reframing the snapshot, I moved to “adjust” to enhance the color and sharpen the photograph.  Here is the result of tweaking with the “adjust” options:

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Nothing magical about the changes, but every step toward better photographs is a step in the right direction.

Flora

Posted on by annandmeg

One of the beautiful things about California is the many varieties of flora you can find throughout the state. My two favorite areas are the wine country and the coast. Both beautiful. Both peaceful. But while the wine country continues to grow in both agricultural and economic development, the coast remains largely untouched. Thanks to the California Coastal Commission, established in 1972, and the Coastal Act of 1976, the use of land and water in the coastal zone is carefully planned and regulated. As a result, the coast north of San Francisco continues to be undeveloped, and flora continues to flourish.

Flora along California Coast at Bodega Headlands

This is a shot from my mini-hike at Bodega Headlands back in November. Since I am usually focused on pictures of the ocean and of sunset, I thought this would be a nice addition to my photographic repertoire. Given, the ocean is still in the background, but these red finger-like plants were simply too interesting to ignore.

Hiking up Ring Mountain

Posted on by annandmeg

For the first day of 2013, the New Year’s crew made its annual trek to a beautiful place in north bay. We chose Ring Mountain for our hike this year. With beautiful, 360 views of San Francisco Bay, it’s hard to beat.

View of San Francisco Bay from the top of Ring Mountain

Richmond Bridge

It’s a great place for a hike, where you can go a long or short ways, depending on your mood. Hope you enjoyed your first day of 2013!