Traveling Hearts Photography: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Apple Picking at Stribling Orchard in Markham, Virginia

Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day here in Northern Virginia. The family and I took a drive out to Stribling Orchard to go apple picking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive was beautiful along Route 66 and the trees were just starting to change colors.

ISO 200 ~ 28mm ~ f/8.0 ~ 1/640 sec

The orchard had pumpkins out front and also crates of already picked apples. Of course I had to have a photo of my boys sitting in the pumpkins.

ISO 200 ~ 90mm ~ f/8.0 ~ 1/800 sec

There were freshly dipped caramel apples, apple cider, BBQ, and a bakery filled with all kinds of wonderful and amazing things. The bakery had freshly baked apple pies, apple sticks (which is what we ate), and freshly baked bread. I wish I had a photo of the apple sticks, but um, yeah, they were that good.

ISO 200 ~ 50mm ~ f/8.0 ~ 1/250 sec

ISO 200 ~ 35mm ~ f/8.0 ~ 1/800 sec

ISO 200 ~ 28mm ~ f/8.0 ~ 1/160 sec

There were maps that said where to find each kind of apple. But since we were more interested in the "hunt" of the apple, we just kind of meandered. We also had to lay down some ground rules for the boys.

Don't climb the trees
Don't pick up ANY apple off the ground
Place your apples gently in your bag or you will end up with applesauce
There is no potty in the orchard
DO NOT PICK UP ANY APPLES OFF THE GROUND INCLUDES PUTTING THEM IN YOUR MOUTH

ISO 200 ~ 28mm ~ f/7.1 ~ 1/400 sec

ISO 200 ~ 80mm ~ f/7.1 ~ 1/100 sec

ISO 200 ~ 75mm ~ f/6.3 ~ 1/800 sec

ISO 200 ~ 10mm ~ f/16 ~ 1/160 sec

ISO 200 ~ 19mm ~ f/16 ~ 1/160 sec

Now for my favorite part of our trip... at the very tippy top of the orchard lies an AMAZING view. If you don't know about it, you'll most likely never venture up that far. It just goes to show, it is worth the time exploring all areas of wherever you may be visiting.

After paying for our apples, we took the car up and ate our apple sticks while looking out at this...

ISO 200 ~ 10mm ~ f/13 ~ 1/250 sec

I could not get over the clouds. They were just perfect... like God himself took a paintbrush and painted the sky with little cloud fluffs.

ISO 100 ~ 65mm ~ f/7.1 ~ 1/200 sec

There is no admission fee to get into the orchard, you just pay for what you pick. I am planning to return to the area in a week or so in order to get my fall landscapes. Seeing as my boys have already made their way through half the apples, it may not be a bad idea to go back and restock.

I'm going to add a side note here. If you notice in my settings, my ISO is set at 200. This was purely by mistake and it should have been set to 100 for all the photos. I didn't even notice my mistake until I got home. This is just a friendly reminder (speaking to myself here too), always check your settings! Even if you know they are where they need to be, check them again. Thankfully this was not a huge mistake, but it was an unnecessary one.

And finally, make sure to wear closed toed shoes... it can get a little mushy and slippery out there with all the apples on the ground.

Enjoy the beginning of Autumn and Happy Shooting!

Corrie

edit on 10/10/12 ~ After speaking with the Striblings, they informed me that when an apple has just fallen from the tree, it is actually at perfection... that the apple drops when it when it has gotten the perfect amount of sugar from the tree ~ how cool is that?!? I think with my boys I have to stick with the rule of "no eating apples from the ground" just because there are some mushy ones down there too. But it goes to show that the best fruit may actually be right under your nose!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Nothing says Fall better than going Apple Picking!

Today the family and I are venturing out to go Apple Picking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. One of the things on my "I have to photograph before we move" list are some mountain landscape photos blanketed in fall hues. It is about an hour drive for us to get there so I haven't been able to hop on over and check the status of the leaves yet. So this trip is dual purpose for me. The first reason is to spend time with the family apple picking and the second reason is to check on the readiness of the leaves! I've been to this Orchard before and it has the most amazing view at the top. So pretty and so worth the drive. And seriously, what says Fall better than Apple Picking <3 When I get home, I'll post some photos of the day and tell you a little more about this particular orchard.

Enjoy your Weekend and Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Perspective, Highlights, and Aperture

I wanted to share two photos I had taken back in early June. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a hard time deleting photos... EVEN when I know they are not technically up to par. I am slowly and painfully going through my library and parting with the photos that I know just need to be deleted and sent into cyber heaven.

In the process I came across a series of photos that are a really good example of perspective. They also are a good example of why it is just not good to take photos during the middle of the day. Both the photos have areas of blown highlights (for more info click here). I don't remember the specifics of when I took these photos, so I'm not sure if changing my settings would have solved that problem. I will go into how to fix your highlights in another blog post. There is some post-processing things you can do, but it is much better to have the exposure right in the field.

Now to address the perspective.... The first photo was taken from the side so you can see part of the stem, the leaves, and the center (all in focus). Then through a larger aperture (smaller f/number), the background is blurred, along with several other flowers. Here is a link to a pretty good explanation of aperture if you are interested. In order to get this perspective I had to lay down on my belly so that I was facing the flower.

ISO 100 ~ 60mm ~ f/5.0 ~ 1/125 sec

In this second photo, I was kneeling over the flower. So you have a nice birds eye view of the entire top, but that is all you see. Frankly, it just looks weird. Almost like the top of the flower is floating.

ISO 100 ~ 60mm ~ f/5.0 ~ 1/125 sec

So when you are composing your photo, think about perspective... Your natural eye automatically adjusts for depth and puts the pieces together. The camera does not do this. For the most part, a photo is just more pleasing to the eye when you do not have the subject head on. Of course there are always exceptions to this rule.

Well, I'm off to continue sentencing badly composed and wrongly exposed photographs to their eternal demise. Hope your evening is less morbid than mine is <3

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Chihuly, knee high socks, and the Twin Towers

Yesterday I was looking for my photos from my time in Israel back in 1999. I was thinking about Dale Chihuly (a well known glass sculpture artist) and how he created an exhibition in Jerusalem while I was there (check it out here). I wanted to go back and look at my photos (and honestly see if any of them were any good). I remember my time there so vividly and had high hopes that some of the photos would show that.

While looking for my Israel photos, I came across a small photo album that I didn't recognize. I started to flip through it and I found the very photo that was ingrained in my memory. It is me looking at the Twin Towers through a coin operated telescope from Staten Island, NY. The date stamp on the photo is 1987, so that would make me about six years old. My brother is off to the left of the photo.

Twin Towers <3

I don't have many memories of my childhood before the age of 5, this being one of the first main ones. The fact that I have this photo is priceless to me. It may be old, stained, grainy, and not especially composed well... but it is priceless to me. So now that I have it scanned and on my hard drive, the original is going in my firesafe lockbox.

I finally did find my Israel pictures and they do not do my memories justice. I think photographs are a great reminder of our memories, but I don't think they can ever replace them. That being said, I am ecstatic that I have this priceless reminder of a very important memory.

The Twin Towers are here standing tall, firm, and regal. A reminder that as Americans, we will continue to stand through anything. I am excited that the rebuilding of the World Trade Center is making so much progress and that we will continue to Stand.

You can read my original post on 9-11 here.

And no one is allowed to laugh at my socks ~ growing up in the 80's was a challenging fashion era! :)

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Friday, September 21, 2012

Spending a beautiful fall day in Washington DC

As I am writing this, I am sitting on the metro heading into Washington DC. I am meeting a friend (that I met on the bus to NYC last month). We are having lunch at one of the Smithsonian Museums along the National Mall and then we are off to take photos. She is a fellow traveler like me and we found kindred spirits with each other. Our plans include going to the Sculpture Garden and also to the US Capitol. I have a few more sites in mind, but we will see how the day goes. Fall is the best time to photograph DC (in my opinion). The tourists have all gone back home and the kids have started school so there are not masses of people to contend with.... and you can't beat the colors of the changing trees. Spring is my second favorite time to photograph DC because of the Cherry Blossoms and other blooms blanketing the district. But it is high tourist time and there is a lot of foot traffic to contend with.

Enjoy your Fall Weekend!

Happy Shooting <3

Corrie

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

"Are you planning photography around your trip?" OR "Planning your trip around photography?"

Your answer to the above question will be a clear indicator to the where you are in your relationship with your camera! I know for me, I started out planning photography around my trips... and now it is seriously the opposite. I am taking into account the time of day, the lighting, the scenery.... all before I even leave the house. There are probably many of you somewhere in the middle. I know with me, the level of focus on photography depends on if I am flying solo for photos or if I have the family with me. But one thing is for sure, my family ALWAYS comes first. I have missed out on photo opportunities before and I am 100% okay with that. There will always be something to photograph, I will only have my boys for this moment, right now. In life, balance is so important... with everything.

Regardless of where your focus lies, there are ways to make it work. If you stay organized and plan ahead, you can fit photography into your probably very full schedule. Think about what you enjoy doing and seeing, the places that you like to go. There are most likely fantastic photo opportunities tied right there with what you love to do. Take advantage of every moment <3

Tomorrow after school, my two boys and I have a date to go on a nature walk. Each of us will have a camera and as my my 5 y/o stated, he's most excited about finding frogs to take photos of <3

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Series on the Sun ~ Part 1

My initial plan was to put all of this on one photograph to post on my facebook fan page, HOWEVER, there was just too much information. I also really want to cover several topics regarding the sun, so it is easiest to do it here.

How many times have you gone out to take some photos and they just come out awful? Whether you are shooting nature, travel sights, or people... it is so important to take into account the sun, it's location, and it's intensity.

Ideally, in a perfect world, the only time photographers should be out taking photos is early in the morning or in the early evening. This time period is called the "Golden Hour." It is basically the hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset. For those photographers who are more recreational, it is not something that needs to be followed so strictly, however, the closer it gets to the middle of the day, the more your photos will be washed out and devoid of color.

I have been surveying our local area looking for places to take landscape shots once Fall is in peak color. Doing so has had me looking a little more closely at the leaves and how the sun affects them in photographs. When you are photographing people, you can move them to a place that is more pleasing with the outdoor light available. When you are photographing in nature, you don't really have this option. You can't ask the tree to walk ten feet to the left or turn around to be in better natural light. So you have to be creative in your methods to get a nice shot.

The first step is to make sure you have a nice low and mellow sun. If you shoot during the middle of the day, I guarantee you will not get the vibrancy and color that you will if you shoot early in the morning or just before sunset. The next step is to see what the sunlight is doing to your subject. Where are the shadows lying. Move around, look higher, bend down and look lower. Try to think outside the box. And then the final step is to compose your photo. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different angles and compositions.

The following three photos were taken at the same time (around 9am), in the same location, from the same bunch of leaves. The only thing that changed was where I was standing and how I was directing the camera.

This first photo was taken in the shade. There is no vibrancy, the color is dull, there are no shadows so there is also no interest or depth. The sun is behind me.

ISO 100 ~ 105mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1/80 sec

This next photo was taken where I was behind the leaves and the sun is in front of me. Here you can see more depth and shadows on the leaves, however because I was pointing the camera in the direction of the sun, the photo is washed out and dull. Unless this is a particular effect you are going after, the photo ends up missing its mark.

IS0 100 ~ 75 mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1/320

This final photo was taken in the same spot as the one directly above, only I moved the camera so it was not pointing directly towards the sun. As you can see here, the color on the leaves is a vibrant green, the shadows are interesting and effective, and there is pleasant bokeh in the background.

ISO 100 ~ 105 mm ~ f/9.0 ~ 1/160 sec

Particularly with leaves and flowers, I have found that when you shoot from behind them, with the sun in front of you, they radiate color and life. Try it out and see what you come up with!

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Bomb Rushing Nap Time!

Today was one of those rare occasions that my 3 y/o son actually fell asleep during quiet time. Since it was so late in the afternoon, I didn't feel guilty taking some photos and chancing waking him. Apparently my camera makes very loud noises when I click the dial to change the settings of my shutter speed and aperture.... and I've woken up my boys before in my less than stealthy approach...

ISO 100 ~ 60 mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1.3 sec

Since I didn't want to lug my tripod upstairs and also since he fell asleep on the floor, I used the floor as my tripod. Even with opening the window above him, it was still too dark to handhold the camera without using the flash. If I put the camera directly on the floor, I got carpet in the foreground (which I didn't want). So I propped the camera up on a few small books and got exactly the height that I needed along with the stability of the floor to account for the slower shutter speed.

I used manual focus here so that I could have a pinpoint focal point on his eyelashes. The camera on automatic focus kept wanting to focus on his forehead. Applied an action in Photoshop from Annie at Paint The Moon called Creamy Java (which is one of my favorites!)

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Lovebirds Have Returned!

I was pleasantly surprised to see my favorite pair of American Bald Eagles today! When I had a sighting of them the other day they were flying high in the sky. But today, they were nuzzled together, all cozy in a tree. I've decided to name them Mr. and Mrs. E (respectively).

Mr. and Mrs. Bald Eagle

I hope to get many more sightings of them this fall and winter. My opportunities to catch the pair after January become slim to none because they will be nesting. They are truly beautiful creatures and they have become a favorite part of my Fall <3

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Reconnaissance Mission 101

Today I went on a little reconnoissance mission with my family to check out the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. I took my camera, but was not expecting to get anything of value because of the time of day it was. The dreaded middle of the day is typically the worst time to shoot, especially when the sun is directly overhead and washes everything out.

Out first stop was to the visitor's center for a trail map. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted warmly upon entering the center. There was a very friendly and informative ranger who spent time with us talking about the preserve and all the different types of animals that live there. She showed the boys some photos in books and also let the boys feed their fish. They had some items that were out for touching and exploring and it was overall very kid oriented and friendly. The center had a very "lodge" like feel with huge picture windows overlooking Belmont Bay.

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is also known for its American Bald Eagle population. There are many nests here in this preserve and the eagles should be returning soon for the winter. I kept an eye out, but didn't see any today.

The scenery was beautiful and the mood was peaceful and serene. There were all sorts of wildlife around, from turtles to butterflies, and everything in between. I am looking forward to returning again without my 2 little bears who were the noisiest "quiet" I've ever heard! They enjoyed exploring for a little while and then were happiest when dad took them to the playground while I walked around a little more.

Dad and the Two Little Bears <3

Great Blue Heron (I think??)

Dragonfly

Wildflowers

It was a beautiful day and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There are so many trails here and places to explore I am already planning when I can return. I think the added vibrancy of Autumn will make the scenery all the more beautiful.

Happy Shooting!

Corrie

Monday, September 10, 2012

Remembering 9-11

Tomorrow is the 11th anniversary of one of the most devastating days in our nation's history. Having grown up in New York on Staten Island, the World Trade Center "Twin Towers" were a part of me. Every time I took the Staten Island Ferry, we would look out of the side until we passed the Statue of Liberty, and then we would look out the front of the ferry as we came closer and closer to the WTC towers.

Lady Liberty

Staten Island Ferry

I also remember vividly looking in those coin operated telescopes from Staten and seeing the Twin Towers. I ran across this photograph that was taken by Dan Heller and it captures my childhood memory. I am sure that my mom has some old photos of my brother and I doing something similar (I'll have to remember to ask her), but even without the photos... this is the nostalgia that I feel and remember.

I have been back to NYC countless times since 9-11, but seeing the skyline without the Twin Towers, still makes my heart stop. Last year I had the honor of running in the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5k. It was the tenth anniversary of the tragedy. The story of the foundation is a good one and worth the read.

My Husband and I right before the race began

Many firefighters and other emergency personnel came and ran/walked in full gear to follow in the footsteps of Stephen Siller and the bravery on of all on 9-11

Freedom Tower

Sand sculpture depicting untold emotion

The race started in Brooklyn, went through the Battery Tunnel, and finished in the shadow of where the WTC Towers once stood. To say it was emotional would not even touch the surface of what was felt that day.

Current Skyline with World Trade Center Towers under construction

Moving forward, we have the expectation of something greater... Hope.

Thank you to all of those men and women who risked their lives that day, many of them paying the ultimate price. And thank you to all those men and women who continue to risk their lives for our safety, may God bless you and your families <3

Corrie

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Autumn is Here!!

Well, not officially as the first day of Autumn according to the calendar is September 22. But the leaves are starting to change, which means that Autumn should not be too far off. This is my favorite season for many reasons but most importantly, the jaw-dropping, breathtaking beauty of everything painted in rich fall colors. Autumn reminds me of time with family, the turkey roasting in the oven, pumpkin spice lattes, bales of hay and pumpkin patches.

Every season is enjoyable to photograph and I truly love capturing the essence of the season and what it means to me. But there is just something about Autumn that touches my heart and makes me smile. The other day I went out on a walk with my family in the neighborhood and this is where I first started seeing the leaves beginning to change colors. I drafted the assistance of my husband to help with this photo :)

ISO 100 ~ 56 mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1/320 sec

In hindsight, I wish I had used my macro lens here rather than the telephoto that was on my camera for the walk. But sometimes capturing the moment is more important than missing opportunities to go back for a different lens. So just be prepared for many more leaf photos and I plan on getting some nice macro shots where you can see the detail much better!

I am sitting here typing away in the middle of the night with a sick little boy on my lap. He brightened up when I added this photo and remembered when we took it together. Technicality is important, especially in photography, but the emotional attachment is also equally important.

Happy Shooting <3

Corrie

Friday, September 7, 2012

824

824 ~ that is the number of emails I have in my inbox. Tonights mission is to go through them and at least get the number into the single digits. The only thing I have more trouble deleting than emails, are photos.

I don't know about your photo library, but I have way to many of them sitting on my hard drive. I am trying to go through my photos sooner and delete the ones I know I'm just not happy with... But I find it just so hard. It's just so, well, permanent.

So back to my 824 emails... At least when I deal with those, I will have one less excuse and maybe i will be able to force myself to start dealing with my photo library.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Happy Shooting <3
Corrie

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Fern Forest Nature Center, Coconut Creek, FL

One of my stops while in Florida this past summer was at Fern Forest Nature Center located in Coconut Creek. The Nature Center starts with a boardwalk that winds and weaves its way through the the green foliage. There are several different trails you can take. We stayed on the one that had the boardwalk.

Now I know that ferns are green, and I know that the name of the center was "Fern Forest," however I was really hoping for some more color. It is possible that visiting earlier in the Spring may have resulted in some more blooms. There also was not a whole lot of wildlife around, but we did locate many spiders and several butterflies along our walk. The spider below had such a large and intricate web for such a small spider. I've found when shooting spiders and spiderwebs, to use manual focus. It is the easiest way to get the web in focus. When using autofocus, the camera has a difficult time "seeing" what you are trying to photograph.

The kids had an adventure filled time. They went on "nature hikes" exploring and directing which way we should go next. The center also had a very family and kid friendly welcome center with puzzles, games, bathrooms and even a nice sized snake (safely behind glass).

This was one of the few flowers I did find in bloom. I added a texture to this photo in photoshop. For those of you that don't know, you can get free actions and textures from Rita at The Coffeeshop Blog.

The lighting was magnificent while I was there. Even though it was the middle of the day, there was such dense foliage that the light filtered through in the most beautiful way. All the bokeh you see in these photos is completely natural. The natural backlighting combined with a large aperture (small depth of field) produces the circles of light you see in the background. This is an airplant, very common in South Florida.

As we were getting ready to leave, this Orange Ruddy Daggerwing Butterfly landed very close to me. I set up my camera in hopes it would open it's wings. After shooting a few photographs I took the gamble of changing my lens. I wanted to use my macro lens to get closer detail (60mm) that my telephoto lens was not capable of (28-135mm). I knew that by moving though, the butterfly would probably fly away.

So I bent down to change lenses and the butterfly in fact fluttered off. He didn't go far though and ended up sunbathing in the most perfect light.

Had I not hung around, had I not been patient, I would have never gotten these two shots. I love the first one because of the bokeh in the background and the view from under the wing. And the second one, well I just love the way the wing is illuminated from the sun. This is something that no amount of editing can recreate.

In photography, having patience is just as important as having the right camera equipment. Be patient, be still, and see what is going on around you. When you slow down and look around, you will see all of nature's beauty.

Don't forget to become a facebook fan here. Also check out my website here where you can order any of the prints you see on this blog. If you don't see a print listed, send me an email to travelingheartsphotography@gmail.com and I will help you out! Also check out my ETSY store here.

Happy Shooting!

Corrie