Phun Phriday!

Recycled Iron Yard Art

I haven't posted a 'Phun Phriday' photo in quite some time!  On our travels in Washington last week, we stopped at this yard and enjoyed looking at a ton, (probably was literally a ton!), of iron artwork on display.  I had 'phun' doing some pretty heavy editing on this one!

Cannon Beach Sunset

This little guy walked right into my photo and posed for the perfect foreground subject.  I had my camera on a tripod for a slow shutter speed which made the water soft and dreamy.

Starfish on Cannon Beach, Oregon

We took a quick trip to Washington to visit our dentist (Jeff's bro).  They live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by many beautiful places, so we took several extra days before heading home.  Unfortunately it was raining most of the week.  We had one beautiful day, and that happened to be the day we headed over to the coast and spent the day at Canon Beach, Oregon.  The tide was out and I've never seen such HUGE and COLORFUL starfish!   They were everywhere.

Yes, they were really this big.  I was not using a macro lens and didn't do any editing to make them look bigger or more amazing.  To see some perspective on their size, check out the next photo.

I included my own shadow in this shot to show you the size of these beauties!

Enjoying the Unexpected!

 After taking the shot in my last post, I walked a bit to get another view, and the sky cleared up even more.

This was the best shot I could get with a zoom lens.  I didn't dare get too close because I was sure he could run faster than I could!

Expect the Unexpected!

Landscape Layers at Sunset

This has been a busy week, as most weeks are.  Yesterday evening, around 5:00pm I decided I had to take a break from my chores of the day, and for me, a really good break usually means trying to find something to photograph.

It had been one of those days where the weather couldn't decide what to do.  Dark, heavy, moisture filled clouds moving across the sky, often opened for a brief, isolated downpour.  Then, the sun would peak through to dry up the wet ground.  Next, beautiful, 3D white, puffy clouds would sail past, surrounded by brilliant blue sky, and colored by a beautiful late afternoon sun.  It was warm and windless and the sky was ever changing.  A perfect evening for landscape photography!  

So I grabbed my gear, and because I only had a short time before sunset, I quickly headed up the canyon behind my house.  (As you know, this is my usual go to place when I have very little time, and need to be surrounded by mountains.)  I was sure the aspen trees would be putting on their autumn show of bright yellows, deep goldens and rich rusts, but I was disappointed.  I drove to some of my favorite locations desperate to find something worth shooting.  But the trees were a faded, end of summer drab green and the sky had turned a dull, overcast gray.  After roaming around for a couple of hours, the sky turned into a solid blanket of clouds, I could here thunder in the near distance, and it was getting dark very quickly.  I was way up on the mountain top, traveling on a little used dirt road, and the thought of getting stranded up there alone, in the dark and rain, was not appealing.  I was disappointed because I had nothing to show for my time and efforts, so I turned around and started heading down the mountain.

Just as I rounded a bend and passed an opening in the trees on the driver's side of the car, the storm clouds cleared enough to let a few sun rays shine through.  I glanced over and saw this reflection on a small mountain lake.  Beautiful!  I stopped and took this shot out of my car window.   After taking my photo, I sat admiring this peaceful, lovely scene, when something else caught my eye, spotlighted in the last few rays of the setting sun.

I parked the car, and started walking toward the lake to get a better view!  I got as close as I could, quickly got my shot, then stood and watched him take his last drink of the evening, as the setting sun transformed the faded end of summer colors to beautiful golden hues.  And then in a blink of an eye, the sun was gone, the mood was gone, and so was he.  

A moment in time can change everything!  I continued down the mountain reminding myself to always anticipate, expect, and be ready to enjoy the unexpected!  (My next post will be unexpected photos from that moment in time.)

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Magical Scenery

Sometimes I think that standing at this spot and seeing this beautiful place was just a dream!  We felt doubly blessed on the day we were here because the tops of these rugged peaks were visible.  Much of the time they are shrouded in misty clouds and rain.  We returned a second time to Milford Sound, and that was the case; but even then, the scenery was magnificent with the landscape transformed by thousands of waterfalls. 

Desert Color

Sometimes one has to look closely to find tiny treasures in the desert.  Often flowering plants are small and tucked away behind rocks, or in cracks, or hidden and protected from the elements.  This was taken in Zion National Park, at a place where many other photographers were looking upward, trying to find a composition that would show the drama and grandeur of the huge, craggy, red cliffs.  Usually I'd be looking that way too, but this day I found beauty in this ordinary little desert bloom right where I was standing.

Corn On the Cob

Here in the USA it is Labor Day weekend, the last holiday of summer.  We will be down at our vacation house in southern Utah, RZR riding, swimming, and picnicing with some of our family who will be joining us.  There is nothing better this time of year than fresh corn on the cob smothered in butter.  Yum!