Experimenting with backlit leaves. This first one is a strawberry leaf.
It is fun to experiment with light. Here is a Zinnia taken with the light coming at me, through the blossom. I moved around until the flower was in front of a large bush. I was on the shaded side of the bush so the background looks black.
Then I turned around and took a picture with the sun coming from behind me, over my shoulder.
Which do you like better?
Which is more dramatic?
Have fun experimenting with light!
A recent heavy frost graced the strawberry leaves in my garden.
I passed by this scene nearly every morning on my walk. I'm glad I got this shot when I did as the next day the leaves were gone, the result of a windstorm. I wanted the bench to stand out more, but it had not been painted for years. I went back several times during the day to get different lighting. There was only so much I felt like doing in Lightroom to enhance the bench without making the scene totally unreal. I did remove the base of a tree in the upper right hand corner.
The frost was heavy this morning. I love it when the sunrise is late enough that I can get out and capture the rays.
The Pacific Northwest is known for its clouds - usually gray ones full of rain. But yesterday the cumulus clouds were great.
I love the detail that can be seen when the clouds are backlit.
I appreciate the various shades of gray.
I walked around a bit to see if I could catch something a little more artistic. This is the cross from the First Reformed Church.
One could see the classic anvil shape of a thundercloud to the east. In the foreground are various buildings of Oak Harbor, including First Reformed Church.
While the Dutch were not the first to settle in Oak Harbor, when they did come, they came in force. A look in the telephone book reveals many family names with roots in the old country. This windmill at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor celebrates that heritage. The town also holds a "Holland Happening" parade in the spring.
I actually took this picture in December of 2010. I was at what is locally called "Flintstone Park" (there is a model of Fred's car there). This may be the view soon as snow is predicted for the foothills.
I am making this photo into a greeting card, adding it to the current selection. My greeting cards and post cards are available at various locations in Oak Harbor and Coupeville.
This was the sunrise this morning from the vacant lot across the street from home. On the horizon are the North Cascade Mountains. In the foreground are some of the rooftops in Oak Harbor, including the cross atop the First Reformed Church.
I did not use my tripod on this panorama. I now have a telephoto lens that has a "vibration reduction" feature. I was able to reduce the shutter speed to the point I was able to get a decent image while merely "hand holding" the camera. I did bump up the ISO, though. This is a combination of four images combined in Elements.
Nikon D7000
1/80 second
f/13
66 mm
ISO 1000
Experimenting with backlit leaves. This first one is a strawberry leaf.
I love the detail that can be seen when the clouds are backlit.
I appreciate the various shades of gray. 
