Tag: my garden

A Photo a Week Challenge: Change of Seasons

Hello again! Sorry about the long break. My hip surgery went so well that the doctor wanted to fix my knee as soon as possible. I’m now four week past the knee replacement surgery, and it is also going very well. Whew! Hopefully no more surgeries for, well, forever if possible.

The fall colors this year along the Wasatch Front in Utah have been spectacular. We have some Virginia creeper in our yard that we only like for a few weeks a year when the leaves start changing from green to red. They are dramatic and beautiful, but not really worth the struggle of fighting it the rest of the year. However, I will take some really cool pictures of it until we can irradiate it from our yard.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.
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A Photo a Week Challenge: Nature at Work

Our roses have been going like gangbusters this year, and we love it. This morning, when I went out to take some photos of them, I found this little fellow hard a work collecting nectar. Even the stiff wind couldn’t deter him from his appointed task. Bees are a bit like mail carriers that way.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF NATURE WORKING.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Bokeh

In photography, bokeh is the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens. In other words, it’s the quality of the intentionally blurry part of your image, or the background. While I love the flower in this photo, I really love the bokeh produced by my 50mm lens. It is my go-to lens for photographing flowers and people. As I shoot using Nikon cameras, my 50mm is a Nikor lens that I’ve had for over 10 years. I haven’t been able to beat it’s quality or flexibility, even though it has a dedicated focal length.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT HAVE GREAT BOKEH.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Multiple shapes

I enjoy combining shapes. This one is actually more than just a circle in a square. The pedals are triangular, the leaves are waterdrop shaped, and the steams are lines. It all makes for a diverse and interesting world in which we live. (English degree coming out in full-force there.)

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO THAT FEATURES MULTIPLE SHAPES OF ANY KIND IN THE SAME IMAGE.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo A Week Chlenge: Layers

Roses and ogres are like onions. They have layers. Layers upon layers. I love photographing roses, and this year our rose bushes are blooming like crazy, mad things. I love watching the buds open up and the layers of pedals forming my favorite flowers. My grandmother had an amazing rose garden. She grew many different types of roses, and her garden always smelled wonderful during the spring and summer.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) FEATURING LAYERS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography. Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Open

Spring has sprung in Utah, and my tulips are starting to bloom. Usually, when a photo challenge has a topic of open, it means to post anything you want. However, this challenge is literally open: open flowers, open cases, open doors, open cans, open anything.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) OF OPEN THINGS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography. Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Faded

Recently, I’ve noticed that many photographers are using a less vibrant, almost faded look for portrait photography. I like the look, but I still like a bit more color when I’m working on photos I’ve taken of people. Flowers, however, can look really cool when you take the vibrancy down way low. I love the look on these late roses from my garden this last fall.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO USING A FADED TREATMENT.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Photo a Week Challenge: In Memoriam

The Memorial Day after my father-in-law passed away, we bought two mum plants. One we put on his grave; the other we planted in our garden. His birthday was last month, but because it’s been such a strange weather year, the mums didn’t bloom in time for it like they usually do. Today was the first day for good pictures of the blossoms. I love having this living reminder of a loved one no longer with us here.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) THAT FEATURE A MEMORIAL OF ANY KIND.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Insects

Our ecosystem is highly dependent on everything working together to keep the balance needed to make the earth a livable place. While we sometimes might find bugs (or more specifically for me, spiders) annoying and frustrating, without them our world collapses. The United States had a scare in May of murder hornet sitings. I’m very happy to report that this little guy really is a little guy (less than an inch long) just being a busy bee pollinating my roses (and hopefully moving on to my tomato plants).

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) FEATURING INSECTS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Threes and Threes

The Rule of Thirds is an old standard for art and photography aficionados for pretty much ever. You divide the frame into a grid of three across and three down, and then don’t put your subject in the middle square. It’s also best if you can put the focus of your image on one of the grid lines. Just like any really good rule, it’s also fun when you know when to break it. However, for this photo, I didn’t. Not only did I follow the basics of the thirds rule, I also used three lovely rose buds to demonstrate it. You’re welcome.

For anyone who needs it, here’s a grid for reference. If you want to do portrait orientation, just flip it.

rule_of_thirds_graph

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) USING THE RULE OF THIRDS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
  2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
  3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
  4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.