A Photo a Week Challenge: Unedited

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A long, long time ago, I can still remember how the photos used to look. It used to be that photo editing was limited to the professionals and people who could afford a really cool dark room in their basements. Today with cell phone cameras, everyone is a photographer armed with pretty powerful editing programs and the ability to make a quick phone grab look like it came from a professional session. This weekend, my husband and I took a fun drive to Corner Canyon, which gives a great over-view look at both the Salt Lake and Utah County Valleys. I didn’t have any of my nicer cameras with me, so I took this with my phone. This shot is looking at Mount Timpanogos on the Utah County Valley side of things. Position, lighting, fluffy clouds…everything lined up for the perfect shot that needed no editing.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR THREE…) THAT HAS NOT BEEN EDITED.

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: The Street Where You Live

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Lately, we’ve had several rain and snow storms blow through the Salt Lake Valley. They’ve cleared the air and left the mountains surrounding the valley all snow-capped and beautiful. I took this shot from my neighbors driveway across the street from me (you can see my chain-link fence over on the right side of the photo). It gives you a nice view of the Mount Olympus and a little feel for what my street looks like.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF YOUR STREET OR NEIGHBORHOOD.

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: Cityscape

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Salt Lake City sits in a bowl. The city is surrounded on almost all sides by mountains, the Wasatch Front of the Rockies on the east, north, and south, and the Oquirrhs on the west. There is a break in the bowl where the Great Salt Lake sits on the northwest end of the valley. The Utah State Capital Building sits on the north end of the valley on the rise of the Wasatch Front foothills that form a westward jut. Some of the best views (and most expensive homes) lie on the rest of the rise above the Capital Building. This view of the Salt Lake Valley gives you the complete aspect down State Street, all 25 miles of it, as well the city skyline. (If you look closely, you can see the LDS Salt Lake Temple to the right of the the Capital Building.)

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

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.

Thankful November 6th: Utah

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Earlier I posted about how I’m thankful for the beauty of our wonderful earth. Today, I wanted to focus on my home state of Utah. Utah has amazing diversity in nature, from lush forests to desert to red rock formations and mountains. When the Mormon pioneers first settled here, the leader Brigham Young prophesied that the industries of the pioneers would make the desert blossom like the rose, and it truly has. The Salt Lake Valley has a population of over 1 million people, and the state has a population of over 3 million.

I love traveling around this beautiful state, photographing nature and people across the landscape.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Shimmer

It is so much fun to play with light, especially natural light. When shooting outdoors, the sun can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I love taking photos of the sun and water. This shot was take at Silver Lake at Brighton Sky Resort. It’s a popular location for photo shoots. The walk around the lake is easy (unless there’s a lot of snow and ice on the trail), and there are many places to get great shots with either the lake or the trees as a great backdrop. I was trying out a potential lens (I did end up buying it), and was really happy with the results, especially of the sun shining on the lake.

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

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: The Great Outdoors

Living in Utah, I’m surrounded by amazing nature. It is less than 30 minutes to several major sky resorts. The Rocky and Uinta Mountain Ranges dominate the landscape in northern Utah, and the amazing red rock landscape of southern Utah make it one of the most diverse places to visit. In September, we to a short hike up one of the local canyons to these amazing ruins. We’re not sure what this building was or why it was built, but it was a lot of fun to get to and roam around.

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

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: Reflection

I usually save my reflection challenge for the end of the year, but I couldn’t wait to share this photo. I was playing around with (meaning, we rented it from our local photography expert store) the amazing Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens up at Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and I have to admit that I’m really excited to get my own next week. This couple were sharing a quick embrace at a popular portrait location when I grabbed this shot from across the lake. When I was processing the files, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the images and also the beautiful reflection in this particular one.

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

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: Your Weather Today

Sorry about missing last week, but there are times when you just have to take a week off. This week is all about the weather where you live. In Utah, we’ve had a crazy bit of weather for the last month. January and most of February were horrible if you like to ski or own a ski resort. Then on Sunday night, a massive snow storm moved in. We shoveled the driveway three times in 24 hours. Once the storms move out, we got beautiful blue skies. And the snow-capped mountains against the blue sky is stunning.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A NEW PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) OF YOUR LOCAL WEATHER.

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.

Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Serene

For more from this challenge, visit the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Serene.

Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale

I live at the foot of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. The peaks are majestic and awe-inspiring, and not a little intimidating for people who aren’t used to being surrounded by very tall mountains.

The first picture (taken this week) is from a freeway overpass looking the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The second picture (taken June 2016) is of Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland.

For more from this challenge, visit the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale.