Tag: postaday

Birds of a Feather

Well once agin the temperature in in the teens and tomorrow will be no exception.  So I got to thinking what can one do to feel like its warm and tropical yet not spend a small fortune on a plane ticket to Fiji?  Well in Pittsburgh (current temperature 16 degrees F) you could visit the National Aviary.  It’s a really cool place to visit and see some really amazing birds up close and personal.  I visit the aviary every year in the winter months as it is fairy warm and it gives you a chance to get out and take some photos on one of those cold winter days.

Below are a few of the photos I have taken at the aviary.  Hope you enjoy!

Eagle Flamingo Taking Off Yellow Bird

Fast Ferris Wheel

 

Today my post is about something fun to do in the summer time. As it is around six degrees right now I thought it would be nice to think about better weather. I enjoy heading out to the state fairs and photographing the lights. One of my favorite things to photograph is rides that move fast in a circle. I use a slow shutter speed and come up with some really interesting looks for the rides.

 

Due to some technical difficulties tonight I haven’t been able to upload the photograph as my Internet is out this evening. As soon as I can I will add the photo. Check back later to see the fast moving lights.

Fast Lights

An Intimate Portrait of an Orchid

As some of you may have noticed I like to photograph flowers.  I’m really not sure what the allure os but I have always found them to be amazing.  Then, one day, I started taking photos of orchids and haven’t stopped since.  There is just something about the orchid that catches my eye.  I guess it’s their delicate nature that I try to capture in a photograph.  I have photographed many different types, colors, shapes, and sizes of orchids but have definitely fallen in love with the white orchid.  Todays post is an intimate look at a white orchid.

I hope you enjoy.  Which view do you like the best?

intimate 1 intimate 2 intimate 3 intimate 4

In the Woods You Might Find an Old Mill

Todays photo comes from a place in Western Pennsylvania called McConnells Mill.  You can find this mill at the bottom of small road in McConnells Mill State Park.  There you will also find a beautiful red covered bridge.  It’s been a few years since I was last there and it’s on the list for places to visit again this year.  Would you visit this place if you could?

Mcconnells Mill

Reflection in the Window

Tonights post is a reflection shot that I took while ago in Pittsburgh.  One of the things that I like to look for is what you would normally walk right by and never notice.  This particular photo is a reflection in an area where literally thousands of people walk by.  I wonder how many have stopped to take a look?

In your personal travels I highly recommend stopping and taking a look at what the world has to offer.  You might just be amazed.

reflection

A Swift River

For tonights post I am showing you a photograph that I took last summer in the middle of the day in bright sunlight.  By stacking Neutral Density filters on top of one another I was able to get the exposure down to 35sec at f22 with 100 ISO.  This is a digital photo and I found with longer exposures and more filters I was getting a strange red cast to the photographs.

Let me know your thoughts and if you have ever experimented with this type of filter stacking before.

OhioPyle2

Miniature Town

One of the nice attractions at Phipps Conservatory is the miniature railroad display that they out up every year.  And every year I am just as excited as the last to photograph it.  Somehow it has a way of making you feel like a kid again.

Main Street
Relaxing by the Pond
Chocolate Anyone
Speeding by Phipps

Portrait of an Orchid

So yesterday the photography club I belong to took a trip to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pa.  This is always a nice trip for those that go and we had a great time.  And on a side note we always go as a group out for a late lunch and yesterday we went to the Spaghetti Wearhouse, another one of my favorite places to go.

Hope you enjoy the flower portraits:

Orchid Tounge Orchid Purple Orchid

Black and White or Color? That is the Question

For tonights post I thought I would propose a question.  It’s a simple question, but I think it really could spark a great conversation.

“Black & White or Color?”

Simple enough question but what’s the right answer?  Personally I lean towards black and white when looking at photographs, and as I stated in a previous post I have always been intrigued by black and white photography.  As a photographer you need to think about this question constantly.  So how do you make the decision?  I will often post process the image both ways, place them on the screen side-by-side and see which one gives me the emotion that I saw when I took the photo.  I also find that I will eventually use both versions depending on the situation.

I’m very interested in your thoughts on this subject.  What is your process when making this decision?  How do you make your photos black and white?  Do you use digital and convert or are you still a die hard and shoot B&W film?  And finally which version of this tree do you like best?

Tree Black and White Tree Color