Weekly Header Challenge -- Fall Colors

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

Imac 

Lew

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Fall Colors

Chosen by Lew.

Well, I thought today was Wednesday...  A day late, and without further ado, here are my images, from various Chicagoland locations, all the way back to my house.

Fullersburg Woods.

McDowell Forest Preserve.

The Morton Arboretum.

My back yard.

These were all from last year, since we don't have any color here yet this year.  I'm excited and ready to go out looking for it soon, though!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Nature Walk -- Seager Park, Naperville

Can you meander quickly?  That's what I did at Seager Park on a recent spring afternoon.  I had a short time available, so I meandered for about twenty minutes, then returned to the car.  I've said it before--if you look, you can see beauty everywhere.

Everywhere I walked, beds of these little white flowers carpeted the floor of the woods.

I think all of these little "umbrellas" I found were maple trees.  The sunlight was shining beautifully on the leaves.

These little umbrella trees--maple or whatever--also blanketed the floor of the woods.

And those little white flowers--oh, my.  :)

I found these teeny purple flowers as well.

Even an old, rotting log--or piece of bark--can be beautiful when lit up by the sun as it lies on the grassy ground.

Virginia bluebells, here in the Prairie State!

I spotted some little yellow flowers (buttercups, maybe?) intermixed with the white.

Robins hopped around the leafy banks of this little brook.

Time to go, which meant climbing back up this little hill toward the car.

I passed by this bridge when I first started my little walk, but I couldn't find the right angle to shoot it.  On the way back, though, I stepped right into the spot I had been looking for.  It was a beautiful moment just before I had to head back home and to reality.

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 52 -- Self Portrait

I'm linking up with Darcy for Project 52!

Click her Project 52 button above to see what it's all about!

This week's challenge:  Self portrait


My photo:

My thoughts:

I checked out this week's theme; ironically, my photo from last week's P-52 Challenge was also a self-portrait.  :)

I had wanted to take a walk in these woods near my home since last Friday when it started snowing.  How cool to get some pics of these snow-covered trees; I had gotten some nice pics in this same location this past autumn.  I brought my 17-85mm lens and my 100mm macro lens along, because you never know what you're going to find.  For my macro photography, I love a very low ISO and sometimes a smaller aperture--depth of field can be tricky with a macro--so I brought my tripod along because I wasn't sure what the light would be like and shutter speed might be low.

Toward the end of my walk--and nearing sundown--I thought to myself, "Self portrait!"  (I even said it aloud--nothing like talking to yourself when you're all alone in the middle of the woods!)


The setup:

I bumped up the ISO for my self portrait so that I could get a decent shutter speed.  I set up my camera and tripod, and found a small tree I could stand next to for focus.  I set my aperture to f6.3 to make sure my face would be in focus in case I was not quite even with the tree.  I set the timer for a 10-second delay and ran back and forth a few times to test out my settings.  I ended up zooming in for more focus on my face.  I felt a little goofy smiling at the camera, all alone in the woods!


Camera Settings:

• Canon 40D
• ISO 500
• Manual mode
• 17-85mm lens at 68mm
• f6.3
• 1/80 sec. shutter speed

Here is the series of photos I ended up keeping:

Nice composition, but the focus is a little off; maybe a closer shot...

 Blah composition, plus where am I looking and what am I smiling at??

 Nice, but my head is tilted the same way as the tree; could I be falling?

 The shot I chose.

I'm feeling really goofy doing this in the middle of the woods!!

 

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Forgotten Autumn

I looked back in my online photo albums and realized I had never blogged about this!  I've used several of the photos in various posts, and some even ended up getting some published in the local section of the Chicago Tribune!  Woo-hoo!  So here's the story as I look back at this autumn walk...

After I came back home from Lake Bonaparte, I longed for nature and the outdoors.  I love autumn with all its colors, the crisp air, the oh-so-blue sky.  One busy Monday, I was able to snag about an hour and head out to explore this little section of woods for the first time.

Just a couple miles from home, the woods beckoned me to come and walk.

A brand new footbridge spans a little ravine.

Of course I brought along my macro lens, just in case.  Good thing.

Interesting tree shapes.

I had my back to the trail ahead while I took some shots.  When I turned, this young buck was standing there, still as a statue.  I thought he was fake (really!) until I saw his ear twitch.  He even let me stoop down to change lenses so I could get some better shots!

At one point, he looked off into the distance.  I also turned, and spotted his "girlfriend" on the other side of the bushes.

See the nubs that will be antlers some day?

Bye, buck!

Deer prints on the trail

Back on the trail, I used my macro to shoot various weeds.

Looking back along the little trail.

It's amazing that one hour spent in God's creation can restore a soul!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 2012 -- Week 3

Project 2012

Week 3 -- January 15-21

1.  Take pictures
2.  Share at least one--and up to seven!
(Click on the graphic if you're interested in joining us!)

My favorite photos

I was a little desperate to use my camera the beginning of this past week!  I walked around the house taking pictures of everyday household items.  I ended up in front of my flute music stand, experimenting with music, notes, angles, aperture...  In post edit, I tried for an antique look, and added some grain to the photo to achieve a look I was satisfied with.

[15] Favorite music

I guess I'm a true Northerner; I sat on my front porch without a coat and with slippers on while I took some shots of my flowers trying to survive winter.

[16] Coral bells in snow

Then it was back inside, and I ended up in the kitchen.  These fortune cookies were bright and cheerful to photograph.

 [17] Fortune cookie

I drove out to a little trail in the woods near my home for a short, snowy nature walk.  I took my kit lens along, which I used to take this shot.  I wasn't awed with the image when I saw it in the camera viewfinder, but after downloading it and really studying it, I fell in love with it--the way the sun is shining on the leaf, the angle of the sun so low to the right, the sparkles and shadows in the snow, the brightness of the leaf.  I just really like it.

[18] Leaf on snow

I love shooting the sun through the trees.  I'm not so great at sun flare, but I do like to try.

 [19] Winter sun

I found a great perspective leaning against a tree, looking up into the sky.  I love the contrast in color, and in the shadow and the sky.

[20] Up through winter trees

As the sun descended, I hung around the capture the sunset, always a calm and peaceful time.

[21] Winter woods sunset

I'll post the whole of my little snowy nature walk soon!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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