JANUARY 2016 CDP THEME DAY--My Photo of the Year

Camera Shy Selfie in a Bubble

Edited version: cropped, color enhanced, focal B&W

Original version with iPhone 5.

This was the first photo I posted on City Daily Photo for the April 1, 2015 Theme Day. It was a favorite photo then and still is. When I took it, I was fascinated by the colored bubbles and got as close as I could to take the shot before the bubbles popped. But it was only after I saw it on a bigger screen that I saw within each bubble was a tiny selfie.

To see what other City Daily Photo bloggers posted as their favorite photo, click here.

WALLA WALLA GRAFFITI

Words of Wisdom (?) 

From the Hands of Local Graffiti Artists

I literally stumbled upon this site while tromping through the brush to capture shots of the foggy creek. 

Now I wonder how many more places like this are out there for me to discover.

Peace, Love and Happy New Year!

PHOTOGRAPHER AS ARTIST--A Reflection

Regarding my evolution as a photographer, I have always been a chronicler; that is, someone who takes pictures as a reminder of places I've been, people I've been with, or things that I've seen. Which means that as a 9-year-old with my first Brownie camera, I took a lot of B&W pictures of chipmunks at the Grand Canyon, my miniature Poodle Pepe posed in different outfits, or candid shots of my girlfriends at slumber parties or summer camp.

As a college student back in the early 70s, I received my first Nikon SLR, so with classes along with much trial and error, I worked on composition and using the myriad of settings to enhance my documentation of people, places and things. Over the next thirty years children, holidays, vacations and my garden and pets were my standard topics where I practiced photographic techniques in an attempt to grow my skills as a visual if not artistic chronicler of my life.

Somewhere between the advent of digital and decline of film cameras, I obtained a simple point-and-shoot camera and used that for the next 10+ years to document my cross-country bicycle trip, a canoe trip along the Missouri Breaks route of Lewis and Clark, a 4-person raft adventure on Alaska's Kongakut River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and hundreds if not thousands of garden and pet photos. 

Flash forward to 2013, with my latest point-and-shoot in hand, along with a hand-me-down iPhone 4, I traveled to Paris. I remember clearly the first day of our tour as we walked to Isle de la Cite, and how I fumbled with my camera every time I wanted to take a picture. Out of frustration, I reached for my iPhone and began shooting. Snap! Click! Bing! Bang! Boom! Up high, down low, right here, over there. The freedom I felt to shoot on the go, sometimes even on the run, excited me, and I haven't looked back.

Yes, there are still times when I use my new Canon 60X especially for those long range shots that fail with an iPhone. Otherwise, I am a die hard iPhone fanatic who really believes in the adage--The best camera is the one you have with you. And with that acknowledgement, I am now learning how to use my iPhone and the zillion available apps to find my personal voice as an amateur photographer.

And let me tell you, now that I have opened Pandora's box of apps and post-processing editing, I've discovered it's a wild and crazy world out there. And here I am at the teeny, tiny tip of the iceberg, just trying to decide how much editing I feel comfortable doing. Heretofore, it's been none, zero, zilch--save for some judicious cropping and perhaps straightening here and there. But I must admit, I am intrigued by how adding a filter or light or contrast or detail can enhance an already decently composed photo. Or how shooting in HDR or Chrome can intensify a scene.

That's what today's photos (and yesterday's) are all about. If you have a preference for one photo or another, please leave your 'vote' in the comments. Otherwise, simply enjoy another view of a foggy creek along Five Mile Hill outside Walla Walla. And keep following me on my journey.

FOGGY CREEK-Another View

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

FOGGY CREEK

Post-Processing Variations

Lately I've been working to discover new ways with my photography. I've always been reticent to do much if any post-processing editing, but am now trying to push myself to utilize the tools available to me as a way to grow with my photography.

The following photos are subtle variations on the same subject--a foggy creek along Five Mile hill-- utilizing different orientations and/or post-processing editing. 

Do you have a favorite?

#1  Landscape orientation, light color saturation edit

 #2 Vertical orientation, light HDR edit

 #3 Vertical orientation, light overall tuning

 #4 Horizontal orientation, light HDR edit, light color saturation

KLICKER'S POST CHRISTMAS--An Epilogue

See Ya' Next Spring

Christmas is the end of a busy year for the Klicker family and their local business. Now the store is buttoned up for the winter and signs are posted.

Forlorn orphan Christmas trees rest along the fence and will be ground into mulch come spring.

LET IT SNOW!

On the Road to Ski Bluewood

Nearly record snow fall allowed the local ski area to open up before the Christmas holidays, and it keeps on snowing.

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS

A Crosswalk for Ducks

The campus of Whitman College has several small ponds where ducks like to congregate. 

On this snowy morning they cross the intersection of Figueroa Street and Clinton on their hunt for food.

CLOUDS OVER THE BLUES

The View Out Russel Creek Way 

Walla Walla winters can be grey and foggy, rainy and wet, cold and snowy, sunny and cold or any combination thereof. Today was one of those days when the clouds over the Blue Mountains and the Walla Walla Valley broke revealing brilliant sun and blue sky which in turn created great swaths of light and shadow across the rolling landscape.

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Final Installment

Klicker Berries and Antiques

Living up to its name, the other half of Klicker's store is filled with antiques and other decorative items for the home. 

More than likely there is something for every person on your Christmas list if you peek in every nook and crannie. 

Come along and see for yourself.

And just in case you missed buying fresh berries in the summer including the famous Klicker strawberries, 

you can still find frozen berries available for sale.

And finally, where is Klicker's located? Right here, of course.

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Buon Natale, Frohe Weihnachten, God Jul or Happy Holidays to all!

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S- Part 5

But Wait! There's More

Besides the trees, wreaths, poinsettias and ornaments, Klicker's also sells its own custom line of condiments including pickled veggies, salad dressings, fruit preserves, and salsas--Oh my!

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Part 4

Santas, Snowmen, and Sparkles

Stepping inside Klicker's store, you enter a world of Christmas. Even the most die-hard Grinch would find it difficult not to feel the Christmas Spirit here. All sorts of baubles, bangles, beads, and bibelots are available for purchase as gifts or to brighten your very own Christmas tree and home. It's hard to choose!

It's easy to spend more time than planned looking at all the Christmas ornaments and decorations.

But wait! There's still more to see in tomorrow's blogpost. 

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Part 3

A Wreath for the Door and a Poinsettia for the House

Klicker's has everything you need to decorate for Christmas. After selecting the perfect tree outside, follow the well-worn path to the main store. Along the way you will pass a wall filled with wreaths in every color combination imaginable making it hard to choose--unless, of course, you are a red and green traditionalist like me. Then the choices narrow to only half the hanging wreaths. And like the trees, once a wreath is taken down for purchase, another wreath takes its place.

Stepping inside the store, the pungent smell of cut evergreens, poinsettias and sweet candy fills the air. But you don't know which way to look first-- the twinkling lights, the sparkly ornaments and all the red and green vie for your visual attention.

I especially like this Eiffel Tower loaded with a selection of seasonal poinsettias--red, white, pink and mottled.

 But this ruffled red beauty really catches my eye.