PhotoChallenge Week 9: Red

Last year I discovered the online PhotoChallenge.org weekly photography challenges and it encouraged me to try a bunch of new techniques and subjects for my budding photography skills.  I've continued this into 2017, and this year promises to be a good one!  I have fallen behind in posting, but have done a few of the older challenges so here's some catch-up!  The idea is to actively take pictures each week but I may also post some older photos that fit the bill on some of these blog posts.

PhotoChallenge Week 9: Red

This particular week's challenge involved posting your histogram with it, but I didn't get that fancy!  Due to snow and lack of time I missed the deadline for this challenge, but still went back later and completed it!  Here's my sad and cold looking cardinal...

Photo Challenge #9: Winter Is Coming

After playing along with Erin's 30 Word Thursday weekly challenge on her Treasures Found Blog for the past year I have finally taken the plunge and started taking photography more seriously.  Starting with my iPhone, I soon found that the limitations of that device were getting to me.  Upgrading to a Cannon Eos Digital Rebel SL1 camera, I've started experimenting more with technique.  I have also invested in Photoshop Elements 12 and most of my post-production on photos will be from that program.  As a way to force myself to try new things, I'm doing a weekly photo challenge--each week focusing on a different photography or editing technique.  Some of these may be simple and others more difficult.  I encourage any of my readers to take part in the challenge! 

Last week we messed around with the editing technique of Dodging.  This week we have a photo taking challenge!  Yes I'm I geek and am referencing Game Of Thrones.  But hey, I have a signed first edition of the book from before it was popular...

Winter Is Coming...

This week's challenge was to take advantage of our winter landscape and try to take some pictures relating to snow, ice, or frost.  Or for anyone living in a nicer clime, I just left it as "go take some pictures outside so we can with we were there!"  I admit since I set this goal, most of our snow has melted, but I managed to find a few options for this challenge.  I took all of these at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in their sculpture garden.

I liked this lone oak leaf, nestled in the melting snow, catching a ray of unusual sunshine.  I tried to take pics of a small melting snowman but they just looked odd and I couldn't get the white balance right on it.  The areas of the leaf with the melting droplets were just a hint too dark so I used my new-found skills in dodging to lighten those up slightly.

My next photo was a random grab as I looked at a melting glob of snow, trailing a pool of water onto a large monolithic sculpture.  As I got closer to it, I discovered the reflection of the green treetops from behind me.

I had plans to get more winter pictures, but then all our snow melted.  Oh, well!

An InLinkz Link-up

For next week's Photo Challenge #10 we will be back to editing with the use of Desaturating!  The idea here is to subtly (or not so subtly) decrease the color in a photo for a more mellow effect.