New photos

Hello. I have been sporadic in posting, unable to get out to shoot and a tad uninspired by what I have in the archives, but tonight I went out at sunset to take a few shots.

I went by this tree earlier in the day and thought I have to get back and shoot that at sunset. I planned to take it the other way but there was no great place to stand, and it’s in the middle of the road. There was a nice pull-out area to park facing the other direction, plus the sky was actually prettier in that direction.

Why did I suddenly and finally get motivated to get out and shoot? I did some thinking and realized I want to go to very scenic places where people go on photography tours. I don’t want to do a tour, I want to do it myself. We have a ton of stuff to shoot in Northern California. I’m really lucky to live here, and it’s time I started taking advantage of it. But I have to plan for it. It won’t just happen, I noticed.

I looked up a beach that a photographer takes people to, and he suggested bringing ND filters. I’ve been wanting one so I can blur moving water, that’s it. Nothing fancy. So I asked for an inexpensive one for my wide angle lens for not much money for Christmas. My husband also did the research, which is a big part of the gift. I looked at the ones Leanne Cole talks brilliantly about. Those look amazing. I am not ready for those, though. I want to keep things simple and not invest in more equipment for a while. I need to get out and use my excellent wide angle lens (several birthday and Christmas presents worth there). I want to put the emphasis on taking photos now. I have enough stuff.

So the other part of my Christmas present is that my husband will go with me to a couple beach outings and…drum roll…to Yosemite in the winter! (We’re going to stay in a hotel outside the park, not camp.)

The advantage of going on our own is that we can wait for the ideal conditions because we aren’t booked in advance.

On my way home from my photography adventure tonight, I had to stop and take a picture of the moon.

Have a great week!