The Winners...

So I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who weighed in with which photos you thought I should use for my art show.   I was surprised at how everyone had a different opinion on the photos.  Most of the counts were to close to really show any 1 or 2 standout winners.  I ended up using 2 of the 3 pictures I asked for opinions on and a 3rd one I hadn't previously considered.  I wanted to try and show a variety of styles - for example, I didn't want to enter 3 landscapes or 3 portrait type shots - which is why I ended up going with the 3 below.

The photos I went with are:

1)  Kill Devil Hills.  I took this photo in the Outer Banks in May - I really love the colors in this and the surfers.

2)  Prairie Dogs.  This was taken at the Detroit Zoo in June - I love the composition of this one.

3) '57 Chevy.  This one was a last minute decision.  I wanted something more architectural and this one fit the bill.  The colors are great and it is also a great representation of the Motor City.

So, if you're interested in stopping by the art show, it's being held at the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens from October 2-24.  There's a reception for friends and family on Sunday, October 3rd, from 1-3.  If you'd like to come to the reception, shoot me an email or FB message by Sept. 27th and I'll add you to my guestlist.

Help Me Choose!

Hi everyone!  I need your help.  Macomb Community College's Continuing Ed Dept (where I've been taking my photography classes) is hosting an art show next month and I can enter up to 3 of my photographs into the  show.  Problem is, I can't decide which photos to enter.   Below are the ones I think I like best (I've been looking at them so long, I can't tell anymore).

1) OBX

2) Sundial

3) flower @ Arboreteum in Ann Arbor

4) Pinecones

5) Pine Needles

6)  Butterfly

7) Tree face

8) Lion

9) Meerkat

10) Flower up close

11)  Prairie Dogs

12)  Bird!

13)  Lake in the Yukon Territory, Canada

14)  Cabins at Carcross

15)  College Fjord National Park, Alaska

16)  Old Mission Light House, Michigan

17) Hindu goddess, DIA

18)  Inuit Masks, DIA

19)  Mask, DIA

20)  Bird on a gate, DIA

Bright Colors

Stopped by the Warren City Fair this afternoon to take some photos.  The combination of carnival rides, games and the bright blue sky made for some fun colors - enjoy!

Clouds at lifetime

Clouds at lifetime, originally uploaded by kathiag96.

Took this photo last night outside of my gym, with my iPhone camera. I bumped up the saturation a little in picnik and cropped the street lamps out of the image, otherwise it's untouched.

Proof that you can take great pictures with a camera phone!

Griffin in Elements

griffin, originally uploaded by kathiag96.

This is a picture I took of my nephew, Griffin, a couple of months ago. I finally started playing with Photoshop Elements last weekend. I used a couple of actions from Jodi at MCP Actions to give this a vintage effect. I love the way you can really see his freckles in the photo.

George George Park

After taking a Principles of Photography class last spring, I decided to take another class this summer. Last week was the first session of my class in Travel Photography.  This class is more about taking pictures in class and not just learning the basics.  As such, 4 of our 5 classes involve shooting and 3 of them are field trips.  Tonight, our first trip was to George George Park in Clinton Township.

I went to George George Park earlier in the spring, after my very first photography class.   I can definitely see an improvement in my shooting since then...and the better light we had tonight didn't hurt either.

This lady was doing cross-stitch in the park

Squirrel with Nut

Squirrel with Nut, originally uploaded by kathiag96.

Favorite picture of the day....taken during my photography class this evening. Love the fact that not only does the squirrel have a nut, but you can see other nut shells surrounding him...as though he's had a yummy dinner.