Photos!

Did I mention I have a new blog, just for my photos? I do! It's here: heather.taylor.photos -- but since it's just beginning, there's not too much there. I'll still share family snapshots on here--the other one is for my more "artsy" ones. =)

Devil's Churn

About 2 or 3 miles south of my little town, there is a magnificent natural feature called the Devil's Churn. It's a fissure that runs into the flank of one of the highest points along the Oregon Coast, Cape Perpetua. Because the walls are so narrow, the water gains tremendous speed and force as the energy is channeled into a tighter and tighter squeeze, resulting in huge sprays and sea foam accretions that look just like churned butter.

Here are some more photos I took today of this magnificent phenomenon:

Devil's Churn seen from above, at the summit of Cape Perpetua.

Approach to Devil's Churn along the windy (it winds, and there's a lot of wind, too!) trail.

 The water rushes into this narrow fissure in the flank of Cape Perpetua and slams into the end of it, creating huge sprays.

 As the water gains speed, its energy compressed by the narrow walls, it rises and starts to froth.

 The sea foam which accumulates in the trench takes on the consistency of churned butter.

 The foam creates amazing patterns as it's pushed about by the ceaselessly rebounding wave energy.

 More wonderfully thick patterns.

 And finally, it crashes over--the amazing power of water.

Hope you're having a powerful weekend too!

High Surf Advisory

23-28 foot swells around high tide today. That means: do not stand on the rocks! 2 young people died in our town last year--college students throwing a ball around on the rocks. A wave larger than most--called a "sneaker wave," because it sneaks up on you--hit them mid-thigh. Though the water was not high, the strength of it made them lose their footing, fall in the deeper water, and be smashed against the rocks. Please, please--be a fuddy-duddy, and don't allow your kids so close to the ocean along the Oregon Coast! This morning--3.5 hrs away from high tide--I snapped this picture. Didn't mean to have someone in it, but that's who stirred my despair: a 14 or so year old boy, tossing logs into the surf, while his father or grandfather stood by, filming...

The ocean is beautiful, and wild, and exhilarating, and fills your soul with passion. But it will swallow you up as quickly as you can draw your last breath...

Some Weekend Photos

We got some lucky weather, and some huge seas! Everything shot with my 70-300 mm lens.

ISO 100, 1/4000s, f/4.5

ISO 100, 1/800s, f/11.0

ISO 100, 1/800s, f/9

These are Stellar Sea Lions, and this was in a big, unlit cave btw. ISO 3200, 1/15s, f5

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 7 - Red

50mm, ISO 100, 1/160s, f/1.8

Night Photography: Creepsy!

ISO 6400, 1/6s, f/32, 300mm

Daisy & Fruit

Ok, most of you are going to think this is no big deal. BUT, I discovered last night how to change my f/stops and shutter speed manually last night! I think all the lurking around the Clickin' Moms' forum paid off! And today there is more sun, so I actually changed lenses to my kit lens (18-55mm) and took lots and lots and lots of photos of some flowers I'd bought the other day. Here's a Gerbera daisy laid across our fruit bowl.

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/8.0, 55mm

Split Toning: Ocean Haze

Played around with split toning in Lightroom: one color cast for the lights (actually, the lights were that color SOOC, so I left those alone), and one for the shadows (made bluer):

Random Photos from Today

It was beautiful out today--so different from stormy days...

Allen walking the dog:

And I found this amazing bokeh completely by surprise:

What a festival of lights, eh? Those orange and white spots in the background are from a climbing hydrangea behind this bush, that had little, dried, orange leaves that were catching the afternoon sun just right... I tried it in black and white, too:

Hope you had some spots of beauty in your day as well! =)

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 5 - Friends

I desaturated the colors in the background a touch, then did a little split toning in LightRoom.

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 4 - Bokeh

Winter's Touch: A faded and wind-blown hydrangea still clinging to the bush, with sea oat leaves in the background. Shot with my 70-300 zoom lens: ISO 500, f5.0, 1/250, 160 mm.

PhotoFriday: Pristine

 

 

There's just something pristine about the quality of light at sunset, as if all the cares of the day were washed away...

My 4 Hens Photography Project 52: Week 3, Inspiration

I'm inspired by light, beauty, the natural world... anywhere I can find it, even in a dusty old barn!

Btw, for an interesting comparison, look at my first edit of this shot. I've really learned a lot since then--especially the last two weeks in the Clickin' Moms forum!

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 3 - Food

My nephew, and the alligator named Maximo at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL.

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 2 - Up

Here's Allen waking UP on a happy vacation morning... =)

My Little Journalist

Taken today, as he was dressing up to go to the town meeting... tried to get some natural light in the house by getting him to stand next to the open front door--but it was even snowing a bit today, so pretty darn cold photoshoot!

Clickin' Moms Project 52: Week 1 - Breakfast

All photos shot with my EOS Rebel T3; some with the kit lens, 18-55mm; and others with my new zoom lens, 70-300 mm. This one was with the kit lens.

More Photo Challenges

For My 4 Hens Photography Project 52 (theme: resolution):

My resolution is to RELAX this year!

And for 2Peas, the January challenge, Green:

And finally, one just for kicks:

(Driftwood)

Photo Friday: Day's End

 Part of tonight's stroll on the beach. Straight out of the camera, except for the logo... ;)

I've decided I want to challenge myself a bit now that I have a new lens... this is for http://www.photofriday.com/archives/challenge/001150.php

Horse Portraits

We went to the stables today for Allen's 4th riding lesson--playing around with my new camera!