PLEASANTVILLE - Black and White or Color

One of my favorite movies is Pleasantville. If you haven't seen it, a teen age brother and sister get swept away into a black and white television show where everything is in black and white. Their interaction with the people in this town cause them to begin to become aware of real feelings and emotions which cause them to begin to see things in color and even they begin to be seen in color.

I always think its such a beautiful concept and wonder how many people, because they don't stop to smell the roses aren't really seeing life in living color. When you look through the lens of your camera are you seeing in black and white or do you really see in living color?

SUNRISE IN THE MOUNTAINS

I got up at 5:15 yesterday morning and had this bright idea to try to go catch a sunrise. Well, finding a place to capture it was the interesting thing because every place I've been is better for catching sunsets. The sun seems to rise over the mountains around me. So, I "tried" to capture something. LOL! This is what I got.

ON ITS LAST LEG

This poor little bee was just outside my sliding glass door limping along on it's last leg. It even looks like it's been around the block a time or two. In the second photo it even looks like there is something wrong with its eye (if it's called an eye).

ANOTHER BIRDIE

I've have been trying to capture a picture of this hummingbird since I put up my feeder. I was out standing under my tree one day and this bird buzzed by and we stood looking eye to eye as it hovered in front of me. I was in instant awe. The feathers just under the beak were like ruby sequins - deep and shiny red. Before I could get a good look it was gone but it's been chasing away any hummingbird that gets near the feeder (the little bully LOL!). I finally got a couple of pics today.






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These pictures didn't capture the ruby red the way I see it but the photo below does. Too bad it's not a better picture. I just posted it so you can see the red the way I do.

DISCOVERY YOUR CAMERA FEATURES

I am an amateur photographer. I've had my camera for five months and I've never played with the settings or opened the instruction book to learn exactly what my camera can do. This morning I went out in my yard and introduced myself to my camera. I'm glad I did because I have the most beautiful red roses in my yard that I have not been able to capture. I simply could not get the red to come out as deep and rich as they are in person.

I still haven't perfected it but look at the difference between these two pictures:



Or between these:



I changed my setting to Program AE mode, selected my menu and changed the White Balance to shadow since it is overcast today. I also changed the Levels and darkened them. I've got a lot of playing and learning to do but I would highly recommend that when you're like me and you just like to take your camera and start shooting, one of these days when you've got nothing to do introduce yourself to your camera.

The wonderful thing about a digital camera is that you can immediately see the differences in your settings in the display. You don't have to wait to get the film developed and try to remember what settings did what. If you just learn one thing each time you play with your settings you'll walk away knowing more than you knew before.

And now.... for my best picture using my new settings:

GLADIOLAS

Do you ever have those moments when you take a picture, look at it and your breath is taken away, when you feel in your spirit that there was more to that picture than you behind the lens? There are times I take a picture and feel the lens holds the pen and I'm just the messenger.

ITSY BITSY SPIDER

SANTA MONICA PIER & VENICE BEACH

I decided to head out to the pier yesterday. I heard it was going to be a little cloudy and the waves were supposed to be 7-10 feet. I thought, great! That should make for some interesting photos. Well, it wasn't cloudy and the waves weren't that tall but I still got some great pics. You can see some of them at my other blog Down Around L.A..

AS THE SUN SETS

There is just something so soothing and relaxing about being around a body of water at sunset. It is as if all of the craziness of the day poors out of you, it is whisked away by the gentle breeze that washes over you and sinks with the setting sun.



I did two versions of the photo below. The first is the cropped version for a panoramic effect. The second is the original shot. I love this photo.

HUMMINGBIRDS IN MY YARD

I keep trying to get the perfect picture of the hummingbirds that visit the feeder I hung up in my patio. These are close but I'm still looking for better. I don't know what that is but I'll know it when I capture it.







I added this picture today 05/21/08:

FIRE IN THE HILLS

Coming out of Home Depot's parking lot today I could see smoke in the sky. I thought it was at Bonelli Park which is very close to home. The closer I got to home I could see it wasn't where I thought. It was close to home but not hardly as close as it was to the homes at the base of the hill.