Sunday Post: Focused Attention

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post photo challenge. This week’s theme is Focused Attention.

If there’s one thing you need to have when taking photos of nature, it is focused attention. Paying attention to your surroundings is crucial if you want to spot and capture something that looks good to the eye. Sometimes, timing is important if you’re trying to take photos of animals, or even skies, which can change any minute. Focus is mostly needed when you’re taking photos up close, in macro mode.

I just received my brand new Canon Powershot SX500 IS a couple of days ago (it felt like Christmas all over again!), so I played with it a bit yesterday, trying to focus on the raindrops that are everywhere because of the rain. It was fun comparing the photos I took of raindrops on the same tree with my other camera. I’ll be doing a full post on these raindrops later this week, but here’s a preview of it. Focused attention can get you a nice shot of raindrops on a thuja tree branch.

Remember you can click on each photo so you can see it in a larger size.

Sunday Post: Focused Attention - raindrop on a tree branch
Sunday Post: Focused Attention – raindrop on a tree branch

You also need focused attention when trying to capture a moving body of water on camera. I did that recently and I still have to go through my photos to pick a select few. Here’s one that came out alright, I think. The sun was already over the hill and the whole aread being shaded gave the water a blue tint. A pretty neat effect.

Sunday Post: Focused Attention - stream water
Sunday Post: Focused Attention – stream water

That same day, I could see the moon high up in the sky in the late afternoon. I wanted to take a picture of it, but I knew it wouldn’t be a great photo if I had nothing else in the photo but the moon in broad daylight. So I looked around and found a way to add to the picture and give the moon some perspective. I’m pretty happy with the way the photo turned out. What do you think?

Sunday Post: Focused Attention - moon in bright blue sky
Sunday Post: Focused Attention – moon in bright blue sky

That’s all I have for this theme of focused attention. I hope you enjoyed it!

A word a week photo challenge: Weather

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

I’m participating in A Word in Your Ear’s photo challenge. This week’s photo theme is weather. San Diego weather is pretty regular, mostly sunny and warm, but we get rain sometimes (never enough), and even frost in the winter (a lot of frost this winter).

Here are a few photos that represent weather in San Diego, using the WordPress gallery format. You can click on any image to view all of them in a slideshow format. I’ve used these photos in previous posts so I’ve left the original captions. This way, if you’d like to view the original post, just search for the caption text in my website’s Search box.

Do you like the weather where you live?

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Beyond

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

A lot of the photos I take tend to be close-ups so there’s either no beyond or it’s out of focus. I did go back through all the photos I’ve posted on this website so far and there actually are a few photos that feature an interesting beyond, so here we go!

Since I’m showcasing several photos of beyond, I’ve decided to use the gallery feature. You can click on any image to view all of them in a slideshow format. I’ve used these photos in previous posts so I’ve left the original captions. This way, if you’d like to view the original post, just search for the caption text in my website’s Search box.

I present you…. beyond!

Happy new year 2013!

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Alfred Lord Tennyson quote
Alfred Lord Tennyson quote

I wish you a great 2013. May this be a year of new experiences, new endeavors, exciting challenges, more happiness, more niceness, more laughs, and more love.

What do you hope 2013 to be, for you and for the rest of the world?

By the way, if you like this winter sunrise photo, check out my 2013 photo calendar for more photos from Southern California.

Sunday Post: New Year 2013

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in Jakesprinter’s Sunday Post photo challenge. This week’s theme is New Year 2013. I’ll keep this post very simple. Remember you can click on each photo below to see a larger image.

I’m waving 2012 goodbye with this beautiful San Diego sunset photo I took on Christmas evening.

Beautiful Christmas sunset in San Diego
Beautiful Christmas sunset in San Diego

I’m greeting 2013 with this beautiful San Diego winter sunrise that I selected for the month of January in my 2013 photo calendar (for sale on Zazzle).

Beautiful winter sunrise in San Diego
Beautiful winter sunrise in San Diego

Let’s hope the year 2013 features even more beautiful San Diego sunsets like this one:

Pink and gray sunset with clouds in San Diego
Pink and gray sunset with clouds in San Diego

and inspiring sunrises like this one:

Photo of a winter sunrise - clouds on fire
Photo of a winter sunrise – clouds on fire

I’m looking forward to a year full of wonderful photo opportunities, and I wish you a very happy and prosperous new year 2013!