The Badlands

Posted on September 27, 2018 Posted in animals, Digital Photography, Mobile Photography, Parks, PhotographyTagged america, badlands, bighorn sheep, black and white photography, Digital Photography, exlplorers, explore, explore south dakota, history, iphone, iphone8, Mobile Photography, nature, nature lovers, road trip, rocks, shotbyiphone, south dakota, the badlands, yellow moundsLeave a comment

Over the summer this year, I experienced the most unique and breathtaking landscape I had ever witnessed: the Badlands of South Dakota.

IMG_E1253

It would not be an exaggeration to say that when we first got out of the car to explore the landscape, I started to cry.

FGPYE3460

The vastness, the silence, the slow wind, the rocky ground and the ceiling of the cottony, white clouds, were almost too much for me to process at first. Because it wasn’t a place just to see with your eyes, but to feel it with your heart. And I also felt very small.

IMG_E1419

I’ve never been much of a traveler, I think mostly from fear or lack of money. But the long trip to South Dakota changed me. When we left the Badlands on a long stretch of road that seemed to be endless, it struck me right there that there are so many things out there to see, waiting just for me to catch it. The world is beautiful out there and sadly, I think I’ve spent too much time at home. We have such a short time on this earth so going forward I want to try to face the fear and save the money to see as much as I can …

NIVCE0230

IMG_1236-Edit1

IMG_1242-Edit1

IMG_1309-Edit1

IMG_1314-Edit 3

Cyclist-Trails

… And to try to be a role model for future explorers and hooligans.

IMG_E1431

Next: Needles Highway, the second coolest place ever.

Photos: Shot with iPhone 8 and Canon Rebel xsi

Mount Rushmore and some awesome animals

Posted on August 5, 2018 Posted in animals, Digital Photography, PhotographyTagged america, americana, animals, bear country, bears, Digital Photography, foundingfathers, history, mount rushmore, mountain lions, Photography, road trip, south dakotaLeave a comment

The first real, full day of the vacation was at Keystone, SD. We drove to Mount Rushmore and on the road we could see it on the horizon and I started to say, “OMG, there it is!!” If you haven’t been to Mount Rushmore, there is a winding road to drive to get to the monument and at one point, all of the sudden you see it in the distance and it’s… well … breathtaking.

I have never in my life ever felt so American.

IMG_0756-Edit

IMG_0759-Edit1

IMG_0762-Edit1

IMG_0779-Edit1

IMG_0786-Edit1

IMG_0799-Edit1

IMG_E0651

After the amazing monument it started to rain and we checked out “Bear Country” which wasn’t just about bears. There were Bighorn Sheep, Arctic Wolf, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Lions, Elk, Bison, Badgers, Otters, just to name a few. We saw a bear fight and I really enjoyed watching two adorable young mountain lion siblings acting like siblings.

IMG_E0784-Edit1

IMG_0856-Edit1

IMG_0892-Edit1

IMG_0898-Edit1

IMG_0911-Edit1

IMG_0945-Edit1

IMG_0948-Edit1

IMG_0951-Edit1

IMG_0974-Edit1

IMG_0982-Edit1

IMG_0985-Edit1

IMG_0987-Edit1

IMG_1000-Edit1

IMG_1030-Edit1

IMG_1053-Edit1

All photographs shot with Canon Rebel xsi and iPhone 8

Next stop: Badlands

Interstate 90

Posted on July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, Mobile Photography, Photography, rural, SunsetsTagged america, america west, americana, badlands, big sky country, canon, clouds, Digital Photography, farms, indian tepee, interstate, Mobile Photography, mobilephotography, night photography, night sky, Photography, ranch, road trip, rural sunset, scenery, south dakota, sunset, Sunsets, truckers, wall drugLeave a comment

It took two days to get us to a landscape we had never seen before. And the long drive was completely worth it.

It has taken a long time to go through all the thousands of pictures I took on our trip to South Dakota and I’ll start with the photographs taken when everything in the landscape changed. They don’t call it “Big Sky Country” for nothing.

IMG_0701-Edit1

IMG_0718-Edit1

IMG_0735-Edit1

IMG_E0560-Edit1

TruckersoftheBadlands

Next stop: Mount Rushmore and Keystone, SD

All photographs taken with a Canon Rebel xsi and an iPhone 8.

Genoa OH – 6/2/18

Posted on June 4, 2018June 4, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, Mobile Photography, PhotographyTagged americana, barber shop, camaro, city, classic cars, corvair, Digital Photography, iphoto, mobilephotography, naturepix, ohio, ohiogram, Photography, shotoniphoneLeave a comment

I am definitely not the kind of chick hanging out at 6am on a Saturday, but these are the things you do for your kids, right? We left at the crack of dawn to get to Genoa, Ohio and we met his fellow high school cross country runners; following a nice lunch buffet. And so it seemed, we are now back into 5k season into the fall. Because there’s another 5k next Saturday morning…

But for this photographer, the old town Americana and country vibe in Genoa, Ohio was full of photography opportunities. So I was ‘OK’ to be there. I’m not going to post all of the pics I took of my son and his friends because I’ve been told that it’s “weird” if I post pics of him and his friends on my blog (I’m only doing to post pics of him on Facebook 😉). Funny how things change in generations, but in a way, they don’t change. Remember when our parents found our diaries in the middle of the mattress? 🤔 And our response was like, “Mom, you read my diary?? I hate you!”

Yeah, I’m a mom with a bunch of teenagers now. So I get it.

Here are the pics that I took, no pictures of my son. I’m always inspired by these little Ohio towns when I get out of the Columbus metro area.

Barn

Cat-Cataracts

Barber Shop

Corvair

Firefighters

Genoa150th

GenoaBoys

ButtHut

I Spy Something Green

Posted on May 18, 2018May 19, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, ohio, PhotographyTagged arugula, backyard gardening, canon, canon fan photo, canon rebel, canon shooters, chives, dirt, dslr photography, farming, food photography, foodies, garden, gardening, lettuce, lilac, ohio gardening, ohiogram, organic, organic farming, peonies, peony, Photography, seeds, snap peas, sprouts, strawberries, tomatoesLeave a comment

After a 2 year hiatus (which was needed), the garden is back alive (after lots of freakin’ work!). There is still weeding and working to do (and that’s what you get for ignoring your gardens for 2 years), so this is still a work in progress. Here are the first pics of 2018. Definitely more pics coming through the summer as everything grows.

It’s funny though, Why does a young Jersey chick who grew up in an urban setting enjoy planting vegetables and flowers as an adult so much?? I don’t know, but all I know is that I love the feel of the dirt in my hands, the sweat on my neck, the reward of watching vegetables grow from seeds to something I chew on – it’s wonderful!

I haven’t posted all the pics of the garden yet so here’s a sampling. But here is what I planted this year: green bell peppers, habanero pepper, tomatoes, basil, arugula, chives, lavender, snap peas, catnip, lettuce, pumpkins and in the perennial garden we have strawberries and raspberries, a blueberry plant, peonies, roses and some random plants throughout the front and back yards. Oh and Andrew also planted his own seeds of bachelor button flowers. Can’t wait to see them grow! So happy to see him so enthused to plant something.

Also, in this new season, make sure you patronize your local farmer’s market!

IMG_0006-cropped

Arugula

Chives

Tomatoes

Strawberry

Lilac

IMG_0052-cropped

Lettuce

Peony

Snap Pea

Fly-cropped

A fly?

All photos shot on a Canon Rebel xsi

Exploring the Streets – Columbus OH 4.28.18

Posted on May 4, 2018May 4, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, Mobile Photography, ohio, PhotographyTagged abandoned, canon, canon fan photos, city, columbus history, columbus ohio, columbus ohio history, decay, Digital Photography, dslr photography, dslrphotography, historic buildings, history, iphone, iPhone 6, Mobile Photography, ohio, Photography, photoshop, rain, rust belt takeover, state capital, street photography, urban, urban photography, Young PreservationistsLeave a comment

Last weekend I went to a tour headed by the Young Preservationists Society and learned lots of more info on this fair midwest city of Columbus. Of course it was also a great opportunity to take some shots in some usual and unique locations – from the State House to an old historic building during construction.

IMG_9606-edited

IMG_9619 (1)

SPWL1241

The Selfie!

All shots taken with a Canon Rebel xsi and an iPhone 6.

Spring Rebirth

Posted on April 26, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, ohio, PhotographyTagged bokeh, buds, canon, canonfanphoto, cbus, columbus ohio, Digital Photography, dslr, dslrphotography, flower buds, minimal, minimalism, nature, ohio, Photography, rain, raindrops, spring, tree branchesLeave a comment

Raindrops and flower buds. This is Earth giving us another chance.

IMG_8679-edited

IMG_8689-edited

IMG_8656-edited

Shot on Canon xsi rebel 55-250mm, 4/2018

Asbury Park, NJ USA 4-4-18

Posted on April 12, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, Mobile Photography, PhotographyTagged arcade, art, asbury park, asbury park nj, beach, boardwalk, canon, decay, digital art, Digital Photography, iphoto, jerseyshore, mural, new jersey, new jersey boardwalk, Photography, photoshop, retro arcade, skee ball, the stone pony, urban, vintageLeave a comment

During my quick trip to NJ last week, I was able to get away for a few hours and take some shots of the boardwalk in the iconic town of Asbury Park, NJ. Enjoy!

WonderBar

StonePony

Boardwalk

ParadiseHotel

SkeeBall

Jetty

Carousal2

Mural

All photographs shot with a Canon Rebel xsi and an iPhone 6. Edits on Photoshop, Snapseed and DistressedFX.

Depth of Field: MetroParks at the MAC

Posted on March 6, 2018March 6, 2018 Posted in Digital Photography, ohio, Parks, Photography, SunsetsTagged canon, clouds, columbus ohio, Digital Photography, metroparks, nature, ohio, Photography, sunset, trails, worthington ohioLeave a comment

Frame

I had no idea that last June, when I took a serendipitous drive to a park to take some shots of the sunset, that it would change the course of my work this year. On a whim I submitted this photograph to a juried exhibition late last year and this January I found out that my photograph was selected. Ecstatic that I got in, I also immediately started to take stock of what the heck I was going to do with all these photographs that I take and maybe it just felt like the right time to go full tilt.

Over the years I haven’t done anything with them. Mostly out of a lack of confidence, a lack of time or money to invest, or personal derailments, I’ve never really valued my art. And maybe all it took was one photograph to be discovered or to change my perspective.

Sometimes my passion is writing, sometimes it’s making paper, sometimes it’s crafts, sometimes it’s working with animals, but over the years I have always come back to photography. And there must be a reason for that.

_____________________________________________________________________

Locals! Opening Reception for Depth of Field: MetroParks at the MAC is coming soon! Meet me there on Thursday, March 22nd at 6-8pm. There are 40 works in the exhibition.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: