A Cloudy Day

So, today I got out to take some more pictures.  I decided that rather than head up the mountain I would head west instead.  There was an amazing sky full of clouds that made for some very dramatic pictures.  At least, I think so.

Although I took this picture, and the next one, in color, I felt the pictures were much more dramatic in black and white.

I love the clouds at the very bottom of the picture.  They look like arches.

I think this picture was amazing.  The sun behind these clouds was fantastic, especially as it appeared over this formation.

Although this picture, and the next one, are of the same subject, I love the difference in light and colors I got in each, and how those differences give each a different feel.

This was just an experiment, but I like the cooler colors reflected in the mirror against the warmer colors of the grass surrounding the mirror.

Another use of the side-view mirrors. I like how the gap is reflected almost perfectly in the mirror.

This tree was the only bit of color out in the middle of no-where against the gray of the sky.  I really like how it looks next to this road.

Early Fall in Southern Utah

So  finally got to get out and take some pictures around here to show off the changing leaves.  I love fall!

Another practice in depth of the field.  There are lots of yellow leaves around here, but I love the bright red one from over on campus.

Gorgeous yellow leaves from up on the mountain.

Ok, I did add the lens flair during editing, but I still love this picture of the sun rising over the mountain and highlighting the the hills beyond.

We've had a couple of really pretty sunsets here lately (which is why I wanted an external shutter release, lol).

Another very lovely sunset.

I absolutely love reflection photography, so I'm thrilled with how this picture came out.

And here we'll end with the red leaves from over on campus.  I like the contrast between the red and the green in this picture.

Kolob Hike Pictures

So, this past Monday I had the chance to go hiking up at Kolob canyon.  Of course I took my camera, only to get there and discover I only had my telephoto lens with me.  So, I turned into an impromptu challenge using the single lens I had.  Below are some of my favorite shots.

Here I was practicing the depth of field.  I love these orange leaves, especially since everything else was either green or yellow-ish.

I thought this was much more dramatic in black and white than in the original color.

Same with this one.

I love the way you can just see this historic cabin through the surrounding trees.

I loved the criss-crossing fallen trees through here.

To me, this tree looks like it's dancing, almost like something out of Fantasia.

I think this is my favorite picture of all of them.  It looks like something out of Lord of the Rings.

Just a fun little fall of water.

I like the flower with the water and rocks blurred out behind them.

I liked the cloud next the rock in this picture.

This is my dancing tree again, but I really like how it rather frames the mountain behind it.

Twelfth NIght--Double Fun

So, last month I did a review of the Utah Shakespeare Festival production of A Comedy of Errors. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to see Twelfth Night¸ twice.  Yes, it really was that good.  The best part? I got to attend both times for free.  Now, for anyone not familiar with the storyline, I’ll give you a brief summary.  It’s the story of a pair of twins separated in a shipwreck, both believing the other is dead.  The sister, Viola, pretends to be a boy and takes work with a local Count named Orsino.  Orsino is attempting to woo the local beauty; a woman named Olivia.  She, however, is in mourning for her recently deceased brother, and is refusing all wooing efforts.  When Viola, dressed as Cesario, shows up in Orsino’s service, Olivia falls for the “young man,” who is turn has fallen for his/her employer.  While there is some humor in this plotline and odd love triangle, especially once Viola’s twin brother shows up, confusing things even more, this version of the play has the real humor in the secondary plotline of the story.

Olivia’s household, consisting of various servants, kinsmen, and the visiting Sir Andrew, provide the greatest moments for humor in the play.  For anyone who saw last year’s production of Peter and the Starcatchers, all I should have to say is one thing: Black Stache.  The actor who so beautifully filled the comedic role of the dastardly Black Stache takes on the role of the foolish, foppish Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and very nearly steals the show.  My sister and I agreed that we looked forward to his scenes more than anything else in the show.  His comedic timing and ability to perform both the physical and verbal humor is pretty much unmatched.  I will admit, having seen the show the first time, I was concerned I wouldn’t enjoy it as much during a second viewing; not so.  If anything, the second time was even better.  It was especially fun when he was able to work in a reference to the homecoming fireworks display we could hear going on outside the theater.

My only…not complaint, but least favorite part of the show were the several songs scattered throughout the play.  These are part of the original play, and the actor who performed them was excellent; they just felt like they slowed the show down just a bit.  Overall, however, the play was phenomenal, and I would gladly have gone several more times, just to continue to catch the various bits of verbal humor that get thrown around throughout the play.  This production has definitely placed Twelfth Night right up there with Much Ado About Nothing¸ and The Tempest as my favorite Shakespeare plays.

Photo Shoot, Part 2

So, last weekend I went over the mountain to get some practice in with my camera.  This weekend I stayed in town and went over to campus to try shooting a different type of scenery under different lighting.  I'm not as excited about my results, but I have a few pics to shares.

This is a waterfall feature on campus.  It took quite a few shots to get one I actually liked, and I still have to do some editing work in photoshop after that.

I like the frame of the trees here.  It's still not 100% how I'd like it, but it turned out okay for now.

This is one of the few pictures I really did like.

This bridge doesn't actually go anywhere, but it looks pretty cool in B&W.

 Again, I loved these flowers lined up, but the shot just didn't turn out quite right.  I'm still trying to figure out what's missing.

I loved the shadows and light in this scene.  I played with several variations here, and this was one of the better ones.

This the chapel next the institute building.  I love the steeple sticking out over the trees.  I actually got to use some photoshop skills I already possessed to take out the powerlines that originally crossed through the picture.

Photoshoot

So, this past week I have been taking an online photography class so I can learn how to use my digital camera.  Today I went out and took some pictures around the area of the little town where my grandfather grew up.  Here area few of my favorites.

Cedar Breaks

Countryside around Hatch.  I loved the look of the weathered wood out in this field.

In my class, one of the things we learned about was composition, and using lines in our pictures to add interest and direct the viewer's gaze.  I liked the looks of this fence alongside this road.

I love pictures of water.  I thought this pictures of the water under the bridge was pretty cool.

This is the same bridge, but looking from the other side.

This pictures was actually an accident.  I was planning on getting the water in the background, but the thistle turned out pretty cool.

Ok, another flower, but I meant to take this one.  I loved these wild flowers growing there by themselves.

Book Recomendations

I am an avid reader, but I can be rather particular about what I like to read.  One of my favorite types of characters is a strong lead female character.  Below are three book series I really enjoy.

Mercy Thompson, by Patricia Briggs

This is a great series if you enjoy vampires and werewolves.  The main character of the series, Mercy Thompson, is a coyote shape-shifter raised in a world of werewolves.  She works as a mechanic, but has to deal with a world full of overbearing werewolves trying to tell her how to live her life, vampires that would, most often, like to be rid of her, and various other fey, fairies, and supernatural beasties.

The books are written in first person from Mercy’s point of view, and some might find that off-setting.  There are 8 books in the series, as well as several books written in a spin-off series called Alpha and Omega.  If you are looking to start a new series, this is a great one.  For the most part, the books are clean.  There is some language, but sexual situations are at a minimal and generally not overly detailed.  Even young adults/older teenagers could feel comfortable reading these stories.

Kate Daniels, by Ilona Andrews

This is another fantastic fantasy series.  The series is set in a type of post-apocalyptic Atlanta where magic has returned and is playing havoc with the world.  Kate Daniels is a former mercenary/supernatural problem solver.  All her life she has been preparing for a confrontation with her father, the head of the People, who control the world’s vampires.  In the meantime, she gets wrapped up in the world of shape-shifters as she falls for the head of all the were-animals in Atlanta.

This series is a little darker, a little grittier.  It definitely a series meant for adults.  Language and violence are definitely more intense this these books.  Currently there are 7 books, plus one spin-off book that ties directly into the series. 

In Death, by JD Robb

This series is set in the future, and revolves around the character of Eve Dallas.  Eve is a murder detective in NYC.  Each stories in this series is relatively independent of the others, though reading them in order does fill in some of the gaps since it is assumed you know all the ensemble characters, as well as the dark histories both Eve and her husband Roarke have.

This most definitely an adult series.  Language is an issue, but sexual situations are a regular part of the storyline.  One weakness of the books I have discovered is that since JD Robb is actually a pseudonym for Nora Roberts, she often has ghost writers writing the books on her behalf, and some are definitely better than others.  There are 38 full length books out, with one to be released Sept. 2014.  There are also 9 short stories that have been printed in various anthologies.

I would suggest looking for these books on Amazon.com, should you find yourself interested.  As far as I know you can get all of them in e-book format if that is your preference.