Photography Challenge Week 3 || Contrast

The other day, Caleb and I went for a walk. On that walk I saw a lot of birds, and fish even, but also during that walk I saw a lot of trash (including an unwrapped tampon--come on, people!) and pollution. It was really beautiful and really sad all at once.

Soooo, this week's theme is something along the lines of contrast, contradiction, opposites, juxtaposition, etc.

Fish trying to get some oxygen and the oil that is smothering them.

There's a birdie in that photo up there. And a flip-flop in that photo down there.

Photography Challenge Week 2 || New to Me

This week was a half cold, half warm one, and of course the day that I actually went out to take pictures was a very, very cold day because I'm really good at planning ahead.

But really, the reason I went out that day was so I could see the legendary Trumpeter Swans my birder friend had told me about (Other challenge: I am trying to see 100 birds in-state in one year). While I was there, I saw loads of grebes, ducks, and geese, but no swans. At one point, I saw a distant Canada Goose fly into the woods (hey I just saw that movie) and I snapped two quick pictures before I headed back to the car.

But when I got home and pulled up the photos, I zoomed in and noticed the Canada Goose had a very yellow beak...and a really long tail. So, after consulting said birder friend, I realized I had finally seen my first Bald Eagle and didn't even know it.

Gotta be honest though, it was still really exciting. I've always wanted to see one and I used to (okay, I still do) get really angry when people point up at a Turkey Vulture and say, "Look, a Bald Eagle!" And yes, that used to happen a lot.

Anyway, this week my two photos are two things that are new to me: a Bald Eagle, and a lake that is half-frozen!

THERE HE IS! That really tiny speck!

I promise that half of this picture is ice.

Photography Challenge Week One || Art

I decided last year that in 2015 I wanted to get in gear to start up a photography business. As a piece of that, I thought I would try a challenge to hone my "skills" and help myself grow a little bit. So, each week I intend to post one or a few photos that fit a theme. Who knows, sometimes the theme might be "Miscellaneous" but you get the idea. The goal is to start seeing things in different ways.

This weekend my in-laws came up to visit, and we went to Crystal Bridges, the art museum around here. They had up their "State of the Art" exhibit, (it ends on the 19th so hurry hurry if you want to see it yourself) which is fairly interactive. We had a good time walking around and um...being creeped out by a few installments. Nothing life-scarring though.

Anyway, here's this week's theme of art:

(Yeah, it's grainy but I really like this picture anyway.)

Self-portrait