Wordless Wednesday - Roses are Beautiful

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.

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Mary Denman Photography: Rose

Monday's Musings - Wandering

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: @MaryFDenman

Last week, instead of taking the normal route home, I decided to explore a road I had never traversed.

I'm glad I did.

We can get into ruts in our lives. Being productive. Being efficient. Being busy.

While all of those things are fine, in and of themselves, we often forget to dream, ponder, or experience new things because we have so much "to do".

I have certainly found that to be true in my life.

So, I decided to take my camera and see what I could find on the back roads.

Photo Tip Friday: Tips for Taking Active Pet Pictures, Part 2

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back to Photo Tip Friday! Today I'm going to talk about how to take action shots with your pets. 

You can read about last week's post here: How do you take pet portraits? Part 1

What is the biggest difference between taking action shots and portrait shots of your pets? Movement. 

Portrait shots may be a little easier because your subject will be still. Or, you will want your pet to sit still for you. But what if they're active and moving around during your photo shoot? I'm going to teach you how to take action shots so you can do both! 

Let's get started. 

Wordless Wednesday - Rainbow in my Yard

by Mary Denman

Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week's tip will be learning how to take PET PHOTOS, Part 2: Action Shots

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I took these pictures all in one day...

After the first rain

Pouring rain in the sunshine

Monday's Musings - Life Lessons from Michelangelo's David

by Mary Denman
twitter: @marydenman 

Exact replica of The David

I was fortunate enough to see Michelangelo's The David when I visited Florence (Firenze), Italy. The story behind it is amazing and is changing the way I think and operate in life. 

A very brief history. The statue was commissioned originally in 1464 and some rough work was done to the block by Agostino. He worked on it for 2 years. It was then neglected for 10 years. Then Antonio Rossellino worked on it briefly but was quickly terminated from the project. 

Here's where it gets really interesting. The stone was left in a supine position, in the open courtyard where it was started, exposed to the elements for the next 25 years. 25 years. 

Photo Tip Friday: Tips for Taking Pet Portraits, Part 1

by Mary Denman

Welcome back to photo tip Friday. I'm excited to talk about how to take pet portraits. Next week will be all about action shots with your active pets! 

How do you take pet portraits?

One of the first suggestions I'll make is to get down on their level. Or take the photos when they are elevated to your level. 

Why?

You don't only see your pets from above. You cuddle with them. You hold them. 

So if you get at eye level with them for photos, it's much more intimate. 


Let's look at some other suggestions. 

Wordless Wednesday - Green Hornet, Bees, Flowers, & Mushrooms

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week's tip will be learning how to take PET PHOTOS, Part 1: PET PORTRAITS.

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I do my level best to visit your blog when you leave a comment!

Enjoy the summer flowers, green hornet, bees and mushrooms.

Mary Denman Photography

Monday's Musings - If There is no Struggle, Frederick Douglass Quote

by Mary Denman                                                                                   Instagram: maryfdenman

As many of you know, I've had a very difficult past year, losing loved ones very close together. It turned my life upside down. It's made my life a struggle at times. 

Recently, I came across this quote from Frederick Douglass. The line, "If there is no struggle, there can be no progress," really struck a cord with me. 

I want my life to be easier.  
I don't see struggle as a good thing.

That's why this quote hit me. 
I started thinking about it. 
Is it true? 

Photo Tip Friday - Part 2: How to Take Pictures of Waterfalls

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

The Reedy River, normal water flow

Welcome back for Part 2 of How to Take Pictures of Waterfalls! In case you missed it, you can read last week's post here. 

(Note: Last week's photos of the falls were taken right after a torrential rainstorm. This week's shots are more typical of the water flow and were shot on a different day.)



We covered the two main options for taking waterfall photos: 
1) Stop the motion with a "fast speed" of film. Use an ISO of 800 or higher.
2) Blur the motion with a longer shutter opening. Use a time of 1/10 of a second or longer. (This second option requires a tripod or solid surface to set your camera on.) 

Wordless Wednesday - Hawk in Flight

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week's tip will be learning how to take waterfall pictures, Part 2.
You can read about Part 1, here. 

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Join LINKY below!

I do my level best to visit your blog when you leave a comment!

So, a funny thing happened while my son was mowing the yard....

A hawk, which may be a red-tail hawk, buzzed him....

My son just felt a blast of wind to look up and have this hawk flying over his head. My son said if he had reached up, he could have touched the wings. 

GLAD HE DIDN'T TRY!

Monday's Musings...

Sorry I missed today's post, but I'll be here for Wordless Wednesday! 

Then, on Friday, I'll do Part 2 of How to Take Waterfall Pictures.

See you then! 

Photo Tip Friday - Part 1: How to Take Pictures of Waterfalls & Water

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Waterfall by Mary Denman

Today's tip is Part 1 of a 2 Part series to help you understand how to take pictures of waterfalls and water. While you may not have a waterfall that you frequent regularly, it's good to learn what to do so when it's time to take a shot, you're ready and get the photo you want! 




First of all, there are two main ways to take pictures of waterfalls. 
1) Take the photo at a fast enough speed to stop the action of the water. 
2) Take the photo at a long enough exposure to make the water look "milky" and smooth. 

These techniques are very different so I'll teach you both. 

Let's get started.

Wordless Wednesday - Osprey with Fish

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week's tip will be learning how to take waterfall pictures.

Sign up for email notification to the right and get the notification in your inbox. 

Join LINKY below!

I do my level best to visit your blog when you leave a comment!


So when we were at the beach, I saw an Osprey nest on a cell phone tower. 
I stood patiently waiting for the birds to return from a fishing trip. 
I was rewarded with some great shots of the bird with a fish in its talons. 
Here are a few of them.

An Osprey bring food to its young

Monday's Musings - Bloom Like a Rose Through the Thorns of Pain

By Mary Denman

Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: Maryfdenman

Mary Denman Photography: Anne Brontë quote

Most every loves a rose. They are beautiful flowers. Lovely creatures. 

But you can't enjoy them fully without dealing with their thorns. 

Yes, you can buy thornless roses where someone else has broken them off. But you just can't grow roses or pick them without encountering the thorns.