Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Memories

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 

But today's post will have words! 
I'm combining Wordless Wednesday and my Photo Tip about holiday/family shots.

Why you may ask? 

Well, I have all my kids home for the holidays.
I want to focus on them for the next couple of weeks so I need to step away from blogging for a couple of weeks.

So...I will return for Wordless Wednesday around Jan. 5.

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I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah!

Do you see the reflection of the tree in his eyes?

Wordless Wednesday: Wanna Build a Snowman?

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 

This snowman is my wishful thinking....

He showed up last year in January.

I'm wishing he'll come back in December.

But I live in the South, hence the wishful thinking!

Come by on Friday for Photography Tips.
You can go back and read about 

Landscape vs Portrait, Part 1

Landscape vs Portrait, Part 2.

This Friday will be about taking holiday/family shots. 

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Isn't he just adorable??

How do you use Portrait Versus Landscape Orientation? Part 2

by Mary Denman @MaryDenman

Mary Denman Photography

Today's photo tip is Part 2 in learning how to understand and use portrait and landscape orientations. This will help you learn how they affect your photography. We're going to examine pictures of people and see how each orientation affects them. We'll also look at a couple of shots with strong lines.



Reminder:

Portrait is the same as vertical orientation. 

Landscape is the same as taking a horizontal orientation. 

Let's get started. 

Wordless Wednesday: First Snow & My Kids

by Mary Denman    @MaryDenman

Our first snow to play in! 

Sort of...we saw this snow while traveling. It was so pretty.
So we stopped for a few minutes.

Notice how appropriately my kids are dressed! ;)

Come by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will be on Landscape vs Portrait, Part 2.

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First Snow by Mary Denman

Four of my favorite people in the world....my youngest 4 kids. 

Monday's Musings: What's Holding You Back?

By Mary Denman  @MaryDenman

My age has never bothered me. Turning 30 or 40? No big deal.

Fifty is coming in a little over a year. It really doesn't bother me.

I guess I could think about how I've probably already lived half my life. But even then, that doesn't mean my life is over.

Because it's not. Not by a long shot!

But do I live every day to the fullest? No.

Why? Because there are things that get in the way. Things that hold me back.

Photo Tip Friday: How do you use Portrait Versus Landscape Orientation? Part 1

by Mary Denman @MaryDenman

Landscape by Mary Denman Photography

Today's photo tip is Part 1 in learning to understand portrait and landscape orientations and how they affect your photography. There are rarely hard and fast rules in photography so it's good to understand the strengths of using each orientation. This will help decide how you compose your shots.

As you get to know more about how to use them, then you can experiment.


The first thing to understand is that landscape is also known as horizontal orientation.

Likewise, portrait orientation is also known as a vertical shot.

Wordless Wednesday - Red Tail Hawk

by Mary Denman
Twitter @MaryDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday.

Look who dropped by! 

I can't believe we have hawks sitting in our yard now!!

Come by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will be on Landscape vs Portrait.

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Red Tail Hawk by Mary Denman 

Red Tail Hawk by Mary Denman

Wordless Wednesday - Old Man Frost

by Mary Denman
Twitter @MaryDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday.

And a Happy Thanksgiving!

Old Man Frost dropped by! 

He left us some cool artwork.

Come by on Friday for Photography Tips.

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Old Man Frost by Mary Denman

Old man Frost by Mary Denman

Monday's Musings - An Unusual Thankfulness

by Mary Denman    @MaryDenman

As Thanksgiving here in the states draws closer, lots of people are realizing they have much to be thankful for. 

I am, too. 

However, this year, my focus is a little different. I do want to be thankful and list the blessings in my life. 

But my Thanksgiving list isn't typical. You might even say it's a little unusual.

Photo Tip Friday: Shooting in Low Light - Part 2 (at Family Gatherings)

by Mary Denman @MaryDenman

Thanksgiving Turkey

Taking pictures inside your home can be a challenge. Why? Because of low lighting. Without lots of natural lighting flooding in, our photos can be dark, grainy or blurry. That's pretty frustrating. But there is hope! Once you learn a little about your camera ISO works, you can start shooting inside and be happy with the results. 

In Part 1 of this series, I covered shooting in low light while outside. You can read Shooting in Low Light, Part 1 

With Thanksgiving and other family holidays headed our way, I wanted this week's tip to do double duty.

Taking inside shots can be challenging because of the lighting. But, since we will be gathering with family inside for Thanksgiving, I decided to use family pictures to help about both lighting AND getting good family shots!

Let's get started.

Wordless Wednesday - The Last of Fall

by Mary Denman
Twitter @MaryDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

I am now in the process of restoring my computer and all the photos back on it!!

Here's my advice from this experience....

BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER IMMEDIATELY!! 

My computer quit working because the hard drive was full. 

I know, I know. 

Not a good plan. 

But fortunately, an Apple tech backed up my computer's entire contents onto an external hard drive and I now have a functioning computer once more!!!

I still have to go through all the photos and delete some, but I didn't lose anything....

Anyway, PLEASE look at backing up your computer to an external drive! 

You don't want to lose a year of your life like I did. :)

So, I will be back on track Friday with Photo Tips...

Taking pictures inside with low lighting. 

And thanks for going back to my Friday post and letting me know what you want for photo tips. 
You can still check out that post here and vote on what you want to learn!

Join me for LINKY below! 

Happy WW!

Monday's Musings - Seeing the Bigger Picture in Life

by Mary Denman
Twitter @marydenman

There are times in life when things happen and I don't understand. 

Some really hard times. Some really hard things. 

When I was young, I tended to question God's motives and ask "Why?"

"Why did Grandpa have to die?"

"Why did Mama Kate (my grandmother) have to die?" 

"Why did I have to have a tonsillectomy and have really bad post surgery complications?"

I, very immaturely, thought that if I loved God, things should and would go well for me. That I shouldn't hurt or suffer. 

Sadly, it led me to question God's motives. "If God loved me, then bad stuff wouldn't happen."

It has taken a lot of years and life to change my thinking. 

Wordless Wednesday - Lake Como, Italy

by Mary Denman
Twitter @MaryDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will HOPEFULLY be Part 2: taking pictures in low-lighting INSIDE.

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

I am having major computer issues and it may take a few days to get it resolved. I'm using my older computer for the moment because my new computer is holding my pictures hostage...  ;)

So I apologize if I can't get Friday's post up and running! 

But please consider popping over to my last Friday post here. 
I want to know what photography tips YOU would like to see. 
I listed topics you can choose from! 
Just leave me a comment with your requests!

Join LINKY below!

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

Here is a night time shot of Lake Como, Italy.

Have a great day! 

Photo Tip Fridays: What Photography Tips Will Help you the Most?

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: @MaryFDenman

Welcome back!

Unfortunately, due to some pretty frustrating/huge/confounding (pick one or two, or all three) technical difficulties with my computers this week, your regularly scheduled Photo Tip, Part 2 on Taking Indoor Shots with Available Lighting has been pre-empted. I will be spending the weekend talking with tech geeks to solve the aforementioned challenges...

However, I thought I'd take this time to get a better sense of how I can best serve you with photography tips going forward. 

I know that you can search the web for any photography related questions you may have. So I want this place, my blog, to be a comfortable place you can come anytime for tips that relate to you and inspire you to do more with YOUR photography. To inspire you to use your own photography on your blog. 

Wordless Wednesday - Fun Fall Shoot

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will be Part 2: taking pictures in low-lighting INSIDE.

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!

I did a photo shoot recently.

With a GREAT subject....

Mary Denman Photography

Photo Tip Friday: Creating Ghostly Images

by Mary Denman
Twitter @MaryDenman
Instagram @Maryfdenman

Today, I decided to teach you how to create ghostly photographic images. 

I learned this photo technique from my brother way back in the 80's. On film.  

I finally realized I could duplicate it on digital. 

So, today's tip will definitely be more technical. But worth it. 

Let's get started!  

Wordless Wednesday - The Feeling of Fall

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will be Part 2: taking pictures in low-lighting INSIDE.

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Join LINKY below!

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

I was in the mountains recently.

Here's the feeling of fall . . . 

The feeling of fall, reflected in the lake by Mary Denman Photography

Photo Tip Friday: Shooting in Low Light, Part 1

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman

Today's tip is about taking shots in dim lighting.

This week is Part 1 and we're going to cover photography in an outdoor setting.
Next week in Part 2, we'll cover indoor shots.

Taking photographs in low light can be challenging. We've all taken a shot in a low light situation, thinking it would be okay. But after you looked at the shot, it was too dark to be worth much.

So then you turned on the flash.

Either it didn't help at all (because the subject matter was too far away) or it washed out the shot (because the subject matter was too close).

And, you came away disappointed. Well, let's try and remedy that.

Wordless Wednesday - Apple Picking

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.
This week will be about taking pictures in low-lighting.

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!


Here's part of my family going apple picking! Fun, fun!

We went apple picking! by Mary Denman

Monday's Musings - Mom's Watching Over Us

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman

This past weekend, I got to go visit my Daddy. I love getting to hang out with him. We sit a lot. And that's fine with me. 

Actually, on Saturday afternoon, while my husband, son and my brother and his kids all went to the movies, Daddy and I had a contest. He sat on the sofa at one end and I lay down on the other. We raced to see who fell asleep first.  

Daddy won, hands down. But I won for the longest nap! 

We had good North Carolina Bar-B-Que, banana pudding and delicious apples. We read through some of Mom's memories that she and written down. (More about those in another post.) 

We just enjoyed being around each other. As we prepared to leave, I asked my husband to take my picture with Daddy. That's when I saw it. Look in the background of our shot...there are pictures of my Mom on the mantel, smiling and beautiful. Right over our shoulders! 

You know, it feels as if she's still here. I can't believe it's been a year and a half since we lost her. 

I think about her every single day. I feel her love, her encouragement. I miss her for sure! But I love how deeply she's taken up residence in my heart. 

I do feel as if Mom is watching over us, cheering us on. Still loving all of us. 

For that, I am ever so grateful! 

Mary

Blogs I join on Mondays

Wordless Wednesday: Fall is Here!

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.

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

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


Fall is finally here!! 

Mary Denman Photography

Photo Tip Friday: How to Take Black and White Photos

by Mary Denman    @MaryDenman

B&W portrait by Mary Denman Photography

Have you ever seen a black and white shot that just stood out? Have you ever wondered how to take photos like that? 

Today, I'm going to give you tips on how to take great black and whites. 

Let's get started.

TIP 1: Shooting black and white shots is different than shooting in color. 

Why? Can't you just convert a color photo to black and white? 

Sometimes, yes. But not always. 

Wordless Wednesday - A Day in Our Life

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: MaryFDenman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.

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

I HAVE A SPECIAL QUESTION THIS WEEK:
How can I best help you with photograph tips and/or your blogging?
Is there something in particular you'd like to learn? 
Would you like a list of choices of topics? 

Just leave me a comment below with your input!

Join LINKY below!

Today's pictures are from a day spent visiting my son in college...

Camouflage son....

Hubby on the climbing wall

Monday's Musings - Can One Person Really Make a Difference in this World?

by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram: @MaryFDenman

Topiaries in Bishopville, SC 

Recently, I thought about the question, "Can one person really make a difference in this world?" 

Or, more personally, "Can I make a difference in this world?"

Not long ago, I found myself in the small town of Bishopville, SC. We had dropped our son off at a Math and Science Camp and were headed out when my husband and I noticed topiaries down the median of the main street in town. Interesting, we thought. A bit unusual. But interesting.

Then, I saw a name on a sign as we drove out of the town. Pearl. 

I asked my husband to turn around and go back to the side road with the sign. I couldn't believe it. We had just driven by the road where Pearl Fryar lives. 

I was so excited. 

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

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. 

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, 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