Thursday, October 31, 2013

Through the Path of Colors

Fall is a special time of year in Michigan, where everything changes in preparation for Winter. The air outside is crisp and fresh, the leaves on the trees change from green to golden yellows, oranges and reds, just before falling off and covering the ground with a great deal of leaves that crunch under your feet as you walk the ground around you. This is a photo I took in the park a few days ago as the winding path was a backdrop of gorgeous fall colors!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Fall-The Last Sail!

I've been to about 5 different parks in the last two weeks, just to go see all of the beautiful fall colors! Each park has something different as far as the colors go. There is a great variety of colors at each park. Some of the parks have water, as they are my favorite kind of parks. This one, I took a few days ago just sitting in front of the Coast Guard Station at one of the marinas. It was extremely cloudy outside, but the sun was still shining. This lonely sailboat caught my eye, as it appears to be the last boat in the water. The colors of the trees around the area of the boat, created a pretty photo. Hope you like it!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Fall Morning Mist

After seeing all of the beautiful fall colors once, I went back to the cider mill on Friday. I didn't go for the cider this time. I went because I realized what a beautiful photo background the river created for the fall colors. I went early in the morning this time. After I was greeted by the goats, (pics in future post), I headed down by the Clinton River to see what the colors looked like once again. The first thing I saw was that the sun was just starting to show through the trees and on the river. The effect of the sun-rays created a gorgeous foggy mist on the river! It was a beautiful way to start the weekend!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Fall Along the River

Yesterday I had the chance to get outside and go visit one of many cider mills in the area. However, my favorite is Yates Cider Mill which turned 150 yrs old this year. I have visited this cider mill every year since I can remember. I love the large wooden water wheel, the smell of apples inside, and being able to sometimes watch the mashing machine as it presses the apples into cider. I also love the warm donuts, you cannot eat just one! On the outside of this particular cider mill runs the Clinton River for miles and miles. There is a trail that can be walked, which seems to go on forever. This is one of the photos that I took while walking down off of the trail and right along the river. The fall colors are beautiful, and the sound of the river makes it feel like a place you would want to sit for hours and hours. Hope you enjoy the beauty of fall in this photo!

Monday, October 14, 2013

The Looking Glass

There is a good contrast of old and new buildings in Downtown Detroit, as my eye is always drawn to both when I have my camera. This photo is one of the older buildings downtown. The architectural detail is what always draws me in to the older buildings, the way they were made, and how they continue to withstand time.

I've been spending time looking at Black & White photos from other photographers online, as it is something I have wanted to learn myself for awhile now. I am having trouble deciding what actually constitutes a good black and white photo. I see some that are a stark black and white together, some that have more black than white, some that have more white than black and some that are even black and gray. I have a number of photos that I believe would look better in black and white, then they would in color. So, as I begin experimenting with black and white photos, I would love it if someone could tell me if I am on the right track or not? Or, is it just a matter of personal preference in this regard too? Hope you enjoy!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

On the Set - "Transformers 4"

This summer I was able to experience something that we do not normally see in the Detroit area. In the heart of downtown Detroit was the filming of the movie "Transformers 4." A few city blocks made up the set of the movie, which was disguised as Hong Kong, and no longer Detroit. I was hoping to get a glimpse of Mark Wahlberg, but there was no actual filming being done at the time I was there. Still, it was pretty cool to see a real movie set here so close to home. Here are a few photos from the movie set, looks like it will be a good movie when it is released in the Spring of 2014.



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

"Summer Farewell"

Saying good-bye for the Summer, to my special place on Lake Huron. I will miss it terribly throughout the Winter, as it is the place I go to find my peace and serenity, alone with my thoughts, and my camera. This is the place where I get up when it is still dark outside, grab a cup of coffee, my camera, and drive a few miles down to the Lake. There, I sit in serene silence, waiting for the magic to happen. The magic happens within minutes. A dark sky starts to lift, going from black to orange, gold, yellow and blue. The best part is when I look out onto the water and see a big red ball come up from the water out of no where. As it rises, it turns all of the magical colors of the sun. Many mornings, I am able to share the spot with geese, ducks, and even deer. I will miss it a great deal during the Winter, and long for the time when I will be back again to experience the magic and beauty of all this magical place has to offer. One last look in my mirror before I go, "Summer Farewell."

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Dawn's Early Light

Last Sunday, 9/29/13 was 9 months since my step-son passed away. I woke up with this thought on my mind, and thoughts of him. I looked out one of my back windows and saw that the sky looked like it was kind of pink. Then, I went to my front window, where our house faces Lake St. Clair about 4 miles away. The view unfolding before me was spectacular! The sky was such an amazing color with the clouds rolling by in different shades of yellow and orange. Somehow I knew at that moment, that my step-son was ok, and that he knew I was thinking of him, especially on this morning. It was also a reminder that life has to go on, and there is still beauty in all the world has to offer. So, this is the "Dawn's Early Light" as the sun came up last Sunday.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Summer's Harvest Colors

Still going through all of my Summer photos, and I feel so blessed to be able to look back at all of the things I was able to see and do this Summer. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my Mom who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She recently had surgery a few weeks ago, and the anesthesia that was used on her took away her short-term memory, which looks like it is permanent. So while I am secretly mourning her memory loss, it gives me comfort to know that we had so much fun this Summer. If not for my camera, I would not have the reminders of all the new things I was able to let her experience. This photo is of a flower who's identity I do not know. The many brilliant gold and orange colors remind me of Fall. Hoping to get out with my camera soon, and have the opportunity to catch many more Fall colors! Nature's beauty never disasppoints!