Foggy Day Pier

Just a photo from a foggy day in February from a local pier.  I liked it in black and white and I liked the hazy reflection on the water.  It is kind of peaceful.  This one is from my little Nikon Coolpix.  It fits with my business name, Calm Reflections photography.

Fog in St Mary’s County

St Mary’s City

I went to town early one morning this week and had a chance to photograph the local scenery on route 5 in the fog by cell phone.  Mist creates a whole new ethereal perspective of the world.

Historic St Mary’s City

Shenandoah Autumn 2019

Hazel Mountain Overlook, Skyline Drive

Milkweed Pod in the Big Meadow

Mary's Rock Tunnel in the fog

Skyline Drive

Creek by Brookside

Gate in Luray VA

St. Mary's City in the Fog

I've taken some lovely fog shots recently near St. Mary's College of Maryland.

 Foggy Morning

Foggy Afternoon.  I liked this one as black and white.

Photowalk Day Leonardtown Photos Taken Before and After the Official Walk

Jim and I participated in the Kelby Worldwide Photowalk in Leonardtown, MD on October 5th.  The light was very interesting before the walk.  There was some low fog hanging around the farms and St. Mary's City on the drive to the walk, with a lovely sunrise at the Leonardtown Wharf.  I was planning to include photos of items in the stores and people walking on the street during the Photowalk.  There were very few people and the stores that I saw were closed till 10 AM on a Saturday morning.  Most of the people I saw were other photographers! 

Sooo,  I am posting photos taken earlier in the day, and photos taken at the Corner Critters pet shop after the Photowalk.  Corner Critters is always an interesting store to visit.  They have many reptiles and also have mice, guinea pigs, fish, birds and there was even a pink parrot.  The staff  I've met have been very nice and willing to share information about the animals.  (To see photos taken during the Photowalk, you can visit my Flickr site or my Facebook page, all listed under Calm Reflections Photography.)



Catholic Chapel Historic St. Mary's City



Bench at Leonardtown Wharf
 



Kayaker at Sunrise Leonardtown Wharf



Leonardtown Wharf

Photos After the Photowalk at Corner Critters Pet Store

 
 
 

Mouse taking an afternoon nap

 


Snake

 


Yellow Python



May 2013 winners from St. Mary's County Camera Club

Here are my winners from May.  You might have seen the first place winner before, my Pink Mist photo from February.  On rare occasions the water gets misty and creates a lovely mood.  There was frost on the ground too.  The photo was taken around 7am.  As most serious photographers know, the best times of day to photograph are early in the day within an hour or so of sunrise and close to sunset.  Photographing in the middle of the day often creates harsh short shadows that tend to be less complimentary to a subject and make the image look flat.

I also received an honorable mention for this unique photo of  weeping cherry blossoms.  I have tried taking cherry blossom photos from all different angles and even held a branch over the water last year.  I thought this shot was unique, shooting straight up from beneath the buds.  I particularly liked the way the blurry flowers framed the subject with a nice curve.  It was taken in my yard at around 5:40pm.

Misty Wood received a First Prize in January's Advanced SMCCC Competition

I love my photo of a man with a cane walking in the wood's on a foggy day.  I saw a streak of light coming through the trees and knew I had to take the shot. 

You could make up lots of stories about this photo.  It was really about the determination to keep on walking and having the energy to get to the end of the trail in spite of having difficulty walking.  The fog created an interesting mood to the photo, like he was walking toward the unknown.

A quick photo tip is to use a touch of red or yellow to make a photo really pop.  (like a red umbrella, T shirt or jacket) Since there was so much green in this photo, the bright blue jacket really seemed to  help lead your eye to the subject and the fog created an uncluttered background, while the trees made a nice frame around the subject.

Yes, you may have seen this photo before on August 21, 2011 blog.

 

Shenandoah National Park: A favorite place

We recently took a long weekend trip to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It has been one of our favorite places for years.  I was amused at the weather report.  If the prediction was rain, it was sunny.  If sun was predicted, it rained! The mountains seem to create their own unpredictable weather pattern.   We had lots of fog and mist too, which created some moody photography.  If you take proper care of your camera, rain doesn’t mean you can’t take good photos!

Big Meadows is one of the best locations on the Skyline Drive to see deer, especially at dusk.  Some of them are very accustomed to people and largely ignore you.  It is wise to use a tripod and stand fairly still to avoid scaring them away.  The wildflowers blooming along the drive and in the meadow in August added a nice touch to the landscapes.  I photographed delicate Queen Anne’s Lace from underneath the flower to produce an unusual viewpoint.

Other highlights of our trip included a van trip to Camp Rapidan, where Herbert Hoover spent his time away from the White House in a rustic camp, viewing a black bear while I was driving along the main road (sorry no photo) and a visit to see Charlie Maddox play music from Appalachia and the British Isles on hammered dulcimer, banjo and guitar in the tap room at Big Meadows Lodge.