Christal Ball Fun

Crystal Balls have been around forever, but in the past few years photographers have used them to take unusual and unique photos. I ordered mine a few years ago but have not used it very much. Last night I got a little bored and decided to see what I could shoot through the ball. I found some old Christmas lights, a bright led light and a host of objects and started to shoot. Some would consider it a waste of time. I call it amazing! Here are a few of the photos I shot in that hour. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by the photo shop! Now that is having a BALL!!!

Winter Lakes

   Lets face it, this time of year isn't very conducive for taking scenery pictures.  There isn't a lot of snow and everything is plain brown! That is what I thought until I went a little further north from Wascott to Superior. The trees were covered with a frosty snow and the lakes were half frozen with a snowy glow. A few miles north of Solon Springs on County Road P there is a spot that was just perfect today. It was absolutely breath taking with a wintry scenery. From there I traveled to Wisconsin Point and took some photos from across the lake. The old lighthouse is a great place to shoot especially in winter. (Maybe I shouldn't say "shoot" on the first day of hunting season.)The scenery is always changing.
   Here are a few of the photos I took today, along with a few from a few days ago on the way to Hayward. Enjoy and give God the glory for His amazing beauty. God Bless... 

DIY Flowers

One of my favorite pastimes is taking photos of flowers. I must have thousands of photos of flowers I have taken over the years. Most of them need to go into to Recycle Bin and stay there. Probably one in 50 are worth saving and one in a hundred worth framing. Here are a few things I have learned about taking flower photos.
1. Try to shoot on a day that is not windy or not too windy.
2. Use a telephoto lens if you have one. I choose to use a 55 - 300 mm lens.
3. Shoot at a distance and zoom in. This allows you to have a clear photo of the flower and a blurred background.
4. I almost always shoot in Aperture Priority. Settings are dependent on what the conditions are and what you aim to produce. (My choice)
5. If possible shoot contrasting flowers. Shoot a flower with a contrasting bed of flowers in the background. This adds color and contrast.
6. You can also get way down low and shoot up toward the blue sky for contrast.
These are just a few of the things I have learned over the years. Probably the greatest advise is to keep on shooting and shoot some more. Practice, Practice, Practice.
Tonight I was at the Spooner Ag Center and took time to taker a few shots. I was quite discouraged and down. This really lifted my spirit. As you can see I had a few visitors that stopped by.

God Bless.