Assignment Number 9: In The Mountains

I keep going back to my photos from last year's visit to Washington state. Although I've been to several mountain ranges over the past several years – the Sierras, the Rocky Mountains, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to name a few – the mountains in Washington first came to mind when considering a photo to fit with this assignment. Perhaps because the viewing experience is still fresh in my mind, perhaps because I had more knowledge when shooting the photos.

© Anna Irwin

This photo was taken from a meadow trail near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. The drive to Hurricane Ridge was a challenging one; there was a thick fog all the way up the winding two-lane road. The intense concentration on driving was rewarded with a glorious view of the snow-capped mountains. Though there was a chill in the air, the sun provided enough comfortable warmth.

I loved seeing the mountains rise up from the mist, which seemed to cover the mountain sides like a white, fluffy blanket. There didn't seem to be any trace of the rainy conditions we left behind at Port Angeles. A landscape like this just makes you want to sit and enjoy the scenery, and that's just what we did. And I hope to do so again.

-ai

Playing Catch-Up

In an effort to keep up with the assignments, I'm combining two in one post.

Assignment Number 7: Spring Wildlife
Somehow I managed to miss the deadline for submitting an image on this assignment as well. It doesn't matter, my blog doesn't have any deadlines for sharing.

I had hoped to find new wildlife other than my dog, who is also wild and full of life though rather domesticated. The one day I was out looking for creatures that share their habitat with us, they were all in hiding.

Back to my archive I went. I found a photo of a resident from the wilderness at Pinnacles National Monument in Central California, taken during a camping trip last year.

© Anna Irwin

This lizard was sunning himself (or herself?) on a rock in the bright sun. As soon as I took the photo, it realized it had been spotted and scurried off quickly!

Assignment Number 8: Memorable Shots 

Although I missed the deadline for the previous shot, I was very early for this assignment. It asked participants to revisit their archives and share their most memorable shots of any subject. I didn't have to think long about the image I wanted to submit. 

© Anna Irwin

This is Mount Rainier in Washington state, reflected in Reflection Lake. On our way to view the mountain a bit closer, we drove by this lake at just the right conditions. I jumped out of the car to take this shot and felt lucky to be able to do so. Not five minutes later the clouds rolled in and obscured the mountain or parts of it for most of the day. 

It was a truly awe-inspiring view of this impressive volcano. That alone makes this a memorable shot for me.

-ai

Assignment Number 6: Wildflowers

My sixth assignment was Wildflowers, however, I missed the cut-off to submit my entry by less than a day! And it looks like they're back on track at O.P., because they already have two new assignments posted. More on those in later posts.

I'd still like to share what I would have contributed, had I been on time. I have photographed many wildflowers over the years, and it was hard to pick just one photo. The "winner" is one I greatly enjoy.

© Anna Irwin

I admit, this is not a recent photo, and I have no idea what kind of wildflowers these are – my knowledge in this area is sorely lacking – but I hope you will enjoy it anyway.

-ai

Assignment Number 5: Water

For my next assignment, I admit I was a bit stumped. I have many photos with water: lakes, streams, oceans, etc. However, I wanted this assignment to be original, something other than what I have done before. That is what the challenge is all about after all!

I was racking my brain, trying to think of what I could capture that was related to water. As it got closer and closer to the deadline – which is midnight tomorrow – I got more and more worried. Where was my inspiration?

This morning, after I returned from my morning run, inspiration found me again.

© Anna Irwin

The leaves of the day lily were covered with dew drops, as if they were decorated with glittering gems of different sizes. One large one in particular reflected the surroundings and the sky. I ran inside to get my camera and capture it immediately.

What did I learn from this experience? Sometimes I have to stop looking for a subject, and let the subject find me.

-ai

Assignment Number 4: Telephoto Landscapes

Apparently, a week lasts a long time for the Outdoor Photographer's assignments folks. Lest you think I haven't been keeping up with them, I can assure you that I checked the assignments page faithfully every few days. Finally, a day or two ago, a new challenge was posted.

The request is for landscapes taken with a telephoto lens. I happen to have one of those – a Christmas present from Santa. Telephoto lenses allow you to bring an object or action closer to you, while providing great depth-of-field. I was hoping it would allow me to take better pictures of my son at his sports games.

Lately we have had a tremendous amount of rain, with still more rain in the forecast for the next several days. The chances of an opportunity to go out and find a landscape to capture are pretty slim. Fortunately I took some landscape photographs with my telephoto lens a few months ago when I went on a hike with the local Cub Scout pack.

© Anna Irwin

This view of Mount Diablo was taken at the top of the Wildcat Canyon trail at Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA. It was a beautiful and clear day. I couldn't believe how close this volcano appeared to be! I can't wait to visit it to see the wildflowers that are sure to bloom after all the rains.

Behind me at the top of the hill was a breathtaking view of the San Francisco Bay, and although I took some pictures, I was not quite pleased with the results. I'll just have to hike the trail again!

-ai

Assignment Number 3: Macro

You might be wondering what happened to the second assignment. Well, the request was for photos of winter wildlife. Despite the dire snow storm warnings that we received here last week, not a single flake fell from the sky and therefore, no winter wildlife to be photographed if such wildlife lived in my area. In previous years I have never come across winter wildlife in snowy locations, so I was not able to contribute any old photos either.

I decided to forgo assignment number two and move on to assignment number three.

Macro is the new theme of the week. In the gallery of submitted images you'll see a plethora of close-ups of flowers, spiders, and bugs. Normally you would use a macro lens for such images. The lens allows you to get extremely close to a subject, resulting in larger-than-life detail of ordinary items, which can reveal an unexpected beauty. Unfortunately I don't possess such a lens for my digital camera, so I do the best I can with my regular lenses.

© Anna Irwin

I submitted the image above: a close-up of a white calla lily that grows in my front yard. I love calla lilies. The graceful swooping shape of the large white petal, the soft lines, and the bright yellow center are a joy for me to look at. Every year I'm thankful for the new calla lilies that come up in my garden. The macro challenge was assigned for just the right week!

-ai

The Lens Outside

Welcome to my new blog The Lens Outside. In this blog I will post some of my photographs taken in the outdoors, or, at the very least, with natural light.

Last year I took out a subscription to the magazine The Outdoor Photographer, a magazine devoted to all photography outside the studio/house/other indoors locations. It took a while for the subscription to start, and I had forgotten about the subscription until I found the first issue in my mailbox.

After reading it, I discovered that the magazine posts weekly assignments on its website, with the winning photo ending up published in the magazine. I don't have any illusions of being a lucky winner, but I do like the challenge of taking a picture each week in keeping with the assignment. I decided to sign up and become a contributor.

It's no good to take pictures without anyone seeing them, so I thought it would be fun to share the photos I submit for each week's assignment in this blog, as well as some other photos that I'm particularly happy with. Hopefully you will enjoy them as well, and perhaps you'll feel compelled post a comment sometime. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for improvements!

With that, I give you my first entry for the weekly assignment entitled Last Frame. The Last Frame is the photo at the end of the magazine, usually accompanied by a witty caption. This was my contribution, with the caption "Peek-a-Boo!"

© Anna Irwin

The photo was taken at the Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park, WA. While I was sitting down, I looked over my right shoulder to see this "unicorn" peeking around the tree. Luckily for me, it stayed still long enough for me to snap its picture!

I can wait for the next assignment!

-ai