Springton Manor Farm

A beautiful but very cold morning at Springton Manor Farm. This is the same place as the first photo I posted on this blog. Looks a lot different when the snow is gone.

Mika

So much about photography is about being at the right place at the right time. I've had a knack this last week of NOT being at the right place at the right time! I've been all over discovering new places but none of the images I captured were worthy of being placed on my blog. However, last night at a park in Chester County while waiting for the light to be just right, I realized it was right, just for another subject. Let me introduce you to my golden retriever Mika (pronounced with a short i as in Mickey Mouse). She's had cabin fever in the worst way lately and appreciated coming along for an adventure. I take photos of her all the time, so undoubtedly you will see more of her in future blogs. I hope she brings a smile to your day!

Feels like spring...

Over the weekend the temps warmed up and it felt more like spring than winter. I found this beautiful park in NJ, yet another new discovery for me. There wasn't much to photograph as the colors were drab and dull. But I liked the bridges and decided to take this image and give it a watercolor look using Photoshop. I haven't done much post processing with my photos, but this looked like a good excuse to try something new.

Meet Clouseau...

Meet Clouseau, a resident of Hopewell Furnace located somewhere in Chester County. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to live in Southeastern PA for many many years before I know my way around. I never heard of this place but it was a great discovery. One of the park rangers told me all about Clouseau and the other animals who reside at this historic sight. Clouseau was so named because he is a very curious creature. Sure enough the first thing he did was stick his nose down my jacket to inspect for any hidden treats!

Yesterday while driving on the back roads of Chester County, I ran out of windshield wiper fluid. Looking for a place to pull over so I could replenish my supply, I found this cute little church. It reminded me of the churches you see in Vermont.

Winter wonderland! Mother Nature dumped almost 5 inches of snow overnight. This is the scene at a dog park down the street from my house. The dogs are having a blast in the white stuff!

This photo is the work of several "firsts". Taken in downtown State College over the weekend, I got to use my new tripod for the first time. And what a difference my new three legged friend made over that old KMart "blue light special" I've been using these last couple of years. For once my photo wasn't ruined because of a poor tripod.

Then, after converting to black and white, I added the star effects to the lampposts in photoshop. I had no idea how to do this, but several great posts on internet taught me this technique. I'd like to reshoot this image perhaps during a snowstorm when there are no cars on the street.

This is the round barn located in Centre Hall. Nice to see something with color for a change!