Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Blog

A Rose By Any Other Angle?

By 1 Comment

IMG_3622
One of the first rules of photojournalism is to always take a wide angle, horizontal, establishing shot. If you don’t take it first thing, you get wrapped up in the detail photos and can forget. When I’d get back to the newspaper if I hadn’t taken an establishing shot they needed, the editor was not a happy camper. Trust me, practice taking an overall shot; for a newspaper or a blog post.

by Kimberly A. Cook

Spotted the first two rose blooms in my garden Monday morning. My favorite “Double Delight” rose. Grabbed the camera and proceeded to take a bunch of pics. Thought I would show the process of how I frame and reframe a picture to get different angles, light, backgrounds and close-ups.

Digital photography allows me to waste a million pixels and not care.

IMG_3617 (2)
Go vertical. Roses grow vertically, so turn the camera. Watch for the growth of the other stems. Leave some open sky. Work to have the rose on a lower third, upper third break for the sky, but this is still too centered. Since rose bushes don’t move, I have to move myself and the camera.

 

IMG_3618 (2)
Now move in closer and cut off the sky, using the dark wood as the background.  Cutting off the buds on the right not great. Rose is still too centered for my taste, but like the improvement in the color intensity.
IMG_3626
Don’t be afraid to move in close.  This shot leaves a little air at the top and the sides to let the photo breathe. The background provides some contrast and improves the color hue.
IMG_3627
Go close or go home! Get in there! Don’t be afraid to move in on a subject. I can still get closer, but the light might cause it to fuzz out and lose the edges. It’s a little soft focus here, but I like it.
IMG_3641
This vertical angle gives some color depth and moves the subject across the photo. The light is a little harsh on the rose bloom, even the 10:30 a.m. clouds can’t help the light diffusion you get between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But overall, the darker to lighter tones give some interest. Perfect? Never! But I’ve got more pixels to use for practice.

All of this took about six minutes between grabbing the camera after planting dahlias and trimming the hedge outside of Spec Ops Cat’s favorite window. I never used the zoom, only the wide angle lens; I moved me instead.

Get out there and crawl around for some good pictures.  Photography and accidental exercise. Priceless!

Pachyderm Pool Party Time!

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook

We’ve been blessed with some sun recently and us Oregonians know how to party when the rays appear. Even our Oregon Zoo elephants get in on the fun.

Sam is enjoying the great weather a couple days ago by playing in the pool.

Have a great, safe weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

 

The Old Trunk Or Creative Jewel?

By Leave a Comment

IMG_3542
Here is a fun spot in Hood River, Oregon. Make sure to take your camera to search for all kinds of treasures. Bring money for the ice cream!

by Kimberly A. Cook

Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised. One of my favorite ways to get the imagination train moving is shopping antique stores and flea marts. Not only is it a photographer’s paradise, it is so much fun finding treasures hiding in plain sight.

IMG_3548
The vinyl mother lode! Actually, I have a cabinet full of vinyl myself, so feels like home. Notice the vintage radios and album carrying cases on top. I have one of those too.

Last week on our road trip we stopped at The Old Trunk in Hood River. This killer combo of antiques and soda fountain, plus fruit later in the year is a fun jaunt. I’ll admit we were lured in by the promise of huckleberry ice cream on their website; I’d go just about anywhere for huckleberries. Ice cream too.

IMG_3549
These are cameras before the one in your phone.  Upper left? No batteries, ran on person power.  Viewfinder in the middle with the round disks? Video games for Boomers. Bottom left, Polaroid camera only known to the young people now due to Taylor Swift. Round canisters in the middle? Real film! No digits! Vintage rules.

With the trusty camera along, my creativity gets inspired and things jog my memory or I marvel at items combined in a different way. Of course, seeing all books a buck about sent me into a buying spree. I controlled myself; my bookshelves are overflowing.

IMG_3567
Soda fountain! That red contraption in the middle is the soft serve ice cream machine. They mix Tillamook vanilla ice cream with fresh huckleberries, or other berries, and heaven happens.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t buy ice cream! One of the owners described the crowds they are seeing now and how crazy it will get as the season gets warmer. We lucked in between the crowds late in the day at 4 p.m. for a high ice cream, instead of high tea.

IMG_3561
Soft serve huckleberry ice cream. Fabuwonderfulfantabulous! Trust me.

Simple pleasures, good friends, good weather and ice cream. Living the dream!

Whether you wander on purpose or journey to a destination, take your camera along and prepare to experience some whimsy.

Exercise your creativity muscles!

 

https://www.oldtrunkhr.com/

 

Unleash Our Cameras For Spring

By 2 Comments

IMG_3415 (2)
This pic I took from the far right side of the falls, jostling around visitors. Trying to avoid the sun and get an angle. I hadn’t cleaned the water spray off the lens. Did not notice the cross in the water bottom left until I looked at this on the computer.  Water and sun? I don’t change my photos except to crop on occasion; it’s the photojournalist in me. And a surprise appears!

by Kimberly A. Cook

Monday I took a road trip with a friend up the Columbia River Gorge. Haven’t been through since the devastating wildfires last Fall. Wanted to check in with Mother Nature. Glorious weather this week, so the fruit blooms and the mountains were out.

IMG_3523
With zoom from the side of the road, fruit blooms in front and Mt. Hood up close.

Kathy volunteered to drive, which is such a treat for me. I gave her photo lessons in return. And lunch too. Excuse to eat at my favorite restaurant in Hood River, the Sixth Street Bistro. So I wanted to share with you some pics from our adventure.

IMG_3524
Exact same location as above photo, pulling back on zoom. Too much sun, but I’ll take it!

Stopped at Multnomah Falls which only allowed visitors recently. While the lodge gift shop is open, the parking lot is fenced off and the old highway too. So driving into the parking lot on I-84 is the only entrance. It was nice to not dodge crossing cars on the way to the Falls, but there were people everywhere anyway.

After doing some combat photography fighting the people, dogs, strollers, water spray and flying pollen in the wind, I got a few good pics. Shooting into the sun not the best, but I managed to worm my way on each side of the Falls to take photos.

IMG_3529
Mt. Adams in Washington had to get into the act too.  From the parking lot of Packers Orchards and Bakery – almost open for the season.

Then it was off to Hood River for lunch, then exploring the road up the mountain for some of my favorite picture-taking sites. The fruit blooms were opening up and the mountains were basking in the sun.

IMG_3536
These fruit blooms mean apples and pears and all sorts of goodies come this summer. Go bees!

 

We are having record temperatures right now, might be 86 today, and we broke a record yesterday. Rain back on Friday, but who cares, enjoy the sun!

Ready to unleash your cameras? Pics away!

Big, Gray And Fabulous – Samson And The USS Portland

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook

The sun came out this week and all of Oregon went crazy. Sun party! In addition, we got two huge gray presents to add to the celebration; Samson the new male elephant at the Oregon Zoo and our city’s very own Navy ship, the USS Portland.

Both huge, gray and beautiful, Samson is getting accustomed to his new digs before he meets the rest of the herd.

Likewise, the USS Portland has completed her sea trials, but gets commissioned here tomorrow to send her off on duty. She cruised 125 miles inland up the Columbia River to visit Portland. She brought Navy and Marine crew members with her. She needs staff. Next up? Anchors aweigh!

So have a great, safe, Quirky Friday and fabulous weekend! Go big! Go gray!

 

 

 

 

#USSPortland      #LPD27

Run With The Big Horses?

By 1 Comment

AB889790-9B71-4741-B91F-249B8D9CB636
Bonus Friday photo! Because I found it on the web site of a Professor of Medieval Culture at The Citadel.

by Kimberly A. Cook

Spring fever is really hitting. I’ve been working on tech and writing issues all week. And @#$%^ tech is winning. Not in a good way. So I went looking for some horse porn to settle my nerves and found Frederik The Great! Again.

Sigh. Tried to get one of my fav clips from the movie “Ladyhawke” where Rutger Hauer rides into the church. YouTube only had the church fight scene, not their entrance. Entrances are everything! So the bonus photo instead. You’re welcome.

I first became aware of Friesian horses due to that movie. They were bred for battle way back in the day, believed from Friesland province, Netherlands in the 16th century.

When Hauer rides into the church on that gorgeous horse, real name Goliath, I melted. Completely. Hauer isn’t too shabby to look at either.

Yes, Frederick looks like the horse version of Fabio and that too is fabulous. I covet my personally autographed Fabio poster to this day. It’s framed. Two words. Naked biceps.

So in honor of all pets honored this week, here is Frederick The Great to help us all run free and get our minds off everything! Except “Ladyhawke” and Fabio that is.

Happy Quirky Friday and have a great, safe weekend!

If you want to check out the Professor’s armor review of the film, here:

https://www.tor.com/2017/11/08/history-fantasy-and-weird-armor-ladyhawke/