Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

photography

Have You Taken A Pumpkin Photo Break?

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

This time of year I dread the coming of the dark season. To distract myself, besides imagining writing I can get done on rainy days and baking tons of cookies, taking pictures with Fall light becomes my passion. Trying to catch the last rays of the year and the amber light is an exercise in patience and quick draw with a camera.

Since I always have a camera with me, besides my cell phone camera with no zoom, it becomes a game to see where and when I can capture the waning golden light of the season.

A herd of pumpkins waiting at sunset to be taken home and carved.
A herd of pumpkins waiting at sunset to be taken home and carved.

This first picture I had to take last week while grocery shopping. I’d only stopped for a few things, but I couldn’t resist the golden light on the pile of pumpkins outside the grocery store.

Since I long ago got over what anyone thought who might see me taking pictures of produce, life is good. Lately I’ve even taken pics of some great displays inside retail stores, since many are works of art.

So if it’s not pumpkins, then leaves are a big deal this time of year. This next picture I snapped after work at the day job. In the parking lot! One does not have to be in exotic locations to get great photos. There are several malls and one post office where I’m always watching the trees and plants because they are great for close-ups.

Sun slipping into the night - over the parking lot.
Sun slipping into the night – over the parking lot.

So, if it were not for the dratted cross walk sign you can barely see in the bottom right corner, people might think this blissful scene was way out in the woods, not surrounded by asphalt. Look around for big and small details this season. For Pete’s sake look UP too.

We have the first big rain storm coming in today after a summer of high temperatures. So while we all huddle inside and work on our creative projects, clean things out and plan the killer list of fun baking projects for the holidays, remember to take some great pictures.

You never know what you might want to send on a holiday card or in a family newsletter. Try something out of the ordinary. Let’s all celebrate the season of photography!

 

Isn't he cute? Happy Halloween photo hunting!
Isn’t he cute? Happy Halloween photo hunting!

Can You Take Harbor Seal Photos From Your Porch?

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

My last photography posting had so many nice people comment and like it I decided to follow-up with another photo topic. When I worked on the newspaper and took my own photos, there was a system I learned from my photography classes in college.

This is actually a mid-range photo since I was so far away. The pulled back photo made the harbor seals look like raw tapioca.
This is actually a mid-range photo since I was so far away. The pulled back photo made the harbor seals look like raw tapioca.

First take an overall shot of the area/subject, then look for details and close-ups to describe the story. That is how I ended up with photos for my feature stories and/or photo essays. While I might not use all of the photos in the newspaper, in fact I rarely did, taking more shots saved the day when I’d need to hunt for pictures to help fill space.

Now I keep those same rules in mind for a potential blog post, article or video I might be working on in the future.

To illustrate the system, here are pictures I took on a recent trip to Depoe Bay, Oregon, one of my favorite places on the planet. Munching a leisurely breakfast that Saturday, my sister let me know the harbor seals were hauled out on the rocks.

This is what a zoom lens, leaning against a post and keeping your breathing even can do. That's not tapioca after all.
This is what a zoom lens, leaning against a post and keeping your breathing even can do. That’s not tapioca after all.

Grabbed the camera and sauntered down the porch of the condos to get an aerial view. One cannot wait when the time, tide, seals and weather all create a photo opportunity – getting all those variables together is a rare event. So I grabbed both Canon cameras to ensure I would have focal length to get up close.

Details count. Did you see the Blue Heron in the first photo above?
Details count. Did you see the Blue Heron in the first photo above?

Photographers know the sweetest light to take photos is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, but tides and seals have their own schedules. Some of the photos I took are not as color-saturated as I would like, washed out by the sun, but I’ll take it.

Always have a camera, cell phone camera or video camera with you. You never know when seals may show up to interrupt your breakfast!

Can You Take A Photo Field Trip From Your Front Porch?

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Slogging away on the treadmill Sunday I spied the first robin of the season. Then I saw another and another and another; there were a gaggle of robins. The field across the road seemed to be robin snack central. Since I heard crickets for the first time Saturday night, seemed like a possible reason.

Robin looking for crickets by a mud puddle across from my front porch. Pretty bird!
Robin looking for crickets by a mud puddle across from my front porch. Pretty bird!

So I grabbed both cameras and took a long jaunt on a photo field trip – to my front porch to be exact. Sat down on the top step and proceeded to take pics of the birds. The camera I carry with me all the time is a Canon PowerShot SD800 IS Digital Elph. Adore this camera, even though it only has a 3.8x zoom lens and 7.1 mega pixels. Bought a pink camera case for it at www.cutecamcase.com which has a backup battery slot pouch too, always need one of those.

Since I was too lazy to go out in the rain and get wet, I brought in the big gun for backup: the Canon PowerShot SX200 with a 12x zoom. While the 12.1 mega pixels are great on this camera, it has just enough heft that I can’t carry it in my purse all the time, but I love the long zoom lens.

The better zoom lens shows the difference between a gaggle of robins in a field and getting up beak and personal with the feathered friends. Photography and writers go together; we capture scenes not only in our imagination but in everyday life too and regurgitate those images into writing. Better than eating worms, but the same premise pretty much.

I’ve developed a camera collection by accident since I can’t let go of my 35mms I used on the newspaper. I’m getting ready to make an actual display shelf to show off my camera collection; I still have the 110 camera I carried in my empty ammo pouch during Army basic. Then there is the whole new world of folks taking smart phone pics too, but I find it impossible to give up my wide-angle lenses and zooms – photo details rule!

Have you taken a photo field trip from your porch or front door lately? Give it a try!