Sunset + Tree = Amazing

A couple days ago I posted my entries for our local county fair. This was one that I was most excited about entering. It won third, which I didn’t mind, but I did mind that the judge criticized it for having the horizon centered. It is an old rule of thumb that you should not have a horizon line in the center of your photos, but that is for landscape photography. This picture was not focusing on the landscape, it was about the tree and the shadow. I took many variations of this picture that night, some of them I did focus on the landscape more, but this one is still my favorite. Tonight I thought I would share the others with you so you can see how many different ways there can be to take pictures of one subject. And no, Mr. Judge, the horizon is not in the center of all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My County Fair Entries

Our county fair has a photography exhibit and contest with small monetary prizes for the winners. This will be my first year entering, and I’m pretty excited! Here are my 10 Entries and the categories they are to be entered in.

 

Things/Still Life

 

Scenic & Landscape

 

Action Pictures

 

Life In Iowa

 

People

 

Animals & Birds

 

Flowers, Plants, & Insects

 

Structures

 

Contemporary/Creative Photography

 

Miscellaneous

Oak Ridge Habitat Area

Not too far from where we live, there is a nature reserve. Today I decided to go there and take some pictures. These are my best ones. I may go back again later in the season. I’m hoping there will be some flowers blooming I can take some pictures of.

This is the sign posted at the entrance.

I tried a few interesting shots of my car. This was the only one worth keeping.

 

I found some interesting rocks on the driveway.

 

 

 

I got so many of this tree. It was hard to decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of.

The textures were so interesting to look at.

This one turned out much better than I had hoped. I’m really happy with it.

I love my zoom lens. This would not be possible with the regular kit lens.

 

 

 

Yes, the shadow is in there on purpose.

 

I love this one.

I hope I didn’t fry my eyeballs too badly getting these pictures with the sun in them.

This one was so hard to get. This was my best one of this little bug, and it’s still a little blurry.

 

Last picture of the day.