Thanks to the gorgeous Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesotans can enjoy the tropics almost 365 days a year. Such a fun day trip to chase away the winter blahs, as the Como Park Zoo offers fun for kids, too! Here are some images of a few orchids they have scattered about the grounds.

These were given a photo transfer feel using my Photo Art Blends (used set 1, #12 on Overlay blend mode), and some Simply Love quotes. An on-line tutorial is included with the Photo Art Blends sharing techniques and recipes for how to achieve differing results with the many blends included. See our Cottage Arts blog for a Before/After of an additional orchid piece.

All were shot in AV mode, ISO 160, with my 70-300mm at about 180mm.

fyi…With the recent discovery that Mom’s breast cancer has metastasized to her liver, my focus has been on her and Dad, my clients, and Cottage Arts…posting on this blog as time allows. I’m creating and shooting more than ever, and hope to be able to share more with you soon!

Michelle

You can experience waves like these by visiting Molokai, or attending the amazing photography workshop at the Hui, Rekindling the Creative Spirit in April, 2010. I helped teach some photo art classes there three years ago, participated in the workshop, and found the experience life changing.

You can view Dewitt’s slideshow here (If you have high speed Internet, click HQ at bottom right for larger view)

Enjoy!

While disappointed, we made the most of our days snowed in…playing games, reading, listening to classic Christmas carols…enjoying the quiet beauty at our cabin.

As you can tell, Alyssa loved the snow!

All shot with my Tamron 28-75/2.8, ISO 160, AV mode, f/4.0 , and since shooting into a mostly snowy background, I compensated by setting exposure +1.67.

The snow let up Christmas Eve so we were able to celebrate with our church family. The choir’s finale of Handel’s Alleluia Chorus was magnificent…goose bumps.

We hope to be able to make the trip a few hours south this weekend to see some of Kris’s family. More family pics coming in next post.

So love playing with bokeh these days. And Christmas tree lights are great subjects!

texture overlay available here

Alyssa comes home for a 3 week college break next Wednesday. What fun we’ll have! This is the second year we’ve decorated the tree in her absence. We saved our little tree at the cabin for when she arrives, though (that was Philip’s idea!).

Will be back in the new year. Merry Christmas, everyone!

What a wonderful way to spend part of my Thanksgiving holiday…witnessing the special couple-ness of Paula and Matthew. He’s currently out-of-state attending grad school, so there will only be a few opportunities to be together before their wedding next summer.

We kept the shoot short…one, because they had another holiday festivity to get to, and two, because winter’s chill had already settled in Minnesota! Above are a few favs.

Oh, do I dearly remember those days of being 100’s of miles apart from Kris and writing daily letters to each other. Of course, today we have e-mail, texting, Skype, FB, but nothing replaces being “together.”

So excited to shoot their wedding in July! Happy wedding planning, Paula and Matthew!

1. Untitled, 2. flickr.com/photos/21044391@N07/4028016224/, 3. zij zoenen elkaar in de overgang, 4. Beetle Mania, 5. rainbow umbrella #5, 6. Dream 007, 7. she 013, 8. a memory cherished, 9. Sunset Fog, 10. 129 | 195, 11. Untitled, 12. It’s Atutumn Time….., 13. Autumn in Nagano, 14. I think you don’t know I love you~, 15. peace begins with a smile. Mother Teresa, 16. Untitled, 17. a un passo dal possibile…, 18. R E A C H I N G . Y O U, 19. Faking summer, 20. Fall Feelings …, 21. it’s stormin, baby, 22. Untitled, 23. air, 24. losers and forsakers, 25. Dois Irmãos e Duas Irmãs., 26. Wonderful Twente, 27. you can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart., 28. R U F F L E S, 29. peapod, 30. lighthouse, 31. In autumn, 32. Untitled, 33. Sunflower and Polkadots Still Life, 34. Tomatillo, 35. L’oublie, 36. Soft sweets

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

1. a rose is a rose…, 2. blowing in the wind, 3. a perfect pair, 4. oh how i love poppies, 5. sunflower photo blend, 6. sunny disposition, 7. tulip, 8. translucent beauty, 9. parrot tulip, 10. take flight, 11. touched by the light…, 12. cracklin’ petunia, 13. nature’s gradient, 14. lone iris, 15. a perfect pair, 16. reach for the sky, 17. tulip texture, 18. stand tall…, 19. hawaiian blossom texture, 20. hui flowers, 21. delicate…, 22. softly spoken…, 23. be open…, 24. softly the evening came…, 25. God loved the flowers and invented soil. Man loved the flowers and invented vases.