Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Yosemite workshop...part I!

We left my home Friday morning and headed for Yosemite, but we took our time getting there...because there were some beautiful almond orchards along the way.  I figured we'd be past the peak, but I was praying the Lord would keep some of the trees blooming for us.  And he did.  We spent a lovely half-hour in this orchard discovering beautiful things!



Erin


Bethany


(Sorry, you know me, can't help a foot photo... ;)


We also hit In-N-Out burger, a requirement of Erin's.  And found some cute shadows to photograph.  ;)


It was sunny as we drove through the central valley, but the closer we got to Yosemite, the thicker the clouds got, till it was completely overcast by the time we reached the Big Oak Flat entrance to the park.  The place where you can normally spot Half Dome for the first time was totally cloudy.  No views.  But as we drove down towards the valley, the clouds began to clear...so we went straight to Tunnel View near Inspiration Point.  And what a view!!


Unpredictable.  That's landscape photography.  And any sort of photography, really!  You have to adapt to the situation, find the best light, expect the unexpected...essential skills for any photographic genre.  I love photographing landscape for a whole lot of reasons -- but one important reason is, it keeps my skills sharp!




It's funny, we talk about those "perfect sunny days", but clouds can make things way more interesting.  I love the mystery in these images.  (Oh yes, there's a future blog post here, the analogy's too good to pass by.........)



I had a blast working with each one who came!  Good times upon good times!  ;)  Here's Amanda, at the Tunnel View (where these last few shots were taken):


And we ended the day (and, err, started the next day) with some awesome night photography...next post!


- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook

Monday, March 14, 2011

I'll post more later...

...but for now, enjoy this close-up shot of the beautiful Merced River, taken today at Happy Isles!  We were working on blurred- and stopped-motion images, and even though it's been cloudy all day there were the loveliest shades of soft, sparkly green in the water.



To see more of the workshop images I've uploaded in the last couple days, click here.  And there are more coming!  We're having an awesome time!  :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook

Friday, March 11, 2011

The Yosemite workshop is underway!

Hey friends!  I'm leaving in just a few minutes for Yosemite -- one of the greatest places ever -- with a carful of photography students!  Let the good times roll! :D


I'm excited to see what the weekend has in store for us.  If there's anything we can be sure of in landscape photography, it's...that we can't be sure of anything!  Some things we can anticipate, but a large part of it we can't.  You just never fully know what the weather or the scenery or the light will do.  Or what unforeseen events will happen.  Or what God will give you to photograph.

A few years ago I went to Yosemite with my family, anticipating a nice cross-country ski trip together and some great photo opportunities.  I woke up that morning with a terrible sore throat.  Then I dropped my expensive 24-70mm lens on the concrete and broke it.  Not a good start! But that was the day I took this pretty image:


...as well as the first image in this post, and also this one:

Unpredictability, and awesomeness -- that's landscape photography!  (ALL photography, really!)  You just have to walk into the situation and use all your creativity and skill to make the best photos you can.  And when you walk with God, unpredictability is par for the course...He loves to bring along surprises that are tailor-made for each one of us.  It's going to be awesome to see what He does this weekend.

Can't wait to share with you some of the good times ahead.  Stay tuned!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook

Monday, March 7, 2011

Raindrops

I love flowers.  Anybody who knows me knows that.  But when it's raining...I really love flowers.  The colors come out more vibrantly than in the sunshine, and the rain scatters lovely jewels all over.

This morning it was sprinkling gently outside, and I couldn't resist heading out with my camera.  Who cares if in the process I ended up getting as wet as all these little bejeweled beauties...being out in the rain does a body good.  ;)


Crocus (I think this variety is named "Mr. Pickwick"!)


Rose leaves (yes, they ARE this purple right now)

An elegant calla lily about to unfurl...


Calla leaves



Tiny Forget-me-nots
Snowdrops...look at these little green dots on the petals.  So fanciful!
Blueberry flowers

And my favorite image of the day...delicate pea tendrils:

May you rejoice in the little things God sends your way today.  :)  Keep an eye out for His sense of whimsy too!

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty...

Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook