Patti's Nature Photography 2019 Favorites

This year my focus has changed from sharing the content of place and time to refining my style and post processing techniques. Previously my intent was to capture a unique moment in time to share with others. However with the surge of social media and mobile devices, sharing a moment in time or a special place has become ubiquitous. Everyone can share their discovery of a beautiful place in an instant and post it on social media where it is seen around the world. This year my intent was to focus on defining a distinct style and learning advanced post processing techniques to help me improve the quality of my images. Here are 7 of my favorite images from 2019 that reflect my new vision.

#1 Everlasting Sunset

This image showcases a unique and intense shade of color reflected in the water around the boat. The sunset and sky are highlighted above the horizon using a vibrant tone. The dark silhouettes of the dock lead the eye to the almost completely silhouetted boat. The sunset is seen through the upper deck windows of the boat allowing the viewer to see the colors of the sunset behind the boat. Ironically, nobody is watching this beautiful sunset from the boat. I viewed the seemingly everlasting sunset from shore as the colors in the sky continued to intensify for more than an hour after the sun dipped below the horizon.

#2 Unique Perspective

Under the canopy of a Japanese maple tree I experienced a totally new perspective of autumn in the Pacific Northwest. Although away from the waters of the Puget Sound I included water in the image. Disguised in the middle of the image, beyond the dark soil in the foreground, you can see glimpses of the Japanese garden pond. The colors of the pond blend with the colors of the green leaves on the bottom edge of the maple tree and you can see the white pond foam floating in the water. The alive and vibrant colors contrast with the stillness of the fallen leaves.

#3 Mirror Mirror on the Water

Mirror Mirror on the Water

This image is a post processing labor of love combining several newly learned post processing techniques. When the sun is bright on the horizon the lighting appears beautiful and evenly distributed to the human eye, but for the camera the contrast of tones is too high for the light meter to capture the high dynamic range of light in a single image. In this case an underexposed and overexposed image are combined to create an evenly exposed image.  

#4 Transition to Winter

Transition to Winter, Edmonds Ferry

After sunset the skies transition to blue hour then to the darkness of the night sky. November is a time when the seasons transition from the beautiful colors of autumn to the colder and starker winter scenes. In this photo the saturated variations of ice blue hues in the sky and water are a back drop to the Edmonds Ferry where the windows glow with warm lights reminding us that winter is near with cold temperatures outside and warm gatherings of family and friends inside.

#5 New Horizons

Point Colville, New Horizons

I could not resist including this "time and place" image in my favorites collection even though it does not incorporate a new style or new post processing techniques. This is purely a capture of a place and time memory. This was the first time I explored this most southwest end of Lopez Island. There is a great feeling of freedom exploring a place for the first time, especially when you are the only human beings around. You feel like you are the first to stake claim to the land and you share it only with the waves, wind and shore birds. As the sun set upon the new horizon I thought about the new journeys I was about to embark on, including photography.

#6 Crescent Moon and Saturn in November

On Thanksgiving evening as I was bidding my family farewell when I saw the crescent moon from my driveway. It looked especially bright and I knew the planets were in special alignment so I decided to try to capture the wonder the next night right after sunset when Saturn was closest to the moon. As sometimes happens my original vision using my highest telephoto lens did not turn out as visualized.  However right before I could no longer endure the cold of the night, I experimented with a wider angle view that spanned from the water to the moon, knowing the moon would be smaller than I wanted. Yet it was a nice surprise that with this very long exposure I could also see the the dark side of the moon.  

#7 Lone Tree

As I sat alone in front of this bare tree at the end of the daffodil field I wondered how I could portray its majesty amidst a field full of golden daffodils but I felt like the tree had its own special mystic. I sat for a long time smelling the daffodils that surrounded me not wanting to take a photo - maybe afraid a two dimensional photo could not portray the essence of scene. Eventually the sun dropped behind the top section of the tree and the upper half of the tree lit up and warmed my heart then I could not help but take a photo. I went to this location with the intention of featuring spring daffodils but I ended up focusing on a lone tree instead. Sometimes you can expect something to happen that is usually pretty certain but if it doesn't happen as planned and you remain patient and open to a different experience, an unexpected treasure could be be revealed.   

Patti Ingham, © Patti's Nature Photography