Winter Photos of Nature - NIKON 3200 - 2013 Photography Blog by Regina Hodge

Winter photos & Nature Photography found here.

Since I've been M.I.A. for a while, I've got LOTS of new pictures to post here.

Hope you enjoy... 

Finally, we have moved into a new home.

Crazy events have happened since my last posts but I'll focus on the good things here... After all, nobody likes a Debbie Downer. :)

These are the happy little things going on in my life right now.

 Stay tuned and scroll on for the following photo updates:

 Our new fenced-in backyard is a favorite factor of this new rental home. Plenty of space and privacy out there and our dogs LOVE it. 

This gigantic tree grows on the back of our property and I'm always drawn to this place for some photo-practice sessions. 

Nature photography is my specialty, I guess- 

I enjoy taking these types of pictures more than any other...

This December has been a gray one. (Gray or grey?- side-note questions...) 

Anyway, cloudy skies helped out with the contrast of this photo. Tree silhouettes that look a bit ominous are common this December. 

It's cold. I bundle up before I head out for my photo adventures... 

Any tips on warm gloves that aren't too bulky (pref. for photographers) are welcome... My fingers go numb quickly but there are shots to be made so one must endure the brutal winter winds! :)

Ice. 
Clearly.
 This is ice. 
It is pretty. 

It is also cold and quite unwelcome on anything else but leaves... for me, anyway. 

The roads get slick lately here in 'The Boro'. 
Just a step away from the Smyrna city limits, you'll spot a crazy looking camera-girl, dressed most often as an Eskimo. 

Bring your camera and join my icy adventures this winter! :)

Trying to take a decent shot of water droplets is my mission. Typically, I screw them up. I am a clumsy photographer, you see... I often trip over things that make branches shake and droplets disappear before I can catch them on-camera. This one somehow managed to hang on for a droplet-photo mission accomplishment.

Getting the focal point right is difficult for shots like this one. I adjust settings frequently. As a newbie-Nikon-er, I am still learning how to use the DSLR. I find that if one is not willing to read the instruction manual, one must take several shots with varying settings, random adjustments, and shutter speeds... Eventually, probability works in your favor. With as many shots as I take, one is sure to work out. Plus, I'm one of those trial-by-error kinda people... Hands-on learning is my style. It may not be the prettiest, but I do think I'm getting better. Still have quite a long way to go! I'm enjoying the journey, though.

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS STUFF? 

I have yet to have an answer! Josh spotted these weird-looking plant/thing/fungi/possibly-carrots(?) growing everywhere in our backyard. I think they are gross. I don't know WHAT THEY ARE!! It's been driving me crazy. Someone, explain these finger-like uglies to me, please. I stomped them and it made them even uglier. Are they flowers? Are they mushrooms? Are they baby alien larva? I need answers, friends. Please. Help explain these creatures so that when people come over, I will sound more intelligent when they ask what the heck are those-type questions.

Sorry...I'm supposed to be talking about photography. You see why I got distracted, though, right? As far as this shot goes, I'm not sure I have any tips. I think these 'whatever-they-are's' would look bad from any perspective. This was the most flattering angle I could find. Focal point centered from a looking-down perspective... Yeah, that's all I've got for this one until somebody tells me more. HELP. :)

 If you want to know more about plants, this isn't the blog for you. Sorry. I just take the pictures. 

Pretty plants are just that, to me... pretty plants. 

Really, unless I decide to eat one of them- I don't feel compelled to learn facts apart from aesthetic beauty. 

For fellow Newbie-Nikon-ers, I took this shot with the Nikon D3200, 18-55mm lens. I always use that lens. Until I master it, I will not remove it. I'd love to have more options in the future, though. (Hint, hint... holiday wish list items to make me TOTALLY FREAK OUT.) 

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this shot. 
Yes, I realize that it's not in-focus. 
Sillyheads. :) 
I didn't want it to be. 

I love when my idea for a particular shot actually works out. It doesn't happen yet as often as I'd like, but for this photo... Well, it turned out just as I had planned (cue evil-mad-scientist/photographer-laugh here- 'mwahahahahaha!') 

I wanted a dream-like look and it was foggy outside. The odds were in my favor, you could say. :) 

Mysterious, creepy, peaceful, dreamy... Mission accomplished! :) I hope so, anyway. I'm happy with it but am certain that there's room for criticism. Just go easy on me, okay. I'm new at this. :)

Water Droplets, be damned. 
(Pardon my language, mother.) My choice of words is intended here to add emphasis and humor, rather than to offend. I finally got a decent shot of a water droplet. I taunt the defeated droplet, as if to dare more of them to challenge me. (Mom, sorry again, okay? I know you don't like 'bad language'. I realize I used it anyway. Let's just move along here... :))

Water Droplets vs. Amateur Photographer, Round 2.
Winner?
Two-time champion, Regina.
And...the...crowd...goes...WILD! :)

SHOOTING WITH WINDOWS, REFLECTIONS, & WATER...

I have discovered that, apart from nature photos, I like taking shots involving reflections, water, and windows. There's so much to choose from when all of these aspects combine! This lamp post is a recent photo subject for my object-practice. Trying to focus on the light bulb inside the glass gets tricky when I take shots after the rain or in early morning hours, when the glass is foggy. I change up my focal points to see what works in these next shots. Just having fun!

Slant-shot sunrise through outdoor lamp post. I wanted to catch the sun when it rose just high enough for me to line up an angle that would make it look like the bulb was lit. It was very cold that morning. I saved that mission for another day. #glovelessphotographer

Maybe if I cleaned the glass, I'd like these photos better. The water droplets... I'm all about beating the challenges they present, lately. :) Got 'em again.

Baby, it's COLD outside!

Frosted windows are prettiest when one views them from indoors...
Here's the morning window view from my living room.
Droplets win this time. Blocking my view, they still gave me a decent photo op this winter. :) 

Bundle up and stay tuned for more photo and art posts coming soon! :) Follow me @lifelooklens on Instagram and Twitter, too! :)