If you have read much on this blog site, you know that it only began a couple of weeks ago. With that being said, I've been in "edit" mode all of this time. That just means I'm still workin' on it!
After getting some feedback, I decided to take a look at some other hosting sites and have found one that I really like. Now, I'm not saying the look and layout will stay the same, but I'm pretty sure the location will.
So, if you would please subscribe to my posts at the new location, you will find it at my new Crop'nPunch PhotogBlog site. Please select the imbedded link and go there to subscribe immediately as I need your continual support and input. I would love to get your thoughts on the new site.
Thank you for being here for me as I continue to grow and learn!
Let Your Light Shine,
Debbi
WELCOME and Thanks for Stopping By
Well, you found it! You found my Crop n Punch PhotogBlog!
First, let me clarify...this is not a blog on scrapbooking. Sorry to disappoint if that is what you thought.
Now to what it is. It's a blog of my photography journals. I have
such fun in my newfound hobby that I want to share that fun with the world (that's you)!
The name? I enjoy processing about as much as I enjoy shooting and the first two things I do is CROP the photo if my composition isn't the best and then PUNCH the details just a little.
I sure hope you enjoy it here and will come back. I would absolutely love your feedback so feel free to post a comment. Oh, and don't forget to complete my survey on the side (over there –> ).
Remember to always...
Let Your Light Shine,
Debbi
(Bit by the Shutter Bug)
All About Crop n Punch
My desire is to provide you with a variety of things to read on my PhotogBlog. Listed below are the regular features you will find here as well as a brief description of each.
Be sure to check back often or subscribe, as you won't want to miss a thing!
- A Little Different - Photos that are a little out of the ordinary. (This could be very interesting!)
- A Word from the Word - Scripture, inspirational messages, encouragement, just about anything I feel is appropriate.
- Blast from the Past - Snapshots taken before my DSLR that have been cropped and punched to give new life.
- Create It - Craft ideas, suggestions or perhaps links from other's creative ideas.
- FotoFriday52 - My own project of posting a picture a week - hopefully on Fridays.
- From a Friend - Something I've learned from a friend, will direct you to a friend's post or have them post something here.
- Photo Frenzies - Most posts will likely fall here. Journals of recent, fun, photo trips and the photographs to support them.
- On a Side Note - When I want to share something that does not pertain in any way shape or form to photography, it will show up here.
- Wanna Learn? - Links to other sites, blogs, forums, articles, etc. that will help you learn something new. Everyone wants to learn something new, right?
On to the Arbuckles
Saturday morning, after waking up casually with no plans for the day, my hubby and I spontaneously decided to grab our cameras and head north. Just the day before, I made an unplanned trip to over the border of Texas into Oklahoma (read Wildlife Conservation with No Life!) and it was enough to stir the desire to head that direction once again.
While on our way, I noticed on the map a placed called Price's Falls just outside of Davis in the Arbuckles. Turner Falls is the well known park that is also outside of Davis, but that is a trip I'd planned to take with my FrenzyFriends. Not wanting to spoil that trip, my hubby and I decided to see what Price's Falls would be like. So we plugged it into our gps and away we went.
Falls Valley is only a few miles off the interstate and we almost drove right through it without realizing. It's housing is gated and appears as if it was a military base. The main drive through a park area where the falls are located, had signs posted Private Property. Why on earth would it be showing on the map as a park if it is private property? Once we stopped and looked around, noticed that it is a Baptist Youth Camp area and this historic marker explained it's history and why it's considered private.
The falls are small, yet beautiful. There is an old water wheel sitting near the falls that adds to the uniqueness of the place and makes for interesting photos.
This day ended up staying cold and cloudy despite the forecast of partly sunny. We thought for sure the sun would make an appearance by the time we arrived in the Arbuckles, however it never happened. It didn't matter though. The area is so beautiful and it was such a peaceful day that we didn't mind having to wear our jackets the entire time.
We met a park ranger who stopped by to see what I was finding to capture. He had noticed my long lens and thought I was spotting something very interesting across the lake and proceded to tell me that Bald Eagles reside in the area from early January to late February or early March. This, of course, excited us and we immediately began to eagle hunt. Oh, how I wanted to get at least one shot of our national bird. But all I saw were a few ducks, buzzards, an occasional hawk and gulls.
We met a park ranger who stopped by to see what I was finding to capture. He had noticed my long lens and thought I was spotting something very interesting across the lake and proceded to tell me that Bald Eagles reside in the area from early January to late February or early March. This, of course, excited us and we immediately began to eagle hunt. Oh, how I wanted to get at least one shot of our national bird. But all I saw were a few ducks, buzzards, an occasional hawk and gulls.
This ranger was very informative and provided us with maps of the lake and sharing the best places to visit. Although we had planned to leave the area by this time, we just couldn't resist the drive to visit these additional places we had just learned about. Once again, we got in the car and drove. We would tell each other that we'd go visit one more area and then head home. And with each stop this same conversation took place.
One of the stops was at Veterans Park and Lake. This is a small lake (I'd call it a large pond) that was merged several years ago with the much larger Lake of the Arbuckles to form one complete National Recreational Area. This area is the oldest part of the park system and had some interesting sites of it's own. A beautiful park with flowing streams and small falls and a very old, rock bridge named Lincoln's Bridge that dates back to the early 1900's.
As we were completing our tour of the lake and traveling to the last recommended stop by the ranger, we encountered a very interesting sight on the side of the country road. It was such an interesting sight that my sweet hubby willingly pulled the car over, made a u-turn and drove back to this sight as it was something that just had to be photographed. It was definitely something you don't see every day!
This photo really doesn't do the Shoe Tree justice. I took several shots but this one I think gives the best impression, although not the best photograph. There were shoes everywhere and it was impossible to get one photo that would shoe – I mean, show them all! This is just one of those places where "you just had to be there!"
With the last recommendation from the ranger, we knew we had made it 3/4 of the way around the entire lake and could not leave without making it the full circumference. On our last leg, we saw a dirt road with a sign that read Catfish Bottoms. Oh why not! Let's go!
We drove down the dirt road and could tell we were getting close to the lake and in a wooded area that was somewhat hidden from the main public. As we neared the end of the road, we were quite surprised to see what lay ahead. It was the lake, of course, and an area of the lake that was obviously a great place to find catfish. But the surprise came in the trees that surrounded the area. This would be better named Beavers' Diner. OH MY! I have never in my life seen such a site. Nearly every tree was either on the ground or close to falling to the ground. It made us just a little nervous driving through the area. We just prayed for no great gusts of wind! It was quite frankly a very interesting site and one I'd enjoy going back to just to see the progress these tree teethers make!
We then headed towards the interstate to make our treck back home. What a fun and wonderful day we had. I'm so thankful that I have a husband who supports my desire for spontaneous Photo Frenzies and one who doesn't mind getting in the car and going to wherever. I have a hunch this trip has stirred up the interest to do this more often for quick weekend trips. As a matter of fact, we are already planning the next – and you know just where to come to find out all about it. So, until next time...
Let Your Light Shine,
Debbi
Wildlife Conservation with No Life!
I drove up the interstate for about an hour and crossed over the Red River into Oklahoma. I really didn't have a destination in mind, I just wanted to get out and shoot! So once I realized just how far I had driven, I decided to get off the interstate and start looking for those magnificent photo-ops that I just knew were going to jump out at me. With my trusty iPhone in my possession and Maps opened up, I headed in a direction that I just knew would get me to the river. The river would make for some great (and different) photos. I've grown quite bored with my countryside over the last few winter months. Everything is brown. Brown grass, brown trees, brown this, brown, that. Brown, brown, brown. At least the Red River is...well...red! And after all, I'm not in Texas anymore, Toto! Surely I will find some lush green hill tops to photograph, right?So I head towards the river. I realize very quickly that it appears I've gone to the Country of Junk. Beat up and uncared for homes, trailers, junk everywhere. The kind of place that you can just see being raded for drugs...and then...dead end. (My Maps program isn't showing me these details!). I turn around, go back the way I came and take another turn. This one leads me to a narrow road with more gravel and pot holes than pavement. but at least it is in the right direction. I make a sharp right and see a pond in the distance. I think to myself, "At least if nothing else I can snap a shot of that when I return." Then a hard left and there are a few cows and bales of hay. "Hey," (no pun intended) "those will make nice shots if I don't find anything else. I can get them on my way back if needed."
I continue on and notice a very gravel road to my right and a large green sign on my left. I pass it slowly but then stop and back up. It reads, Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation with an arrow pointing down the gravel road. Oh why not! There's nothing else and there is not a soul around so I can freely stop in the middle of the road if I need to and feel quite comfortable that I will not block traffic. And so I did!
I continued down the road as it got narrower and narrower and became a little sluggish from the recent rains. I could tell I was getting closer as I sensed I was heading down and the road was appearing to hold more water. But I couldn't stop. I have come this far, I must keep going. I pulled over a few times to shoot the trees that appeared to have been stepped on by giants. The saddest part of this adventure was...everything was the same color! Can can you guess what color? You got it...brown! Every now and then I'd come across a cedar tree and that beautiful evergreen was such a sight for sore eyes that I just had to take it's picture. And so I did!
After driving a bit further, the gravel ended. And as I looked ahead I saw nothing but wet, red, rutty dirt. Was it the river? Nope, but I knew it wasn't far. Was I going to continue in my little Honda Civic on a wet, red, rutty dirt path just a day after heavy rains in an area that showed no signs of life and no one, not a single living person knew where I was? And so...
I headed back past the brown grass, brown weeds, brown and broken trees, back to that green sign and back to snap a shot or two of a bale of hay and a pond in the distance. After all, I knew I had these to fall back on if I couldn't find anything else. And so I did!
Week 5 - Sweet
This week's FotoFriday52 post is s shot from last Sunday. My camera just so happened to be with me at church and while waiting for service to begin, I snapped a few shots of different items sitting around in my office. Let's see if you can tell what my office is by going to my flickr set, Childish Play.
This precious piece sits on my desk and for some reason this particular morning, just seemed to come to life.
This precious piece sits on my desk and for some reason this particular morning, just seemed to come to life.
Blast from the Past: 2002 - Colorado's Bishop Castle
I thought for sure I could go at least a couple days before posting the next Blast from the Past photos, but obviously I was wrong. I have so many fun pics to share from my pre-DSLR days that I just keep posting.
Today's is once again from our son's Senior "family" Trip. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the first and second Blast from the Past entries.) On our way to Seattle, we drove through Colorado and just had to make a stop at a place we happened to literally stumble upon years prior. On one of our earlier spontaneous trips to Colorado when our son was around eight or nine years old, we were driving backroads near Colorado Springs and found a castle emerging in the mountain tops. We soon discovered that the stone tower facing us was the early phases of Bishop Castle. Check this out to find out more about this interesting place created by interesting people.
On this 2002 trip, we had to stop to see what progress had been made over the years. One of the most beautiful things I noticed was the stained glass windows. I'm so glad I snapped a shot of them so that I can now share them with you! If you are ever traveling through Colorado, near Colorado Springs, you must take a short drive and visit this unique and eccentric castle.
Today's is once again from our son's Senior "family" Trip. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the first and second Blast from the Past entries.) On our way to Seattle, we drove through Colorado and just had to make a stop at a place we happened to literally stumble upon years prior. On one of our earlier spontaneous trips to Colorado when our son was around eight or nine years old, we were driving backroads near Colorado Springs and found a castle emerging in the mountain tops. We soon discovered that the stone tower facing us was the early phases of Bishop Castle. Check this out to find out more about this interesting place created by interesting people.
On this 2002 trip, we had to stop to see what progress had been made over the years. One of the most beautiful things I noticed was the stained glass windows. I'm so glad I snapped a shot of them so that I can now share them with you! If you are ever traveling through Colorado, near Colorado Springs, you must take a short drive and visit this unique and eccentric castle.
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