Thursday, May 1, 2014

Backyard Photography


Over the past few months I have been busy taking the time to try to bring nature closer to me. This has meant growing a new wildflower garden, hanging up some bird feeders, and my husband has built a beautiful little nature observatory or bird blind for me in the back corner of the yard. This deck overlooks a canal that I have been taking walks on to get many of my bird photos. Now I can  just sit under my umbrella and wait to see what will come my way...:)

One of my new bird houses. Hope it will make some little birdie very happy..:) 


























Of course it helps to have a good camera and a long lens to get most of these shots. I am currently using a Nikon D7000 and a 100-400mm lens.  This is a great lens to use for the type of photography I do and with a little luck I just might be fortunate enough to get the new 150-600mm lens!  That would be a dream!


Observatory Deck in my backyard.


Canal behind my house. A Roseate Spoonbill coming my way!





















Male Cardinal on top of Fence.
Ibis.
Blue Dragonfly in backyard



So far its been really good and I hope to continue being able to capture so much more of the wildlife that I know is around me.  Patience is what most of these shots are about and taking a lot of time to study nature and also let them get used to seeing me. Once they know that the big black thing around my neck is not going to harm them, nor am I... they get more relaxed with my presence. 

Being able to photograph so much nature from my backyard is a wonderful privilege and having a spouse who is also a photographer and great builder is also a plus, lol.  Thank you Bob for all your support and hard work..:)

Thanks for reading my post and for all the favorites and likes on my photos over on Flickr. I am now over 750,000 views!!!  If you would like to check out a few photos from today feel free to do so here.

Have a great day and keep those cameras clicking!!!

Julie






Saturday, March 8, 2014

Fun With Bubbles!

Looking for some fun photography? Try bubbles! I purchased a bubble wand on eBay for about $9.00 and it came with instructions for making the bubble solution and I let it sit overnight as the instructions said to do and below are a few of my results.  Now, keep in mind, I am the bubble maker and the photographer at the same time. Not an easy thing to do but well worth the results.

Now THAT's a BUBBLE by Julie Everhart

The Art of Making Bubbles by Julie Everhart
Bubble Spectrum by Julie Everhart

Bubble Glow by Julie Everhart







Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and maybe given you an idea for some fun photography. You are never too old to play with bubbles...:)

Keep those cameras clicking!

Julie

Monday, March 3, 2014

325,000 Views To My Photos In ONE Month!

February was a very good month for my photos. I doubled the views I had to my photos in  my Flickr profile! Having 3 photos make it to Explore last month was certainly a great boost.  That alone was almost 100,000 views on just 3 photos.

The rest of the month I had some really good days with 25,000+ views and a few low days of around 2,200+ views. I am just thrilled that I have made many new followers and lots of new fans ( over 950 new followers) this past month. I am now over 650,000 views.





Hopefully I can continue to create and inspire photos that will enchant and delight you to keep you wanting more. Feel free to have a look at today's newest upload below:




Keep those cameras clicking and and have a great day!

Julie

P.S. The sun is shining and I am heading out with my cameras to see what the day will bring.  Wish me luck!




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Thank You for 5,000 views ( My First Month)

I just wanted to say a BIG Thank You to everyone for visiting my blog. I hope to continue to bring you valuable tidbits of information regarding photography. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Thank You for 5000 Views by Julie Everhart.


Inspirational Quotes-Great Way to Showcase Your Photos!

Good Morning Friends by Julie Everhart.

Being a photographer means that you have hundreds if not thousands of images stored on your computer. After a day of shooting photos you come home and upload all the images to your computer and start searching for the best shots to edit and upload to your photo profiles or website.  But what about the images that are maybe not so good or ones you would like to get a little more exposure?

Ever considered adding words to the image using inspirational quotes or maybe your own thoughts?  I started doing this about 2 years ago sharing my photos with my friends and fans on Facebook and had great success. People were very much waiting daily in anticipation of what I was going to upload so they could share it with their friends.

I found it to be allot of fun and was very shocked at the responses I was receiving, all good mind you. Seeing this images being shared on others walls was a really good feeling and knowing that these images were otherwise just hiding in my computer and not being used for anything it was nice that they finally had a purpose and a very good one.

Below are a few more samples of the images with quotes I put out on Facebook. When using inspirational quotes I like to use quotes by anonymous authors. If you use a saying by a famous poet or author, be sure to give credit to them by adding their name below the quote. Not all of my images were put out with actual quotes, some  just said a simple "Good Morning Friends" or " Have a nice weekend". Always be sure to sign your name on the image.

Change Your World by Julie Everhart.





Achievable by Julie Everhart




Since I already made all of these images available on Facebook feel free to use them on your blogs or Facebook if you so desire.

I hope you have enjoyed today's post and maybe given you an idea what to do with some of your images.Have fun and keep on clicking!

Julie






Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Your Best Flower Shot

This is a tough one. Over the years I have taken so many flower shots. Everyone loves to see beautiful flowers and when they are photographed correctly they get allot of attention.  It could be the type of flower, the lens used, the editing, the mood or the camera that was used. However you choose to  make it happen is up to you.

Sometimes you do not know how your image is going to be received by the viewers until you post it. Other times what you think is a great shot is not a crowd pleaser.  The important thing is that you be happy with you work and proud to put your name on it. I love editing and filters and like to create images that are unique and represent me as an artist.  For example this image below was taken months ago and just last night I created the final look using Photoshop.


Flower Bomb by Julie Everhart





















This image was done using a Split Prism effect. I liked the look of the single flower so much that I multiplied it times four.  Just to add more color and intrigue to the overall photo. To me it is like a bright pink explosion of beauty!

Experimenting with flower photos can be fun and sometimes you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Always be sure to save your original photo before you begin experimenting. You may want to open it again one day to see what else you can do with it or show it as it is or as you photographed it.

I wanted to show another photo here but the image was not properly displaying.  It is titled Water Lilly Dreams. Currently has over 400 views and over 100 Faves since last night.  It was another photo that was sitting in my computer for months and just last night I finally made it come alive!

Your questions and comments are always welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today and have a good one!

Keep those cameras clicking!

Julie

Monday, February 24, 2014

I Won a Photo Contest! Well.. Sorta..:)

A few months ago I entered a contest on Yankee Magazine and was notified about 2 weeks ago that I won. I was all excited as I did remember entering a photo contest there in October.

The contest that I won for for a "Leaf Drop" Contest. I took a guess by looking at a photo what day all the leaves would be off the tree. I WON! :) Wasn't the contest I wanted to win but a win is a win right? The Julie E. mentioned there is me..:)

So pictured below is what was arrived today by UPS. I will surely enjoy  my magazines and recipe books.  Thank you Yankee Magazine!

Yankee Magazine Contest Goodies by Julie Everhart.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

My Photo just won a Staff Favorite Award on Viewbug.com for Feb 2014

Hello and Good Day Everyone!

I just received a notice that my photo won a Staff Favorite Award on Viewbug.com for Feb 2014! This is my 4th awarded photo with them over the past year.

This photo was taken in upstate New York a few years ago during a really cold winter.  I was glad I took a walk out that early evening before sunset and got a few good shots. The photo below is also available for sale through 500px Commercial Licensing Marketplace.

Days End by Julie Everhart.

Thanks for stopping by to have a look and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Julie



Saturday, February 22, 2014

My Work Mentioned on CoolDigitalPhotography.Com- Week of Feb 2-8th, 2014

I happened upon this blog today and found my photos there in the Number 1 and Number 4 position as best photos for the week of Feb 2-8th. Sure was a nice discovery!  Feel free to take a look at the link and the photos..:)

Friday, February 21, 2014

100,000 Views CELEBRATION to my 500px Account!

Finally! Today was the day I got to see 100,000 views to my photos on my 500px.com account!  This is not an easy task to do on that site with so many great photos. I am thrilled that the photo I chose today was able to give me enough views to get me there today.

To see a high resolution view just click on the image below.

Brigid's Flowers by Julie Everhart

Thank you ALL for each and every click, I appreciate every single view I receive. Hopefully I can continue to create images that will always have your interest, I will always do my best. 

Have a great day and Happy Clicking!

Julie



Wednesday, February 19, 2014

65,000+ More Views To My Flickr Account This Week!

WOW! I have no idea how I keep getting all the views but I am very happy and I appreciate each and every view I get to my photos. Maybe it does help to have a blog as well as produce some nice images? LOL

On Feb 12, 2014 I was at 551,000+ views.  Just last week I had 50,000+ views and thought that was pretty awesome considering I didn't have any photos make it to Flickr's Explore and this week was even better ( still no Explore)


























Just today Feb 19, 2014 ( below)


























This is all very exciting and I hope it won't be much longer till I reach my goal of 1,000,000 views on My Flickr profile. If you would like to take a peek at today's newest upload just click on the photo below.



Cold As The Wind Blows by Julie Everhart.


Thank you all so much for all your views and continued support. 

Julie










Natural VS Edited...Which Do You Prefer?

This seems to be a subject of much controversy for many photographers. In my early days of taking photos and learning editing I was always fascinated at how I could take an image and make it look so much better than the original.  The tools we have available to us are endless! Cleaning up an image to make it look so perfect and enhance the colors of the sky or just adding a touch of color to a butterfly just seemed to make the image "pop" and I could not stop myself from making the changes and saving the image.




All Her Beauty by Julie Everhart









I have had many friends and followers comment to me and ask me if that was exactly how the image looked out of the camera? I used to tell them no, you wouldn't really be impressed at what I started with and yes, its an enhanced photo. They used to tell me that I was "cheating" or "too artistic" with my images and that they preferred "the natural look".My answer simply was " then don't  look at my work" or "find another photographers work that you like because I don't process my images that way".

As a photographer we have the freedom to do what we wish with the images we create.  Its our right to express our creativity if its inside of us. Having someone tell you that you should "tone down your saturation" or" keep trying you'll get there one day and you will learn how to capture nature the way it should be" is not something that is going to change or inspire us to change who we are or what we do.





When Flowers Cry by Julie Everhart






































I have never hidden the fact that I am first an Artist and secondly a Photographer.I use an jpeg as a medium. Its simply a blank canvas to me and then I proceed to do with it as I wish. If it doesn't appeal to a large crowd that is OK with me. This desire to change an image from its original state made it very difficult for me to find a photo sharing site where I could be comfortable sharing my work as I was to well received early on. Now as the digital age of photography has progressed and more and more consumers have purchased DSLR cameras and joined photo sharing sites it has become more evident that people have been experimenting more with the digital age of editing.

Sure, there are still many photographers out there that enjoy nature in the raw and they are very good at what they do. I can never say that I don't appreciate it and give kudos to those masters. I am simply saying that if anyone is looking for that from me, they won't find it. I enjoy all and any ways I can find to create different looks from images and I will always take advantage of any new filters and accessories I can find to learn, change and grow with the times. Technology and the digital art world always will fascinate me. After all, if someone took the time to create the software and and filters,someone else should take the time to use them and see what they can do. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you have comments, questions or simply disagree, feel free to leave a response below.  I will be happy to hear your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Julie 




Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Which Site is THE BEST Photo Sharing Site?

Over the past 6 years I have tried several photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Viewbug, 500px, Imagekind, and FineArtAmerica and even just sharing my photos with my friends on Facebook. I have not been paid to speak about any of the sites mentioned in this post.  It's just my honest opinion about my experiences with these sites. I hope you will find the information useful.

All of these sites are run differently and have different intentions and uses of your images. Some offer free profiles with limited uploads unless you upgrade and others are photo contest sites (Viewbug) and some are non competitive and offer a great place for you to share your photos and meet other like-minded people who share your same passion for photography.

I started out on Flickr and have always considered it my "home-base photography profile".  Many people & friends I met there and I am still following them and they are still following me.  They have stayed very committed even when I didn't upload images there for months, even years.  They still recognized my name or profile image and were happy to see me back online sharing my photos.

Here is one of todays uploads called Down the Hatch.
Photo by Julie Everhart


I guess it all depends what you are wanting and you need to ask yourself that very question before you begin your online presence and start building your portfolio. If its a photo contest site you are after, then I recommend Viewbug. Its not a heavy traffic site and unless you have been with them since the start, its very hard to receive comments/feedback and make new fans/followers.  They do let other peers award your photos and that is a nice feature.  I have been entering the monthly contests there for about a year and half and have yet to win one.


Imagekind and FineArtAmerica are profiles that I started and I personally felt that it takes allot of time to categorize your work and get your photos uploaded. However, I have not been back to my profiles for quite some time and its possible that things have improved.  I know many photographers that  make most of their sales there and love it. So this is just my personal opinion.

Now it comes to 500px.com. This is not a site for beginners!  Although I don't consider myself a beginner and not quite a pro, I have been taking photos long enough and have had to grow quite a few layers of skin to be able to tolerate how this particular site works. It is very skewed and photographers are not likely to take an immediate liking to your work very easily.  They have a what they call a "pulse" each time you upload a photo and based on number of views, likes or favorites it receives, number of Facebook shares or tweets it may get will raise this score. The higher the score, the closer your photo will get to being number one for the day, or just a few hours.

After 24 hours the pulse is dropped 10 points and will never go higher. It will record the highest pulse you received and that will be it. That photo will never again have the chance to go any higher , unless you delete it and try it again another day.  Be aware that there are many photographers that will refuse to like or Fave your newest upload as to not give your photo a chance to go higher. They will like or fave a photo from a day or two before knowing what you last upload is. There are many photographers that do not act appropriately. So BEWARE.

I am relatively new to 500px and joined in July of 2013 and I am almost at a 100,000 views and trust me, I worked very hard to get those views.  With so many great photographers from all around the world its not easy to get views to your work. People tend to Like and Favorite your work only if you Like and Favorite their work first.  Its a very time consuming process and and as I stated above there are not many photographers there that will reciprocate favorably back.

Facebook is great place to share when you are a beginner. However the more advanced you get, you will not want to share your best there. People can download and save your images and have become very accustomed to it. Your photos are not protected there!  I will from time to time on rare occasion put up a decent photo there as a cover photo but always cringe when I do.  I personally do not like to give my work away.

All in all, my choice is Flickr. Photographers are not in a constant state of competition and the other members will genuinely Fave your photo if they feel it deserves it.  They have no hidden agendas and people are sincere with their words or comments on your photos. They have thousands of groups you can enter and I even have one I started nearly 5 years ago called Above All The Rest and Simply The BEST.


So there you have it. My thoughts and views on a few of these photo sharing sites. If you have any other comments or questions feel free to write them below. I would love to hear your thoughts on these sites if you are a member of any of them. Maybe you share a different experience or could shed some light for those of us that feel differently?

If you would like to have a peek at today's newest upload feel free to click the image below. This image was shot in Infrared from the top of the St.Augustine Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida on February 15, 2014.

Have a great day!

Julie

P.S. Donations for the information I have provided in my blog are always appreciated but never necessary.

As Seen From Above by Julie Everhart.




















Monday, February 17, 2014

3,000 Views to My New Blog in Just Over 2 Weeks!

I just wanted to write a little Thank You  message to thank my viewers/readers for the 3,000 views I hit today(see Lifetime counter at the bottom of this post).  Its  been my pleasure to share with you some of my photos and information from the past 6 years from my photo sharing experiences online. Hopefully I can continue to write posts that are of some interest to you and maybe you will find a tidbit of information here and there that will be of some value to you.

Bird with Gradient Sky by  Julie Everhart.


As always I appreciate your visit and hope you will come back again soon. If you would like to be notified by email of new post just submit your email address on the top right hand corner of the blog.

Have a great day and keep on clicking!

Julie

Bird Photography... A MUST for ALL Photographers!

Trying to get that "perfect shot" of a bird in flight seems to always be the never ending task for most all photographers. Learning how to follow the birds flight patterns and steadying your camera is not an easy thing to do and can take years to master. This doesn't mean that we quit trying and it doesn't mean that a bird sitting perfectly still would not make a good shot.

Over this past weekend I was in Cape Canaveral, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida and took some time to focus on getting some new bird photos.  I was a little rusty but did manage to get a few shots that I am quite pleased with. 

Click  on the title of the photos to see them in high resolution.

Flight of the Seagull by Julie Everhart.


Seagull in Flight by Julie Everhart

You Talkin To Me? by Julie Everhart


As you can see I was able to catch two birds in flight.  The second image has a better overall appearance with the beautiful blue water behind it and the position of the bird. The image on the top was not my best shot however I did like the look in the birds eye.  The bottom image of the pelican was just a look I could not pass up!  He seemed to really be listening to me as I talked to him while getting closer and closer to him to get the shot.  He seemed to be very interested in what I had to say to him, lol. Silly bird!

All of the images were taken with my Nikon D200 and I was using my trusty Tamron 28-300mm lens.  It's the lens of choice for me, in fact I have 2 of them, one for each of my Nikon's.  It's a great lens in my opinion and saves allot of time when out shooting.  I rarely switch lenses while out shooting photos if I have my 28-300mm on my camera. Its a great overall lens for general purpose shooting.


Thanks for having a look and I hope you have enjoyed the photos. As you progress in trying to add different images to your portfolio you will want to take some time to have images like the example above to showcase your work.  People love to see images of birds.  No two images are ever the same and you will be very glad to have some images to call your own.

Julie

Too see more images from my trip to Cape Canaveral and St. Augustine feel free to visit my Flickr Profile.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

St. Augustine Weekend Photo Shoot!

I had the pleasure of being in St. Augustine this past weekend and got to take some awesome photos of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and from the top of the lighthouse! I climbed 219 steps up to get some gorgeous shots and boy was it worth the view!

St. Augustine Florida Lighthouse


Here is one of the photos (above) of the lighthouse that I had to stitch 4 photos together to get the entire lighthouse in one photo. Beautiful bands of black and white and the red roof and blue sky really make this photo pop!

To see the photo in full size just click the photo.

Taking a drive along Rt 1 in St. Augustine we found some beautiful boats and with some great lighting.  Click the photo to see it in higher resolution.




Thanks for stopping by to have a look at my photos! If  you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.

Julie

















Thursday, February 13, 2014

15,000+ more views overnight! WOW! Where are these views all coming from?

Julev69's Photo Stats Feb 13, 2014


























I checked my stats only to see this already today!  I don't have any photos that I can see on Flickrs Explore and yet I have all these views.  Maybe its time to buy stock in my profile?  LOL. The chart is looking pretty good!

Here is today's newest upload titled "Alone in a New World". Click on the links for a high resolution view.




Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Julie

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Over 50,000 views in One Week to my photos on Flickr!

What a month it has been! Just one week ago I hit 500,000 views to my photographs on my Flickr account. I had a very exciting week making it to Explore 3 times in one week. Although this week has not had as much excitement I am pleased to have over 50,000 more views to my newest uploads all week.








Sure is a good feeling to know that my photographs are being appreciated and enjoyed by so many. I can only hope to continue to create these fine pieces of art as I call them to continue to please my followers and keep their interests.


If you would like to have a look at today's newest uploads feel free to click the photo below for a high resolution view.

Passion Pink Park by Julie Everhart

Thank you for stopping by to take a look at my blog.  If you have any questions or would like to purchase my images just leave me a comment below.

Julie







Sunday, February 9, 2014

Photography and Social Networking- Is it a Good Thing?

In my humble opinion.. YES!  It is very important!  When I began showing my works on Flickr in 2008, I was not yet established enough to have a following so I didn't really take the time to create social networking profiles such as FacebookTwitter , Pinterest and Google+  I may have heard of some of  these sites and checked them out but I didn't see the value at the time. And some of them did not exist as the time.

As my following grew and my thirst for knowledge about  these sites I started joining them and letting my followers know where I was. Soon I could see the benefits when it came to uploading images to my galleries.  People would see the posts go up about new uploads and my images were getting more views and more favorites. How cool is that?

Of course all of this took a little time to work on each profile but the way I see it is...."How else is National Geographic going to find me unless I make it easy for them? LOL Of course we all can dream. And oh what a dream come true that would be!


Thank you for reading my post and have a look at today's newest uploaded called Golden Glow on my Flickr profile. Click image below to see a high resolution image.

Golden Glow by Julie Everhart.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend and Happy Clicking!

Julie

Below are 3 of my most recent photos on Flickr's Explore.



Saturday, February 8, 2014

What Inspires Me to Create? Who Inspires Me to Create...

Many times I get asked by my friends and other photographers "Who inspires me to create or what inspires me"? Well, I wish it was a simple answer. Mainly it just comes from within. I have a strong desire to always see what I can make today and who I can touch today with my work or inspire them.
Self Portrait by Julie Everhart

My favorite artists will always be Van Gogh with his unique brush strokes and heavily painted canvases and bold colors.  But  I also enjoy the soft pastels of Monet and Impressionism. Then again.. there is always Picasso with his crazy and unique style that I relate to. I have tried to mimmick these artists at different times over the years and tried to figure out how they did what they did. My home is like a museum with these attempts. By taking the time in doing so I realized that its not about being like someone else or doing as they did but you can incorporate styles and colors into your works to show your respect for these masters.
Self Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh





What is considered Fine Art? Good question! To me its the hand full of works that you have created that get the most comments, faves or views. The ones that make people go "WOW, how on earth did you do that?" My answer is.. I don't know, lol. I simply played with colors and shapes until it made me like it and it passed my own "wow factor". If it is something I am happy with then  maybe others will like it?  Many times when I create a photograph or digital artwork I have no idea how it will be perceived by the viewers until I upload it.  Then when it gets attention I go back and study that particular piece and try to see what they really like about it. From there I may try to recreate it or its style or the colors that are in it and make a series. Sometimes I take the same image and change all the colors or re-edit just to see if that too will get response.

Below are a few of my works that have received many views in a short period of time online. The first one has received over 2000 views just this past week.

 Winter Pinks 2 by Julie Everhart
Winter Pinks 2 by Julie Everhart

When we as artist ask for your comments we really are asking you to help us create art that you want to see. We really do want to know your thoughts and help us fine tune our work. That is what helps guide us towards evolving in our creativity and passion to create.  It doesn't mean that  we can change the artist in us and change the unique style that each of us have but it can help us grow and change for the better.

Many times people do not know what to say to me when they view my work. They are in awe of how did I make an image look this way? Or why in the world would you make trees pink? I am just only expressing myself and sharing with you the world as seen through my eyes. I love to escape to a land that only exists in my mind and share it with you. 

I hope you have enjoyed my post today.  Feel free to come on over to my Flickr account and take a look at today's newest upload titled : In The Pink Park.

Have a great weekend!

Julie





Friday, February 7, 2014

What is MotoPhoto? How is it done?

What is MotoPhoto? It's actually a made up term by my husband and photographer Bob Blankenship for photos that you take from the car. You know that shot that you wish you could just stop the car for but really don't have time or you can't figure out how to get to that road along the highway?   Below are some photos that I just couldn't help myself, I had to roll down the window and just get a quick snap. Sometimes they turn out better than I thought they would and other times they are not so good. In these photos I actually did not get any motion blur but I did get good clean still shots from a moving vehicle.

















In the 2 photos below you can see the moving subjects and still subjects in the same frame. These were not taken from the car but were photos taken in December of 2008 with my new then Canon Powershot SX10. I was following the moving subjects to see what my camera was capable of capturing in a single frame.























Below is a shot I found of me taking a photo from the car of a house. You can see me in the side mirror of the car( my earlier days of taking photos). There is not allot of motion in this particular shot but I wanted to find a photo of me taking photos from the car.


The image on the right shows some motion blur in the trees and the house sitting still. Not an easy task to do from the car with wind blowing in your face and having just a a second or two to take the shot. ( click on photo to enlarge image).


Harper's Ferry, West Virginia as seen from the car.














As you can see its not always bad to pick up your camera as long as you have a responsible driver and take a few shots from the car. Sometimes you get a good shot and sometimes all you get is a memory. Either way its a good thing. You never know what you are going to get until you  give it a try.






Thank you for reading my post today and I hope I have showed you a little bit about panning and motion blur images. After doing much searching through my thousands of photos in my archive today I realized that I have gotten pretty good over the years from the car. I wish I had better blurred/panning images to show you but I just couldn't find many.

If you would like to read more information about Photography check out Bob Blankenship's Blog.

Hope you all have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Julie