Tonights Editing Session

I've been working on the fall foliage trip that my sister and I took for a couple days. I still have so much more to go on this series.

I also (finally) added some photos to my flickr account. I've had it for quite a while and I just never have enough time.

Their new uploader makes it really easy to add photos now so I went for it. I figure when I have time I'll upload photos to it from time to time...maybe my favorite recent pieces.

This is the direct link to my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenweaverphotography/

New Home for Family...and More

Today we spent the day with my mother & father in law. They just moved into a retirement community and we were very excited for them. Yesterday was moving day so today we went over to help them where we could.

Before I left I went around the house taking photos of each room in various angles for to document everything before they decorate, etc.

Before we left I snapped a shot of the outside:



Spent the evening editing in Photoshop. This tool a long time to get the sky to look like this...I'm still trying to figure out layers...so this took me quite a while to get right:



I like these as well...before tonight I never thought of using actions like this on landscapes:

The Night Sky

Haven't been taking the Nikon to work because it's been too dark when I leave but today when I left about 5:15 I looked up at the sky and noticed how beautiful it was!

Pulled over on the side of the road at my favorite place on the way home for skyscapes and took this with the Canon Powershot I carry with me for EMERGENCY PHOTO OPS!






More of my skyscapes can be found here: http://jenweaverphotography.smugmug.com/photos/219158339-L.jpg

Near Death Experience

At the end of the work day I left the office (I drove my husband's car to work today...) and I traveled one minute down the highway that my office is on. I entered the on-ramp for Route 287 (the major highway I travel on only for only two exits...less than 2 minutes worth).

The on-ramp has 2 lanes that enter onto the highway and I was in the right lane. I barely got onto the highway and I noticed the car in the left lane swerving into my lane....I laid on the horn and I swerved to the right to avoid them hitting me. As I did my car started swerving left and then right and spinning out of control as I tried to steady the car. Somehow I avoided spinning into the 3 lanes of traffic traveling at 65-70 miles per hour on this highway. Somehow I stayed on the portion of the road that leads off the on-ramp.

I ended up in a 180 degree circle facing the cement barrier to my right that is on the shoulder and keeps you from falling off this elevated part of the highway. I was safe but in shock for one second until I looked out my passenger-side window and saw a little red car and a BMW coming onto the highway from the on-ramp coming straight towards my passenger-side door.

By the grace of God and some kind of 'pure luck' the cars coming towards me were able to stop without hitting me. I was able to reverse quickly without going into oncoming traffic and get my car facing the right way.

I was shaking and could hardly breathe (all-out hyperventilating) and as soon as I was facing the right way I pulled over on the shoulder of the highway. Would you believe that the person who swerved into my lane and the people behind me never stopped to see if I was okay? As a matter of fact the people who were behind me drove past me and gave me dirty looks!! And none of this was my fault!

I got off the highway and drove down the road but I was crying and shaking so badly I had to sit on the side of the road for at least 20-25 minutes until I calmed down a bit.

After I felt better I looked out the passenger window to see the most heavenly sky....So what did I do? I got myself together and I picked my camera bag up off the floor where it went flying (ouch! don't worry it was unharmed) and I took a ton of shots of this heavenly sky before me.

I'm still not over what happened to me...I had time to see my life pass before my eyes and I can still remember every moment of what happened to me and I still can feel what it felt like. I think it will take a while to get over this but I have to travel these roads 5 days a week so I will HAVE TO get over this quickly.

Here is my heavenly sky after my 'near death experience' today:

A Few Special Ones From Today

I stopped by the park after work. With fall here it's getting too dark too soon for me! Had some trouble with the light...but still caught a few nice shots.

A couple favorites were these 2 fishermen at opposite ends of the lake. They just looked like they really enjoyed this time time alone...



(click to view larger)



I was able to see a beautiful sunset. It was hard to catch it how I would have liked with the trees being where they were but I still like the results:

(click to view larger)


I tried something different with this one through the weeping willow branches:



I chased the sunset all the way home trying to see if I could find a large clearing where the sunset was viewable but had no luck.

There's always another day and another sunset though!

Sometimes a Photo Just Can't Convey What My Eyes Really Saw

I took these on the way to work today...even though it was a dreary grayish morning the sky still looked amazing to me...layers and layers of smooth clouds with dark blues running through them.

I stopped the car and took these out the window with my Canon Powershot because I hoped the photos would convey what my eyes really witnessed.

The look really neat but the photos just don't do them as much justice as I would have liked. I still like them but I always wish the camera could capture exactly what my eyes saw...

(click on the photos to view larger)








To view my skyscape gallery click HERE.

Marveling Over the Sky

Last night I was marveling about the moon and today I'm marveling over the sky...I'm drawn to the sky when there are amazing clouds like this.

When I see skies like this I start to grow impatient for the work day to end so that I can get out and capture it.

Yesterday was an awesome sky and today was even better!

(Click photo to see a larger image)


To view more of my skyscape photography click HERE.

My Day Off...Around the Old Neighborhood

I had off from work today :) and I decided that I'd take the day to go off on my own for some photography.

Last week I saw some things that I thought would be good for photographs and I made a mental note of them. Today was a great day to head out and capture them.

I headed to Hellmetta, NJ (which borders the town I grew up in) for my first stop of the day. My subject was the abandoned Helm Snuff Mill. Click here for background on the factory.



I also visited an old cemetery with stones dating back to the 1700s. For some reason I love photographing cemeteries (not in a creepy way). I love to look at the old stones, find the oldest one, and photography the monuments.



The last place I stopped by was the lake next to my grammar school. I got some shots of the lake and a collection of great dragonfly photos (which took A LOT of patience!!)



Later tonight on our way to/and as we left the store we came accross the most beautiful clouds...like a spotlight shining from the heavens...breathtaking!