Monochrome Plus One Color

 The fun in photogrphy for me is not only to observe the variety in nature but to also have a challenge.  In our Chicago Area Camera Club Association we have a special category digital competition.  It is a challenge and fun to try out different photography styles.  All the pictures that are entered in the competition are posted on a Smug Mug website.  This way you are not only challenged to try out a certain technique on your own, but you in turn get to see all the other entries and how other photographers imagined the subject.  There are some amazing photographers in the Chicagoland area.  This past months competition was black and white plus one color.  I was happy to learn that my Marsh Marigolds won Best of Show and my Red Barn won an award.

First Snow

 The first snow of the New Year is here. 

 It is the nice picture taking kind that sticks to branches. 

It is fun to take pictures of paths and streams and close-ups.
It is nice to have a ravine a block from our house that we can go and explore.

Gate in the Woods

I have passed by this spot several times and yesterday I finally stopped and took a picture.  This spot has had an appeal to me and now at the beginning of a new year the pull to it was even more so.  It is located on the Kenosha bike trail.  The Kenosha bike trail is a nice ride. It is on the site of an old railroad track. It use to be limestone based and they recently black topped it making the journey a smooth ride.   It traverses passed a few subdivisions, farm fields and woods making for a fairly interesting ride.  The opened gate draws me in.  To get to the gate you have to walk on a couple of logs over a gulley.  There doesn't appear to be anything on the other side of the gate except woods.  This must be someone's property.  Is there a house around the bend on the other side of the woods that I can't see?  What would I find if I crossed over the gulley and passed through the gate that stands open, almost inviting me to come and see.  It is like a new year.  There are new days ahead.  What adventures lie around the corner?  What new things will I find to photograph?  What lies inside the open gate?  Walk in and embrace a new life journey.

Evening Sky

We had gone for a bike ride yesterday afternoon.  Upon returning we saw  a beautiful sunset.  I stopped to take a few pictures.  That evening I saw  several posts on Facebook about the beautiful sunset and a cousin had posted a picture of the same sky I had seen.  It is great how we can all be out at different places and we can all take note of the beauty around us.

January Ride

Here is the start of another year.  So what are some of my first photographs.  Wayne and myself out for a bike ride with our dog Sebastian.  We wouldn't have been able to do this last year as there was snow on the ground.  It was just nice to be out on Kenosha's bike trail.