Post-Christmas Pinks

So you know how some people get post-Christmas blues? That sadness that comes with the loss of the happiest time of year? Well, mine are pink. It's kind of a rosy glow, a post-Christmas happy feeling. I get nostalgic for the Christmas season, and sometimes, in the cold, sweet air of February, want to wrap myself up in it. And so I listen to music like this:

Photo Tip of The Day

Hi everybody!!

Today's photo tip involves one of my favorite things: COLOR! It's my personal opinion that the world looks better when it is very colorful, bright, and a little out of focus... which brings us to these photos:

These photos were posted today (by me!) on www.dailythanks.org, a gratitude project website. The first is a close up of a glass vase, taken with a handheld Canon 50D, indoors, at noon, with only window light. (Settings 1/10 second at f5, iso 100).

The abstract shine of the window light on the textured surface of the vase reminded me of a nebula, so I shot handheld and got a little camera shake to add to the "galactic" feel. I imported into Lightroom, ramped up the vibrance about 35 points, added text in photoshop, and voila... Gorgeous, darling.

The second (red/orange/purple) photo is shot similarly using a different glass mosaic vase, as is the third photo... The only difference being that I added a few light paintbrush stroke starbursts in yellow to the final shot to imply raindrops.

So that's my color tip of the day: Find something bright, gorgeous, and shiny; Shoot it slightly out of focus; Ramp up the vibrant color. Done.