tulips – Jolene's Life in Focus

A Better Reality

May 1, 2013May 1, 2013Posted in tulipsTagged D7000, Mount Vernon Washington, Nikon, photography, Photoshop, RoozenGaarde, tulip fields, tulips15 Comments

I know many of you out there are purists when it comes to your photographs, and that’s okay. Power lines, stop signs, annoying tourists stepping in front of your shot – all part of the moment. I don’t see it that way, and Photoshop was made for a girl like me.

I layered one shot on top of the other, letting the tulip line on the second layer cover the greenhouses and other “junk”. Then, I erased the pieces of the second layer I didn’t want and cropped the final photo slightly. I feel this draws the eye to the photographer more and provides a better sense of scale. She isn’t competing for attention. Power lines, stop signs, and tourists – good-bye!

RoozenGaarde

April 12, 2013March 27, 2017Posted in Pacific Northwest, tulipsTagged 35mm, Mount Vernon Washington, Nikon, Nikon D7000, photography, purple tulip, RoozenGaarde, skagit valley tulip festival, tulip fields, tulips9 Comments

The tulips are here! Every spring, for a few short weeks, the Skagit Valley glows with miles and miles of blossoming fields. My friend Sarah and I visited the RoozenGaarde fields last night for some photos. I’m in the middle of sifting through a couple hundred and plan to post more this weekend as well as provide some information on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

A quick note to photographers who may visit these fields: If you are a professional, or intend to post your photos to a website or display your work in some way, you are required to download and sign a consent form . You will need to take it to the Washington Bulb Company office, which is a short walk from the main RoozenGaarde 3-acre garden.

Baby Daffodils

April 2, 2012Posted in UncategorizedTagged D90, Flowers, Nikon, photography, tulips, yellow flowers8 Comments

There are a few activities in life that require a person to assume a strange position. For example, this afternoon Andy walked out of his condo and found me laying on the sidewalk looking up at these little daffodils.

“I know, this looks strange,” I said, “but it’s the only way to get the view of the flowers I want.”

“You just look like a photographer,” he responded and then jumped into his car with his own camera bag.

He gets it, but I wonder what the neighbors must think!

Let There Be Light!

May 2, 2011Posted in BellinghamTagged Bellingham Marina, Bellingham Washington, blogging, Dirty Dan Days, Fairhaven, life, musician, performer, photography, red ribbons, tulips11 Comments

Well, what do you know? The sun does come out in the Pacific Northwest! It decided to emerge for an entire weekend. This was nice, considering it was Dirty Dan Days in Fairhaven, where I got several shots of some performers this afternoon and enjoyed the Chuckanut Chowder Cook-off. After leaving Fairhaven, I took a walk by the marina for some additional photos – since I generally don’t have time during the week anymore.

For a while I was trying to do a photo a day. However, this just isn’t realistic for me these days. I’m liking the idea of a post a week – maybe an extra one if I have time. But, I’m not going to stress out over it. Having a photo blog should be fun, not a burden after all.

Living in the Pacific Northwest

April 17, 2011Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beach, cloudy skies, Fort Worden, Keystone Ferry, lighthouse, old door, Pacific Northwest, photography, Port Townsend, Rocks, tulips20 Comments

As I walked away from breakfast yesterday morning, hot coffee cup warming my hands, camera bag on my back, and raindrops collecting on my eyelashes, I smiled. To live happily in the Pacific Northwest, one must learn to accept the ever-present clouds and look for something beautiful to photograph on all of those gray days.

The quick trip I made to Port Townsend this weekend for my friend Erica’s birthday not only afforded a few snapshots, but a few chance meetings and new discoveries. It was a great weekend. And because I need to save my energy for the two American Lit papers I still need to write today, I’ll stop here and just show you the pictures….

Eagle sighting distracted me, and I missed my ferry by five minutes. I was actually okay with that!

Journey Out — A little red on the gray-blue horizon

Lighthouse — A glimpse of a lighthouse behind a colorful hillside

Port Townsend Tulips — A little bit of color along the road

Rust and DOF — Rust, peeling paint, and a shallow DOF...this is what I love!

Tulip Reflections

April 11, 2011Posted in UncategorizedTagged flower photography, flower reflections, photography, Skagit Valley, skagit valley tulip festival, tulips21 Comments

I refuse to conform to the traditional ideas of Skagit Valley tulip photography. I decided that my personal spin on the tulips would be to capture their reflections rather than the actual flower itself…well, save the final photo.

If you happen to be one of my readers outside the state of Washington, here’s a link to some history about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.