I have another edit of this photo. I cropped it differently, left it in color, gave it a bit of vintage feel, and added some soft texture from the CoffeeShop Blog. Oh, and I added a quote for Quotography (theme - anything!).
I found some CT ctate park photos to show off! I visited a few parks last month, but the photos below are actually from last year. I forgot I had them!
This boardwalk view can be found at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, CT. This was one of my favorite beachy parks, until I found Silver Sands State Park. Rocky Neck State Park is smaller than Hammonassett Beach State Park, which is my favorite, and not quite as secluded. But it's still very pretty. I like how the railroad tracks separate the parking lots from the beach. The overpasses make for some pretty 'framed' photo ops.
I am working on putting together a series of my favorite black and white CT photos for my etsy shop. Do me a favor please, if you have a few minutes. CLICK HERE for see all of my CT photo posts, and let me know which ones you really love. Maybe I'll even have an impromptu giveaway for anyone who does this for me.... Hint, hint.
I haven't linked up to B&WW in a few weeks, so I decided to pair it with Shutter Love for this week. The theme is Bicycles. I have this photo from Hopeville State Park in Griswold, CT. (Click here for my original post on Hopeville State Park.)
I have a bicycle at my parents' house that I bought a few years ago. I love riding, but I haven't done any in quite a long time. I'm considering filling the tires up and bringing it to the condo so I can go riding, now that the weather is getting warmer. It'd be a great way to shape up a little before the wedding.
The theme for YouCapture this week is Technology, and the theme for Simplicity is Everyday. The technology that I use every day consists of my laptop, my phone at work, my camera, my cell phone, and my iPhone (that I don't use for a cell phone bc I absolutely refuse to pay for a data plan).
I use the iPhone to check fb and email when I leave my laptop at work, and to take photos!
I haven't linked up in about 6 weeks. I haven't been very inspired to convert my photos, but this week worked out nicely. I was working on a photo for Simplicity's Photography Blog Hop, and I decided that it looked much better in black and white. The theme for her challenge this week is Something Different.
You don't usually see people posting photos of their coats and scarves, right? That's kinda different, right??
1. If you could go to any country for free, where would you go and why? Just one?! I'd have to say Germany. Out of all the countries that I want to go to, I think that is the one that I am least likely to visit, so going there for free would be great. Part of my dad's family came from Austria and Germany, and I'd love to do a WWII tour.
2. If you were a time traveler and could only go back in time or forward in time, which would you choose? That's easy. Back! First, I'd go to the 60's to spend a year there, then I'd go the 50's for another year, then I'd stop at the turn of the century for a few months before visiting some decades in the 1800's.
3. What was your first job? Babysitting, not even including all the times I watched my little brother or my cousins. I started babysitting for other families when I was 12. I babysat for various families and kids of all ages up until I was 21. My first taxed wages came from a large furniture company that I won't name because I don't want to give them any advertising. I started working for the furniture store when I was 17, but babysitting was still my main source of income until I graduated from college.
Bonus! Why isn’t the number 11 pronounced onety one? I'm sure it has something to do with Latin or another language. But I feel like oneteen would be more likely, right?! Oneteen, twoteen, thirteen, fourteen, etc...
Usually, for B&WW, I show off my photos from my travels around Connecticut. (I am working on a personal project of visiting and photographing every single state park in the Constitution State.) However, this past fall, as I mentioned a while back, my territory was extended around New England. I didn't spend as much time in CT as I have in the past, so I didn't get to visit many parks. I've run out of park photos to show you! Thus, I am now resorting to showing off my other b&w photos.
Here's one I shot and processed back in the spring, but never posted.
I haven't answered the questions for Whatcha Say Wednesday in a few weeks, so I figured I'd join in this week.
1. What is a family tradition you’ll pass on to your significant other/kids? There are so many depending on the time of the year or the holiday at hand. One tradition that I recently maintained, even though I don't live at my parents' house anymore, happens the day after Thanksgiving. My family is not too keen on shopping, so we don't bother with Black Friday sales. Instead, we spend the day warming up leftovers, watching holiday movies, and putting up Christmas decorations, namely, the tree. This year, Jon and I spent the morning putting up the tree in our condo. Then, when he went to work, I went to my parents' house and helped them start decorating.
2. How early do you start holiday shopping? It varies. I don't have a set date that I start by, as long as by Thanksgiving, I have an idea of what I am looking for. This year, I started mid-October, just because I found some items at a Hallmark store that had a 50% off sale going on.
3. Pick a song of the day! I cannot even explain how much I LOVE this song.
Bonus! Where in the nursery rhyme does it say humpty dumpty is an egg?
I never realized... It doesn't actually say! This question got me thinking, so I looked it up. Apparently, back in the 1800's, it was meant as a riddle. Interesting!
Today is the 25th anniversary of MY BIRTH! I am now officially a part of the Quarter Century Club (even though I had my quarter-life crisis last year).
When I was younger, I pictured myself at 25 to be married, have a kid or 2, and be teaching. Other than that, I didn't really have set goals for my life or my future. So now I am 9 months away from getting married, getting anxious to start my own family, and not too anxious to get a teaching job. I am truly enjoying my college admissions job, even though I never ever expected it.
My goals for the next few years are fairly simple: stay madly in love*, start my own family, and stay healthy.
My goals for the next few months: finish planning my wedding!
My goals for the next few weeks: finish my Christmas shopping, save up some extra money for January, and finish decorating the condo....
Yes, Jon and I moved in together! When his grandma sadly passed back in June, it was decided that Jon would move in to her condo. Naturally, he asked me to come with him. We didn't actually move in until October, and we have been slowly rearranging and putting everything away for the past 6 weeks. I'll share photos as soon as everything is done. And trust me, I will share LOTS of photos because some of our windows face east and others face north, so we get lots of bright sunshine in the morning and afternoon. If only Jon would be more willing to model for me...
This hilltop view can be found at Platt Hill State Park in Winchester, CT. This park is all about nature: hiking, bird-watching, and scenic vistas. There was virtually no parking and the entrance to the park was not well-maintained at all. I'm thinking that the reason this hilltop was turned into a park was to prevent contractors from developing the land and turning it into either a housing complex or a strip mall (because we really need MORE of those).
This little path to a lake can be found at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington, CT. It was incredibly windy and cold on the day that I visited, but it's easy to tell that, on a warmer day, this park is full of swimmers and picnic-ers. Apparently, there is a well-known bronze tablet that was placed to acknowledge and celebrate the Constitution State's participation in the Civil War. It seems like that would be a great spot to bring home-schooled kids for a fun history lesson (and to let them go swimming afterward!).
*The giveaway for a spider bow courtesy of Brandi doesn't end until Friday at 9 pm EST. CLICK HERE to enter before it ends! Don't miss this chance to get an adorable bow for the little girl in your life who loves Halloween!
This covered bridge can be found at Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam, CT. Apparently, birding is a big thing here, along with hiking and fishing. The CT.gov website has some interesting folklore regarding this park. I was hiking the trail along the stream, but didn't have enough time to get to the hopyard with the mysterious holes.
I did a black and white experiment while I was at Mount Tom State Park in Litchfield, CT. I've been struggling to take photos that look just as good black and white as they do in color. So I played with the manual settings on my point and shoot in order to shoot in "classic color," aka black and white. The photo above is, as it says, straight out of the camera. (All I did was resize for web and put the text on.) The photo below was in color, and I converted it, as well as adjusting the levels and contrast as I usually do.
I'm on the fence about the results. The contrast of the SOOC shot is so low, but there are more details and textures that seemed to fade in the black and white conversion. On the other hand, my experiment is flawed because I did do levels adjustment. I should be comparing the SOOC shot to a converted photo WITHOUT any other processing.
Which one do you like better? What are your thoughts on my failed experiment?
I captured this gorgeous sky at Hopeville State Park in Griswold, CT. This park is all about the camping and swimming. I even spent some time photographing some boys that had biked and canoed over, and were swimming in the river. Now that fall has hit New England hardcore, most of my photos are of the changing leaves, which doesn't look as exciting after black & white conversion. So I have been forcing myself to think of my photos in black and white, so I can be sure to have one from each park to post here.
Speaking of New England, you really should be sure to check back tomorrow, Thursday, for something new!
I am continuing my series on Connecticut state parks.
I am in a bit of a hurry tonight, so I will have to keep this short and sweet. I hope no one minds!
This man-made dam can be found at Day Pond State Park in Colchester, CT (by Marlborough). This park is all about the fishing and the hiking. The hiking trails look wonderful; it's too bad I didn't have enough time to wander when I was there.
I wanted to throw another black and white photo up, but I am going to let you all guess what the story is.
This sidewalk history lesson can be found at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, CT. This park is so cool, it has its own website! The park is home to "one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America." (Taken from the aforementioned website.) The tracks date back to over 200 million years ago. Part of the trackway has been carefully cemented and built into a museum so that people can see them up close and personal. A large portion of the trackway was then recovered with a dirt mixture to preserve it until the state can afford to put up another building. This is a fun, interactive place that is great for kids and families.
There are also hiking trails and gardens, but the tracks really are the main attraction.
This peaceful little lake can be found at Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford, CT. This park is all about the fishing, picnicing, and camping. It was originally a rest stop for travelers who wanted to take a break from driving. There used to be a huge RV parking area, with gas lines so they could camp out for a few days. After the highway department made rest stops, they turned this area into a park to preserve the land.
Time for another edition of Whatcha Say Wednesday, which is run by Stash Mama! Head on over to her blog to grab the questions and link up.
1. What physical quality do you look for in a spouse or your spouse has! Blue eyes! I have to say, the past 3 guys I dated before my fiance all had blue eyes. Jon has the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen.
2. What state in the US would you live in if you had to live there for the rest of your life? Honestly, almost any state. The only state that I would never live in is New Jersey. It smells. (Sorry to the Jersey girls out there. I don't have beef with you, just with your state.)
3. What do you do? (job title, SAHM, student, spill!) I work at a college, in the Admissions office. I love what I do! This is my fourth year working for this school, and I am finally working full-time. I truly appreciate having a decent paycheck and benefits. This job is perfect for me at this point in my life!
Bonus! Are eyebrows considered facial hair? Nah. Facial hair, to me, is whatever grows around your mouth and on your cheeks. Basically limited to beards and mustaches.
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BLOG UPDATES: I have some exciting announcements to make, some pretty pictures to post, and some fun stuff to offer to you, my loyal readers! Make sure you stick around, and tell your friends to come over, too, because the next couple of months look to be pretty exciting. Trust me, you don't want to miss any of this!
