Beach Bummed

I miss the beach.  This is a fact that I cannot ignore.  For over a year now I have been living in a landlocked state, for the first time in my life.  I grew up near or on the water, and I miss the smell of salt in the air, the heat that is so close it's like a hug, and the soft powdery feel of sand beneath my toes. Unfortunately with the way the summer is looking, I don't think Speed Racer and I will be able to make a beach trip this year.  We have always gone to the beach at least once in the summer, it's a ritual, it's a need, it's a raw animal desire...see? I start to get a little dramatic when I don't get some beach time.

The day the above picture was taken of me, was a day that my parents will never forget.  At that time we only lived about 30 min away from the beach, and on the weekends in the summer, it was a fairly common ritual to hit the sand.  This day in particular the beach was packed.  When I was that age, I never really went farther than the water front without my parents, and after some lounging in the tidal pools I decided it was sand castle makin' time.  One of my favorite parts of sand castle makin' time was collecting beach items to decorate my sand castle with.  My Mom started getting the buckets together and asked me to collect a few shells to put on the castle.

I started collecting and I guess got a little farther away than planned.  But what really did me in was that I lost our blanket in the sea of blankets and passed it on my way back.  I have no idea how long I walked.  But it was long enough that eventually I started to get scared, very scared.  Finally in frustration I just sat where I was and started to cry.  Luckily I was right in front of a lifeguard station.  The lifeguard came down and asked me if I was lost.  Being told so many times to not talk to strangers, it took me  a while to warm up to him.  But he showed me all his official uniform items, and his radio, and said that he was a good stranger and that he was going to help me.  He took me up on the lifeguard stand, gave me some crackers and some water, and radioed down the beach for my parents.

I can't explain the relief I felt when I saw my parents (or now that I'm older, the relief I'm sure they felt when they saw me!).  They took me back to our blanket, where my two brothers explained they thought I had drowned...and may have been a tad happy about it (no annoying little sister, yay!).  All kidding aside, they hugged me and explained how worried they were and how hard they had searched the beach.  It was a great reunion, and that's where that picture was taken.

With such a traumatic experience you would think I would be afraid of the beach or the water, but no.  If anything it strengthened my love for the beach.  For me it is a place to be alone, a place to get lost in the roar of the waves, and a place where the ever changing scenery is all I need.  It is a love that Speed Racer and I have always shared.

Here are some of my favorite beaches and watering holes.  Some of the pictures are not mine but hopefully the people who took them won't mind sharing.  They are all family and friends.  Hopefully this will give you a taste of the beach, even if like me, you can't get there this year.

Camera Basics: Depth of Field

On our last camera basics post we talked about camera settings and Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual.  We lightly touched on what aperture is and depth of field, as well as shutter speed.  Today we're going to talk about how aperture affects your depth of field and how depth of field affects your pictures. Depth of field is literally, the "field" in your photograph that is sharp or in focus.  Your aperture is what determines your depth of field.  Smaller aperture number 2.8 means the larger the opening in the camera is (I know it's confusing it's backwards!), the higher the number like 22 the smaller the hole and the more that is going to be in focus.  Let's use some pictures to illustrate, that always helps me figure it out a little better, and after all this is a photography site!

For example if your aperture is set at 2.8 (wide open) you are going to have a shorter depth of field, meaning the things closer to you will be in focus and the background is going to be soft and out of focus.  Here is a prime example of that.  The red circle highlights the area that is in focus while the background is out of focus.

Here is another example.  In this photograph my aperture is set at 5.0, shifting the depth of field more towards the middle.  Now I am highlighting the corner of the lantern (yes it's a funky lantern, oh the things we use for examples).  This allows the closest part of the object to go out of focus, while also keeping the background out of focus.

Again, as we continue up the aperture numbers, this is at about an 8.0.

And all the way up.  Now, even though aperture controls your depth of field, the point on which you decide to focus on is obviously also going to change what is in focus and what is out.  For example if I were to zoom out in this photograph but keep my aperture at 12-22, then everything would be in focus, not just the back ground.  But I am choosing to focus on the background.  But I am also able to do that because of my aperture being set at the higher setting.  Confused yet?

Sometimes it helps if you take your camera lens off of automatic focus, set it to manual and then set your aperture.  See when you move the focus what is in focus and what can't be in focus at that setting.  That will give you a little better idea of what I mean.

Most of the time I prefer a short depth of field, meaning I keep my camera at 2.8 a lot.  I think it just adds an intimate feeling to the photographs.  But even in this picture I should have paid attention a little bit more and got his little antennae in focus as well.  Focus and depth of field help you tell the viewer what is important to you.

Like pretty flowers...

And tomatoes...

Here is another example of changing the depth of field within the letters on the truck...

A little bit farther out on the focus...

More over all in focus.

Although I prefer the shorter depth of field, there are times when having everything in focus is nice.   Like for large sweeping landscapes, or group shots, or big honkin' trucks.  If you take a landscape picture for example at a shorter depth of field (but you want it all in focus) it may look all in focus at the time, but then you'll get it home, put it in photoshop and go, "why is that mountain back there fuzzy?" Same with group shots, it will look wonderful but then you'll exclaim when poor ol' Uncle Bob is all fuzzy.

The only last thing to remember is that as you're changing your aperture, remember that you have to adjust your other elements like shutter and ISO to compensate for your lighting.  So, if you're in Aperture Priority (AV) your shutter will adjust for you.  But remember to change your ISO if you're going from inside to out, or sun to shade.  If you're in Manual, remember to keep your eye on that light meter in your viewfinder and change your shutter speed when you adjust your aperture.  Now go out there and have some fun with depth of field!!

Hard Knox

So I realized today that after all this time of posting about places I like and the rural area around my house, that I haven't posted any downtown Knoxville pictures! 

I really do love downtown.  It has the feel of a small town main street but with a lot more to do.  So without further ado, here are some of my favorite downtown pics.

It's funny, Speed Racer always seems to sneak into my pictures.  Weird huh?

Independence Day

I spent a great 4th of July weekend with my family first at our cabin and then enjoying some in town festivities.  I ran into some friends as well and just thoroughly enjoyed myself.  It's always hard going home because there are so many people to see!  Sadly I was absent Speed Racer, but he was busy with his own tale (more on that later).  I am however, still out and about on my travels so this is going to be another quick post.  But here are a few pictures of the 4th festivities to give you an idea of all the fun we had.

Clingstone, House on the Rock

I first ran across these photos in an email forward and instantly fell in love.  I think everyone imagines or dreams of having a house like this.  And the great part is the owner is willing to share in exchange for some tough love.  That's right, you can come stay at this beautiful home if you are willing to help spruce her up with some good ol' elbow grease.  Hop the jump to find out more!

Here at Runawayalice Photography, we're very conscious about copyright.  That being said, this is going to be my first picture-less post.  Tragic you say? Yes, indeed.  But wait!  There are still pictures, they're just not mine and you just have to click one more thing to check out this beautiful home.  The original article (from what I can tell) and a beautiful photo gallery with photos by Erik Jacobs of The New York Times can be found HERE.

As you can tell from the breath taking photos, the view will take your breath away.  You actually feel like you are staying on a boat in the water, and the artist did well to bring the landscape into the house itself.

Clingstone is a 103 year old mansion that resides in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. Clingstone was built by J.S. Lovering Wharton with the help of artist William Trost Richards.  The building is a 3 story mansion with 23 rooms, a huge central hall, and dozens of large picture windows.  The building was completed in 1905 with the final bill totaling $36,982.99.

The current owner Mr. Henry Wood, is a distant cousin of J.S Lovering Wharton.  Mr. Wood bought the house in 1961 with his ex-wife Joan for a mere $3,600.  At that time it had been empty for nearly two decades and needed a lot of work.  That's where Mr. Wood had a bright plan.  He created the Clingstone Work Weekend.  Usually held around Memorial Day, the work weekend brings around 70 friends and families to the mansion to handle the repairs.  And what do they receive in exchange for their hard work?  A chance to stay in this beautiful home.  But Mr. Wood doesn't limit that invitation to just family and friends.  Mr. Wood says that all skilled workers are welcome.  So if you're willing to put in a little hard work, you could enjoy a summer stay at this beautiful gem.

Rural Retreat

Ever since I was little I've felt comforted in rural areas.  My family use to go on a retreat every summer at Oak Hill Academy, and they had a beautiful barn on campus.  I would get up early in the mornings and go watch them feed the cattle, help brush the horses, hang out in the barn, and do a little horseback riding.  I absolutely loved it.  When I moved in high school, I moved to a more rural area and would always find my escape in nature.  So when Speed Racer told me we were moving to Knoxville, I was a little hesitant.  I had seen downtown Knoxville once in high school and swore I would never live here.  Careful what you say, right?  But when Speed Racer took me to see the house, I was immediately at peace.  Where we live in Knoxville, is surrounded by rural farms, holding out against the sprawl of the city.  There's even a cattle farm just down the street.  Early in the morning on the weekends, Speed Racer and I will climb on our bikes and head into the heart of this rural area, and it's especially beautiful in the morning light.  So today, I thought I would go out and try to capture a little of that.

The Boys Are Back in Town

So that title isn't completely accurate, the boys were back in town and have now left again, is a little better.  While I was catching up on girl talk and celebrating Father's Day, Speed Racer was out having a "Boys Only" weekend.  There was canoeing, there were guns, there was mockery, and there was laughter...sounded like an overall good time.  Wish I could have stuck around a little bit longer before they kicked me out, I love being one of the guys, but alas, they needed to talk man talk.  But here are some pictures I snapped before I left. Obviously you know Speed Racer...

Mr. B...

The Preacher...

Gumby...

And hiding back there is Mr. Hokie.

After a crazy weekend, we high tailed it back to Knoxville.  But before Mr. B left the next morning we got a chance to show him Norris.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend!  It was great to see so many old friends, both Speed Racer and I miss them a lot.

Friday Escape

Today I'm going back to the land that I love.   The land where I fell in love with Speed Racer, and where magical things can happen.  To dramatic of a start?  It's true though, that's how I feel about this place.  Speed Racer and I are going back for a fun filled weekend of canoeing, hiking, camping, girl talk (for me), meeting up with old friends, and celebrating my Father's Birthday and Father's Day!  It's going to be a packed weekend, but much needed.  We're literally about to get on the road, so have a fabulous weekend fair readers, and get out and enjoy the sun.

Dam Blog Post

Last night Speed Racer and I were feeling a little antsy in our pantsy after a lazy afternoon.  We had managed to go on a nice 23 mile bike ride in the morning before the rain started.  But after that were trapped inside, and quite frankly, took advantage of it with a long Sunday afternoon nap.  After dinner with some friends, the clouds cleared up and we hit the highway. To Norris Dam.

We really got there at the perfect time of day.  The rain had cooled everything off, leaving a slight mist on the water.  It was gorgeous.

This is one of our favorite "date nights."  We just get in the car and drive somewhere.  We've been doing this since either of us could drive and it's great because it's cheap, and relaxing, and just the two of us.

The two of us AND my CAMERA!

Unfortunately for Speed Racer...but he's very nice and lets me take picture of him...except when he decides to start moving around, to be mean.

Of course we were lucky to get a hot press car to ride around in too.

It was a wonderful night, and a great way to start the week.

Cades Cove

If you live near Knoxville, you know about Cades Cove.  It's part of the National Park and is a fantastic place to get away, read a book, ride a bike, enjoy nature, and maybe...just maybe takes some fantastic pictures.  I love Cades Cove.  Speed Racer's Uncle (also a photographer who puts me to shame) took me up there a couple Friday's ago for some fun shooting.  I'm sure you will see many more pictures taken there, but here are just a few of my favorites.