Interview on Photo Classes on 41 Action News - Carol Fowler's Three Minutes in the Limelight

I was asked to do an interview with the local Channel 41 Action News on the photography classes I teach at the Overland Park Arboretum.  The focus of the interview was basic tips on photography.

Lindsey Shively, the weekend anchor, could not have been nicer.  About three minutes before we went live she asked if I had any photos on the Internet, so I gave her my blog address.  She pulled up the Arboretum Luminary walk photos I took at the annual event in 2013, and we were off and running.  It was fascinating seeing them pull up the photos on an ipad and have them immediately appear on a large screen behind us.  She was so good on the fly.  It was nice being able to highlight the Arboretum and its events!

Other than wearing a sweater that made me look 20 lbs heavier, I was pleased with how the interview went.  Here's a link to the three minute interview.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K2S4OhIaSgc

Fabulous Overland Park Arboretum Luminary Walk 2013

The Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum never disappoints.  Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is the first of two weekends for the walk and the weather was perfect.  It was a little crisp outside but not too cold.  

We always get there early in order to set up to take photos before twilight occurs.  As we were walking toward the pond, I saw what I thought was a painter.  It turned out to be one of the sculptures the Arboretum has displayed.  It truly looks like a realistic person.  I couldn't resist talking a photo at sunset.

I've mentioned twilight before.  It is a magical time of the day to photograph the sky and lights.  It occurs for about 30 minutes after the sun sets.  Twilight also occurs thirty minutes prior to sunrise.  During twilight, the sky will photograph colbalt blue, turning darker and darker as the twilight period progresses.  Below, are some photos from this year's luminary walk.  Depending on the photographer's angle toward the sun, the sky may photograph a different shade of blue, but always blue during this period, regardless of whether it is clear, cloudy, party cloudy or even raining.

If you have a chance to get out to the Overland Park Arboretum Luminary Walk in 2013, it is well worth the trip.  It is a family event with a campfire and horse drawn wagon rides.  Fun!

Overland Park Arboretum Luminary Walk 2012

I have photographed the Overland Park Arboretum's annual Luminary Walk for the past several years.  All I can say, is that the event gets better and better each year.  This year the lit gardens are stunning, particularly the new train garden.

It was a nice evening with a slight chill in the air, but perfect for a horse drawn hay ride and singing around the bon fire.  The moon was bright, the lights were twinkling and, as always, at twilight, the sky was cobalt blue.  Many families make this an annual event for the holidays.  Santa is in attendance for the little ones.

Here are a few photos of this year's lights.  The Luminary Walk will be held next Friday and Saturday, November 30th and December 1st, too.  Here is a link to a website, telling you all about it.  http://www.opkansas.org/events/holiday-luminary-walk/  

It's well worth the drive to southern Overland Park.  The weather is supposed to be nice again next weekend, so come on out!

Moon over the Serenity Garden at twilight

This was the most beautiful sunset sky I have seen at the
Arboretum.  Tonight's early attendees had a bonus.

The sunset tonight was stunning but it was difficult to capture both
the sky and
the lights in front of the teepee.

The new train garden was fabulous!

Moon over the train garden

There are a multitude of lighted paths, taking you throughout
various parts of the Arboretum

The new Serenity Garden was lovely

Enjoy!

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

New post on my other blog showing the stunning Monet Garden at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

Here's the link to the blog:

http://heartlandbasil.wordpress.com/

Overland Park Arboretum Summer 2011 Photos

The Overland Park Arboretum is beautiful every month of the year, regularly changing its colors.  However, when the Monet Garden is in full bloom during the summer months, the garden is fabulous with eye-catching color combinations.  The Master Gardeners of Overland Park do a great job designing, planting and tending this garden.  Many thanks to them.  Enjoy!

Speaking of Monet, I saw Monet's Water Lilies at the Nelson Art Gallery a couple of weeks ago.  They are owned by three individual museums and are rarely displayed together.  I was expecting small paintings and was surprised to see three huge paintings, each over 5 feet long and nearly as tall.  The exhibit was well done and the impact of the paintings as you walked around the corner into the viewing area was stunning.

Finally, a photo of the Arboretum's herb garden.  It is delightfully fragrant and grows larger each year with more herbs and seating added.  A wonderful spot to sit and relax!

Overland Park Arboretum Summer Photos

I photographed a dedication ceremony yesterday at the Overland Park Arboretum and for fun, took some additional photos of the gardens in full summer splendor.  If you live in Kansas City and haven't been to the Arboretum recently, it is gorgeous.  It gets better and better each year. The new Serenity Point, that  dedicated yesterday, offers a stunning view of the surrounding grounds.

More Winter Fun at the Overland Park Arboretum

We bundled up and visited the Arboretum after our second big snow this January (4th snowiest January in Kansas City).  We saw families with little ones having fun in the snow and fellow photographers.

The sky was blue, as opposed to the snow photo shoot a couple of weeks ago, when the clouds were grey and featureless.  That creates opportunities for nice contrast in colors and great shadows.

 

Beautiful backlit golden grass plumes against the brilliant blue sky.
I used a polarizer which deepened the color of the sky.

Shadows on snow are always nice.

We saw tracks of lots of animals.  These are probably from the
deer who roam the Arboretum grounds.

Bundled up photographers!

My niece is a photography enthusiast and I always love to see her in action.   

She has a very creative eye.  Here are a few of my favorites that "B" took. 

Nice way to photograph the tracks of an animal - framed by the bushes and trees.
Your eyes goes right to the tracks.

Nice shadow play.

A nice, simple, graphic image

A different view of the grass plumes, showing more of the background than
my photo.  Very nice.  

Love, love, love the backlit grass with the sun flare.  The grass just glows

The cardinals were active in the bird area.

This photos is a nice abstract of the cardinals

The deer ran right past us and posed for their pics!

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden - Visit When the Snow Falls

It doesn't get much better than taking photos when snow has fallen.  It snowed most of the day in Kansas City, so not surprisingly, I bundled up, checked my camera battery to make sure it was charged and my compact flash to make sure I had space for new photos and off I went to one of my favorite places - the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  Photography in the Arboretum is fun any day of the year, with so much diversity of subject matter.  But when it snows, there are few people who venture out so you can commune with nature in solitude.

Here are a few photos from today.  Enjoy - maybe I'll see you at the Arboretum during the next snowfall!

Margaret's Pond is nearly frozen.  Native grasses are beautiful in the winter,
providing color and texture to the landscape 

With the cloudy sky, snow scenes are a study in white, with the darkness
of the trees punctuating the landscape.

I am always attracted to reflections.

Virgin snow surrounding the benches.  I used a shallow depth of field to gradually
blur the benches.    I was using my 50mm lens at f 1.8.  I focused on the near arm rest.
The shutter speed was 1/3200 sec with an ISO of 125.  You have to overexpose
a snow scene (if it is predominantly snow) because a camera's meter will always try
to make an image middle grey.  If you shoot in RAW, you can make the exposure
adjustment in Adobe Camera Raw, which is what I did.

 

When I was adjusting exposure in ACR, I clicked on "auto" and the scene
turned to sepia.  I liked the look, with the red tree.  It's subjective.

Another scene with a red tree that I thought looked nice with the sepia toning.

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Winter - Still Beautiful!

I taught a class today on Basic Photoshop today at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  After the class, I took a stroll in 24 degree weather to check out the frozen pond.   I love the Arboretum at any time of the year but particularly like to visit and photograph in winter.  It is so serene during the cold months and today was no different.  It has been cold in Kansas City, so Margaret's pond was mostly frozen.  If you live in Kansas City, it's worth it to bundle up in the winter and visit the Arboretum.

Overland Park Arboretum Luminary Walk 2010

Today was the first of four nights for the holiday luminary walk at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.  Despite a winter chill in the air, the event was well attended by families who bundled up, including lots of little ones in their strollers.  I heard more than one family saying they have made this a tradition.  I've been photographing the event for three years now and it gets more and more beautiful each year.

There is a lot for "big ones" and "little ones" to enjoy - including a lit maze and tunnel, a gingerbread house, hot apple cider and caroling in front of a bon fire.  As you walk through the lighted woods, you may hear the melodic sounds of the flute player and the carolers.  

Come on out - the event will be held tomorrow night, November 27th and next Friday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 4th  from 5:00 - 8:30.

Also, for you photographers, you can get the beautiful cobalt blue sky by using a tripod and shooting within the first half hour after sunset (about 5:00-5:30).