Carol Vipperman

It was a warm beginning to winter, but when January arrived we were greeted by colder weather (no snow so I shouldn’t complain), rain, and wind. It is the kind of weather that makes you want to stay home, but this weekend I ventured out with my Lensbaby Velvet 56 lens and Canon 6D to see what I could capture at one of our local lakes.

Green Lake, located in Seattle, WA, is a popular place for people to walk, ride bikes, and catch up with friends. Although it was cold and windy, I loved the winter scenes that I saw.

There is a small island in the middle of the lake and it was fun capturing images of it as I made my way around.

We were expecting the possibility of rain, however, the sun started to peek through the clouds, which was welcomed.

Green Lake is very popular year round. Kids jump off the docks, swim in the lake, and families rent boats to enjoy the lake. During the winter, however, the docks are generally clear making it easier to capture images without distractions.

I loved taking these winter images as the light changed. Although I normally go farther than a three-mile walk, this winter morning with its crisp wind and cold temperatures made me glad that it was time to go get a latte.

I love hearing from you, so please comment below, post on my Facebook page, or send me an email at carol(at)carolvipperman.com.

About Lensbaby Blog Circle: Once a month I participate in a Lensbaby Blog Circle. Photographers from all over the world who use Lensbaby lenses post their photos and comments in a blog. Take a moment and read Birgit Franik’s blog. It is a great read and you can keep following the Lensbaby Blog Circle.

If you would like to receive my blog posts please send me your name and email at carol(at)carolvipperman.com. I would be happy to add you to my list of followers.

One of the things I love most about being a photographer is the daily opportunity to experiment, learn, and grow. For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I use Lensbaby lenses quite often to create images that are more artistic. When I take photos of flowers I usually use lens at an aperture of f4 or f5.6. Rarely have I taken images when the camera is wide open, when there is more blur, until now. Several photographers that I follow who regularly shoot at f1.6 or f2.0 have inspired me to give it a try. Wow, what fun! The images are much more artistic and evocative.

I took the above image on one of my neighborhood walks the other day. Using a wide aperture of f1.6 on the Lensbaby Velvet 56 really transformed this tree into something much more interesting. It actually glows, which is one of the characteristics of the Velvet lens.

I didn’t expect the swirl effect that was created by the lens in the above photo, but I loved it, so this weekend I took my Velvet 56 lens to our city’s wonderful Arboretum Park to see what I could capture. While I was capturing the images I wasn’t sure if they were working, so I was so surprised once I was home on the computer and saw them. They were so much more mysterious and created a more interesting mood.

Although I consider myself to be pretty good at using the Velvet lenses, I must admit that it takes some practice to shoot wide open. I am loving it though and look forward to experimenting over the next few months. I came home from my walk refreshed, energized, and excited to share what I found. I enjoy hearing from you, so please comment below, post on our Facebook page, or send me an email at carol(at)carolvipperman.com.

If you would like to receive my blog posts please send me your name and email at carol(at)carolvipperman.com. I would be happy to add you to my list of followers.