I have also opened my store on the Orion Photogenics website. Look for #LizPix.

Here is my first entry. I call it Ready, Steady, Go! It shows the motion of us humans swirling all around, making change, making a difference, and the constancy of the flag, expressing purpose and sacrifice. 

ProTip: Check out Tutsplus for free illustrator and photoshop tutorials. You might discover a passion!

Pro-Tip: Use Adobe Lightroom to add life to your pictures.

The entire staff of the studio received a personal tour from innkeeper Mark at the Suite Dreams Inn. One could feel the old island vibe in every careful detail-down to the freshly laundered and comfy-looking bedding. Suite Dreams Inn - Guest House Bedroom Visitors may be tempted to extend their stays as they enjoy relaxing by the pool, admiring the orchids, lush greenery, and maybe sear up a steak on the grill!   Suite Dreams Inn Garden Pool

The Hemingway suite has a private pool and courtyard for weddings and parties (be sure to contact the Orion Photogenics staff for pictures).

We also visited Sacred Space Gallery, a gallery that only features women artists to check out our friend’s artwork from Sinking Sun photography. We were completely blown away by the amount of talent that was shared with us. Now that we are creating and selling our own artwork, I recognize how frustrating it is for people to pick up your items and put them back. Because I wanted things that I couldn’t afford, I chose to not make a purchase. I was not thinking about the energy I was taking from the artists.

We also continued to take photos for our All Signs Lead to Key West coffee table book. More on that later.

Pro-tip #1: Use a wide-angle lens to take photos of small spaces

Pro-tip #2: See yourself through the experience of others when taking pictures (or existing in the world). This helps the viewer experience what you are experiencing. It only takes a beat to see from another person’s point of view.

Elizabeth

 Pro-tip: Use canvas for a picture you are displaying in a frame. It just looks better.

The professionals at the studio are also working on post-COVID socialization by attending the local chamber of commerce meeting. We met very talented individuals, and many people made connections poolside at the Southernmost Beach Resort. We also learned that there is such thing as too much ceviche.

Pro-tip: Incorporate reflections off of the water into your photos whenever possible to add extra drama.

See you next time!

The photography challenge for today was photographing long distances in 65 mph winds. 

Pro-tip: When photographing on windy days, be sure to use both hands to keep the camera steady and avoid blurriness. 

Today we drove to Silverton and Ouray as our staff physician, and daughter worked. We traveled down the Million-Dollar Highway and stopped and took pictures. The waterfalls were mostly frozen and the snow was falling. We stopped at the visitor center in Silverton and wondered how the first person thought to try the San Juan mountains to find out if there was gold. Research for another time, I guess.

Tomorrow we are leaving. Again, that cracked inside feeling starts to creep in. At least it’s warm in Key West.

Our solution designer made his flight, and we hiked at a local wildlife preserve. We saw a Mr. and Mrs. Mountain Bluebird, a Ruddy Duck, and a Birddog-in-training named Annie.

Today’s pro-tip for taking photos on low-contrast cloudy days: use HDR Stack if your camera has the setting or take three pictures with different exposures settings: low, medium, and high. Then, create an HDR Stack in Lightroom.

There are two new pro-tips for me:

1. There is such a thing as an overnight layover.

2. When on an overnight layover, your checked luggage does not go with you.

Now that we’re here, Lee has been taking action photos of us snow tubing. Pro tip: sports mode can be fun for beginners!

Lee entered a split-photo wall image, US 1: The Beginning on canvas.  Both were mounted by us using reclaimed wood from the lobster traps we picked up from Islamorada last weekend. 

Pro-tip #1 for the frames: get a miter box.

Pro-tip #2 for US 1: 30-second exposure taken of cars driving by.

I feel that I have a pretty good chance of winning, because Toby, our cat, has promised his vote to me. However, it is up to the rest of our artist community to determine the winner. Unfortunately, our kids are not persuaded by kitty treats. Who will be the winner?  We shall see…

Elizabeth