1st Place Ribbon Brazoria County Fair

1st Place Ribbon Brazoria County Fair, a photo by HappeningsPhoto-rhondaholcomb on Flickr.

My entry of "Melody" won a first place, blue ribbon at the Brazoria County Fair and Rodeo Photography Contest.

Via Flickr:
won a 1st Place ribbon for my entry, "Melody" in the Brazoria County Fair Photography Contest. Two of my other entries placed also but this one is my favorite. :D


printed on Metallic Paper

This one also won a first place blue ribbon ...

Hummingbird 2011

Sorry I've been absent lately-
but I'm so excited that I just had to share the picture of the humming bird that I captured today. I've been photographing these beauties every season for the last four years and I feel this is my best capture yet.


I used a tripod, live view, and off camera flash.
I love the catch lights in its eye. :D Makes me happy!

I haven't forgotten about the blog that I promised to write about using extension tubes - I'll post it soon.

Things are not always as they seem in life and in nature.

I spent the afternoon with my teenage sons at Brazos Bend State Park yesterday and as we were leaving, I saw what I thought was a white butterfly flickering around but on closer inspection it was this dragonfly on a leaf. The back light on the leaf & wings combined with the sun sparkles in the background and on the spider web was so beautiful!! I composed my shot and took it all in.

I couldn't wait to get home to look at it closer and I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw.  At first, I thought the shadow on the back of the leaf was a dragonfly, but quickly realized after I zoomed in that it was a dry fly.  Double coolness!!!

This photo represents my week in life lessons as well.  Things are not always as they seem and that's why it's a good thing to wait before jumping to any conclusions.

Always when judging

Who people are,

Remember to footnote

The words "So far."

~Robert Brault

Happy Friday!
Rhonda

Introducing Fine Art/ Nature Wallpapers Set 2 by Rhonda Holcomb

Announcing: Set 2 of Digital Wallpapers by Rhonda Holcomb are available for purchase.  Download just one or download the entire set by clicking the buy button and then scroll down to
All Digital Downloads. 
This set has a fiery theme.





Enjoy!
Rhonda

Yay! It finally rained.

Yay! It finally rained., a photo by HappeningsPhoto-rhondaholcomb on Flickr.

Yesterday, Betty and I went on a photo adventure and decided to go to Brazos Bend State Park. We were there only 30 min when the storm clouds rolled in. Yay! It finally rained in Brazoria County! Everyone was happy! My camera isn't waterproof so being the practical one, I put a garbage bag over my head to protect my gear. It was fun and you really do see differently when only looking through one eye.



www.flickr.com/photos/bettytimm/6082500489/

I didn't have a smaller bag or I would have put it over the camera.
It was a fun filled day and the rain was a welcome refreshment. :-)

Working For The Weekend

I spent the weekend practicing with and using my new extension tubes.
I'm so excited about my new extension tubes but I'll blog more about that at a later date.
Right now, I'm posting my entry into Brian Matiash's contest that he's having over at Google +
The winner gets a free copy of the onOne Perfect Photo Suite

Thanks Brian!

P.S. I used your texture brush on several of these images.

Here's my entry

Working For The Weekend

From Movies

Breaking rule # 5 and finding my style

I took this picture after a night of skating with family at our local skating rink. Some of the rules would still be relevant for today's youth, but I think it's time to update their sign. :)
I couldn't imagine my boys skating with tucked in shirt tails because tucked in shirt tails are for Church, not the skating rink!!!
I couldn't imagine myself wearing a shirt with it buttoned all the way to top either because that’s just way too restrictive. Choke, choke!

RULES and Finding my Style
If I were to go back in time to 1978 I'd imagine this rule was broken by a lot of roller skaters. Why? It was probably outdated even at that time. I'd imagine some of the rules were strictly enforced while others were overlooked, depending on who was managing the rink that night. If it were a religious person managing the rink, then they wouldn't have put up with a 1978 Disco Dancing stud with his shirt unbuttoned half way down to his belly button.  However, if it was a cool cat running the rink, then he would have overlooked it.

How does this relate to finding my style? The past couple of weeks I've been trying to write a good "About Me" section on my website. I don't know if other photographers and artists have the same problem but I'm finding it very difficult to describe who I am and what my style is in a few sentences. I have looked at others websites and some describe their style in that section, when I get to that part I become stuck and can't continue. Well, after taking this picture, combined watching two movies where the main characters discover who they are, I've found out a little about myself.

I like rules! Rules are my friend :-) Rules guide and direct me but most importantly if I follow them I stay out of trouble. I’ve always been a rule follower and it’s helped me out in photography.
But when I first started out, I didn’t know the rules. I didn’t have any restrictions. I just had fun and played! I played with settings, played with angles, and (gasp) I didn’t use a tripod. Those were fun times, for sure.
Back then, I posted one of my pictures of a sunset which I felt was beautiful and someone made a comment that they liked the tilted horizon.  Huh? What is tilting? I didn't even know what they were talking about, so I researched and found out that there were rules for Sunsets, several in fact.

What was I to do with these new rules? I learned them is what I did. I put them into practice, but at the time it seemed to hinder the creative process took the fun out of it.
I was used to just going out with a curious eye and capturing a moment and a mood.   Now, I was forced to slow down, remember the rule and still make a pretty picture.
It was extremely difficult at first to be creative. However, after a while of practice, eventually I began to take the rules and combine them with my creativity.  As time went on,  the blending of the two became a natural thing.  It felt wonderful to take my new learned skill and create even something more beautiful to me than before I knew the rule.
Now days when I approach a sunset picture, I know not to put the horizon in the middle but I still tilt it if I want. :)


Maybe there’s a rule about TILTING but those who like tilting will overlook the rule, right?

I’d love to hear how you came up with an “About Me” section on your website or blog.
Did you include your style or just list the obvious like you’re a photographer, where you’re from and what you do.