Nature's Allure - Beauty by Nature. Photos by Michelle: Blog

Invitation to Art in the Park Art Show-Attend a Local Art Show

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:18:55 GMT

Looking for some excitement in your life? Attending a local art show can help you re-connect with those in your community and with values that you share with your community.

Do you like photographs? Are yours still on your phone? Buy a photo that brings you joy from a local photographer and hang it on your wall.

Jewelry is always popular at art shows and I have personally purchased some great jewelry at Lawrence Art in the Park in the past.

Mothers Day is coming. Take your mom with you to the art show and buy her something that brings her joy.

Visit with the artists whose work you enjoy. Join their e-mail list and you may learn about new events when they tell you about other events exhibiting their work. Ask questions. Many artists have occasional classes where you can learn more about how to paint, take photos, sculpt or make jewelry.

Please join me in celebrating spring and the local arts community in Lawrence, KS on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Lawrence Art in the Park. This will be the 54th annual show! It is located in South Park, 12th & Massachusetts, at the south end of downtown Lawrence. The hours are from 10:00am - 5:00p.m.

I will be exhibiting with the Lawrence Photo Alliance booth. Booth locations are announced the morning of the show so look for the booth with multiple photographers! I will have my best-selling cat photos, some interesting Paris photos and a variety of Kansas landscape photos. I will also have my notecards available for sale.

See you there!

Invitation to Juried Show at Images Art Gallery

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 23:15:01 GMT

You are invited to see 3 of my photos,"The Trees", "Watkins Mill" and "Lady in Paris" which were accepted into the Images Gallery Juried Art Show. The Images Gallery is located in downtown Overland Park at 7320 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS and the show runs through May 8, 2015.

3 Top Photography Mistakes

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:20:57 GMT

Want to improve your photographs? Take these actions BEFORE you click the shutter and you will have better photos.

1. If in Auto Mode - Do you have the camera in the correct auto mode? This affects what will be in focus in your photo. Do not use the mode with the mountains when you are taking pictures of your cat or you will have missed capturing that wonderful moment with your cat. You may have a blurry cat and a very sharp focus on the wall behind the cat!

2. Do you have your subject in the light? Many times if you move a few feet or turn around the light will be better on your subject. Take 30 more seconds to try to get a better angle or a better background and you will have a better photo.

3. Is your subject centered? Add visual interest by using the Rule of Thirds and putting the subject of your photograph somewhere other than the center of your photo.

Enjoy!

Squaw Creek BirdI took this photo at Squaw Creek Wildlife Reserve. I hope you enjoy studyingand collecting the beauty of nature through my contemporary nature photographs.

Remember Paris - R.G. Endres Gallery State of the Arts Exhibit

Sun, 12 Oct 2014 20:00:52 GMT

Remember Paris! Want to go to Paris? "Paris Street Corner" is the title of my photo that was accepted into the juried show that opened on Friday, October 10 at the R.G. Endres Gallery, 7700 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS. This opening is always a lot of fun with great food, music and great art patrons. Enjoy the work of many artists at the annual State of the Arts exhibit. The exhibit will be open 9-5 weekdays during October.

Kelly Kuhn, Owner of Blue Gallery was the juror for this show.

For those who know me as a person who loves color, yes this is a big departure from my usual art photographs. I like the mood the photo creates when I took-out the color. Enjoy!

Invitation to Art Show Opening - Visions of the Flint Hills

Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:26:29 GMT

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What are you doing on Friday night? Four of my limited edition art photographs have been included in a great art show, Visions of the Flint Hills, which opens Friday evening at the Buttonwood Art Space, 3013 Main St., Kansas City, MO. The opening is on First Friday so make an evening of it. Visit this show, other art events in the Crossroads Art District and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant or the food trucks!

One of my photos in the show is of the Clements Stone Arch Bridge in Chase County, KS. Look at that stonework! It was completed in 1888. Just think of all of all the modern tools we utilize that they did not have. This beautiful stone bridge is now open only to foot traffic.

Those of you who know me well know that I love the wide-open space of the tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills. This art show is a benefit for Friends of the Konza Prairie, a non-profit which helps support the 8600 acre Konza Prairie near Manhattan, KS. The show runs through November 28 so even if you cannot make the opening, stop by later in October. All of the art in this show is to depict or are derived from the Flint Hills area of Kansas.

Notice Your Background - Even Cute Puppies Need a Good Background

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 01:55:02 GMT

Just for fun, I went to the local dog off leash park today and took my camera. Thinking about the position of the sun, I found a spot and settled in on what I hoped was some clean grass to take photos of whatever dogs wandered by me. I soon figured out that many of the dogs would be in an area where my photos would include the fence and parking lot as the background.

Even a cute dog like this needs a better background!

When you start to take photos from a certain spot, remember to stop after a few photos and notice things in your photos that you missed in your initial excitement of capturing a cute dog trotting across the grass. This can save you from going home with photos with a fence and cars in the background and you will have more photos with a rail fence and sky or grass and trees in the background. Sometimes you can stay in the same spot and just turn right or left to locate a much better background for your subject.

Nature's Allure, Inc. - First Blog Post

Sun, 17 Aug 2014 14:53:13 GMT

My first blog post is about a presentation I gave on photography last weekend. It is titled "How to Take Better Photos in Auto Mode." Can you guess the two things which can make your photos wall-worthy?

First, make sure you are in the auto mode that matches your situation. Don't use the indoors/party mode when you are taking photos of fireworks!

Second, learn the basic rules of composition and try to use them. Your friends and family will be impressed with your photos.

Thank you to photographer who shared this photo with me. Great that it captured both flags also.

Keep checking back for information about my photos and more tips to help improve your own photos.