And The Winner Is...

Lately I've been feeling a bit more artsy with my photography.

Wanting to step outside the box a bit and try new things, look at things from different angles.

And I've come to appreciate how color can transform some things...


 

While other things look even more beautiful without any color at all.

I think that that truly is the beauty of art, and especially photography, that depending on your mood, where you are in your life, what you find beautiful at any given moment helps you in the creative process.  I love how one day bold bright colors are my thing, and then the next I'm seeking a more subdued look to my images.  How fun that I get to live in a time when I can satisfy all of my creative urges!

Ok, so now on to the winner of my latest Giveaway.  Mr. Tide, my trusty number selector, chose lucky #5...Z of Old Grey Mare.  Z and I met through the lovely Chania, and I'm happy that Z, who has been a faithful follower of my blog for a long while now, finally won something! 

Just shoot me an email Z and we can discuss which image you would like and which frame you want to use!

Don't Wait...

Spread your wings and soar...

I love this song and the powerful lyrics...like this line

*See in your hands, the world is yours* 

I hope this weekend you all spread your wings and soar!  (P.S. Thanks Kate!)

I've Been Framed

After a long day of working yesterday, Mr. Tide and I decided we would head out for a walk on the beach.  It isn't a beach right by our house, but one a little ways from where we live that we like to visit.

The skies were blue and there was a nice crisp chill in the air.  Mr. Tide thought I was crazy for wearing a light jacket, but I thought it felt refreshing.

Each morning when I wake up, I look out the window in our bedroom and on days like this, when the air has a nip in it and there isn't a cloud in the sky, I can see the houses on the opposite shoreline of the river.

Those houses are 5 miles away, so being able to see them is something that goes away when the hot hazy days of summer roll around.

These images were all taken from a beach on another river at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and it was so clear yesterday that I could see the land all the way across the Bay.  That is even more impressive than seeing just 5 miles across the river where we live because it's a whopping 12+ miles across the bay at that particular point!

Maybe I have a bit of ancient mariner in my blood, because for as long as I can remember I have always been thrilled to be able to see that far across the bay.  It's as if a part of me once knew that spotting land after a long journey meant you were almost home.

Also yesterday I took some pictures of a few of my latest projects.  I've had some of my images professionally framed and I'm really pleased with how they've turned out.

I found out yesterday while trying to photograph these that because we have added so many windows to this house that it is nearly impossible to find a dark, reflection free place to take pictures of my pictures.

These were all shot in a tiny hallway by my laundry room, and even there you can see that there are reflections of the windows, my camera, the tripod, whatever, in nearly every image.  And the colors are a little off, but that's to be expected when you don't have a nice set up for photographing framed artwork.

But hopefully you can get the gist of how they look.  I especially love the faux bamboo frame that surrounds the orchid picture, it just gives it a little added oomph I think.  Sorry it has the little corner protectors on it, I couldn't remove them from all of the pictures without a lot of trouble so I just left them on.

And I also love the barnwood frames used for the horse photo above and the boats image as well.  The horse pictured actually belongs to friends of ours.  This picture is a gift to them, let's hope she doesn't read this particular blog post before I give it to her in a few weeks!

So, there you have it, what I've been working on.  If you would like to have one of my framed giclee prints to hang on your wall be sure to check out my latest Giveway by clicking HERE.  You don't have to choose one of these images, or even one of these frames, but these will at least give you an idea of what yours might look like, so hurry on over and join my Giveaway, you have until Friday!  

Thank you!

Sponsors and Springtime Giveaway

I've slowly but surely been putting out my Easter decor since the holiday is just around the corner.  But this post is about more than Easter decor, so be sure to scroll ALL the way to the bottom of the post, to meet my new sponsor and to find out about my giveaway to celebrate hitting the 900 follower mark!

I know it's a LONG post, but hopefully the Giveaway at the bottom and the discount code for my new sponsor will make it all worthwhile!

I wanted to introduce you to a new sponsor with this post, but also to let you know that I've decided to monetize my blog...I can hear some of you groaning and I understand.

I won't make excuses or give you reasons why I feel justified in doing so.  It is my blog after all, but I did at least want to let you know that you will be seeing a few ads on here through Blogher in the near future.  I just felt like it was time, and if it covers a hair appointment, or puts a little gas in my car each month, well then that'd be just fine by me.

Now back to my new sponsor.  All of the sponsors you see on my sidebar have not paid me in cash, but instead have paid me through wonderful giveaway items I have shared with you all over the 2 years I've been blogging.  As a thank you for those giveaway items, I have included them in my sidebar.   And I have a personal connection with each of my sponsors, so that makes them all the more special to me.

So now, without further adieu, meet my new Sponsor!!!  I know all of you gallery wall lovin' people are going to love this company!

 

My newest sponsor is Five Dollar Frames.  A company which sells wonderful frames at great prices and they come in a huge variety of sizes.  But don't let the name fool you, these aren't dollar store frames people, these are high quality frames at discount prices.  And the best part is they have graciously offered my readers a discount, so read on to find out more and to get the scoop on the Giveaway!

When you make an order on the 5 Dollar Frames site you can receive a 10% discount (valid until June 30th, 2012) just for being a reader of my blog...yay!  Just be sure to enter the code LTHS12 at checkout to receive the discount!

Now for the Giveaway...are you still with me people?!  Since I somehow managed to get 900 hundred crazy people to follow this little 'ole blog of mine, I decided I should go ahead and host a giveaway to say thank you for all you do to keep me motivated to walk around in my PJs snapping pictures day after day...ok I do get dressed most days! ;-)

Since my new sponsor offers frames, I thought I would offer you all something to put into one of their frames.  So the giveaway is for one of my prints, but not just any old print, how about an 12 x 18 (or smaller if you prefer) Giclee printed on beautiful specialty Epson cotton rag paper from their Exhibition Line.  This line of acid and lignin free archival paper is well regarded by museums and top photographers alike for producing beautiful images with rich, true colors.   

If you win, you can choose your print from my website Kat Warren Photography and a frame from 5 Dollar Frames and we will ship you a custom framed Giclee print that will last for generations to come.  It's my way of saying thanks a bunch for following along and listening to my crazy ramblings!

To see examples of some of my framed artwork you can go to my most recent post, simply click on my header to get to today's post.

So here are the dreaded rules for the Giveaway which will end on Friday March 30th, 2012 at Midnight!

1.   You must be a follower of Low Tide High Style to be entered.  Please leave a comment letting me know you follow!  And if you're not currently a follower, well join the party, and let me know by leaving a comment that you have!

2.  For a second chance to win you can blog, FB, Tweet, or stop people on the street to tell them about the giveaway.  But be sure to leave a second comment letting me know you've done that.

*** Please do not comment on my FB page or sadly your comments won't get entered.  In the past I have added the FB comments to my giveaway, but it just gets too complicated, so please leave ALL comments on here, thank you! ***

Iris

It was a lovely weekend here at LTHS.  On Friday evening, we went out in the kayaks for the first time this year.  It was the earliest we've ever been out in them since we moved in nearly 5 years ago, and although the water temps were still quite chilly, the air temps were just too good to pass up.

Saturday, our daughter Angelfish and her dear friend "S" came for a quick visit and we had lunch at a favorite restaurant.  It was wonderful to have everyone together for lunch, including our son. 

After our daughter and her friend headed back up the road, our son Bugs decided he and a friend would spend the night at our cabin, so Mr. Tide and I settled in for a quiet evening alone with a movie and big bowls of soup.

If you knew me in real life you would say, "what, you ate soup?!"  You see I sort of hate soup, but as the day wore on it got colder and it was rainy, so soup sounded good to me...a rarity. 

The movie we watched was not for the fainthearted as the subject matter is about the atrocities of WWII, but it was so well done and well worth watching, I highly recommend it!  It, stars Kristin Scott Thomas (such a wonderful actress) and it is called Sarah's Key.   HERE is a link to the trailer for the movie and just be forewarned that you will want a few tissues close by when you watch it.

Today was somewhat dreary, with showers off and on and much lower temps than we've had the past few weeks, but I won't complain, we've been very fortunate to have had incredible weather for this time of year.

And that weather has given us so many beautiful flowers, including this lone Iris that Mr. Tide cut and brought in for me to photograph.  I wish you could smell it, the scent is beyond amazing.  

I hope you each have a wonderful week, and if you do watch Sarah's Key, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Cherry Pink

I hope you each...

Have a...

Simply beautiful weekend...

No matter what you have planned!

And in honor of my trumpet playing husband, a little music to get you started.  I bet many of you have heard this song, but never knew what the title was..*Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White*...how apropos!

Yesterday, before I got going for the day I noticed a few visitors down by the water...a lovely Great Egret aka Great White Egret aka Great White Heron.  Apparently this species of egret needs a few aliases, hmm makes you wonder why?! ;)

These lovely birds are so graceful and elegant, and after reading a little about them today I realized that I had accidentally captured something exciting...see that green around his/her eyes?   That is referred to as the Lores...or feathers between the eye and bill, and it is normally yellow in color on the Great Egret, except when it's mating season, then it turns the lovely shade of green you see above!

There were actually 3 Great Egrets just off of our pier yesterday, but I only got close enough to one of them to snap a few pictures.  I kept my distance, but eventually it took off with one of the other egrets and down the creek it went.

I just love where I live and all that it has to offer, I consider myself more than a little lucky and oh so fortunate!

To be able to look out my back door and see such beauty, and learn something new...like what color a Great Egret's Lores are during mating season...wow, how cool is that?!

Of course I never leave well enough alone, and have to play around with my images, but by doing so it makes me discover even more about my subject matter, and I love that too!

I also stumbled across this lovely poem by poet Judith Wright (who it seems was not just a wonderful poet, but a great woman!) while looking up info on Great Egrets.

Once as I travelled through a quiet evening,
I saw a pool, jet-black and mirror-still.
Beyond, the slender paperbarks stood crowding;
each on its own white image looked its fill,
and nothing moved but thirty egrets wading -
thirty egrets in a quiet evening.

Once in a lifetime, lovely past believing,
your lucky eyes may light on such a pool.
As though for many years I had been waiting,
I watched in silence, till my heart was full
of clear dark water, and white trees unmoving,
and, whiter yet, those thirty egrets wading.

Lovin' Spoonful

Last weekend I attended the monthly Vintage Source sale.   I swear, I don't need another thing, but every month I still go, just to see what they have. 

I go because I love the girls who run the shop, and because I know I will always find something I can't live without...like old silverplate.  There is just something so wonderful about the patina of it that draws me in like a fly to honey.

Of course I found some I just had to have, including this beautiful old berry spoon.  I mean come on, just look at that delicate pattern and beautiful tarnish...you know you would have grabbed it too if you had been there...it was 5 bucks for heaven's sake!

It goes so well with the old tarnished silverplate footed goblets I use to hold desserts.

And the handle of my swanky new berry spoon is lovely too, see that pretty beading along the edge?

While I was at it, I went ahead and picked up some silverplated dessert forks from the Vintage Source too.   I mean, you can't be served yummy berries from a beautiful spoon, gently ladled into a pretty dessert dish and then be expected to eat them with your fingers right?!  Though that may or may not have happened while I was photographing these organic raspberries.

You can however lick the spoon if you are the only one around...after you've served everyone else...that last part is very important!

Did I mention that this shoot required a good deal of taste testing...that is so important when you photograph yummy things.

Thank you Vintage Source for keeping me civilized, my grandmother would be very proud!  And no I'm not a paid spokesmodel for The Vintage Source, I'm just under their spell, like half of southern Maryland and beyond!  See you next month ladies!!!

Happy Spring

(little birdie texture from French Kiss)

Can you believe it's the first day of Spring?!  All I can say is YAY!  Happy First Day of Spring to those of us in the northern hemisphere!

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments about my macro shots.  It's not that I wasn't happy with them, but when Blogger gets a hold of images, it either samples them or compresses them, I'm not sure which, but the result is that the images are degraded from how they look outside of blogger.  Usually I don't care, but with macro shots, clean crisp images are the name of the game.

Now, get outside and enjoy this first day of Spring...that's what I'm going to do!

Up Close and Personal

No words today, I'm off to work, but I thought I would share a few up close and personal images from my yard.  I wish Blogger didn't compress my images and make them way less sharp when I post them on here...sigh!

I hope you each have a wonderful day!