Tag Archives: travel photography

Photo(s) of the Day – Purposely Lost in the Highlands of Scotland

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Aside from my latest post on the Cliffs of Moher, my focus has been primarily on Scotland because, admittedly, I was completely awestruck the entire time we were driving through the country. From Edinburgh all the way up in to the farthest reaches of the Highlands, I was amazed at the scenery, the people and, of course, the photographic opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I have several hundred photographs to sort through from Ireland, which is also an amazingly beautiful country in it’s own right but my focus in the last several days has been taking a trip down memory lane and sorting and editing those from Scotland.

One of the things I loved the most about Scotland was driving through remote areas where a small cottage or thatch roof fishing hut would suddenly pop up. There was nothing or no one else around for miles but there was this little structure smack in the middle of the very rustic landscape.

Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

Not all structures were remote. We came across one very beautiful home when we got a bit lost in Dumfries, in the northern most Highlands. To me, this was quintessential Scotland. Beautiful rolling hills, of course complete with sheep, surrounding a farmhouse, in this case the beautiful blue sky complementing the butter yellow of the house’s facade.

Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

There was no shortage of amazing scenery in Scotland, that’s for sure. Even a run down little shack made for a good subject…

Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

I look forward to going back to Scotland to explore more of this amazing country. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for reminding myself of my wonderful trip with my photographs.

Enjoy!
*tracey*

Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

Photo of the Day – Watch

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Watch – Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

Remember my “obsession” with all things dogwood a few weeks back? Well, during my trip to Scotland and Ireland my obsession switched to photographing sheep. It’s not difficult… drive through Scotland, especially, and you’ll come across a flock of sheep every two minutes. (and in places you would never expect, like a very rocky ledge along a single track road in the Northern Highlands)

Today’s Photo of the Day, “Watch” is one of the first I took on the trip. It was a rather misty day and this particular field had the most beautiful lemon yellow and sage hue to it. The sheep were having a lazy day (did you know some of them bend their front legs and rest on them while they eat? I didn’t) grazing in the field so I took advantage of the perfect scene. I loved that this particular ram stopped what he was doing to watch me. (it may have been because my aunt was “speaking” to them… I’m not sure :) )

Still working my way through all my photos and I have a lot of new ones to dish up as Photos of the Day so stay tuned!

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day – Mini Farm

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Mini Farm – Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

I’m on 487 of 1200 photos in the review/editing process and decided to take a little break and “play” with one of my photos. Using what I dare say is the “wickedly awesome” new tilt shift blur filter in Photoshop CS6 I added some tilt shift action to a photograph I took of a beautiful Scottish farm nestled in a beautiful valley I was able to shoot from above on the drive to the Isle of Skye.

If you didn’t get a chance to download and try the beta version of CS6, it is now available for purchase (as either an upgrade or new purchase) at Adobe.com. Applying the tilt shift (as well as iris and field blurs) are easier than ever if you don’t feel like whipping out the tilt shift lenses (or didn’t bring them along like me :) )

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo(s) of the Day – The Cliffs of Moher

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“Cliffs of Moher” – Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

I count myself very lucky that I have had the opportunity to visit the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland twice in a relatively short lifetime. To say that the view is “amazing” is an understatement as it is a truly awe inspiring experience that is not to be missed. If you find yourself in Ireland I dare say you should make it a point to get to The Burren in Clare County and visit the Cliffs even if it means forgoing other sites.

“O’Brien’s Tower” – Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

The day we visited the Cliffs it was a very gusty, cold and rainy day but it didn’t hamper our good time. While we did forgo the hike up to the top of the one side without rails (it really wasn’t the right time of year for “cliff diving” accidental or otherwise :) ) we did take a hike up to O’Brien’s Tower, albeit feeling like mimes “walking against wind” the whole time.

“Cliffs of Moher No 2″ – Tracey Capone Photography © 2012

I still have about 900+ photos to go through from the trip, reliving the trip with each photograph :)

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo(s) of the Day- Have Your Camera at the Ready

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Tracey Capone Photography 2012

I get asked all the time whether I carry a camera with me everywhere and, for the most part, the answer to that question is yes. To take that one step further, when I have my camera with me, it’s always accessible and ready to go at a moments notice because I’ve found that some of the best shots are those which are not planned for and therefore least expected.

At the risk of having a “tourist” sign taped to my back, if I am on a trip, the camera rarely gets put away because you just never know what you’re going to happen upon. Whether it be street performers in Montemartre (above) or this squirrel deciding to hang upside down in St. James Park in London while eating his lunch, the possibilities are endless while traveling.

Are you new to the world of photography? In past posts I’ve talked about taking your camera out and practicing as much as possible (remember, it’s playing with light, you can’t break anything) and the same holds here. Practice grabbing your camera and shooting a “spontaneous scene.” So it might end up being a picture of your dog yawning, and sure it might look a bit odd whipping your camera out at a moments notice when your neighbor goes out to get the paper…no big deal. The point is getting the practice in with the camera for those times when you don’t want to miss the shot simply because you don’t understand your camera as much as you should.

You never know where you’re going to find a perfect subject, this leaf, with a single ray of sunlight peeking through the trees and hitting it perfectly, was only about a mile from my apartment. Some of my regular readers might also remember my post with the lounging chipmunk. How often do you come across a chipmunk sleeping in a tree?  It’s about keeping your eyes peeled and your camera at the ready.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- The Venetian Garden

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"The Venetian Garden" - Tracey Capone Photography

I’m so happy to be a photographer for many reasons, one of which is that, if I can’t remember certain aspects of a trip, I can always go back and revisit it through my photos. Good thing too because halfway through the last trip to Italy I came down with one of the worst flu bugs I have had in quite some time and was basically walking around in a haze. (possibly in part to the wonderful over the counter medications that they sell in Italy… perhaps a bonus to not having an FDA?)

Given the fever was wreaking havoc on my head, it’s been wonderful to be able to go back through pictures from the visits to Rome, Florence and Venice and relive some of what I missed at the time. (thankfully, fevers don’t prevent the shutter finger from working)

Today’s Photo of the Day, “The Venetian Garden” is one of those photographs that really sums up the experience in Venice and helps me remember just how beautiful it was. Of course, Venice is surrounded completely by water and has canals running through it so backyard gardens that you may see in other parts of Italy aren’t really happening here. Many of the residents work with what they have, namely in using beautiful window boxes and terrace gardens to make up for what they lack in yard. I loved this arrangement against the beautiful stucco of the home and the rustic shutters.

I will definitely go back to Venice one day soon just so that I can (hopefully) walk around in a less partially comatose state but, in the meantime, I have my photographs.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- “Line of Sight”

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"Line of Sight" - Tracey Capone Photography

Today’s Photo of the Day, “Line of Sight” is one of the original pieces in my gallery and, to this day, one of my favorite. Taken in Dublin, Ireland, it is an abstract photograph of the Temple Bar area as seen from across the River Liffey. You wouldn’t know it from this rather calm picture but it was a rather wild and crazy day in Dublin that day as it was shot on St. Patrick’s Day just after the parade. A sea of people, and many pints of Guinness, are just on the other side of those buildings; it was rather nice to be able to step away from it all and capture this calm shot of the city.

Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend! I myself am looking forward to some cool but sunny weather tomorrow and getting out with my camera to get some new shots of Chicago. Stay tuned!

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- “Charcuterie”

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"Charcuterie" - Tracey Capone Photography

I would have to say that, of any area I visit when visiting Paris, Montmartre is my favorite. Not only for the numerous rustic doors and windows I happen upon but because of the quaint little cafes, bistros and sandwich shops lining the cobblestone streets heading up to Sacré Cœur.

If you decide to visit Montmartre, your best best is to take the Metro to the district of Pigalle where you’ll find the infamous Moulin Rouge. From there, you can either take the funicular or hike up the very steep stairs from the bottom to the top (I counted 225… while they may not jive with Parisian fashion, I would recommend sneakers if you’re going to go with the latter option).

While about halfway up I was extremely jealous of those who opted to take the funicular, I would have missed out on so many of what turned out to be some of my favorite photos from the trip. That includes today’s Photo of the Day, “Charcuterie.” Just across from where I shot “The Bistro” and directly across the street from “No. 3,” I loved this quaint little sandwich shop lined with colorful bottles of Italian sodas and boasting some of the most amazing desserts I have ever seen.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- “Beyond”

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"Beyond" - Tracey Capone Photography

My love of door photography well established, I thought I would move in to the realm of my other love, windows and shutters. I gave a sneak peek of that obsession when I introduced, “No. 45” and it continues with one of my newer pieces, today’s Photo of the Day, “Beyond” taken in Venice, Italy.

What lies beyond these beautifully rustic, emerald green shutters? Who lives there? What is their story?

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Photo of the Day- Grande Dame

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"Grande Dame" - Tracey Capone Photography

Today’s Photo of the Day, “Grande Dame” of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is a pretty simple  black and white photograph at first glance but, one of the reasons I love it so much is for the same reasons I loved how “A Study in Light” turned out. I love how light and shadow mix and play with one another and nothing brings that out better than a black and white photograph.

With the sun bouncing off the top of the billowy clouds, casting a shadow on the bottom, they end up billowy yet prominent. The black and white tones brought out how the sun was hitting a particular spot in the grass just in front of me which was barely noticeable in person.

In the end, I felt like the sun and shadows gave the photograph an almost platinum tone, a beautiful mix highlights and shadow, spotlighting one of the most amazing architectural creations in history.

Today starts my vacation I have labeled, “My Week of Doing Whatever I Darn Well Please” (admittedly, I’ve kind of cleaned that up for the purposes of the blog) so be sure to check in for some photos from a few road trips I have planned, including Route 66 which I am so fortunate starts right here in Chicago, and some new tutorials I’ve been pulling together. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Enjoy!

*tracey*