Camera Color Fun

While in Memphis, Tennessee recently, I enjoyed playing with the Selective Color function on my new Nikon D5100 camera.  I had only used the function once before and didn’t have the manual with me while my friend Cindy and I were walking around.  After 15 minutes of determined concentration, I figured it out.

These beautiful pink flowers in combination with our colorful dresses were the inspiration…

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Cindy and I both liked this photo of my hair swinging…

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Playin’ the Blues in Memphis

If you ever visit Memphis, you should stop in B.B. Kings Restaurant and Blues Club for some great Blues music!  The other evening I had so much fun dancing to the music of the B.B. King Allstars band.  Of course, I took some photos in between…

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Art in Unexpected Places

Beale Street in Memphis is a pedestrian only street with bars, restaurants and shops that runs about two blocks.  Monday evening, Cindy and I stopped to talk to this street artist.  We were asking his opinion on the best places to eat and he tried to persuade us to have our “reality” caricature done by him in about ten minutes.  I explained that I’m not into buying more “things” for my house because I prefer to collect experiences rather than things.

Anyway, it was fun to watch him in action.  He is quite talented…

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Most photographers love the time of day before sunset or sunrise because the lighting is so pretty.  This was a courtyard along Beale Street…

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When I first took this photo of a small section of a fountain, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out because of the dim lighting, but I loved the outcome.  I am always fascinated with the concept that art is all around us…if we open our eyes!

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There’s more to Memphis than Elvis

My first full day in Memphis started with a walk towards Beale Street.  These balls outside of the FedExForum are a fun photography prop…

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Walkin’ in Memphis

We’re here in Memphis!  Having arrived around 3pm their time, my friend Cindy and I checked into our room and then went “Walkin’ in Memphis”.  Come along to see what we saw…

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Last Minute Trip to Memphis

I’m a lucky girl!  I’m a lucky girl!  Goin’ to Memphis for the very first time in a couple of days with a girlfriend.  What fun we’ll have…new people to meet…new things to see.  We’ll be within walking distance of the famous Beale Street and the Riverwalk.  If any one has any recommendations of places to eat, things to see…please share.

Here’s a photo from the other night…

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Sending you all positive thoughts, prayers and happiness!

Life is Good

Life is good!  I have so many wonderful things to be grateful for!  I was contacted by the PR for Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana after I marketed a blog post of my visit to their casino onto their Facebook page.  They would like me to be their guest for dinner, dancing and overnight…for both a date night and with girlfriends (up to 10)!  Woo hoo!  So, I’m in the planning stages of that…checking with friends to see when they’re available.  Seems to make you quite popular on Facebook!

And…I’m buying a real DSLR camera in the next few days…a Nikon D-5100 with a 18-200mm lenses!  I’ve been using an Olympus PEN for the last year or two and can’t wait to have a “big girl” camera!

Here are some photos from the last week in my life.  Driving on country roads on my way to the Dirty Girl Mud Run in Clarksville, Ohio at sunrise…

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Across the street from that beautiful barn…some cool landscape…

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I went to lunch with a girlfriend that I haven’t socialized with in almost 5 years at the Dilly Cafe in Mariemont, Ohio and encountered this very unique individual at the restaurant.  He was conversing with a couple of men and I kindly interrupted and requested permission to take his photograph because of his uniqueness.  Notice the “Pull & Pray” behind him.  He obliged…

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The Art of Change

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I took this photo the other night at Newport on the Levee

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Itinerary for Great Smokey Mountains Nat’l Park

I’m in the midst of preparing an itinerary for a last-minute trip to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park for this weekend!  I found the cutest studio cottage for only $60 a night–10 miles from Gatlinburg, situated on 2 acres–with a pond.  Here are some photos from the owner’s site…

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Top of the Rock

My three-day exploration of New York City ended with a trip to the “Top of the Rock” aka 30 Rockefeller Plaza.  If you remember Molly, she accompanied me and we waited in line to buy our $27 ticket to the top.  I wanted to see the views before dusk and at sunset, so we timed it just right and were at the top for about 30 minutes.

This is my final shot before taking the elevator down 70 floors to the bottom.  You can see the Empire State Building

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Bicycling Through Central Park

I highly recommend taking a guided bicycle tour of Central Park!  There are lots of companies to choose from and I chose a company called Must See Central Park for a 2 hour $45 tour.  The tour ended up taking 2 1/2 hours because the tour guide was very laid back.  There were four others on the tour, not including the guide, which made it nice to be able to stop and take photographs a little more often.  The guide informed us that there are 15 entrances to Central Park and it’s 1.5 miles long, with a 6 mile circumference.

A few other tid bits of info…the Park encompasses 6% of Manhattan; 38 million people visit the Park per year ( I wonder how they know?); there are 21 playgrounds; 24,000 trees; 9,000 benches; and the Park closes at 1am and reopens at 6am.

We saw the Conservatory Water Pond where you can rent a sailboat…

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Walking Across Brooklyn Bridge

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge seems to be a touristy thing to do.  I questioned a number of native New Yorker’s about the experience, and none of them had ever done it!  I had read that walking from the Brooklyn side to Manhattan was the best way to appreciate it, so I took the subway from Brooklyn into Manhattan, transferred to a train back into Brooklyn to High Street, where you find the entrance to the Bridge.  You can either use Google Maps and click on the train/subway emblem for the appropriate subways/times or go to the MTA site.   It’s only a mile across and the views are absolutely breathtaking!

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First Look at Central Park

Central Park holds a certain mystique for those who have never taken a stroll along one of its many lovely paths.  New York City was never on my list of “must visit” destinations, but I have to confess that I was pleasantly surprised.  I felt the same way about Rome.  Before visiting, I envisioned it to be somewhat dirty and more touristy than it was.  Anyway, back to Central Park…after exploring the Rockefeller Center area on my second day in New York City, I had enough time and energy left before heading back to my Couchsurfing host’s home to walk 9 blocks uptown to see for myself what Central Park was like.

What’s not to love about views like this…

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Rockefeller Center in Spring

Rockefeller Center in the Spring is beautiful!  My second day in New York City started with a view of the One World Trade Center, followed by a walk through Little Italy and Chinatown and then a quick subway ride to Rockefeller Center.  I stopped a man in a business suit and asked him what there was to see in the area.  He told me about this area behind the Center with beautiful tulips and fountains.

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Little Italy and Chinatown

All of the information I’ve read about New York City or heard from others recommended taking a stroll through the areas known as Little Italy and Chinatown, so for my second day in the City, I included this in the itinerary!  I had good weather Karma with me…the sky was blue and the temperature in the 60’s.  If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember I started my day with a view of the almost completed One World Trade Center.  You can read about it here.

When I first saw Little Italy, I thought it was very colorful and there were workers in front of their respective restaurants trying to tempt passerby’s with their menus.

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Luckily, I turned around and saw this amazing street art on one of the buildings!  Is it a miniature “Hulk”?

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