Photo a Day. Week 7 of 365 days.

This past week flew by.  What a busy weekend with St. Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day.  A few of this week's images are taken on my cell phone because of a quick trip to Denver over out 4 day break from school.  I hope you enjoy them.

Winter Finch 44/365

Okay, I do have one image, taken on Valentine's Day, that is themed.  This is just one of my little flying hearts from Mexico.  Love these Milagros.

Heart 45/365

And the next few are follow our trip over the weekend.  A hotel room, museum shots, and dinner on the way back home.  And a final image of the week is a photo of the mountain above Santa Fe in the Fall.  Sometimes we get an early snow and it is so beautiful with the fall aspen tree yellow.

Traveling 46/365

Prehistoric 47/365

Art Museum Fun 48/365

Waiting for Dinner 49/365

Aspen and Fir Landscape 50/365

Thanks for stopping by.
Lorissa

Is it Week 6 Already? 365 Photo a Day

Another week has flown by so quickly.  Such a busy month as a mother with long President's Day weekends, science fairs, and Valentine's Day parties. I still manage do post a photo for each day of this week, unfortunately not each day. But no one is perfect.

So this last week was a view back over the last few years.  This photo of a tree trying to survive at White Sands was taken in spring of 2012. I've always loved it, but thought it might not appeal to everyone so I just left it untouched until now.

White Sands Evening 37/365

These beautiful boats can be found in Tarpon Springs, FL.  Oh how I miss the warm weather and the water. I wish I could be a snowbird.

Sponge Dock Evening 38/365

This billboard was along the road in New Mexico at the edge of a Ghost Town.  It doesn't say much but I love the clouds and the light.

Ghost Town Billboard 39/365

This is from a photo shoot a few years ago.  Pressed for time and in an unfamiliar location requested by the client I always wondered if it could have been better.  The clients loved the photos, so it was me not them.  I do think that I have defiantly improved my editing skills since then and like this image much better now.

S with her dog 40/365

I wish I could find the time to travel Route 66 again.  This photo if nearly 5 years old and taken with an older digital camera so enlarging beyond 11x14 might show some digital grain. Oh well, still a great photo.

Soulsby's Shell Station IL 41/365

I love the Folk Art of the Southwest.  These bunnies are so fun.  I have a flying pig in a similar style, and if my cats wouldn't chew on everything I would have more.

Bright Bunnies 42/365

In early summer these trees bloom in my yard.  The provide berries for the birds in fall, but this past spring we had an abundance of moths and they seemed to love these blossoms. 

Summer Moth 43/365

I hope you like them.  Not sure what next week has in store.  If the weather ever warms I have a few things my daughter and I would like to try. One of these days.


Have a wonderful week. And thanks for visiting!
Lorissa

Week 4 Already? check out my 365

First, I want to say, "Thank you!" to those who have been following my progress.
I have to admit that this week I did not feel inspired.  Many days were busy with catching up on things that didn't get done while my daughter was home sick from school last week. I did try to work more with layers and textures and think I need to start working with actions again, it has been a long time since I made my own.

Much of what I worked on this week is photos of New Mexico.  I guess that is no surprise as I live here. 

New Mexico Rural Road 2  23/365

In "New Mexico Rural Road" I love the perspective of the road and fence. The small hill in the background makes you wonder what might the viewer be missing.  I also love how the tree branches arch over and block the view.

Claunch, NM Ghost Town 24/365

This building in Claunch, NM caught my eye because of the green used to seal up the windows.   The color really stood out and it looks great hear against the off-white building and deep blue sky. I used a texture in the sky that mimics the feel of the building.

Lamp 25/365

Okay, this may have been a bit of a cheat.  This is the lamp next to where I often sit at night.  The lamp shade is metal so the light is directed mostly down and though the cut outs.  I used my new Flickr app and one of its preset actions.

Hedgehog Dream 26/365

The hedgehog was taken during a photo shoot for a small magazine I do work for.  He was just so cute sitting there in the florist shop.  My 7 year old daughter loves this and wants a copy in her room.

Forest Dream 3 27/365

I saved three different versions of this image.  The first with no textures, just basic Photoshop adjustments, the second with some texture that lightened it and this.  This is my favorite.  I reminds me of dreams I've had. It was taken on a hike at Datil Well Campground.  We stayed there when we went to visit the Very Large Array.

Anyone Listening? 28/365

This is a very small part of the Very Large Array.  This radio observatory is amazing.  We went on a day they were giving tours and learn a lot.   I tried to texture this as if it was an old postcard.  I love the feel, but I'm not sure if it is for everyone.

self  29/365

I end with a self portrait.  I'm not really a fan of photographing myself and I'm much more comfortable behind the camera.

Have a great week!
Lorissa

Village of the Past

Each time I wander the southwest I seem to be called back to a small group of prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages located in the southeastern corner of Utah. Hovenweep National Monument, a landscape of canyons and mesa tops, is a small but captivating part of our National Park System. I don't know if it is the beautiful ruins, the natural, undeveloped nature, or just the its solitude of that draws me, but I find each time it is worth the drive.


There are 6 villages in the area, but the Square Tower Group is the easiest to access and was the largest of the villages. Here is a view of some of its ruins from inside the canyon in the late morning. (I had hope to get out at sunrise, but it was raining and I was not prepared for rain.) You can see how the rocks have shifted over time and part of the ruins have fallen into the canyon. Still the towers that are still standing are very interesting. As I walk the trail I find it difficlut to believe that 500 people lived in this village. The historians base this figure on the nearly 30 kivas that they have found hidden around the village.
Of course I have more photos to share and hope to get to them soon.
Have a wonderful day!
Lorissa

And the winner is.......

Touching Heaven!

As of today the title of this beautiful Alaskan landscape is Touching Heaven.

Thank you Alice Istanbul for your wonderful suggestion. It does look like the heavens are opening up to give us a glimpse of the beauty. For coming up with the winning title Alice has won $30 credit in any of my shops!

Thank you to all who participated! Have a beautiful day!
Lorissa

Win - Help me find a great title? Contest

I just listed this HDR Landscape of an Alaskan Sky taken from on top of a glacier in my Fine Art Photography Etsy Shop and my LJDesignPhoto Photography shop on 1000 Markets, but in not sure what to title it. I'm really happy with the results and each time I process another HDR image I learn something new. Here I used the process to bring out the details in the clouds and sky.


I listed it as an Untitled work and now I need your help. I think coming up with a title is one of my least favorite things so I'm asking you to suggest a title a title. In just over three weeks, on April 10, I will pick my favorite and award that person $30 in credit to use in any of my stores!

To Enter:
Leave a comment below with your suggested title.
You can leave a new one each day to better your chance to win.

I will close the comments the night before around 10 PM Mountain time.
The winner will be my favorite title.
The credit will be good for 6 months and has no cash value.

Tell your friends and you could also win an ACEO.

Thanks and good luck!
Lorissa

*********UPDATE!!!***********

I extended the date of the contest to after Easter, to get everyone time to think more if they would like.

and Yes, you can enter more then once. Enter a new title once a day if you would like.

Also, help promote this contest and you could also win an ACEO and a badge to your shop or blog on my blog for a year.

Hiking at Canyonlands National Park.

Canyonland National Park, originally uploaded by ljdesignphoto.

I just thought I would share with you a few panoramas from our hike in Canyonlands National Park, the Needles district. This is one of my most favorite of the National Parks. We visited in Fall and I can't wait to go back.

Canyonlands National Park, originally uploaded by ljdesignphoto.

In this last one you can see the spires that give the Needles district there name.

Canyonlands NP, originally uploaded by ljdesignphoto.

I'm thinking of offering these in one of my shops, maybe as a canvas print so they don't need to be framed. Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by,
Lorissa

Tell me Thursday - A Ride to the Glacier and Ice Field

When my hubby told me we were going on an Alaskan cruise for Mother's Day (our anniversary, and my birthday) I was super excited. We hadn't been on a cruise since our daughter was born and they were all quick weekend ones. I was looking forward to not cooking, not cleaning, and letting the boat rock me to sleep (really they don't rock all that much, but it sounds nice.) So when he told me he booked an excursion (we normally skip them) that would take us in a helicopter up to an glacier and that we would get to dog sled I was truly blown away.
So my Wordless Wed. photo was taken in the helicopter as we flew above a glacier. You can see the helicopter's shadow at the bottom and its propeller(?) at the top.
And it was amazing!!!! The photos don't even compare and I have a ton more to share. (even some of the dogs, which were so nice.) I will slowly be putting them up on my ljdesignphoto Flickr pages as I go though them. But for those who can't wait here are some taken in the helicopter and once we landed the first time. Enjoy!





Click here for more Tell Me Thursday stories.

Wordless Wednesday - A Fabulous Ride

Come back tomorrow for Tell Me Thursday to find out how it turned out!

Wordless Wedensday - Route 66 in the Mojave

Fall: Aspens and the First Snow

Life has been so busy lately that I've been terrible about posting. I've been so busy with Autumn activities and illnesses that I'm behind, again. But that isn't going to keep me from posting the wonderful fun I had two weeks ago.

Sunday, about two weeks ago, the first snow fell at Ski Santa Fe, a skiing facility in the mountains above Santa Fe, New Mexico. The next morning my husband and I drove up the mountain to view the fall foliage. This trip was planed for a week, but the first snow of the season was a bonus. It was my first time on a chair lift, and it was beautiful. Here are some photos:





As you can see it was a beautiful morning. These photos of the first snow are available through my etsy shop, LJDesignphoto.

My second installment about my busy week/month is Autumn in New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta.
Thanks for reading.

Ghost Towns, Landscapes, and More Now Decorate the Walls

I told you I would tackle getting things up on my walls. Finally! I just took my time today getting this post up because it is my birthday and I didn't want to work too hard.

I still have to wait for my cupcake frames from American Frame, but I've got the entry, living room, kitchen, and dinning room done for now.

Do you like it?
First I have Goldfield Garage and Goldfield Night next to my dinning room hutch (which I just love). These two ghost town photos were taken on my honeymoon road trip. Goldfield is a mining town north of Las Vegas, NV that once posted the grandest hotel in the Southwest. Today that hotel is one of the southwest's most haunted hotels and the town is slowly disappearing around it. The garage I hear is no longer there, but it was on the main highway though town. The shacks in Goldfield Night are in the back of the Santa Fe Saloon, the oldest continuously operated saloon in Nevada.
On the opposite wall in the dinning room I hung my New Mexican Church, taken in Golden New Mexico, and a photo of the Upper Colorado River, taken on our way to Moab, Utah last summer. Both these photos are available for sale, just LJDesignphoto - Choice from Shop and let me know in the notes that is the photo you would like. I have them in my LJdeisgnphoto photostream on flickr, too.
I filled the niche, for now with a star, a vase, and a matted print of Route 66 that I found on the road.
The entrance has two black and whites on each side. This one is Twisted Tree. I love this photo. I go poked by cactus and had to stand on the edge of a cliff to get it but I like the way the tree leans and the contrast and twist in the trunk. Again available for sale, just go to my etsy shop and let me know which photo you want. On the opposite wall, not pictured, is Kilns and Snow, a limited edition photo taken in Death Valley National Park.
Now in the living room I hung Anthony Foronda's Painting just where I was, just on the wall now. I also put my little Mexican hearts in a vertical row between the heating stove and window. I think they are so cute.

When I get my cupcakes and sweet little girls from ElegantSnobbery aka Marisa Hopkins framed and up I will share. Hopefully they will be here soon.

New Year Resolution

My new year resolution was to start a blog. I have been thinking about it for months, but had not sat down and started working on it until now. So, today is the first day of the new year and a great time to get started.

Hello, my name is Lorissa J. Longfellow. I am a photographer and work at home mom who lives in the high desert in Northwestern Arizona. Before becoming a work at home mom, I lived in Florida and worked in the arts. My degree is in Humanities concentrating in Art History, but college seems like another life time. I love to travel, my husband and daughter, and photographing things that interest me.
I have loved photography since I was a young child with a brownie camera and basic basement darkroom. I purchased my first 35mm SLR when I was 14 and my love for photographing has always been a part of me even when I pursued other thing in my life.
Moving out west prompted me to give my love of photography a larger part of my life. It is Wonderful!!
Now that I am a mom and can't easily do art shows to promote my work, I am trying the internet. I have had a website at www.ljdesignphoto.com for a while, but did not have it set up to sell. Recently I changed that by adding a shopping cart and I also opened a shop on the site etsy, http://ljdesignphoto.etsy.com

My work up until this last year focused on Desert Landscapes, Ghost Towns, and Route 66. This last year I started a new series focusing on Motherhood. It is a celebrations of the joys, emotions and trials of being a mother.

In this blog I'm going to ramble about my influences, traveling, art and artist I love, and motherhood. I hope it will give my readers an unique perspective into my art, life, and something interesting to read once in a while when they sit down at the computer with their coffee in the morning.



Thank you for taking the time to visit and read. Please come back often for updates.