Tag: wyoming

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Winter is for Ice Fishing

My husband and I do a lot of ice fishing in the wintertime. It’s so enjoyable to get out and enjoy a beautiful winter day, fill our lungs with fresh air, and catch a few dinners for our freezer. We’ve had a lot of pretty exciting experiences over the past 20 plus years fishing together. Not sure if we are just getting older and “wimping out” or just getting smarter in our later years, but we choose our days at the lake more carefully now in an attempt keep the fishing trips enjoyable instead of freezing our butts off. Ha! Ha! Therefore, we have only gone twice in this 2019 season, but hoping to get out there at least one more time before we can no longer walk on the lake for a few months.

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Christmas at the Cabin

There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as spending Christmas at my mother-in-law’s cabin in the mountains each year. This past Christmastime was especially relaxing since I had taken time off work to enjoy the whole week unplugged and off-grid. Perfect for recharging my internal batteries and getting away from it all.

I wish for snow every year for Christmas. I was a bit concerned last year when the forecast didn’t predict any measurable snow for quite some time. It didn’t look good for a “white Christmas” in 2018. That all changed, though, when we arrived at the cabin for our week-long stay. Not 20 minutes after we arrived, the snow started to gently fall. It was so serene and beautiful.

We received a couple more gentle snowfalls while we were at the cabin. It was so beautiful to see the landscape transformed into a winter wonderland for Christmas. It made our stay absolutely perfect.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying a Happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2019 is full of great adventures and prosperity.

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The Story Behind the Photo

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“Tools of the Trade”

Well worn chaps, a comfortable saddle, lariat, and a good horse. Just a few tools of the trade for a true cowboy. These basic tools have remained the same from generation to generation.

This image was captured in Casper, Wyoming at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds as several Casper College Rodeo Team members prepared for the “Ropin’ & Riggin’ Days Rodeo”.

I chose to use a tight crop on this image to focus more on the detail and textures of all the items. A subtle effect was then applied through editing to create the look of a detailed painting. It is one of my all-time favorite images that I have created.

You can purchase several different items featuring “Tools of the Trade”, by clicking on the link below. It will take you to the “Rustic Western” section of my Etsy Shop.

Purchase “Tools of the Trade” items here: Paws Fur a Moment Photography – Rustic Western Items

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It’s All In How You See Things

Two years ago, my older brother and I started taking a yearly “Brother Sister Road Trip”. Just a day trip to someplace close to home that we’ve either never been to, or haven’t been to in a while. Our mother passed away in 2010, so this is a way for us to spend some quality time together and reminisce.

Our first “Brother Sister Road Trip” took us to Old Fort Laramie. A nearby Historic Site that I hadn’t visited in a few years and my brother hadn’t been to since a field trip in the 4th Grade.

After touring the grounds for a while, we took a break from the heat of the day on the porch of one of the old buildings. My brother was snapping photos with his point-and-shoot camera and asked if I had any tips on how he could get better photos. He was frustrated that his looked like snapshots.

When he asked me…I had never really thought about it, or had to explain what I see when I take photos. I told him, I guess I just see things different. After I thought about it a bit, I offered these few simple tips.

The few simple things I do when taking photos is try to get a different angle, a different view, a different perspective of something. Get lower, go higher, step to the side rather than straight on. Just a little bit of seeing things different, can create a much more dramatic or interesting image.

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For example, I took the photos in this post just this past weekend in the mountains. When trying to compose an interesting landscape shot, I turned around and noticed moss and lichen on boulders behind me. All of a sudden I was more interested in those images rather than the larger landscape. And by getting at ground level with the lichen it made it more interesting. The moss happened to be at eye level on a boulder when I turned around. Most people wouldn’t have even noticed.

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The lichen on the rock above, is the same rock in the lower right hand corner of the first photo.

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This moss was at my eye level on a big boulder behind me.

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I took this image of beaver chewed trees by kneeling down to be more at eye level.

Take the time to notice not only the big picture, but the smaller details around you, too.

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Snowy Sunset on the North Platte

Thursday afternoon, we were hit with an unexpected little snowstorm that dropped a blanket of about three inches. It was so beautiful! Every branch on every tree was dressed with pretty white accents. I absolutely love to photograph following such a storm.

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Since the storm let up just shortly before I left my “day job” for the day, I decided to stop along the North Platte River on my way home and snap a few shots of the newly fallen snow. I’m so blessed to live where I can do that so close to home.

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Later in the evening, it seemed like everything would be perfect for another beautiful sunset. So, I decided to go back to the area I where I stopped after work and try to get some sunset photos. It was chilly, but oh so worth it.

Everyone is wishing for Summer…and I’m over here grinning from ear to ear at the sight of new snow!

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End of the Day

Wyoming sunsets never seem to disappoint…and the one we had last Thursday was no exception. I had been keeping my eyes on the sky and incoming clouds…as I do most every evening from our kitchen window…and could see the clouds to the South, over Casper Mountain, beginning to reflect shades of pink and blue. I knew this was going to be a good one!

I went outside and looked to the West. Sure enough, the sky was starting to build with beautiful oranges, pinks, yellows, and blues. Following right behind me was our Little Miss Freddy.

I didn’t have time to grab my Canon T3i…so I snapped a few shots with my iPhone camera. When I turned around to take another angle, Freddie was sitting so pretty and perfectly positioned with the beautiful sunset behind her…and our old wagon wheels nearby…I snapped a few images of her before she rushed off to play.

The colors in the sky didn’t last very long…and Freddie’s young patience didn’t either… but I’m so glad everything fell into place for a few moments allowing me to capture this beautiful shot at the end of the day.