These are some pictures I got of an owl that landed near our porch.
 I went outside to get some better pictures of him and was able to get very close.

         
                                  Some shots of him in the tree

It was a really cold night and the snowflakes were so pretty, I had to take some pictures of them. I editing this one making the snow more white. The original was very blue colored.

I had seen some incredible photos of snowflakes a little while back, I was determined to take some of my own. I wasn't able to get the detail super good but you can see the design of the snowflake. I edited this one making the snow more white. The original photo was more a bluish color.

 It was a cold night and the snowflakes were so pretty and detailed. So I took a few photos of them. This one is not edited and is the original color.

My dog Opal on the old trail that I walk her on. I edited this on a website called pixlr. Its a great photo editing program that is great for a beginner like me. I enjoy fooling around on it, and adding my own style to my photos.

               Becoming a Photographer

I always enjoyed looking at pictures, its brings back memories of a special day or shows God unbelievable creation. I especially have always loved taking the pictures, fooling around with the lighting, and angles. I was never great at it, and always wanted to improve my photography. I got an account called Pinterest, mainly help Jonny and Keren figure out wedding decorations and get some ideas for what they wanted. Soon I stumbled across some breath taking photography of forests, beaches, animals, cities, and weddings. It really inspired me to take pictures; I thought to myself, "wow, it would be really cool to take photos that dazzling!". I remember my dad telling me all about how he used to take photos, so I dug up his old pictures. My dad had taken pictures of so many things, he was fantastic with getting the exposure of the picture just right.

My friend Acacia had always been a picture kind of person and lately she had really been getting into it. After much thinking I decided I was going to buy my own camera. Nothing to fancy just a regular "point and shoot". I did my research and narrowed it down a to a Nikon L810. It is a picture and video camera, I never regretted making this purchase. I am so happy with the quality of the camera! I purchased my camera just around my friend's Kurtis and Heatherrose's wedding, which was perfect for me to fool around with taking photos. The decorations at their wedding were so spectacular! Lights strung from a chandelier that draped across the whole reception area, the lights were dimmed so the whole place sparkled. Acacia came to the wedding as well to help mom with the chocolate fountain. We were able to take photos together and figure out how my camera worked. After the wedding we reviewed my photos and I was super happy how they turned out!

When I first started getting into photos I thought I was going to get the whole "photographer groove" right away, I was wrong. Anyone can take a picture but getting the right angle and lighting is very hard and takes a lot of practice. I have slowly improved and gotten to know my way around my camera better. I am still not the best, but I am better then I was. Recently Acacia and I put together 2014 calenders for our families, with our photos. The calenders came out wonderful and our families loved them.

The main reason I bought my camera is because I wanted a hobby, I felt like my life was boring, I needed a challenge! It definitely has been one of my favorite things to do, I bring my camera everywhere. I will often get done from doing animal chores and put off school to go take pictures of the morning sun, glistening on the frosted trees creating a beautiful radiant picture. I love when I have a picture in my head about what I want the photo to look like and it comes out just as I imagined it. There was one night when it was snowing and very cold outside and I noticed the snow had very definable snowflake shapes. Of course I ran inside grabbed my camera and a headlight. I got the right angle with the head lamp that it would shine right on one snowflake and then I would snap a picture. I was surprised how well my camera picked up the detail of the snowflake!

I really started to be passionate about photography in May when my friend's Stephen and Charity got married. It was another beautiful wedding and wonderful weather for it, minus that I got a really bad sunburn! It was a very country wedding with the reception in the barn, and hay bales for seats. I had a lot of fun taking pictures with good angles, along with a few goofie pictures.

Some of my favorite places to take pictures are the woods. No one is rushing you to take the picture, its quiet, and warming when the sun beams through the snow covered trees creating a beautiful picture in my head and on my camera. I often go to the woods for practice, bringing my dog Opal along with me, she can come in handy for pictures. I must add even though taking pictures can be so much fun sometimes I need to take a break from it all, just to soak in the beauty that is right in front of me. When I take pictures all the time I never really stop and just enjoy it, instead I rush right on to the next location hoping that the clouds haven't covered the sun ruining the look I wanted for my next picture.

I am still learning so much from informational websites, youtube videos, and my friend Acacia who is taking a college photography course. I can't say I am a great photographer, but a lot of people tell me that my photos are amazing which helps me get better; I know I am improving every time I pull out my camera to snap a picture of a snow fall, sunrise, or the mountain with a snow covered peak. It is such a blessing to have encouraging friends that push me to do what I love. The little comments from people really inspire me to keep taking photos!

                                                                   Busy day
                                                    
                                                Wake up its time to do school
                                                I know its hard not to drool
                                                Take my word its not that boring
                                                Oh shucks you are already snoring
                                             
                                                Its time to break for lunch
                                                I can't wait to much
                                                Left over soup will hit the spot
                                                Ouch! That stuff is hot
 
                                               "Now to head out and do the goats"
                                                I said as I grabbed my coat
                                                Opal jumped as I grabbed her leash
                                                Ugh! Calm down, sheesh

                                               Squirts of milk went into the pan
                                               I looked out the barn as snow covered the land
                                              As I shut off the barn light
                                              I said to the goats, goodnight
                                             
                Written by Wren Johnson 

                                           

 

                                The Skateboard

                                                                                                                            

It was a bright, windy day in middle of fall; when all the leaves were at their peak. I was in the mood to go skateboarding, so I bolted to fetch it from the backroom. Boarding is fun but for me it was never successful; today I came at it with a new optimism.

As I walked on the dirt road, I pictured myself doing ollies and kick flips; by the time I reached the paved part on our road I was more then ready to go! I confidently positioned the skateboard on the little slope and gave myself a push. The wind blowing on my face made me feel free like a bird soaring in the sky. I thought I has finally conquered the skateboard, when all the sudden my wheel hit a rock. I lost my balance and the skateboard flew from underneath my feet. My leg was skinned badly along with my hand. Defeated, I got up, eyes on the ground and limped over to the skateboard.

I trudged home and put my skateboard away. In my disappointment I found myself devouring a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.

                                                                                                                            

                                     Berry Season!

Every season comes and goes year by year, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries always come with the seasons as well.

Strawberries are the first of three seasons. They come in hot, muggy, humid June, my mom always tries and get us up early in the morning so we don't get caught picking strawberries in the heat of the day. Some days, clouds cover the sky and it rains while we pick. To make the time fly while we picked, my sister Fiona and I would have contests on who's strawberry was the biggest. Normally I always ended up winning. After dealing with sweating from the heat, and wet clothes from the rain  strawberry season came to a end. Our family has strawberry cake with homemade biscuits and whipped cream to celebrate. We always invite our Aunt and Uncle over for the end of the strawberry season celebration!
Soon after strawberries have gone by raspberries start to turn red and get sweet. Since we don't have to many raspberry bushes, mom says we can't eat too many so we have some to make pies and freeze  as well. I love raspberries, so I will sneak some when no one is around (muhaha.) Our family rarely goes picking raspberries at a farm because it can be expensive, but we only go when our raspberries aren't doing well. I say raspberries are only the best when you pick them off the bush and eat them immediately. We couldn't enjoy raspberry season without a sweet, delicious, butter-crust, raspberry pie! Its one of my favorite kinds of pie.

Blueberry season is right behind raspberries, mid July is blueberry season and the blue jays can't wait to devour our fruit. Dad rounds up the family to get us to help him set up the netting on the blueberry bushes. The blue jays try and get the berries but are very unsuccessful, my brother Guthrie is pretty much a blue jay himself. When I am done doing chores in the morning I head up to the house, and sometimes Guthrie will be sitting under the netting munching down blueberries. Blueberries go all the way to August, my brother Jonny and my dad's birthday are in August. So nothing beats their favorite pie, raw blueberry pie, this pie involves no oven. My mom knows how to make it so it mounds with blueberries, and it is covered with whipped cream. I don't really find favor for this pie but the rest of my family does, and they can have my piece! My family is big on freezing blueberries for the winter so there is always some fruit to put in our homemade goat yogurt. So my mom and dad make sure we save some for the freezer.

Blackberries are my sister Fiona's favorite berry of all the seasons, she loves to go blackberry picking and I don't mind tagging along. Its fun to see which way is the easiest to move around in the blackberries. When Fiona and I were younger we used to make tunnels under the blackberry bushes and pop up where ever we saw blackberries. This was a pretty good idea, until we got older. I love the sweet taste that blackberries have, sometimes I just pick a whole handful and stuff them in my mouth. Our Uncle's birthday is in August during blackberry season, so Fiona and I always make a blackberry pie for our Uncle. Even though its really hard to to push through the blackberry bushes and get to the blackberries, there is always a rewarding feeling afterwards because you know that you will be able to get to eat them, or you can make a pie out of them! My family is big on pies if you couldn't tell!

Berry season is sooo awesome!