TWO5: 10/1/18

Good morning!  Happy Monday, and happy October!  Are you ready for a new month?  Autumn came so quickly, it’s hard to believe summer is already past.  And now that it’s officially October, I can start thinking about Halloween and Kumoricon coming up at the end of the month (I’m kind of way into the con scene).  I can also get pumpkin spice lattes without the stink-eye (yeah, guilty – I like those, too).

This week, I have five new photos – two on Instagram and three on 500px.

Seagull landing on the beach in Seaside, OR | LotsaSmiles Photography

This first one is a surprisingly older photo.  I actually didn’t really care for how it was edited the first time around, but I gave it another look and a polish, and I’m pleased with the result.  This was from a trip to Seaside several years ago.  Most of the time, I only focus on my most recent photographs, but I’m glad I went back for this one.

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Photostory: The Norwegian Glacier Quest

If you haven’t gleaned this tidbit, I’m a little tenacious.  In fact, it’s just when someone says I can’t do something that I’m spurned into action to prove them wrong.  As I’m sure you can imagine, this becomes quite dangerous when I’m in the company of another who likewise refuses to give in.  Add in the promise of a spectacular Norwegian glacier, and all hope is lost.. even when it means 4.5 miles and 3.5 hours… without food… or water…

But that’s what makes it an adventure, right?

Right…?
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TWO5: 9/24/18

Happy Monday yet again!  The weeks keep on spinning by.  But one thing happened this weekend for which I’m excited… the first day of autumn!  If you’ve been reading for a while now, you’ll know that autumn is by far my favorite season (some might say I’m a little obsessed).  The trees here are only just beginning to turn, and I’m anxiously awaiting the height of the fall colors.  You can be sure I’ll find a trail upon which to soak it all in, and I’ll share those photos here.  Which is your favorite season?

As far as the photos this week,  have just the five I posted on 500px.

Hawaiian sunset behind tropical flowers | LotsaSmiles Photography

This first one was from our photo trip to Hawaii.  There are no bad views in paradise.  We chose our lodging well; we had a beautiful Airbnb on the hill with this spectacular view of the ocean far below.  It had plenty of room for our entire large group, and it featured an expansive lanai upon which one of our group actually slept a few times.  If only we could have just stayed there for the entire trip!

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Norway: Trollstigen

I still have lots to share from our trip to Norway!  I wanted to include the renowned Trollstigen (you can hardly visit the region without seeing this iconic zigzag road), but the harsh lighting kept my photos out of “wow” territory.

There’s no real entertaining photostory here, but we did discover a detour from the standard tourist fare.  I’ll let the photos do most of the talking.

A cairn in front of a stunning Norwegian landscape above Trollstigen | LotsaSmiles Photography

Trollstigen is a remarkable place, and despite the poor photo opportunities, we were amazed by the landscape.  Continue reading →

TWO5: 9/17/18

Two new on Instagram; five on 500px.  TWO5: This Week on 500px!

Guess what??  I finally met my goal of actually posting 7 pictures this week!  I’m getting into a better groove for these things.  I like the new wildlife focus on my Instagram account, and I love sharing my best work on 500px.

This first one was from my first foray into backpacking.  I joined some of my photo buddies in a bush plane that whisked us to the Alaskan backwoods.  There, we hiked over 20 miles along the beach in search of bears.  Along the way, we espied this majestic creature.  We ended up seeing another eagle much closer – actually in our camp.  It was an unforgettable experience.  You can read about the entire journey here.

Bald eagle in a bare tree in Alaska | LotsaSmiles Photography

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Biweekly Wow: Scenes of Norway

This is going to be a quick post this week.  As mentioned on Monday, I’m working on some big things for my site behind the scenes, so I’m taking it easy on the blogging.  Instead, I’ll leave you with just a few images from Norway.

I couldn’t quite decide on which “wow” picture to share this week, so you get two scenes.

Sun setting over a still lake surrounded by snow-speckled hills in Norway | LotsaSmiles Photography

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New Blogger Stock Photos and TWO5: 9/3/18

Welcome to September!  Already a new month.. this year has gone by so quickly.  But we are just beginning to get into my favorite season, so I’m ok with that.  Is it fall yet?

This week, I got only one new photo onto Instagram and five up on 500px.  But the good news is I’ve been working on some exciting things on my website.  I’m cleaning up some things behind the scenes, and I’m now offering affordable web-quality stock images for fellow bloggers!  I only have a small selection there now, but stay tuned; I’ll be adding a lot more in the coming weeks.

Blurred autumn trees in Boardman, a new stock image available for sale | LotsaSmiles Photography

Autumn Blur – LotsaSmiles Photography

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The Kjenndalen glacier from the rock wall that rises right next to the glacier proper | LotsaSmiles Photography

Photostory: Discovering Norway’s Kjenndalen Glacier

Every day in Norway brought yet another magnificent wonder.  Just when we thought we had reached the ultimate level of amazement, Norway ratcheted it up another impossible level.

See this stunning waterfall?  Now feast your eyes on this!  Think this view is beautiful?  Wait till you get a load of this!

Kjenndalen from a distance, the sun illuminating just the highest points of the snow-capped wall beyond | LotsaSmiles Photography

And this was before we discovered the glaciers.

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