Blissfulbritt
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  • Tag: Photography

    • Wide Open Spaces

      Posted at 7:26 AM by Brittany, on August 17, 2014

      Change is something that I’ve always struggled with. I know I’m not alone in this, and I’d bet that most of you reading this right now would agree. These days I’ve grown accustomed to change, and even sometimes welcome it. A few months ago I changed my blog layout after over TWO years of the same set up. I’m a big believer of keeping things simple, and I live my life by a, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto, but I wanted something new and fresh.

      After settling on a new layout, I quickly discovered that although I enjoyed the sleek and clean look, the way my photos were squished just didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t get myself a dSLR to highlight tiny details in certain pictures just to have them unappreciated by a squished blog.

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      I have a 70/30 approach to blogging. 70% photos, and 30% written content. After settling with the smooshed setup for a while, I made an impromptu change as you can see. No hesitation, no struggling with the change, just a click of a button and boom-wide open spaces for my photos to stretch and breath. My photos are far from perfect, but they surely benefit from a better layout.

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      OK, you get the idea. Long story short I have a new layout that is very simple and clean, giving my photos a bit more wiggle room. I still use my iPhone for nearly all other photos like hiking, but even those benefit from some space. On that note go bake something tasty. Happy Sunday.

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      Q: What’s most important to you about reading/writing blogs? I am a big fan of LOTS of photos. Too much text and I get bored.

      atterned-n

      | 36 Comments Tagged Blog, dSLR, Food, Photography, Random
    • Finding Beauty

      Posted at 6:25 AM by Brittany, on February 12, 2014

      I’m a snow hater. I think snow is gorgeous when it coats the mountains, or the trees near a cabin in the woods, but I hate when it blankets the streets near my house. I don’t know why, possibly because I’m too proud to ever call into work unless I am dying, and driving in the snow gives me premature hemorrhoids. That’s a joke, but you get the idea.

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      When it snows and I have to drive (OK so I never HAVE to) my knuckles grip the wheel so hard they match the snow. I am one of few in my clan of friends and family, because most people around me get just as excited about snow now as they did when they were 12.

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      When it snowed Sunday morning, my plans to go out were quickly changed. I got 2 minutes from my house and saw multiple cars in ditches, one sticking almost straight up.

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      You better believe I turned right around and planted my fanny back in the safety of my house. Then I grabbed my jacket, my boots, and my camera. Snow may irritate and scare me, but it sure is pretty. The perfect excuse for some photography.

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      This elementary school was the perfect spot to experiment with the ISO of my new camera. It’s like night and day (literally) with the different settings of light exposure.

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      I stumbled upon some old pallets sitting in a yard, and this turned out to be my favorite shot. I am a sucker for all things wood!

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      I had no where I had to be until 7 that night, so I made peace with the snow and enjoyed the beauty around my neighborhood. Until next time snow…this time you win.

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      Quite frankly though, I am ready for spring. My skin can’t handle any more of this dry air!

      Q: Do you like the snow?

      b

      | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Photography, Snow, Winter
    • Just One Won’t Do…

      Posted at 7:36 AM by Brittany, on January 27, 2014

      Sometimes I take so many photos that it’s impossible to choose just one.

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      Each photo offers something different than the others. Even if the change is minuscule, it’s enough to change the photo all together in my eyes. Changing the position is enough to take shadows that were once there and erase them as if they never were.

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      Note the subtle difference in these two photos. Both are taken from similar angles, however the direction of light has changed. The ridges of the frosting are much more apparent in the top photo, but the bottom photo has a softer overall feel to it.

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      Above is another example of the light hitting the cake from the side, and below is another example of the light hitting the cake from the front. Lighting can make all the difference!

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      I tend to take an excess of photos, and then struggle when it comes time to post them. I can never choose just one, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

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      Long story short is that I simply needed an excuse to post multiple photos of a single cupcake..because it was that good. It could have been because I hadn’t had a cupcake in months, or because sometimes cupcakes just taste better when someone else bakes them.

      Either way, I enjoyed every last crumb of this delicious cupcake. Just one didn’t do!

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      Seriously though, don’t give me chocolate and expect me to keep my face clean.

      Q: Which angle of light do you like better on the cupcake?

      b

      | 75 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Photography, Vegan
    • Ohh, it is Lovee.

      Posted at 7:01 AM by Brittany, on January 17, 2014

      When I was younger I never understood the necessity of researching a product before I bought it. I was naive and brainwashed by society’s impatient need for something NOW. Thankfully, my dad is a research wizard and although it took me a while, I fully appreciate everything he has done to help me research and purchase anything “large.” My latest and greatest technological toy that was fully researched before purchase is a dSLR camera.

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      Canon Rebel T3i

      I knew what I wanted: a dSLR fit for a beginner, under $500, and with image stabilization. My main goal was to finally take photos without the blurry look I got with my iPhone. I Consumer Reported the hell out of each and every model within these three categories and finally narrowed the choice down to this one. Purchases are much easier this way.

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      When my new toy finally came in the mail, I took it out for a spin. The three photos taken above were before I realized there was an auto focus button, and I had to manually focus these. Hence a bit of blurriness still. I also re-sized them, which I think affected the noise.

      That Frango canister was filled with chocolates from a customer given to my coworkers and I for Christmas. I saw the empty can in the corner the other day and promptly snagged it, what a perfect decorative jar! I adore the vintage look it has. I had more decorative ideas that I snapped photos of to try and get a feel for my new camera.

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      My loyal readers know I have an obsession with wood products. This three sectioned wood tray was originally filled with three different succulents. The succulents died, but I kept the jars and the tray knowing I would reuse it someday. I finally figured out what to reuse it for. The typical coffee bean and vanilla candle, it smells like cupcakes. LOVE.

      I also filled a rose topped jar from with coffee beans, and discovered the camera flash.

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      I sometimes have a tendency to not read directions. I’ve always been one to figure something out simply by playing with it. I think this will be the first time I have to actually read the manual because there are so many options and settings. These photos were all taken at random on random settings and they aren’t as crisp as I would like. I did take a few of my cats on the portrait setting that turned out great.

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      Who says black pets aren’t photogenic!?!? LIES!

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      So there you have it, some of my very first amateur photos with my new dSLR. These were all taken inside, while normally I go outside for natural light. These were also taken with the hands of someone that had no idea what they were doing. I look forward to coming back to this post a year from now and seeing if/how my photos have improved! I also can’t wait to start photographing some legit food porn.

      First photo of food.

      First photo of food. This looks better when enlarged.

      First attempt at adding text to the photo. Very amateur. Click this photo for link to my recipe.

      First attempt at adding text to the photo. Very amateur. This also looked better when enlarged. Click this photo for link to my recipe.

      If you need to get a hold of me, I’ll be out with the trees and birds with this camera strapped to my face trying to get the perfect shot. New obsession commenced.

      Q(s):

      • Does re-sizing your photos change the quality? 
      • What do all you photogs do in order to make a photo decently sized for a blog post, while still maintaining the quality?
      • Any helpful tips or tricks for a brand new wannabe?
      • Have you tried the coffee bean and vanilla candle combo? AMAZING.

      b

      | 52 Comments Tagged Camera, Coffee, dSLR, Energy Bites, New, Photography
    • That Time I Crab-walked Down A Mountain

      Posted at 8:40 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2013

      If anyone has a spare parka or blanket made out of seal blubber, I would gladly take it off your hands. That’s not very vegan of me, but it’s been very hard to get out of bed in the morning because it’s so cold. Inside AND outside. I’m in Arizona..what gives!?

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      I know some of my Canadian readers are laughing at me, and anyone else that’s in weather wayyy below this. Laugh away, I am a wimp.

      Fortunately going hiking means the blood flows and helps with heating up the body.

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      Ohh the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. What a lovely hike, UNTIL we reached the destination.

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      This vertical wall of death was the scariest thing I have encountered all year. I was shaking, breathing heavy, sweating, and planning my funeral just looking at this. Finally after telling my brother I would do it if he did..he was gone in a flash climbing up like a spider monkey. Finally I climbed, all while breathing like a cow in labor. So scared. Luckily the view at the top was well worth it.

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      What goes up, must come…falling down to a painful death  down.

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      To ensure maximum safety, I put my 5th grade PE skills to use and crab-walked down.

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      Oh and I was wearing jeans since it was so cold. BAD idea. I went against everything I have ever stood for when it comes to hiking. I will never do that again. NEVER EVER.

      I’m sure you can figure out by now I survived. Once I came back down, I was able to resume regular breathing and my armpits started to dry off. I was glad to say I did it. Accomplishing such a grueling task required some serious nourishment.

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      While taking this picture of my beautiful black bean burger, I didn’t notice I was missing a bun. Come to find out I kinda liked it sans bread. The world was realigned once again.

      Q: Have you done any scary hiking before? I get scared all the time, it’s either vertical walls of death, or rustling bushes. Like I said, I’m a wimp. I also watch too much Animal Planet.

      brittany

      | 52 Comments Tagged Arizona, Cold, Hiking, Photography, Vegan, Wimp
    • Choo-Choo!

      Posted at 5:00 PM by Brittany, on January 4, 2013

      It shouldn’t take a neurologist to figure out this post is going to be about a train.

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      A trip north to Cottonwood/Sedona area started with a train ride through the Verde Canyons in Clarkdale Arizona. This railway was built in 1912 as a support for the copper mines in Jerome, AZ, and it just so happened to be my first wilderness style train ride.

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      I started this adventure on the inside of the train, but quickly made my way outside with the big kids to get the full experience. Despite being a bit chilly, being outside was much better.

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      Who ever said there’s no water in the desert?

      The most fascinating thing about this train ride was seeing all the caves in the canyon walls that were used by Indians many years ago. The idea of living in a cave is wild to me. To display just how close the train drove by the canyons, here is a picture of a random old man.

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      This two hour ride took us into a “town” called Perkinsville, where you have to be a Perkins to reside. There were maybe three people that lived here, and at least 10 farm animals. This is where I took my favorite photo of the day.

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      One day I will frame this and hang it in my house. After a 15 minute break check, we headed back on the two hour ride into the train port. If you’re ever in this area of Arizona, I highly suggest taking this train ride.

      Q: Have you ever been on a train?

      brittany

      | 28 Comments Tagged Adventure, Arizona, Desert, Photography, Train
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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    • Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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