photography by elisa sherman » Tulips

Happy Earth day, Power to Science and finally, Beautiful Tulips!

elisa sherman — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 17:27:24 +0000

Greetings earthlings! Yesterday was Earth Day – so we went out in it. Many marched for Science – and I am so thankful. Science has allowed me to heal, and I am forever grateful to everyone who practices it everyday, everyone who discovers and all who push to the next frontier. Good science means good Earth. Yesterday, I finally felt well enough to go out amongst the tulips sprouting up from the damp earth, shooting some new electronics.

Today was the first day, clicking the new shutter of the Fuji X-T20 out in the world (& instantly instagramming!) – beyond our cat Thelma(lol). I wasn’t able to trounce through all the fields yet, but we did make it to the 2 main gardens up in the Skagit Valley – Roozengaarde and Tulip Town. I have 2 lenses so far – the kit 16-50mm and the Lensbaby Trio 28, the latter capturing most of the images(all the blurry and swirly backgrounds).

The Fuji is a huge change for me equipment wise – it’s mirrorless and a crop 1.6x sensor. I really wanted to shrink my kit size, and was looking at the mirrorless. They are all advanced now, and some great photographers are using them. I had focused the full frame Sony’s at first, but between the size, cost, and current tech, I just couldn’t pull the trigger. For mirrorless, one of the best was the Fuji line – but it was crop. So I researched, and found, that the performance, image quality, and body/lens styles all fit what I was looking for, so I took the leap. I am awaiting a fish eye to add to the kit for my travels to Europe next month. I imagine I will eventually replace the kit lens with a 16-55 2.8, and ultimately add a fast prime like the 50 2.0, and a longer fast zoom like the 50-140 2.8. Oh, and I still have access to the big 5d2 as it stays in the family;)

So anywho, let’s get to it – Tulips! For looks back – 2008, 2011, 2013.

Earth Day 2017 was a bit overcast and damp at intervals, however, the Tulips shown through!

Full slideshow ~

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2011

elisa sherman — Sat, 14 May 2011 18:44:53 +0000

My friend and I made it up to the Tulips on what might have been the brightest day in April…

It took 2ish hours to get to just the one garden once we left the freeway…so alas, we made it a good one…

Some may remember images from my last trip in 2008 – I was taking my then new Rebel XTiand lenses for a tour, to figure out how to use them…the difference this time, less time, less fields, more sun, less clouds, no droplets, more sun(yeah, it was bright!), and oh yeah, I actually now know how to use a camera, lol…I took my 5d, my 15mm fish, 70-200 2.8 and my 50 1.4 to see what we could see this time. I tried to stick with the extremes at 200, and 15mm wide open at 2.8 – figured noone wants to see just another flower portrait – but eh, they are pretty flowers, so…Anyway, because it was so bright, I figured, extreme perspective would be able to capture some drama in what would otherwise be, just more flower pictures – though, that is what they are! And that’s all ok:)

When I say I know how to use (now) – it sounds silly – and I was really happy with my 2008 images – you might even like some of them better than this years! (and that’s ok:) But I barely knew how to use the focusing system, didn’t quite understand what I would get through the various lenses (10-22, 50, 100 w/my 2008 rebel)…I like to think I had an eye and a bit of style – which has always been a little like my cooking – by feel and senses…These days, new gear, and I at least in my head a bit more of a sense of – hey I know what I’m after – how to shoot it, and well, never forget to just enjoy it.

So with all of that said – here are some of the colors admist the brightest sun – gotta love the pretty!

Archive (alternative view – non flash)

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2011 – Images by Elisa Sherman

Skagit Valley Glory

elisa sherman — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:34:00 +0000

I went up to Skagit Valley this past Sunday…the annual Tulip Festival is there every April…and it was gorgeous!

It really is such a lovely area…the buildings, the landscapes…the fields of COLOR…the light glinting off the raindrops that befell the petals, simply beautiful!

Of course…though, there is always, ALWAYS humor to be found:)

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, originally uploaded by Elisa ~ www.emswazzu.com.

LOL…

But alas, to the beauty…the Glistening…tulips…

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, originally uploaded by Elisa ~ www.emswazzu.com.