∼ Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ∼
Robert Lewis Stevenson
In today’s photographs Carolyn and I wanted to give you a feel for the agriculture grown locally. Since she lives in a warmer climate than where I live, our photographs are very different, each reflecting the temperature in our respective homes.
 |
 |
|---|
New Jersey is called the Garden State and during the summer months there is a plethora of locally grown vegetables, fruits, and flowers. However, it’s November and since the weather has gotten colder many of the farms are now closed until next spring. The one place locally grown goods can be found this time of year is at a Christmas tree farm.
Growing up in a city, I never had a live Christmas tree until I got married. My first married Christmas, we went and bought a live Christmas tree, which was very exciting and has remained a tradition in my family. A few years ago, we went to our first Christmas tree farm to tag our tree. Tagging a tree is done by many families in our area, and is a tradition for many of our friends. Families bring their children to find the perfect tree. Once the tree has been found, an ornament or a large stuffed toy is placed on the tree they have chosen, so it’s easier to find the tree when you return to have it cut it down.
Today, was the first day the farms were open to tag your tree. For today’s image I wanted to show a bit of a human element, so I recruited my daughter to come with me. While looking for a tree, there was a local photographer hosting mini sessions, there were several small children, Christmas props and parents oohing and ahhing over their children. The tradition of tagging a tree is something many families look forward to. It’s even more exciting when you see the joy and excitement on a small child’s face. Afterall, Christmas really is for children, isn’t it?
I hope you enjoyed today’s peek into one of our family traditions.
Until next time … Deb
These luscious grapes blanketed in gorgeous fall leaves are part of the grape harvest here on the Central Coast of California. The vineyards are just part of the beautiful landscape in San Luis Obispo County and provide a great subject for photographers.
The harvest and all it means has become something that is a very close part of my life since my husband began work as a wine hauler about four years ago. He mainly hauls wine, but during the harvest, he hauls juice (freshly crushed grapes) and grapes themselves. During other parts of the year, a wine hauler will also haul glass (or bottles as we would call them) and corks.
Some things you might want to consider yourself when photographing grapes are:
- the lighting and time of day … early morning or late afternoon light make the grapes look their best with the sun coming in under the leaves
- composure … the rule of thirds is a good place to start
- depth of field … shooting with a very shallow depth of field also highlights the actual fruit itself and gives a soft dreamy look to the rest of the photo
Here are my camera settings 85mm lens, 1/350 sec, f/1.8 ISO 200
Check back or follow us here to see more photos in the future of both San Luis Obispo County and New Jersey.
Thanks again!
Carolyn
1414coast2coast 