I Need a Snap!

These long days of bitter cold temperatures have provided very few opportunities to take pictures! The snap above cost me frozen fingertips! It was taken before sunrise the morning after a beautiful snow fall. You can just begin to see the light pink in the background. I was outside less than 10 minutes, with gloves on that have the fingertips open, and I could hardly push the shutter button down when I came in they were so cold.

Since I've been unable to get out and find new snaps, I've been visiting websites of folks who can! Here are some of my favorites!

NatureScapes (www.naturescapes.net) and Nature Photographers (www.naturephotographers.net) are two websites I love. The snaps far outreach my capability in photography and geographical areas that I could ever visit. Aside from drooling over the great snaps, I love to read how the photographer got the snap. Sometimes the stories are funny, and they show the effort the photographer went to in obtaining the picture.
That's one of the things I enjoy about my own photography. I'm always reliving the moment I took a picture and enjoying the memory.

These sites also provide instructions, forums, galleries, portfolios, workshops and more.

Another site I've recently become acquainted with is Capture Outdoors Maryland  (www.capturemaryland.com). These snaps are taken in our beautiful state by local photographers, and allows an amateur like me to submit my own snaps around Maryland and receive feedback.

I also enjoy reading blogs from others. Two of my favorite blog sites: Susan Branch (www.susanbranch.com), a delightful artist and writer; of course, my friend, Karla Dornacher (www.karladornacher.typepad.com), who also is a talented and gifted artist and writer.

And I must confess that I have six shortcuts on my desktop of Budweiser Clydesdale horses to pull up when I need a warm fuzzy! They sure create delightful commercials. And, yes, the recent Puppy Love is included in that six! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQB7QRyF4p4)

One day soon I'll be able to be out and about again to find my own snaps in God's great creation. But these others help me get through the cold and weary winter (even though I love snow!).