Tag Archives: Which Way Photo Challenge

A stroll down memory lane-ways in Japan

February 4, 2022 XingfuMama 3 Comments

A narrow alley in Ube-Shinkawa, Yamaguchi prefecture Japan. — Alleyway in Ube-Shinkawa, Japan

Himeji castle on top of a hill. — Path up to Himeji-jo (jo means castle)

Vendor along a busy street at night in Nara for the Tokae Lantern Festival. — Street scene at night in Nara, Japan.

Woman with and umbrella walking up a lantern lined walkway to a temple entrance in Nara, Japan. — Lantern lined walkway in Nara.

These are from a trip to Japan in 2007. Our son was an exchange student in Ube-Shinkawa at the time. We visited a number of spots and by pure chance were in Nara during the Takae Lantern Festival.

For Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Challenge.

Notes on photo processing

I’ve been going through old photos from trips to Japan in 2007. Since they were taken with a low resolution, not-so-great camera I had to mess about with them to get back details, and remove chromatic aberration and noise. For these pictures I used Raw Therapee, Topaz DeNoise and Topaz Studio 2. In the end I used the impression filter in Topaz Studio 2 to give them a painterly effect, so the lack of precision is part of the art.

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What would Vincent do?

September 24, 2021 XingfuMama 1 Comment

Sometimes I take a picture because it has elements that show what a place was like then, when I pull it up, it seems blah. That happened with this one:

Roads radiating out from the Arles Arenes.

Since I was up anyway, thanks to jet lag and a hungry cat, I started to play with this in Topaz Studio 2. Doing artsy stuff fits with Arles, since it is where many of the impressionists came to work, argue and drink.

Here are a few variations on the original.

Same scene with the "City Flare" look in Topaz Studio 2 applied. — City Flare look applied.

Same image with the "Line and Ink" look in Topaz Studio 2 applied. — City Flare look applied.

For Alive and Trekking’s Which Way photo challenge.

Mount Rainier

The woods are lovely, dark and deep…

July 9, 2021 XingfuMama 4 Comments

Not far inside the southwest entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, Kautz Creek is a good stop for a bit of out of car time. There is a short, flat path to the creek and a nice view of the mountain framed by trees. The board walk to the viewpoint is comfortably handicap accessible.

Mount Rainier from the viewpoint at Kautz Creek.

For the Which Way Photo Challenge hosted by Alive and Trekking.

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Snowy way

February 19, 2021 XingfuMama 10 Comments

Our snow is almost gone now, but last weekend it snowed for almost two days straight. I still had to walk my four legged friends.

Setting out, Ginger is looking back to make sure that I am serious about this folly.

My brave little Asta led the way, forging a tiny trail in the snow.

Asta found the going much easier in a tire path.

At our driveway the snow was virgin and up above Asta’s legs. She paused.

Can you imagine how daunting this would look from a small dog’s point of view?

Ginger took the lead and forged us a trail home…Sometimes you have to let a friend take the lead.

For Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Challenge.

England

Canal way

January 15, 2021 XingfuMama 1 Comment

For Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Challenge.

home, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Fall way

October 23, 2020 XingfuMama 2 Comments

I applied a bit of an Orton-ish effect to this.

These are from our meander through the Chinese Garden and Arboretum at South Seattle College this past week. Lucky we got there when we did, winter is closing in a bit early.

For Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Challenge and Weekly Prompts’ Autumn Stroll.

Snapshots from a Happy Life

Skyline trail

October 12, 2019 XingfuMama 5 Comments

For Becky of Winchester’s Lines & Squares-day 12

…and Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge. Hiking this trail is a challenge, but finding a nice view along the way it is not.

Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Magic Mountain

August 29, 2019 XingfuMama 3 Comments

Better than any ride at Disneyland! The lupines along this portion of the trail were amazing.

These are some photos of the upper (higher elevation) portion of the lakes loop trail starting at Paradise. We had a misty but bright morning the day we hiked the loop.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge

Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

I think I can’t, but then I do

August 22, 2019 XingfuMama 3 Comments

The Golden Gate Trail is the skinny zigzag up the side of the hill.

One of the more breathtaking (and, for me, breathless) loop trails that I hike at Mount Rainier is to go up Golden Gate trail to the skyline trail to Panorama Point.

Skyline Trail is well named.

The lower skyline trail is permanently closed, except for those adept with ice axes. So up one goes even farther.

There is a spot on the Upper Skyline Trail that has much better views than Panorama Point does:

But Panorama Point has a potty (as well as crowds of the many folk who hike directly to and from it starting at the visitor center.

I never go into this hike thinking I will make it, I give myself permission before I start to just go as far as I can and enjoy the beauty that I see, but I always do.

If you ever get a chance to go to Paradise, this is a great loop since many do not go beyond the there and back to Panorama Point, so you have less crowded trails. By hiking up Golden Gate in the morning you get shade for the steepest uphill. When you get above the tree line there is usually a nice breeze for the (not entirely insignificant) remainder of the uphill. There is some scree scramble but not too bad. If it helps you to gauge: I hike in hiking shoes (not boots), carry a mono-pod/hiking stick and don’t have exceptionally good balance. I am a bit nervous, but have never had a problem.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Challenge

Snapshots from a Happy Life

Which way to the Apricots?

July 25, 2019 XingfuMama 4 Comments

Last Sunday we took an outing to get apricots in Eastern Washington. An almost annual trek. Almost because time goes so quickly that I miss the brief period when you can get them some years.

Our little trip took us through a lot of the landscapes of Washington State. From an island in Puget Sound, through the Cascade mountains to areas of Eastern Washington that are both fertile and arid. All beautiful, but each with its own personality.

Even though it was only a day trip the summer heat led us to leave the dogs at dad’s so they could have a day on the beach instead of a hot car ride. He lives on an island.