Regain your Mental and Physical Strength by Enjoying Nature Through Social Distancing

In this time of change and worldwide awareness for our health and safety it's important to do our best to remain calm, take care of ourselves, and I believe get back to the basics of life. As you know, I recently lost Anabel, my mom, and I'm grateful she passed before the Pandemic. In honor of her life I took a few days last week to recharge my batteries and soul and to remember her legacy. I walked the beach, felt the wind on my face, collected agates and rocks, breathed fresh air, hiked, and enjoyed the comfort of natural surroundings. I'd like to share this now with you in the hope that it may brighten your day wherever you are - Jolly

Towering evergreens over Ruby Beach at sunset by Jolly Sienda Photography

Ruby Beach, Wednesday, March 23, 2020, Olympic National Park at Kalaloch by Jolly Sienda Photography

Warm afternoon light frames the Robin on the wooden fence by Jolly Sienda Photography

Towering evergreen trees at the Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, by Jolly Sienda Photography

Herd of wild elk graze for food at the Hoh Rain Forest Olympic National Park by Jolly Sienda Photography

Jolly Sienda, owner of Jolly Sienda Photography is a photojournalist covering people for all life events (weddings, engagements, career, family), worldwide scenic natural places and cultural landscapes, food, real estate, and commercial photography. Please contact us in Bremerton, WA., at 240-899-5295 / info@jollysiendaphotography.com

Capturing Autumn's Foliage over 24 Hours in the Puget Sound

It’s late October and time to get outside and enjoy the golden sunshine and the cool days — where wearing your favorite sweater is about all you need! Take a refreshing ride on a bike along a forest path covered with autumn leaves or walk in a park and just listen to the beautiful silence of nature. Enjoy, brilliant fall colors: crimson, amber, golden yellow, taupe, and orange —eye candy. And…it’s all here in the Pacific Northwest. The following photos were taken in 24-hours on the Kitsap Peninsula (my home base), and on Bainbridge Island at Fort Ward and Bloedel Reserve.

Contact Jolly Sienda Photography for photo assignments at info@jollysiendaphotography.com / Tel: 240-899-5295 / Jolly Sienda Photography on Instagram/Facebook.

Band of morning, autumn, fog rises from the Puget Sound up to the Olympic Mountains with autumn color

Autumn color and nature’s painted reflections on water in a pond.

Golden autumn sunset glows on the Puget Sound and over the twin peak Olympic Mountains.

Chill Glaciers, Autumn Color, and Moose!

Our 14-day road trip in Alaska began in Anchorage. We traveled over 2,000 miles making 1-3 day stops in Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Whittier, Valdez, Glenn Allen, and Fairbanks! We traveled by car, float plane, ferry, and on foot to absorb the beautiful and wild Alaskan scenery. Photos by Jolly Sienda Photography.

Knik Glacier view from the Glenn Highway, Alaska

Moose on the loose!

Cook Inlet and smoke from the Swan Wildlife, burning since June 2019. Photo August 24, 2019.

Jolly Sienda Photography is available for commercial and editorial photography assignments. Contact us at info@jollysiendaphotography.com / Tel: 240-899-5295.

Lavender, Eagles, the Coast, and Day Tripping Photography

The wonders of having a day to yourself is FANTASTIC! On these days, I love to do a day trip with my camera and rediscover favorite places while seeing new and wonderful scenes and nature. On this excursion, I chose to drive up to Sequim, Washington known as the Provence of Washington. I saw and photographed Red Winged Blackbirds, juvenile fledgling eagles in their nest, scenic coastal stops with bright yellow daisies, and purple lavender fields!!! Such a special day! And, I squeezed in a little shopping (lavender lotion) and stopped for lunch at a cute garden restaurant. Here are some of my photos from July 6, 2019 on the Olympic Peninsula!

Peaceful coastal pebble beach at Shine Tidelands State Park, Olympic Peninsula

Red Winged Blackbird on a bush at the wetlands along the Shine Tidelands State Park, Olympic Peninsula

Young juvenile Bald Eagles learn to fly while fledgling in their nest, Sequim, Washington

Jolly Sienda Photography is available for commercial and retail client photography assignments. I also offer one-on-one and small group photography instruction. Contact me at 240-899-5295, E-mail: info@jollysiendaphotography.com. Based on the Kitsap Peninsula, Washington.

Tips on How to Photograph Fireworks

Photographing fireworks is fun and easy if you follow a few simple steps. First, have your camera solidly positioned on a tripod. You don’t want camera shake because of the low light. Turn your ISO down to 100. While in Manual Mode use a slow shutter speed like 1/10th of a second and your aperture to F8. Experiment with this. Also, if your camera has Bulb on the dial, select this and shoot in Bulb mode. With this mode either use your shutter button or a remote cable release to take a longer, shake free exposure, on the tripod. Below are some photo examples of fireworks in the city and over rural lakes. Have fun and enjoy!!!

Large cluster firework bursts over the Monongahela River in Pittsburg, PA.

Firework celebration for Whaling Days, Silverdale, WA.

Long fireworks burst over Dyes Inlet, Silverdale, WA.

Neighborhood fireworks battle over the bay at Sinclaire Inlet, Poulsbo. Can you see people watching the fireworks!? Play with the shadow slider in Lightroom to achieve this effect. Pretty neat!

Jolly Sienda Photography is available for commercial and client assignments. Want to learn how to become a better photographer? Jolly Sienda Photography offers small class and one-on-one photography lessons too. Contact us at Tel: 240-899-5295 or email at: info@jollysiendaphotography.com

Wine & Beer Tasting, The Palouse, and the North Cascades Highway

Rich and I recently covered about 800 miles of scenic and culinary stops from Ellensburg, Walla Walla, Palouse Falls, WA., Moscow and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Wintrop, WA., and the North Cascades Highway. We sampled some great brews at Iron Horse Brewery , added to our wine collection in Walla Walla, met up with Marmots and Wild Turkeys at Palouse Falls, enjoyed jet skiing and kayaking in Coeur d'Alene and Winthrop, and ended our trip with stops at scenic view stops along the beautiful North Cascades Highway 20. Here are some of our photos!

Diablo Lake where you can boat on the lake to the Diablo Dam surrounded by the North Cascades

We enjoyed sampling beers at Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensberg, WA.

Marmot on a ledge at Palouse Falls

Palouse Falls

Bridgeport Bridge, orchards and vineyards near Chief Joseph Dam, WA.

Seen any wild turkeys lately?!

Jolly Sienda is available for commercial, editorial, and retail photography assignments. Contact Jolly Sienda Photography via this website, info@jollysiendaphotography,com, Tel: 240-899-5295.

Wildlife Bird Photography & Landscape Photography at the Skagit Valley & Whidbey Island

Cool, pastel, winter skies…wind, clouds, and sun-breaks…golden cattails and marshland…and snow on the barren farmlands, are the perfect beacon for birds of prey! The farms in the Skagit Valley are dormant and waiting for spring; yet its a feast for birders and birds alike that survive off of the grubs, field mice, and fish in the fields and sloughs. Below are photos taken from our February 16-17 trip to Mount Vernon Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island.

Bald Eagle on a winterized tree branch at Skagit Valley, Washington

Winter Cattails whistle and sway gently from winters wind.

Flock of Dunlins fly over Fir Island

Skagit Valley farm and farmland with a blanket of snow over the reeds and vegetation.

The beauty of wetland reeds and cattails a long the cold, blue, inlet at Whidbey Island

Skagit Valley, Bald Eagles flying around, and foothills

Great Blue Heron looks for a fish or frog in the marsh, Whidbey Island

Bald Eagles up in a tree, Skagit Valley, Washington

Travel Photography - How to Capture the Local Culture of a Place - Be a Story Teller!

When I’m discovering a new place and culture, I am eager to capture, with my camera equipment, how people live and something unique about the place. I enjoy watching people and walking the streets. I look for color, every day lifestyle, movement, and dogs and cats. I take photos using different light sources and angles. To protect my knees, I wear knee-pads, so I can get down low to photograph my subject without pain. No matter where I am, I am always looking for a story to document in my photographs. I believe if you start to think about telling a story with your photographs, you will see improvement in your photos too. Here are some photos from our recent trip to Patagonia (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands). Enjoy!

When your shooting - using a natural frame, like the tree limb adds something of interest to the photograph. The Coca-cola photo is nice; however having the lady selling her vegetables and the bike adds even more interest an authenticity to the image. And, when you are photographing indoors with flash remember to turn up the ISO on your camera. The photo on the left is a graffiti image of Pedro Bonifacio Palacios, an Argentine poet; iconic Coca-Cola signage and local lifestyle, and the dome of Santera Cathedral in Montevideo, Uruguay.

San Telmo, Argentina architecture, graffiti, and basketball courts and hoops

Collectable stuffed animals at the Sunday San Telmo collectable and antiques market, San Telmo, Argentina

What makes this photo work is the dogs in the picture.

Graffiti wall, Montevideo, Uruguay

Lady in red walks past an art mural, Montevideo, Uruguay

Dog and a sunbather at Floralis Generica, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cooking steaks in Argentina. Did you know, people in Argentina eat more meat and steaks than anywhere in the world? We thought the steaks were delicious!

What to become a better photographer? Jolly Sienda Photography offers private one-one lessons. Contact Jolly at info@jollysiendaphotography.com.

Stupendous Ring of Fire Mountains in Patagonia's Chilean and Argentina Fjords

Have you ever dreamed of seeing the ‘End of the World’? Or, checking off those ‘1001 Things to See and Do Before You Die’? Our recent trip to South America and Patagonia provided us some of the world’s most dramatic scenery; unveiling places few ever see. The weather too, in this area, can change so quickly; from calm to ferocious gale force winds preventing ships from traveling around the Cape Horn or arriving safely in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Boy, did we luck out! In fact, the captain of our cruise ship said, “This is the calmest it has ever been, on my watch, sailing around the Cape Horn” The following images were taken on our journey. Happy Holidays!

Osorno Volcano, Puerto Monte, Puerto Varis, Chile

Glaciers at Glacier Alley, Chile

Usushia, Agentina - last city on the South American continent.

Sailing the Strait of Magellen

Sailing the Strait of Magellen

Glacial Striation and a beautiful reflection

Tierra del Fuego rainbow off of the Strait of Magellen near Usushia, Argentina

A cruise ship sails around the the Cape Horn, South America.

Iceberg

Jolly Sienda — Jolly Sienda Photography

Photo trip to Columbia River Gorge for Autumn Color and Cool Photography Ops!!

Had a great time this past week exploring the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. We made the loop, driving on Highway 84 (Oregon) and Highway 14 (Washington) going to Maryhill, Washington, up to Hood River, Oregon, White Salmon, Washington, and too Trout Lake, Washington. Both Mount Adams and Mount Hood shined with new snow and the mountains were surrounded by beautiful Autumn color. Here are some landscape photo pics from the trip!

Want to become a better photographer? Contact me to arrange for private lessons. Tel: 240-899-5295, info@jollysiendaphotography.com.

Snow capped Mount Hood looms over Hood River, Columbia River Gorge, and the Hood River Bridge

Columbia River Gorge near Maryhill, Washington

Crystal clear White Salmon River and Autumn color, White Salmon, Washington

Ring of clouds dance around snow capped Mount Adams with Autumn deciduous trees a blaze

Autumn Nature Photography Where You Live! Sign Up for My Photography Classes!

I enjoy all of the seasons of the year. I especially love Autumn and its rich, warm, colors; red, yellow, orange, purple, and green! When I get free time in the early morning or late afternoon to go outside into nature I’m feeling a bit of zen. Our earth gives us gifts of paradise each day to enjoy. When I get to play with my cameras and lens I’m really in the zone.

Seagull drifts on the water while a reflection of Autumn trees adds a touch of fall color to the water

I’ve traveled throughout the United States in search of beautiful colorful landscapes to photograph. There are many. But, in fact, some of the best and most beautiful natural landscapes showcasing Autumn color is where I live - close to my backyard.

Seattle Japanese Garden

The Olympic Mountains (Brothers Mountain) and beautiful Autumn color on the Puget Sound, Bremerton, Washington

And, for outdoor wedding photography — photographing a bride and groom under a blazing oak, alder, or maple tree is the best! All of my couples love this!!!

Autumn photojournalism wedding photography by Jolly Sienda Photography at the Jacob Smith House, Lacey, Washington.

I also love to let myself go and be totally creative! How about this abstract photography landscape in the water. It really looks like a watercolor painting!

Abstract photography of the Puget Sound - its like a watercolor painting

I really enjoy helping people who want to learn more about photography. If you want to see things differently, learn photography techniques, and get better pictures, please contact me at Tel: 240-899-5295, message, or email at info@jollysiendaphotography.com. I do one-on-one lessons and small groups. Let’s explore our world!

Catching Autumn Color at Seabeck's Hood Canal

The sunrise, cool crisp air, crystal clear water, warm autumn color, fog layers, Olympic Mountains, seagulls, a fisherman taking his boat out to sea, tranquil and calm — this is what I feel and see as I look, linger, and take in the natural beauty of the Hood Canal, at Seabeck. A picture perfect slice of Pacific Northwest paradise.

Want to learn how to be a better photographer? Please contact me today to set up an appointment for one-on-one photography instruction. Tel: 240-899-5295 E-mail: info@jollysiendaphotography.com . Let’s have some fun and take our photography to a new level!

Fisherman goes out on the Hood Canal in Autumn.

Serenity, color, light, shadows, reflections…and more.

Seagull flies over the pastel cloud reflection and the marina on Hood Canal

Wide angle shot of cumulus clouds over the Hood Canal with a seagull and a crow

The Brothers Mountain, Olympic Mountains, peaks over light pillows of fog on the Hood Canal.

Two Pacific Northwest Coastal Sunsets, Same Day, Only One Hour Apart.

It's amazing how quickly light can change within a short period of time. Since, I am also a landscape photographer, I am always interested and chasing the light. The first image below of Samish Bay, along the Chuckanut Drive view point, was taken at 4:29 pm. The next shot was taken at 5:27 pm, just a couple of miles up the road, at the boat marina overlooking Bellingham Bay in Bellingham, Washington.  The light changed so dramatically in just an hour!

Pink sunset sets on a boat marina and Bellingham Bay

Bellingham, Washington, Pink sunset sets on a boat marina and Bellingham Bay, Puget Sound, sailboats, landscape, landscape photography

Winter sunset on Samish Bay

Chuckanut Drive, Washington, Winter sunset on Samish Bay, Lummi Island, Bellingham Bay, Puget Sound, Landscape photography, Jolly Sienda Photography