Look what I found: Peter Iredale Shipwreck

While on Vacation with my family in June - we made a stop at the Peter Iredale Shipwreck and played in the sand and explored the remains for a while during the day...then my wonderful husband sent me off on my own with my camera after all the kids were settled in their bunks back at the cabin - so I could go see if I could get the kind of sunset photos I have always hoped for...and wow...did I ever!

Not only was it the perfect weather (stormy with sun patches) but I got a sunset AND something rusty...all in one shot! I spent a good hour out there and watched the sky go from bright oranges, to deep purples and amazing yellows. I couldnt get over how different the sky looked from one minute to the next and when I turned around away from the wreckage toward the shore, I was taken aback by the incredible misty purple and pink of the sky. Here are some of my absolute favorite shots from the evening. I took over 600 pictures just of this sunset...let me tell ya, it was hard to pick just a handful...let alone pick out ONE favorite. But the first photo (above) ended up being the favorite of 8 of the 10 people I emailed for input and they all picked the winner!

I entered it in the Northwest Washington Fair this year - and when I rounded the corner of the arts building entrance, I saw my photo next to a giant ribbon (its bigger than the 11x14 photo I submitted!) for a "Best in Show" and first place for my division prize! Im always coming in second or getting honorable mentions - so I was super excited to finally have a first place ribbon to display. Its a great feeling. :)

I couldnt resist trying out a filter in my editing program that makes water shots look like they were shot during a bright moonlit night...this last one is titled "Ghost Ship" and has a totally different feel to it than it does in its original version.