About thedigitaljeanie

I’m a self-taught photographer and way back when I used to love taking photos, but I allowed a business that I started in 2004 to take over my life and my photographic repertoire was reduced to quick product shots and how-to tutorials. When I joined the PhotoChallenge in December 2015, I was looking to rekindle my creativity and bring some joy back into my photography. I jumped in with both feet and have not looked back. I believe that photography can change the way we see and interact with the world around us. Some people may think that I hide behind the camera, but I feel that I experience the world in a much more intimate way when I am creating a composition in my viewfinder. In those moments distractions disappear, my mind focuses and I am fully present. It is just me and my camera capturing a moment in time that might otherwise go unnoticed. My background is as varied as the photos that I take. I’ve trained and worked as a software engineer, a massage therapist, an English teacher in Vietnam, a photo restoration artist (which is how I learned Photoshop) and for the past twelve years I have run a small software business with my husband where I have been published in numerous books and magazines, appeared on PBS television, created designs for fabric, quilts and machine embroidery and won awards for some of my quilts. It should come as no surprise that I am intensely curious about life and love to learn new things. I am blessed to live in the beautiful state of Colorado, USA in the Rocky Mountain foothills outside of Fort Collins with my husband and cat. You can find me online at: Photos: flickr.com/photos/the-digital-jeanie/ Day job: KaleidoscopeCollections.com Facebook: facebook.com/jeaniesa

2020 WEEK 51: Finding Magic in the Mundane

This week we’re going to challenge our perception of the things around us. The idea for this challenge comes from my desire to find magic in the brown winter landscape that currently surrounds me, but it could just as easily apply to anyone who has limited mobility and/or travel restrictions due to COVID lockdowns – or any other limitations. Click through for more details and examples. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 49: Color Grading

This week we’ll be exploring the concept of Color Grading. There are many different ways to color grade from applying presets to maintaining complete control over the process. Since we are all at different levels, any process you choose to use this week is fine for the challenge. Click through for more details and examples. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 43: Yellow

Your challenge this week is to take a photo with the color yellow in it. The color yellow can fill the frame or simply be an accent in your photo. The point of the challenge is to “look for yellow” and then capture a pleasing composition that includes yellow. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 39: Objects in Motion

This week we’ll be attempting to capture the concept of motion in our photos. In other words, capturing the feeling of motion in an otherwise static scene. In terms of technique, you will need a shutter speed slow enough to achieve blur of the objects in motion, but the specific shutter speed will be relative to the speed of your subject. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 36: Favorite Quotes

As I was looking through my folder of favorite quotes recently, it occurred to me that it might be fun and inspiring to make picture quotes for our photo challenge. For this week’s challenge, I want you to first select one of your favorite quotes, then take a photo that supports the quote. Finally combine the two by placing the quote on your photo. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 33: Astrophotography

This week we’re going to be looking up at the night sky. The night sky offers a plethora of photographic opportunities and in case you’re wondering, yes, you can accomplish the challenge from your backyard or balcony. You might think that you can only take photos of the night sky in areas with no moon and no light pollution, but that isn’t entirely true. There are plenty of options for city dwellers to photograph the night sky. Your camera will always “see” more than your eyes can see, so you might be surprised at what you can capture. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 31: Intimate Landscapes

An intimate landscape photo is one which isolates a small section of a landscape. It encompasses the area between grand vistas and macro photos. An intimate landscape might be taken in an area with grand vistas, but it could just as easily be a photo taken in your backyard. Intimate landscapes tend to create order from apparent chaos by focusing on repeating shapes, lines, texture, etc. Click through to find links to articles that further discuss the concept of intimate landscapes. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 27: Rim Lighting

This week we’re going to experiment with a particular type of lighting called rim lighting. It is created by light hitting the back of your subject and is best seen when the background behind your subject is dark. The light source can be natural (i.e. the sun) or unnatural (i.e. flash or a continuous light source). Your subject can be lit (with fill-flash or a reflector) or in dark shadow for a very moody feeling. The choice is up to you. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 24: Multiple Exposure Nature Photography

This week we’ll be exploring the possibilities of multiple exposure photography in nature. (If you are still limited in your ability to explore the outdoors due to COVID-19, you can accomplish this challenge with a flower/bouquet or some other real or fake plant in your home.) Multiple exposure photography is a technique where two or more photos are combined into one. Depending on how you capture your multiple images, your end result could be very painterly, completely abstract or even fantastical. READ MORE →

2020 WEEK 19: Documentary – Daily Life during a Pandemic

It seems that our daily lives have been upended almost overnight by the COVID-19 pandemic and yet life continues as if in a parallel universe. Your challenge this week is to document (through photos) something notable that has changed in your life due to the pandemic – something that you think might be of interest to future generations (or even historians) 100 years from now. READ MORE →