Marilyn Botta Photography

Sunrise at Phinizy Swamp

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On Saturday, October 24th, we ventured out to Phinizy Swamp to take some sunrise photos. We assembled our equipment–camera, tripods, shutter releases, on the boardwalk over the water that faced where the sun would rise. We waited a bit and around 7 am the sky began to get orange, and glow with the impending sunrise. We started to snap away, moving the camera in different directions to capture the beauty from different angles. The instructor, Ed B. told us to set our ISO to about 400 and the Exposure Compensation down about 2 stops. I set my EV to negative 1.7. Here are some of the amazing images I shot on that gorgeous, glorious morning.

Brick Pond Park

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I recently went out to Brick Pond Park in North Augusta. The day was glorious, with blue skies, blue water, bright green trees, and wildlife. I got a few shots of some adorable turtles sunning themselves on the logs. They seemed to be oblivious to me and my camera.

Breast Cancer Benefit for Rosanne Grubbs

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On Saturday, October 10, I attended a breast cancer fundraiser for Rosanne. She has been battling this disease since 2009. Since that time she has incurred many medical bills, which is why this fundraiser was arranged. It was a beautiful evening, with good food and good music. I volunteered to be the photographer of this event and I tried to capture the love people have for her and their joy as they honored her. The ultimate goal is to increase breast cancer awareness and to create a permanent vehicle for people to contribute for breast cancer research. $17,000 was raised at this event alone and we hope this is just the start in fighting this deadly disease.

 

Phinizy Swamp 2015

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I recently went over to Phinizy Swamp to shoot some photos and could not find any ducks or wildlife in the water. As you can see from these images, there is not much water this time of the year. The abundant swamps are usually teaming with fowl but apparently the fauna has taken over. Even still, I got these lovely shots, but I would’ve liked to have seen some of the animals too.

Jamaican VBS Experience 2015

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Jamaican VBS Experience 2015: Since I am new to the bible, church in general, and West Town Community, when I saw that there was a VBS trip to Jamaica I questioned whether or not I was qualified to go. I didn’t think that I had anything to contribute, but Joyce said that was not true, so I jumped in, even with lingering doubts. I figured although I couldn’t really share my biblical knowledge, I could at least document the trip in pictures. So, that was my contribution. I believe that everyone on this trip had a unique talent, that when taken alone would not have been enough, but together each one of us contributed in our own special way. It made for a united front and a great team.

Macro Flowers

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I recently purchased a very versatile lens (18 – 270) on the advice of a friend. But I also purchased a Close Up lens and step up ring, to attach to my long lens (also advised by my friend, who is a master at Macros). The green flowers are actually mother’s day flowers, the orange tulips were found right in my neighborhood. The sunflowers were a real treat and found at the Blue House Farms blueberry patch. The bees were very cooperative in that they left me alone. They were mainly interested in sucking nectar from the abundant beautiful flowers. I used a tripod, my long lens, and the close up lens attached. I was pleased with the results.

Abandoned House

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I have driven by an old abandoned house at least once a week for a few months. However, every time I drive by, I am in a hurry and I do not have time to stop. Also, every time I think I will stop and take some photos, I cannot find any place to pull in and park my car. So, one day I just make up my mind that I would drive over there when I had time and scope out a parking space. Luckily I decided to pull into a subdivision and park rather than just parking on the lawn next to the house. Upon further inspection, I saw that the lawn had a built in trench dug out and my car would’ve been badly ruined if I had driven in. Luckily my instincts just told me, “Hey just park on the other side and walk across the street.” The house was very interesting because it actually still had furniture inside (mattress, chairs) and also had paneling on the walls as well as curtains. It would make a good hiding spot for a homeless person.

VBS West Town Church

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From June 1 through June 5th the West Town Community Church hosted a wonder VBS (Vacation Bible School) to the children. It was a wonderful experience for me to document these amazing and adorable children having so much fun worshiping God.

Macro Photos

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These are photos taken with a Macro lens, tripod, and shutter release. They started out as pretty little buds with raindrops, progressed to big buds, and culminated with beautiful pink flowers. The roses were in bloom for just a short time so I wanted to capture the image before their leaves dropped off.

 

Marilyn Botta is a writer, and amateur photographer. She recently became interested in digital photography and is constantly perfecting her craft. Please visit her Blog: https://awomanspeaksout.com for some interesting commentary about life.

Serenity Massage Open House

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Serenity Massage and Wellness Spa opened another location. To celebrate, the owner, Laurie Pratt hosted an Open House which took place on March 19, 2015. Although the weather was less than ideal–pouring all day long–lots of people turned out for the event, including members of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. The food and fellowship were well worth braving the soggy conditions.

Marilyn Botta is a writer, and amateur photographer. She recently became interested in digital photography and is constantly perfecting her craft. Please visit her Blog: https://awomanspeaksout.com for some interesting commentary about life.