3RD THURSDAY CHALLENGE WITH BRENDA

Several years ago I started some fun photography online courses with Kat Sloma.(click on name)  In fact that is the genesis of starting this blog. 

There was a group of us who stayed with Kat's series and often left comments on one another's blogs.  It was certainly a feeling of "community."

(Kat is starting these classes again, you might want to check them out.)

One of my favorites, Brenda Gottsabend who writes How to Feather an Empty Nest (click on name) is worth a visit on a regular basis.  My but she has blossomed in her art/talent and website design. 

Brenda has an eye for structural compositions, light/dark, positive /negative space.  Her style is very distinct.

Everyone once in awhile I find myself taking a "Brenda" shot.  I see something I feel Brenda would "shoot" and go for it.  One day I will post some "Brenda-inspired" photographs.

Brenda is hosting a fun and challenging opportunity for all of us,  3rd Thursday Challenge. The only prerequisite is to try something "different" from what we normally do.  What might challenge us as photographers.

This is my first posting. 

Macro Shots

I have a dedicated macro lens. I love close up shots that peek into the more minute details; but the challenge for me is "clarity and crispness."

The challenge is due to a physical interior tremor that is permanent and only worsens with time. So handling a big, heavy camera with a tremor is a challenge in all circumstances, but particularly macro.

I do have a good tripod, but find it a "pain" to use, it really slows me down to the point I lose interest. But after my last batch of macro photos shot last week, and shown today on this posting, I realize I will have to use it.

My Thursday Challenge is holding/bracing the camera steady, and most likely moving to more usage of a tripod.  

(Anyone with tips on using a tripod quickly is welcome to share.)

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It was a very rainy day. The sky rolled in gray batting, huge raindrops leaking downward and I worried about our bird feeders' seed becoming soggy, for lack of a better word.

When the steady rain wound down, it was time for seeing what damage  the rain brought. And while at it take some shots.

To counteract my tremor I decided to go for BIG BOKEH, thus masking some of the automatic blur I knew I would have.

Here are the good and not so good.

GRAY-WET-MISTY-WARMISH

STAR OF THE DAY: THE BIRD FEEDER 

Note the tiny green leaf/middle of bottom tray. This is where I focused.

Charmingly, the seeds fell down on the broad green leaves. It reminds me of a fairy banquet. 

Focusing on a few raindrops dripping off the feeder and a bare branch, the challenge became very acute.

On our porch is one lonely, forlorn and drooping geranium ...simply clinging to life begged to be photographed.

I suppose these are more "distant" macro shots, but so much of the subject was interesting that I didn't focus in on a single minuscule element. I also recognize that I "like to tell a story" and that often times requires showing a bit of the scenery along with the star. 

I do love the close up, as long as the camera isn't focusing on ME!

Thanks Brenda !

THE END BEFORE THE BEGINNING

Usually my intentions are earnest and sincere, whole-heartedly intended to be fulfilled.

BUT there are times when nothing evolves, it stops before it begins, the good intention evaporates like the  frost on my car windows when struck by the first rays of sun.

To be honest I have several GOOD INTENTIONS that didn't happen in 2012, one of which was so simple, so lovely, such a nice opportunity but poof, like the frost, the opportunity vanished.

Kat Sloma, whom I have taken many photography related courses and learned so much from, offered an opportunity to post ONCE a month our favorite photo of that month.  Not hard, rather fun. A GRAND IDEA I thought, but there was the necessary deadline, and despite her reminders via a newsletter, I never made the deadline. When I would think of it, the deadline had passed.  And I might miss it this time, but I am here to attempt to fulfill 1/12th of a commitment to Photo-Heart Connection.

This is called "tidy-ing-up loose ends" before I do it again in 2013!

My phone camera and Big Mama were pretty busy during December there were so many super opportunities to shoot fun photos.....mostly fading gardens, skeleton trees, holiday lights and family...but we gained a new family member this past autumn and the camera really kicked up a notch with this adorable, photographic, "holds still" new Grand-Doggie.

BLOSSOM BROWN

Blossom was a mistreated, malnourished, ill, damaged, over-bred dog.

She is alive because a wonderful humane society rescued her and she regained some strength and vitality.  The volunteers fell in love with her, but still, a year later, she remained in the humane center.

Ashley and Daniel met Blossom and saw all of her potential and that she deserved a better and more meaningful life.  So they took her home as a foster dog. Love was immediate.

While we were visiting them in the autumn, the decision was made, Blossom needed to be a full fledge member of their home no more "foster" nonsense, but a full adoption and commitment. 

It was one of those Really Good Ideas!

 Blossom Brown received the full Christmas treatment.

Loads of love from visiting family, more photos taken than of anyone else, the privilege to sleep under the Christmas tree and feel the warmth of the lights on her once damaged back, special snacks and presents.

She fell in love with her long-legged Pink Piggy. They are now constant companions.  The "mother" who birthed too many puppies, can now enjoy a "childhood" and be cared for and loved. 

Yes, this photo represents what a healthy dose of humanity, compassion, love and friendship can do for a broken heart...

ANY HEART!

Blossom has truly lived up to her new name.

If you would care to join me as I once again attempt to post on a monthly basis my favorite photo of the month, join me at Kat's Photo-Heart Connection. (click on links above)

  (And feel free to remind me of the deadline dates.) 

The Evidence of Love

Dear friends, work your way down in a lazy-daizy  manner, enjoy the snippets of thoughts on each Valentine. (Feel free to print a copy.)

At the end is a treat better than chocolate covered PEEPS.

Share a bag of Peeps, or yummy chocolates with your loved ones. Hold them dear.

Love is what binds us together.

Love is Evidenced in many ways.

This beautiful video is shared by Kat Sloma.

A wonderful photographer, teacher, philosopher and artist. It is her gift to us.

Heart Thought: for today, the video is my heart thought.

Kateyestudio

When Rocks Melt Hearts

It all started with Stripey Stones

and  a beautiful blog    be...dream....play...

A world where Elizabeth Bunsen spins a world of dream like creativity, wrapped around Wabi Sabi words, crowned with gorgeous photography.

 Stripey Rocks, say it softly.

Downey gray, diagonal stripes of meringue.

Baby smooth born from one thousand years of shifting.

Elizabeth introduced me to them.

A very heavy box arrived, festooned with stamps and black willowy silhouettes.

Peeking inside like a child seeking Santa Claus through the midnight window;

the interior, as splendid as a dancing yellow ballroom spilled over into my heart.

 Layers, small offerings, eucalyptus stained silk, velvet bags, dried leaves, such delights

bound in sunset peach yarn and cotton string.

How did she know I love vessels tucked into vessels....small, tiny, tinier?

OX-eb    Ox-eb  love spilled out, layer by layer of lovelies made by her own hands.

Nature's Skipping Stones, carefully wrapped in time rusted cloth.

be...dream...play

There is  more to the story....

 wait and see.

My new treasure will go on to touch other's lives.

If you would like  a destination where Creativity reigns and EB is the designer visit her at Be..Dream...Play.  You will visit for a LONG LONG time.  She has some beautiful handmade coptic bound books, encaustic gems and Stripey Stones available for purchase.

Elizabeth was recently interviewed by Meri
on her new blog, Finally Me.  You will find a glimpse into this marvelously creative and generous woman's life, philosophy and art.

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I thought it was perfect to share this post on Kat Sloma's, Photo-Heart Connection.

Points of View

 In 1908, E.M. Forester wrote a novel set in Florence, Italy, 

A Room with a  View. 

The protagonist is booked in a room with a view of the courtyard, but preferred the sweeping majestic view of the Arno River. 

I think as photographers we would welcome the challenge to photograph either point of view, Arno River or Courtyard.

Our assignment to photograph an item from multiple points of view, perspective, composition, settings was very enjoyable. And as usual, I took on something too complex, large, oversized.
So I have edited my photos drastically and put my attention on one
item, a beautiful, flowering kale in the midst of an array of autumn gourds, squash, marigolds and leaves. 
This display is on our front porch.


(I promise to get off this autumn roll I have been on, but this fleeting season of settling in, is simply too beautiful to not use for my muse..one last time.)

Midnight on porch. Tripod, flash with diffuser, manual setting. 

Full morning sun, under exposed to achieve the darkness surrounding subject to make it pop.  

Same intense sun, creating deep shadows. Macro lens and tripod.

Heavy cropping in camera to reveal striated ridges and furrows.

The sun kept playing peek-a-boo, but I wanted to stick with natural lighting,  and macro lens. The tripod was cumbersome when shooting the amazing underside of the plant.
This resulted in me shooting hand held, difficult for me in macro settings.


Note to self: when searching for a subject to photograph, take time to shoot from various angles, heights, distance, lens and settings.  


Idea: Carry a plastic bag at all times in case you are down on your back looking UP!




Heart Thought: " It seems to me we can never give up LONGING and WISHING while we are ALIVE. There are certain things we feel to be BEAUTIFUL and GOOD, and we must hunger for them. "  
     George Eliot


Enjoy the last drifts of autumn. sharon

A Bit of Black Magic

When I take night time photos, I feel like I could use a bit of Magic, Black Magic.

Night time photography is so exquisite--magical, the velvety blues, black, grays with spotlights  of illumination,  faces catching a warm glow, reflections bouncing from structures creating cast shadows and ripples,

the same moon faces, from eons ago, smile down from heaven and if one is 

lucky, myriads of stars glitter away.

It isn't always easy to get a terrific shot,

despite all appropriate measures and technical know how.

I have much to learn. 

The next two weeks in Kat's class we are asked to give it our best in shooting night scenes. 

Here are a few of my night shots that bring back floods of memories from past travels.

click on photos to see larger image

Although it isn't technically night time, the sun is nearly gone and deep shadows are being cast. 

Note the pink reflections from the house dancing on the dark river and the gentleman's turban. 

The following three pictures are from dozens shot at an Indian festival. Men with deep sienna brown skin stood a top elephants, showing their fancy footwork and fetes of balance. I was jostled about like a ping pong ball by countless folks who were enjoying themselves and trying to get closer and closer to the elephants. They spoke a language I could not discern.  I, too was caught up in the frenzy of the celebration and flowed right along side them.

Unfortunately the photos are blurry. It isn't your eyes. This is the challenge of shooting in the dark with bright lights like shooting stars causing havoc with lens settings, people pushing and jostling, the impossibility to stand still to shoot a picture. Yes these are out of focus pictures BUT I will never discard them...technically they are  poor, but memory wise they are priceless as they take me right back where I stood, loving every minute of being where I knew I didn't belong but felt that I did. 

And that is one of the beauties of photography.

 The next few photos are shot in a well photographed area of Aix en Provence. Thousands have stood where I stood on ancient cobblestone streets and took in the atmosphere, congeniality, and thrill of being in a very well known travel destination.

Technically they leave a great deal to be improved on, but for me they were a thrill and it truly was as golden-lit as the photos show. A bit of a wonderland...and the ice cream was fantastic.

Note the moon hovering in the sky. 

And that is what is so beautiful about night photography; capturing the moon, stars, inky blue clouds, reflections of light and deep dark crevices and corners one does not notice in the light of day. 

Kat has graciously given us some pointers on night shooting. I intend to try them out....

 Subscribe to her newsletter and you will receive lots of information and ideas and updates on classes. 

I find that photographers are most gracious and willing to share their passions with amateurs like me.