Author Archives: kd0602

Weekly Photo Challenge: #whyiwrite

7 Replies

Next week, on October 20th, we have the opportunity to celebrate the beauty and power of writing through the National Day on Writing–an initiative supported by NCTE and the National Writing Project. For me, writing and photography have much in common. They are ways to compose my understanding of the world.

Sometimes it is all about paying attention to the world around me, leaning in, and looking my surroundings in the eye. It might result in the magic of an image of a seagull looking closely…at me! I find myself wondering about how it feels to float on an air current, about the social life of seagulls, about where seagulls sleep and nest. And that gets me thinking about my life and dreams and how to keep them aloft.

img_3604

Both writing and photography help me appreciate my world and experiences more deeply. Documenting the beauty around me keeps me paying attention to the subtle changes in seasons, moods, colors, weather, and more. They force me out of my usual routines as I pull off the freeway on my way home to spend a few minutes gazing at the vibrant oranges of the setting sun. I slow down and breathe…and am grateful for the life I have.

img_3602

I write with words and pictures to play. Just like the perfect word can transform an idea in an essay, a filter or app can transform an image in a photo. My latest favorite app has been Prisma, it applies some formula from art (like the Scream by Munsch) that recolors your photograph in interesting ways. I used it the other day on this photo of a lifeguard tower…and I love the results!

img_3646

My camera and pen help me see the ordinary in new ways. Even though I see this tree in my front yard several times a day every day, through the lens of my camera I notice the blue of the sky, the lone blossom (blooming in the wrong season), the moon or the sun peeking through…  The opportunity to re-vision the ordinary changes my perspective and opens up new possibilities.

img_3623

Documenting learning is another reason why I write and photograph.  I love to capture my students at work, and it’s especially helpful to have that documentation to help me recall the details for blog posts or articles.  This week my students were designing structures out of marshmallows and toothpicks to withstand an earthquake.  After testing their design on a Jello earthquake, they tried additional iterations based on the feedback from the test.

img_3678

Composing gets me to pay attention to framing, light, structure…all of those choices I make as I write and photograph.  I find myself looking for the way light plays with color…and I love the way the late afternoon sun shines on my dining room table.  I find myself buying flowers for the table just to watch the sun play with them in the afternoon.

img_3633

The word photography means writing with light…and I do love to write with light!  When I head out with my camera I search for images that provoke my thinking, that please my eye, that inspire me to write and share. I also study my own images in order to improve them, to understand better the angles and light and framing that “work” and those that aren’t quite what I hoped for.  I do go back to familiar places again and again with camera in hand, to revise and re-envision, to gain understanding and make meaning of the world I inhabit.

snapseed

So, why do you write…with light, with pencil, on the computer, with paint or yarn or fabric (or in any other media)?

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #whyiwrite for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Explore your own reasons for writing (with light) and share them with us this week as we join in with others celebrating the National Day on Writing.  I can’t wait to see #whyiwrite through your lens!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Texture

Leave a reply

Life is full of texture, the sense of depth and variation that makes it seem as if our eyes can feel the smoothness, the roughness, and the differences in surfaces that we usually notice with our fingertips.

Tonight’s sunset is a perfect example.  Driving home from the Digital Media and Learning Conference (DML), I couldn’t help but notice the ways the setting sun interacted with the clouds along the coast.  Luckily, the rest area right off the freeway overlooks the ocean, so a quick stop when I was almost home allowed me to catch the sunset up close and personal–the perfect opportunity to enjoy the texture of the colors of the sun and the clouds as it dipped into the sea.

img_3603

Other days, the texture is apparent in the lack of color.  This week was filled with low tides at times that corresponded with the end of my work day.  As I walked and watched the seabirds frolic and eat along the exposed shore, my camera captured the texture of the silvery waves, bird silhouettes, and shadows, turning the photo to black and white without the use of a filter.

img_3534

Last weekend the light was just right to capture the glassy smoothness of the clouds reflected on the wet sand.  This photo feels smooth and shiny, like I could turn the photo over and the same image would be visible.

img_3522

While in Los Angeles visiting with my grandson, I found texture in lights.  I was surprised to find a chandelier hanging in the middle of a street.  The layers of wires and lights create a feeling of texture–I imagine what this would look like lit up in the dark!

img_3496

Nearby, at the Museum of Neon Art, I watched these lights in constant movement, creating a texture and depth that the still photo just can’t capture.  I love the idea that light also creates texture.

img_3469

And then there’s pomegranates.  Smooth on the outside, unless you look into the star-shaped end.  I love the way the macro lens allows me to see the filaments where the fruit once bloomed.

img_3536

Today marks the day that I learned to knit–at a digital media conference–as a way of learning about math!  In less than 40 minutes I learned how to use knitting needles to create this swatch of a yarn textile.  I can’t wait to bring this back to my students!

img_3584

Drought resistant plants often have an interesting texture.  This tiny bloom was surrounded by the kinds of leaves that preserve moisture and are common in southern California.  The actual bloom is probably the size of my pinky fingernail!

img_3608

So, take a look around.  What texture do your eyes detect?  What looks smooth?  What looks bumpy or rough?  Do colors create texture?  What textures do you find in an absence of color?

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #texture for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Where will you find texture?  Head out and investigate the textures we usually notice with our fingertips…what textures will your eyes “feel?”  Be sure to snap a few photos and share the textures you notice through your lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Signs

Leave a reply

I’ve been noticing signs lately.  Not those metaphorical signs like falling leaves or the proliferation of pumpkin flavored foods and drinks in the local Trader Joe’s (although I’ve seen those too), but actual signs that give information in one way or another.

I love these vintage-style signs that many communities in San Diego have. Yesterday I happened by the Carlsbad sign right after sunset, while the sky was still pink and yet the lights of the sign were visible.  I took this one through the car window (and no, I wasn’t driving!).

img_3442

Not far from this sign I also saw a sign specifically for walkers.  This struck me as unusual since so many of our signs are geared to automobile traffic.

img_3449

And I was surprised by the kindness meters I came across the other day that seem to be encouraging passersby to donate to charity.  I wonder how effective these are…most of us don’t really love to “feed” a parking meter!

img_3434

I was struck by the warning sign I see everyday down the street near the mailboxes.  After an excruciatingly hot day (100 degrees on the coast!) on Monday, this warning seemed so tame in comparison!

img_3422

I love to play around with ways to frame signs, trying to create interesting and unexpected compositions.  In this one you can see the sign on the restaurant peeking out behind this robust succulent.

img_3044-1

In Tucson in August, we ducked into the macaroni and cheese dive for a quick bite before we headed to the airport.  I liked the backwards view of the signage painted on the window.

img_2969

And who can resist a neon sign?  I was lucky enough to come across this one at night when it was brilliantly lit.

img_2952

I started to think about what makes a sign a sign.  Are they always word dependent?  Or is it about the message the viewer takes away?  I’m not sure if this is a light fixture or a bug zapper, but it certainly caught my interest in a local taco shop.  Do the skate/surf stickers qualify as signage?

img_3420

So, this is your week to be on the lookout for signs.  What signs do you come across as you go about your day?  Which ones have you stopped noticing become they have become commonplace?  Which grab your attention day after day after day?  Which will you notice only because you are now looking for signs?

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #signs for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Start looking for signs…and snap a shot or two to share with the rest of us.  What will catch your attention…I can’t wait to see signs through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Finding Fall

3 Replies

Today is the first day of fall…according to the calendar.  Seasons aren’t prima donnas in these parts.  They don’t demand a lot of attention.  In fact, seasons are subtle, making their entry is small, sometimes overlooked ways.

A predicted heatwave over the weekend never materialized on the coast. When we headed to the beach for walk late Sunday afternoon, instead of heat we were greeted with damp, gray mist.  It was warm, but not your picture perfect beach weather.  That didn’t bother the seabirds though. They were out enjoying the low tide and the emptiness of the beach now that the tourists have mostly left town (for now).  I couldn’t resist this little fellow with its foot in action and  its crisp reflection visible on the sand.

Processed with Snapseed.

I like the mood the fogginess brings to the beach.  It brings the world in a bit closer and adds that fall-like mystery.  I wasn’t feeling like I do in the summer, escaping from the heat and relishing the sun on my shoulders. Instead, I was noticing the cool and reveling in the emptiness of the wide open space in front of me.

img_3325

Surprisingly, Tuesday brought rain!  (Remember, average rainfall for us is about 10 inches annually…and we’ve been in a severe drought for several years now.)  The sky was beautiful in the morning, with the dark blue skies and thick layers of clouds.  It was definitely a sign that we would have a rare weather episode!

img_3341

It did end up raining a good part of Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.  We were loving sandals and skirts and sleeveless tops in the warm, balmy rain.  Our students showed up in rain boots and jackets–I guess you deal with being too warm when you have so few opportunities to sport your rain wear!

A trip into the backyard yesterday afternoon had me thinking about fall!  I noticed the unusual pools of water filled with the seed pods that fall from the tree.

img_3358

And the brilliant red of the Japanese maple shouting at me to pay attention to the impending change of season.

img_3354

I’ve never noticed these seed pods before but I love the gold, tan, and black–neutrals that remind me of fall.

img_3357

And I’m noticing the light changing as the days get shorter.  The lowering sun was making this dandelion glow.  I decided to mess around with it in prisma to see what effects I might get.  I like the way this one captures the glow and the textures of the plant.

img_3359

So, what will you notice when you set out to find fall?  Maybe you’ll find the traditional colorful leaves dressing the trees in brilliant colors or maybe like those of us in these parts, you’ll have to pay closer attention and look for more subtle seasonal changes.  Or maybe you’ll find fall indoors, or through the food you eat, or in some other way!

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #findingfall for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Grab your camera and head out in search of fall.  Don’t feel confined to iconic images of fall foliage–embrace what you find!  What does fall look like when you look for subtle, often overlooked evidence?  I’m looking forward to seeing what you capture when finding fall through your lens!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fighting the Blahs

1 Reply

Some weeks my photography feels uninspired.  I simply don’t have the opportunities to get out and find the inspiration that bring photos to life for me.  But I’m determined to keep up my practice of taking daily photos…so out of the blahs, here’s a few shots that keep me going.

Scouting out some local hiking places meant an excursion into a nearby place we hadn’t previously explored.  I love our native plants for many reasons–their drought tolerance, their earthy smells, and their resilience. But they aren’t always beautiful in that ornate, photo-ready way.  I do love the old oaks in our area, especially when the sun shines through them.

img_3227A closer look at one of the smaller coast live oaks revealed acorns!  I love this one that reminds me of Halloween candy corn!

Processed with Snapseed.

If you pay close attention, you will also notice the insect life around. Swallowtail butterflies are pretty common in the area…and this guy even sat still long enough for this portrait.

Processed with Snapseed.

And I couldn’t resist this web built into the corner of the fencing along a portion of the trail.  I love the way that it is tucked into the corner, creating a lacy effect.  I didn’t see a spider…and this looks like it may have abandoned.

img_3238

It was disturbing to see these dead palm trees in the distance.  We learned that they have been intentionally poisoned as part of an effort to restore this preserve area to its native state.  The palms are an invasive species and removing them will bring back native plants…and the ecosystem that native birds and other animals need to support them.

img_3243

And a trip to the local mall offers an antidote to the blahs.  There’s a lot of construction going on as the mall is updated to better accommodate the growth in the area.  The cranes particularly caught my eye…along with the way the sunlight was streaming down towards them.

img_3261

So…how might you use photography to fight the blahs…or adjust your eye to fight the photography blahs?  You might have to force yourself to start snapping and trust that something interesting will come up.  I try hard to remind myself to take at least one photo every day–even when I don’t feel inspired!  (Hence the construction photo!)

You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #blahs for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

Head out with your camera and take some shots…you’re bound to find something interesting and that will help with fighting the blahs.  And in the process, you might learn something about the place you live, the people around you, or even about yourself and the way you look at photos! Fight your blahs this week…and share a few shots with us!