Silent Sunday: May 17, 2015
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate
There’s a storm heading our way (or promised, at least), and clouds have gathered. I’ve caught myself staring up into the sky, noticing the ways the clouds race across the sky, gather in delicate puffs, and capture light. At UCSD today, I was mesmerized by the clouds behind the Geisel Library…a very space ship looking building. I played around with the app Paintereque…I love the way it draws attention to the sky.
I’ve been paying a bit more attention to the ways my surroundings impact the way I feel…and have been picking up flowers now and then and putting them in my dining room. These red tulips were closed buds on Saturday, began to open up on Sunday, and yesterday I noticed them drooping gracefully and casting delicate tulip shadows when I got home from work.
With a late meeting earlier this week I couldn’t resist stealing away for a few minutes at the Torrey Pines Glider Port. This interesting place just a few minutes from the university offers breathtaking views of the ocean and, as an added bonus, opportunities to watch the hang gliders float on the breeze. From a distance they are like delicate birds, surfing the currents. Up close, they are much more ungainly.
Up in the mountains over the weekend, I explored the forest and meadows and noticed forces of nature as they whispered. The quiet was soothing and as I breathed deeply, I noticed this delicate butterfly (or is it a moth?) that settled long enough for me to take its portrait!
I loved all the wildflowers carpeting the forest. I noticed that many of the flowers were small and delicate…and often close to the ground like these tiny beauties.
And there is also a delicacy to these large, old oaks. Looking up I could appreciate the delicate branches reaching into the sky. Some were lush, with brilliant green leaves and others, like this one, seem to be declining. Maybe because of our persistent drought?
So what evokes delicate for you? Is it in the flight of a man-made object or the curve of a tree branch? Maybe you notice delicate in the smile of a child or the whiskers of your pet.
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 #delicate for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.
So take a look around, what strikes you as delicate? I’m looking forward to expanding my understanding of delicate by seeing it through your lens!
Quiet Forces of Nature
When we think of a force of nature, our thoughts often turn to those terrifying and often devastating earthquakes, tornados, avalanches, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, and wildfires. But sometimes in nature, forces whisper and almost go unnoticed.
In the solitude of the hiking trail, the rhythm of our boots joined the whoosh of the wind as it races through the tree tops. When I look closely I can see how the wind shapes those tall sentinels, bending and curving them with its quiet force.
Could have been wind or water (or the lack of water) or something else that worked this tree trunk loose from the ground. Now it continues to contribute to life in the forest as it decays, providing a home to insects and fungi, enriching the soil…and providing a natural frame for this photo!
Tiny flowers spring up, planted by the wind and passing wildlife, watered by the increasingly rare raindrops, and nibbled by the local inhabitants. In the meadows they create a carpet of color, a delight for the eyes.
Look closer and you can see the individual blossoms as they sway in the breezes, their beauty fleeting…it won’t be long before the blooms dry up and fall off and this colorful carpet will turn to dry brush.
The barbed wire hints at the cattle that graze these spaces. As I see the fences I remember a photo recently posted by a friend…and it becomes a mentor for one of my own.
I hear birds and look up. On this hike I have seen birds of prey floating on the wind currents and what I think are local woodpeckers, with bright red heads, chatting with one another in the tall oaks high above me. I see other evidence of their presence, the creation of granary trees where they store their acorns.
There are so many forces of nature at work in this magnificent place in our local mountains. Nature’s forces weren’t roaring, but they whispered their power, begging me to take notice and appreciate the intricacies of her systems at work. I’m part of this system too, and when I care I can make a positive difference, remembering that my needs and desires need to stay in balance with those of the trees and the birds and the wildflowers.
Silent Sunday: May 10, 2015
Weekly Photo Challenge: Two
Looking through photos I’ve taken lately, I’ve noticed twos. Not really pairs, like shoes or gloves, but instead two of something finding their way to a prominent position in the photo like these two bike riders pedaling along the beach.
And as I stood along the edge of the lily pond at our local botanical garden a few days ago, I noticed a turtle swimming toward me. And as I continued to watch, there were two. They swam along snapping up small fish, slipping around and under the lily pads.
The water lily blossoms also appeared in twos for me, a riot of color atop the brilliant green of the lily pads.
Out in the school garden students were invited to reflect on their experiences in the garden during the school year (it’s our garden teacher’s last week). It was such fun to watch them settle in, perched on stumps, leaning on the fence under the sunflowers, garden boxes serving as writing desks…and I caught these two surrounded by the colorful, fragrant sweet peas as they took time to reflect and write.
Somehow my photo of the flax also focused on two blossoms. I love the color of these red blooms!
And even as the petals fall off the sunflowers, they remain interesting and somehow beautiful as they go to seed. I noticed that this one has two petals still hanging on.
So where are twos popping up for you? Are you noticing traditional pairs and couples or unusual combinations? Are they people, animals, plants, man-made items?
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 #two for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.
So, start looking for two and share what you find through your lens with the rest of us!
Silent Sunday: May 3, 2015
Weekly Photo Challenge: Lines
Not too long ago my son and I were looking at power lines…those big metal structures made up of lots of crossing lines that also hold up more lines. And then some weeks later, I found myself noticing more power lines in a different place. I’m drawn to the lines and angles…and to the question, why are there more power lines in poorer communities?
And thinking about those lines got me looking for other lines…like these that make up the water tower in a small coastal town in northern CA.
Or these on the lifeguard tower along the pier in San Clemente. (Notice the line of the pier railing and then the railings and the scaffolding of the tower above)
Some lines are more organic, like the lines along the cliff that delineate the different rock compositions. Up close you can see the a line of conglomerate pebbles about halfway up the cliffs.
The surfboards lined up against this building are each a line individually and then come together to make a line of boards against the wall.
Nature seems to like lines too. Like the line of this milkweed stalk behind the caterpillar. (I’m loving these seed pods that burst open and expose fuzzy seeds that take off in the breeze…almost like dandelion puffs!)
And the rotational symmetry of this plant, with lines emerging from the center, spreading in all directions.
So starting looking for lines in your photos. The straight lines of buildings or the more organic lines found in nature. Are the lines made of something else? A row of trees? Scraps of fabric? Your child’s toys?
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 #lines for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.
So, find the lines in your life and share them with the rest of us! I know I can’t wait to see lines through your lens!
Exploring Technique: May’s Photo-a-Day Challenge
It’s been a while since I’ve focused intentionally on photographic technique…lately I’ve been much more focused on exploring places than working on the more technical aspects of creating interesting photos. So it seem to be time to create a challenge that encourages me (and you) to explore (my one little word) how the tools of the trade might impact the images created.
So for May’s #sdawpphotovoices photo-a-day challenge, we’ll focus on a different aspect of photography each week.
After you shoot, post a photo each day with the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices to Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Google+ and/or Facebook (the more the better!), so that we can all enjoy the posts. If you are game for some more playfulness, compose a blog post about a photo, a week’s worth of photos, write a photo essay, make a video or slideshow or try a learning walk! (More about learning walks here and here) You are invited to create a pingback by linking to this url or post your blog address in the comment section. It’s fun for me to see what others are doing with the same prompts I am using!
Week 1: Playing with Composition
1. Simplify the scene—move in closer to remove distracting details
2. Rule of thirds (or simply avoid the middle)–what happens when you frame your subject off center?
3. Use leading lines—frame your shot by letting the natural lines (fences, roads, walls…) direct the viewer’s eye
4. Use diagonals—shift the angle, tilt your camera…
5. Check your background—what’s behind your subject? Experiment with finding a background that works with your subject
6. Fill the frame—zoom in or step closer to fill the frame with your subject
7. Break the rules—experiment with your own compositional style
Week 2: Playing with Light
8. Shoot into the light to create a silhouette
9. Capture a shadow
10. Find the light in a dark setting
11. Make light the centerpiece of the photo
12. Experiment with light and dark in one photo
13. Include a reflection (water is useful here!)
14. Try something new with light (either natural light or some other light source)
Week 3: Playing with Perspective
15. Get low
16. Shoot from above
17. Create an optical illusion
18. Play with negative space
19. Get close
20. Try a wide angle effect
21. What other perspective have you tried?
Week 4: Playing with Genre
22. Architecture
23. Black and White
24. Children
25. Landscape
26. Macro
27. Nature
28. Street photography
Week 5: Play with filters and effects
29. Abstract
30. Adjust the color
31. Your choice!
Our goal is to explore, share with each other, and learn from each other as we shoot our own photos and study the photos others shoot. Each week includes seven suggestions for exploring the technique, and the final days offer opportunities to play around with filters and effects. You are welcome to follow them in order, mix them up, or exchange them for a technique you want to try on. You can post every day, once a week, or even sporadically throughout the month…whatever works in your life. Be sure to share and tag your photos with #sdawpphotovoices so we can find them!
Silent Sunday: April 26, 2015
Life in Motion
Sometimes life seems to be taking place in fast forward–moving at speeds that make it impossible to catch up (or keep up, for that matter). Weekends offer opportunities to reconnect with loved ones, squeezed between chores like laundry and grocery shopping…and when I’m really lucky, time for an adventure or two.
I love the way my camera makes time stand still for an instant, but today I was trying to capture moments of motion. We headed north to the San Onofre State Beach, also home of the now defunct nuclear power plant. I’m always surprised by the multitudes of treasures I’ve yet to discover not far from my home…how have I missed this place I have passed by on the freeway so many times?
The day was gray and threatening. The weather forecasters had dismissed the rain for the weekend, but the clouds hung dark and heavy in the distance. We saw a couple of cars with surfboards on top heading away as we pulled in, and my husband joked that the surfers were done for the day. Until we turned the corner and saw the sea dotted with wet suited surfers afloat on their boards.
And a few were in motion.
I love watching sea birds, and I wasn’t disappointed today. I saw egrets and cormorants as well as the usual seagulls and pelicans.
I also caught this sandpiper frolicking in the surf.
Further north, we strolled out on the San Clemente pier with the wind whipping my hair and making me wish for the heavier jacket in the back seat of my car. The colorful flags danced in the breeze, in constant motion.
Surprisingly, there were no seabirds on the pier. But there were lots of pigeons. I noticed these bobbing their heads to drink from this sink. (Notice the sign…hmmm, were they drinking salt water or were they sipping from tiny pools left from the increasing drizzle?)
I love to go under a pier. There is something about watching the waves through the mussel-laden pilings that I find mesmerizing. The color of the water, the sound of the rocks, and the rush of the waves creates a musical performance of constant motion.
As we headed to the car, the rain began in earnest. And after all that motion, I am now sitting, near motionless, listening to the rain fall outside as I cuddle with the cats, chat with my husband, and try to stock up on some much needed rest to fuel the week ahead.
Thinking Through My Lens 