Weekly Photo Challenge: Two

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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

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Lines

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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?

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

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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

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Life in Motion

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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.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Color

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Sometimes it seems like I go through phases with my photography, taking lots of shots of similar things. It wasn’t too long ago when I was obsessed with taking photos of seagulls…in flight, in crowds, eating, posing–you get the idea.

Lately, my eye seems to be drawn to color. I noticed the brilliant red of this community sign just the other day.

And the nearby artist supply store was awash in color from ceiling to floor.

Flowers are blooming around here too. I couldn’t resist the way the light made the orange of these flowers glow.

The sharp spines and the vibrance of the red flowers make an interesting composition.

I love the surprising patches of wildflowers that grow in unusual spots, cuddled up to rocks, brightening the landscape.

And the unexpected red roof on the lighthouse, highlighting the classic white building below it.

Where are you finding color? What colors do you find yourself drawn to time after time? Are they colors in nature or the ones that people use to decorate or draw attention to their spaces?

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 #color for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

So, start looking for color…and share your images with the rest of us. What colors will we see through your lens?

Silent Sunday: April 19, 2015

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Sparkling

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Today I found a quote that resonated…filling my mind and heart with images of warmth and light.

Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light. Theodore Roethke

And I started thinking about my week off from work…which was filled with light and sparkling images. A long winding drive through a forest of redwoods showered us with shards of light filtered through those tall majestic trees.

And who knew that wild raspberries grow on the tops of the sea cliffs that overlook the fiercely beautiful waves of the Northern California coastline? They seemed to wink as I stopped to take their photo!

How have I missed quaint sea towns like Mendocino, a jewel of weathered historic buildings, sparkling blue water, and tall water towers.

Even in the shade, an inner glow seemed to sparkle through this luminous purple flower.

And when we arrived at our destination, Glass Beach…near Fort Bragg, we were greeted by smooth, tumbled beach glass that covered the sand. This place that once served as a dumping ground is now seen as a treasure. I watched children clamber up rocks, pretending to be pirates high above the sparkling glass.

The glass beckoned, urging fingers to search for unique shapes and colors, letting the bits and pieces trickle through our open hands.

At the end of the day, through the window of our hotel room, we were treated to the sparkling sun dipping down into the Pacific as the fishing boats came in from a day on the ocean.

So this week be on the lookout for images that sparkle in your life. Is there an inner light, the sun shining through, or maybe a sparkle less literal that only you can see?

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 #sparkling for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.

What is sparkling in your life this week? I can’t wait to see what sparkles through your lens!

Staying Afloat

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I love my job. And yet, I still need time off to refresh and recharge…to stay afloat amid the demands of the work I love. Sometimes I am tempted to use my time off to catch up on the work details that build up in the course of my daily work life or to tackle those cleaning and organizing projects that take so much time. But this week, I mostly spent time exploring, enjoying…and not too much else.

And for this week staying afloat meant climbing the California Tower with my sister and looking out over the beautiful city where I live. The tower, that has been closed to the public for most of my life, offers 360 degrees views…to the ocean, to the mountains, and more. And because of the unique flight path in San Diego, I was watching planes descend right over the city skyline.

We also met up with this mallard duck couple enjoying a private swim in the small garden fountain. The morning light in this unedited photo seems to emphasize the beauty of the ducks and the surrounding fountain and gardens.

We found these overturned boats and flowers near the place where Geoff and I lived many years ago, right after we first got married. In the background you can see the boats that are afloat and the brilliant blue of Mission Bay.

And as much as I love this place I live, getting away helps me to unwind and push work into the background. So afloat, high in the air (is that a stretch of the word afloat?), we journeyed up the coast to San Francisco. This is one of those places I have been to many times, but sometimes forget to “see” it. As we headed out of the city to a destination further north, we took the time to stop and appreciate the towering icon that is known as the Golden Gate Bridge.

I love San Diego beaches…but northern California beaches are a different breed. These are rough and wild…and in the springtime, adorned with beautiful wildflowers. As we stood looking off the cliff near the Point Cabrillo lighthouse, we watched an osprey soar toward us with a fish gripped in his talons. We heard about the migrating whales another couple had just seen, and watched this squirrel nibble near the edge of the cliff.

A highlight of our trip was a visit with my son and daughter-in-law. They treated us to a hike up a local mountain…Mt. Diablo. As we drove the curving mountain roads, dodging intrepid bicyclists, my son told us about this peak’s unique qualities—including unobstructed views for miles around. Our day wasn’t crystal clear, but the views were breathtaking!

And all too quickly, our trip must end. As we drove back to the airport for our trip home, I caught another glimpse of beautiful San Francisco and its golden gate…from the Bay Bridge. And with a bit of editing on my iphone photo, you can see what my eyes noticed as we said goodbye.

I’m wishing for one more day…to wash clothes, pick up some groceries, and maybe catch a nap. But alas, I will be back at work tomorrow…loving every minute and squeezing those essential chores into the creases of my day, and I think that’s where they belong anyway.