Tag Archives: iphoneography

Let There Be Light: A Light Study

What started as a photo-a-day challenge for a month over a year ago has become a daily practice, a hobby, and maybe even a passion for me. I’ve noticed how my photographic eye has changed over time and how I am now thinking carefully not only about the subject of my photos, but also playing with framing, considering the rule of thirds, thinking about foreground and background, and studying light and its influence on the photo.

Today…Black Friday in the commercial, frenzied bargain hunting world…had us out early on this rare rainy day-after-Thanksgiving checking out bargains and enjoying time spent together. And after the errands and lunch, I desperately wanted to go to the beach on this stormy (at least by our standards) day.

As we drove along the coast toward home, I was on the lookout for an interesting place to stop with a clear view of the beach. We frequently go to the same beach, so today’s goal was to find another place–a new view–to explore.

We stopped at Ponto. And it was surprisingly crowded. The waves were big and the surfers plentiful. People were in bathing suits, full wetsuits, shorts and flip flops, and boots and jackets…it is Southern CA after all.

I already had my eye on the jetty in the distance. I knew I wanted to climb up on the rocks to get a great view of the sea. But on the way I was sidetracked by the collection of lifeguard towers and found myself trying many different angles to capture the light and the ocean in the background. I was struck by the dramatic differences in light and shadow. All of the photos were taken with my iPhone and are unedited and without any filters.

I know the rule about having the sun at your back for the best photos, but sometimes I find myself wanting to shoot into the sun. I love the way that shooting into the light creates silhouettes like in this picture of my husband looking out into the ocean.

And I also played with angling the light behind me to capture more light…and in this case, the movement of the water and waves as well.

When I pivoted 180 degrees in the other direction, the light my camera captured changed dramatically.

Understanding the light and being aware of the source of the light makes a dramatic difference in photography. By studying my photos I’ve learned some techniques that help me make more intentional choices rather than only happy (or unfortunate) accidents. It’s fun to play around and see how shifts in lighting change the photos.

Light can change the mood and tone of the photo, make it more pensive, more dramatic, or lighter and more playful. It changes colors, brightening or softening, creating depth and layers. Earlier today I was trying to capture raindrops with my iPhone, without much success…because light and reflection were working against me. I just couldn’t get enough contrast behind the drops to make them show through my lens. But you can be certain that I will keep trying…whenever the next rainy day comes along.

What have you learned from the light today?

Love

8 Replies

Even though we are already halfway through November, this morning was perfect for a walk on the beach. It was sunny and mild, perfect sweatshirt weather. Most of the people in the water were in full wetsuits, but there was the occasional beach-goer braving the cool water in trunks or bathing suit.

Toward the end of our walk I noticed this heart drawn in the sand and stopped to snap a photo.

A heart is a pretty obvious symbol representing love, but there is so much more that I think of when I look at this heart. I’m reminded that love is in the little things. I didn’t see who stopped to draw this heart in the sand, but whoever did took the time to kneel down and represent love in some way. This morning I know that my husband would have rather gone to the gym for his workout, but instead, he willingly headed off to the beach with me to walk on the beach…at high tide, no less!

In the long run, it’s not the big romantic gestures that matter most. The marriage proposals on the jumbo-tron, the diamonds, and the roses make a big splash but is the bowl of chicken soup carried to your bedside when you are sick, reaching for your hand when you look nervous, and taking time off work to take the cat to the vet that really make a difference.

In my view, love is being there for the long haul. Struggling together through the hard times and savoring the magic moments. It’s being up when your partner is feeling down, watching that romantic comedy when you’d rather see the latest science fiction adventure, and listening to that story…again.

Love is in the little things…like a heart drawn in the sand. And it’s not quite perfect. I like that it is open…there is still room to grow.

An Urban Landscape

Leave a reply

It’s easy to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. Trees and flowers, bugs and birds, fish and squirrels…and all the wonders of zoos and other wildlife sanctuaries make us stop and wonder at the miracles of nature. And we often find this beauty in spaces that are open and natural, away from the hustle and bustle of busy city life.

And after a couple of days communing with nature, today I was back in a more urban landscape. A place where parking is difficult , traffic is the norm, and lots of people are concentrated in small spaces. And I enjoyed a couple of hours browsing a wonderful independent bookstore and some other retail shops before heading to the airport to return home.

But before I left that coveted parking space, my trusty iPhone camera and I walked a couple of blocks to explore the manufacturing district just a block or two away from the upscale shopping district.

After crossing the train tracks, I came across this asphalt factory.

And there’s a kind of beauty in this man-made factory and the machines that we depend on for smooth roads and transportation.

Big trucks drove in and out, but I didn’t get to see any actual asphalt.

It’s amazing what you’ll discover when you cross the tracks!

Where do you discover unexpected beauty? What catches your eye and makes you want to know more?

Reflections: a Photoessay

Leave a reply

I’m fascinated with reflection. Both the mental version and the physical version. Reflections appear in many surfaces…mirrors, metals, through shade and shadows…and in my favorite medium, water.

I love the idea of the way water captures the way reflection works with learning. Reflecting is a way of reinforcing and internalizing your learning. Taking time to think about why the learning matters and making connections to other experiences enriches learning.

Reflection is not the literal mirror image of seeing exactly what you experienced. Instead, reflection is the processing of experience. Like with peering into water, everything around you impacts the learning. The wind, the current, the life within the water…even the angle you take when you take a look.

I also love to play with reflection in my photographs. Sometimes I intentionally look for ways to capture reflection, but more often than not, I notice the reflection after taking the photo.

Here are a few of my favorites…

I love to capture birds on the beach.

And the surprise of the cliffs reflected when I was trying to capture these birds.

This fisherman has such a feeling of timelessness and captures the quiet and solitary beauty of individual focus.

And I’m not limited to the beach. I love the ways the redwoods are captured in this stream. (I also love the colors of the fall leaves floating in the water!)

And even at the zoo there are opportunities for reflection!

These photos remind me that taking time for reflection matters. There is beauty and meaning in looking back to look forward. I’m reminded to pay attention to the angles, to consider the environment, and to be aware of the life within…in my photography and in my life.

How do you make time for reflection? Do you create opportunities for your students to reflect?

Muir Woods: a Photoessay

4 Replies

Nestled in a valley not far from the knotted web of Bay Area traffic and coursing flow of humanity is a space dedicated to showcasing some of nature’s treasures.

The majesty of redwoods is best experienced in person. These giants are not only tall, but also express such personality. Each tree is unique from the next one. They seem to grow in families, clustered as if to offer support and companionship to one another.

I found myself intrigued by the light and shadows. At two in the afternoon, the sun struggled to penetrate these amazing tall trees. Occasionally we would see the soft glow of light where the sun found its way through the canopy.

I love the way this forest demonstrates how it sustains itself. Trees that have fallen and died, teem with live as decomposers work at recycling…returning the tree trunks to the soil to feed new life. As I paid close attention, I noticed these mushrooms growing from a broken trunk.

And as I continued walking I spied these beauties growing along the edge of the trail in with the clovers.

The stream was pretty shallow… After all, summer has just ended and the rainy season has not yet begun. I worked to capture the water’s movement…and to my surprise I captured the reflection of the trees above in the water!

And as a southern Californian who has to search for fall colors in trees, I noticed the leaves of the deciduous trees in my adventures today. There were no reds and oranges evident, but this yellow caught my eye.

Walking through the woods today was refreshing. The fresh, fragrant air and the natural beauty of the trees felt like a massage…relaxing and energizing.

What do you do to relax and rejuvenate? What amazing places do you have the opportunity Ito explore?

One Photo, Three Ways

2 Replies

When daylight savings time ended early Sunday morning, our daylight hours also shrunk. Instead of getting home with some daylight left, it is now dark.

As I left the university this evening, it was already dark. Looking into the dark, evening sky I noticed the beautiful fingernail of a moon. Even knowing that my iPhone doesn’t take great pictures of the moon, I couldn’t resist pausing to take a shot.

When I got home I thought I would play with this image (which was better than I anticipated) using the app Tadaa. It has some interesting filters that work particularly well with playing with light and shadow.

Here’s a dark version:

I like the way the trees frame the moon in the distance and the reds and oranges are nested in the foreground. I couldn’t resist trying one of my favorite filters, otherland, and was surprised when it turned my dark, nighttime image to white. I love the way the moon is silhouetted in the white sky.

The filters dramatically change the mood and setting of this photo. Each tells a different story by a simple change of the filter.

What stories do you see in these images? I hope you’ll take a few minutes to write your ideas in the comments here!

Eerie Inside

9 Replies

Today’s Weekly Photo Challenge on the Daily Post is eerie… And here is my entry:

Lots of people decorate their houses for Halloween, but not all of them have big open windows that offer a glimpse of the eerie inside.

What do you see when you at this photo?

A Study in Black and White…and Shades of Gray

Leave a reply

I was reading a post on another blog yesterday with tips about black and white photography. The person who wrote the post talked about “seeing in black in white.”

When I look at black and white photos I don’t see them as black and white at all…they seem all about shades of color ranging from dark black to gray to white, and all the variations in between. The subtle shading creates a sense of depth and lets light and shadow play.

I frequently edit my photos and apply a black and white filter. I love the sense of timelessness that black and white gives to certain photos. It seems that there is a story-telling quality, maybe the lack of color invites each person to interpret the photo based on their own experiences.

These yellow pencils from my classroom look great in black and white. It’s easy to colorize them in your mind when you look at the photo.

And I love the ways my students hands look in this one. Even without color you can see the sun shining…and focus on those little hands holding even smaller seeds.

Who would guess I took this picture of a fisherman on an urban beach in 2013?

I think I liked this crow better in color. The green leaves made the crow more prominent…it’s hard to make him out in this one.

This one of the horse might be considered cheating. I didn’t go all the way to black and white. I just faded the colors a bit.

And this is one of my favorites…my cat Phil. I do lots of photos of him in black and white…he is a black and white cat, after all! This photo is interesting because the color version looks quite similar. A black and white cat in a white box with black print is already mostly black and white!

The term black and white often makes me think of either/or. But black and white photos are more like real life…built in shades of gray with plenty of room for interpretation and meaning making.

Which of these photos speaks to you? How does the black and white impact your visual experience?

Sense-ing Your World: November’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

Leave a reply

November is a month that tickles our senses. Delicious tastes of holiday traditions, the smells of fragrant fall spices, the sounds of crunching leaves, and the caress of breezes hinting of winter to come…

Alexandra Horowitz, in her book On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, reminds us:

“To a surprising extent, time spent going to and fro–walking down the street, traveling to work, heading to the store or a child’s (or one’s own) school–is unremembered. It is forgotten not because nothing of interest happens. It is forgotten because we failed to pay attention to the journey to begin with. On the phone, worrying over dinner, listening to others or to the to-do lists replaying in our own heads, we miss the world making itself available to be observed. And we miss the possibility of being surprised by what is hidden in plain sight right in front of us.”

November’s photo-a-day challenge is an invitation to pay attention by “seeing” through your other senses. How can you capture taste, smell, sound, or touch in a photo?

Each week we will focus on a different sense. Feel free to interpret the prompt in the broadest possible way. Be playful and creative…and most of all, have fun!

Be sure to post your photo each day to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Flickr using the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices. (You can post anywhere, but if you want others to be able to follow your photos, Instagram and Twitter are best!)

November 1-8: taste

November 9-15: sound

November 16-22: touch

November 23-30: smell

I can’t wait to see what we all come up with! You might also want to reflect on what you learned with each sense and curate your favorite photos. It would make a great blog post! Be sure to provide a link to your blog post in the comments below.

Here’s a preview entry from my time in our school’s garden today:

Young arugula will soon find its way into a #tasty salad.

You are invited to post every day, once a week, or whenever you can find the time. Join in the fun! November is a great month to begin! (or begin again!)

Outside

3 Replies

I spied this gorgeous hawk sitting in a tree not far from me as I was walking today. I slowed and carefully positioned my camera, trying to capture this image.

And as I watched and then continued my walk, a short 25 word story (or maybe the beginning of something more) was brewing in my head.

Tucked in behind the gas station and across the street from the McDonalds, hawk oversees wild space…what is left of what used to be.

I took a minute at the stop light and jotted notes down in my phone to remember this thought when I got back home. Thinking about what used to be interests me. What caused developers to leave this wild space untouched?

Last week a parent in our class sent us this article about going outside to write when you feel stuck or uninspired with your writing, saying that it reminded her of us and our classroom. (Such a great compliment!) I’ve shared it with many others…and was thinking about it this morning as I headed outside for a long walk.

I knew I had lots of writing to do today (beyond my blog post) and told myself I needed to get outside and be active before settling down to work. To make the prospect more appealing, I planned my walk with a mid-walk stop at the local Starbucks and had my iPhone handy for any interesting photo opportunities.

As I started my walk I noticed that my “monkey mind,” as Natalie Goldberg calls it, took over. I could feel my attention pulled in a million directions as I noticed sounds (cars, birds, breeze, leaves crunching, bicycles whizzing by…), smells (the smell of water in the curb drains, car exhaust, the damp of foggy air…), sights (the lone purple flower in a sea of ground cover, scraps of paper interwoven in the brush, leaves blowing…), and physical feelings (the sheen of sweat building on my shoulders, the push of air as cars rushed past, the uneven sidewalk under my feet…). Before I started my walk, I had thought I might continue on a theme of water photos started yesterday with a walk on the beach, but the first half of my walk didn’t offer any interesting possibilities.

And then I noticed the hawk. It literally stopped me in my tracks as I looked closely, noticing the beauty of this bird. Crows and pigeons are pretty commonplace on my walks…and hawks are mostly noticed from a distance, flying high above. I loved the opportunity to look closely as I angled my lens. He watched me as I watched him. And then he spread his magnificent wings and took to the sky. I only wish I could describe the sound of those large, powerful wings as they lifted the bird from the branch.

As much as people complain about “screen time” and lament that devices are keeping our young people indoors, inactive, and uninspired, I find that it is my device that gets me moving, heading outdoors, and paying attention to my surroundings. As always, we need balance in our lives. Opportunities for solitude and times to interact. Playtime and sustained work. Time in nature to notice and question and wonder and time with our screens to produce, write and connect. It doesn’t have to be either/or…can’t it be both?

How does your device (or devices) impact the ways you interact with the outdoors?