motion | Thinking Through My Lens

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.

Do you speak in images? Enjoy taking photos to document your experiences or just to express what you notice in the world? Love to share them with others? Welcome to the weekly photo challenge! I post a new challenge each week…check in regularly and join the fun!

I’ve been paying a lot of attention to motion and movement lately…and it’s difficult to capture in a still photo. But that doesn’t keep me from trying! On Saturday while I was hiking up Cowles Mountain, a local peak that is the highest point in the city of San Diego, I was fascinated by the beautiful red-trunked manzanita trees. This particular image makes me think of dancers, I love the bend and sway and even the way the shadows play on the branches.

There’s something about light that also helps to capture the feeling of movement. In this unedited image I like the way the morning light plays with Geoff’s legs and hiking sticks as he blazes the trail for us.

I couldn’t resist this shot of the girl out on the rocks seeming to celebrate the waves crashing onto the shore and splashing her each time. What you can’t see is her friend with her cell phone taking photos from behind her…and them checking the images to see if they captured the effect they were looking for.

As I spent some time on an airplane today, I was going through photos and deleting some that I had already downloaded onto my computer. I couldn’t resist including this one from earlier in the summer where I caught a bunch of birds taking off…with my husband in the background. These guys are my favorites–sandpipers. I still want to catch the whistling sound they make when they call to each other as an audio tape!

I was delayed on my layover today in Chicago, so after a bite to eat, I wandered around looking for interesting images. As I looked out the window I noticed planes taxiing, some parked at gates either loading or unloading passengers, and even planes landing. If you look closely at this one you can see all three motions going on!

Once I arrived in Raleigh, NC (I’m here for a conference), I was ready to stretch my legs after a long day of sitting in cramped airplane quarters. So once I checked into my hotel, I headed out with my camera in hand to explore a bit of downtown Raleigh. I have so many questions about this place and its history, especially after happening upon the Capitol Building, other government buildings, and lots of old churches. As the sun was setting my eyes were drawn to the flags bathed in the lowering light. The American flag and the North Carolina flag danced in the breeze with the pinky-purply clouds in the distance.

Where have you noticed motion and how might you capture it in a still photo? Consider nature and living things…and also the movement of manmade objects. (I’ve been trying to get a great shot of the train that runs near my school for a while now…maybe this week I’ll get it!)

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

Be on the lookout for ways to capture that motion you see in a still image. I can’t wait to see motion through your lens!