My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
The day this image was taken we had light rain in the morning then high humidity in the afternoon. I needed to get out of the apartment so headed off to Inniswood Gardens for some shooting and head clearing. The large quantity of spring flowers has passed but the butterflies and bees are still actively gathering the remaining flowers. I do feel better!
If you were an owl, would you want to be called ‘Monkey-face?’ I will admit, however, there is some semblance. The more I wade into the stream of photogaphy the more I want to know about the subjects I see in the view finder. Yes, people may compliment me on an image but what do they think about the subject? I do love the light on this Barn Owl and how it is facing the light, it makes for a fine image. But, what else?
With the ease of the internet, I’ve begun to snoop around to find out about the subjects. You can follow this link to a good article on Barn Owls. I did not realize the short life expectancy of Barn Owls, 1-2 years. Nor did I know about there different calls.
Catch light or catchlight is a photography term used to describe either the specular highlight in a subject’s eye from a light source, or the light source itself. A catch light may be an artifact of the lighting method, or have been purposely engineered to add a glint or “spark” to a subject’s eye during photography. It is one of the first things I look for in photo, whether it’s a portrait or a small inquisitive squirrel. It adds life to the image and helps us to focus on the eyes. It can be subtle as in the image above or it can be brilliant where there’s even an image inside of the catch light itself. I will admit there are times when I’m disappointed in my shoot for the day because I do not have those catch light and, to me, something is missing.
I travel with work so I do quite a few walks around the hotels, just to keep moving. Some may find that to be boring but as a photographer I find it to be a way to exercise both my body and mind: therapy, if you want to call it that. To quote Robert Sweetgall, “We live in a fast-paced society.” Walking slows me down.
These leaves, acorns, small pine cones, needles and moss made for some fun. The shape and glow of the leaves drew my attention so I got down on my knees for a closer look.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
Why take photographs in cemeteries? Everyone will probably have different answers while some do not take photographs at cemeteries, period. Wikipedia has an interesting article on the history about cemeteries, the sacred ground used and the ceremonies created for burial.
Every once in awhile I find myself wandering in a cemetery, reading names, checking dates and wondering about their lives. As a photographer, cemeteries present interesting lines, patterns, shapes and colors. On this past Worldwide Photo Walk our group spent some time in a older cemetery in Westerville. The mature trees made for some great background, as I have tried to present in this image. Strangely it was the tree I noticed first and then saw the statue, wanted them in an image. I added a small amount of flash to fill in the shadows of the statue.
Portraits have a way of bringing out a persons personality in different ways. This is a fun shot because of Annie’s smile or maybe that’s a smirk. We were having fun and trying things to see what worked. A fun shot as she peeks at you.
Went for a walk this afternoon outside my hotel and found these little buggers. Now, don’t ask me what they are going, I didn’t ask. Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend so far.
I also wanted to share this image with you as it is awesome and brought a smile to my face.