A couple of days ago, Sabrina Henry had a good post about what tempts us. It allowed me to reflect back on my temptations in this passion of photography. I have purchased several cameras and lens over the years, trying to find what works for me and with the idea the tool will make me better. And, in this digital era the technology is changing so fast, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the latest gear. With money tight, I’m not able to buy the newest lens or camera but must use what I have. So the best investment I can make in my photography is to practice with what I have.
I do have a lot of images in my archives and am tempted to delete them and save disc space. However, before I deleted them I spent some time looking at the images I passed over asking myself several questions. What was there about the image I did not like? Did I expose it properly? How as the composition, the background? What could I do next time to improve it? And, what could I do now with the knowledge I’ve gained with software such as Lightroom and Photoshop Elements, that will improve what I’ve already got? It turned out to be a good exercise and was fun to experiment with Lightroom. this is one from the past. I cropped the image, adjusted the contrast, brush a bit more detail in the petals and posted it.
It is a bright and sunny morning but I had frost to scrap off the windshield this morning. However, it is suppose to warm up and will be a nice day. Here is an image taken a week ago outside my hotel while traveling. Hope everyone has a great day.
This image came up unexpected. By that I mean I did not see this or envision it. What caught my attention was the late afternoon light. We had rain and overcast skies all day until late afternoon when the clouds broke and the sun came out casting long shadows. I saw the light against the bulding and grabbed my camera. I honestly did not see the window until I looked through the view finder and then it was all I could see. I moved around placing it in various positions in the frame while keeping my reflection out of the window. I also expected to convert it to black and white but I do like the subtle soft hues instead. I settled on this one and ran it through Topaz Adjust. I never saw it coming.
Amazing what we can discover when we take a few steps and go for a walk. After a day of flying I find it renewing to walk while on my overnights. It’s both healthy for me physically and mentally. I never know what I will see and experience on these walks. I’ve had opportunities to meet really interesting people, or find that neat little shop, park, museum. I may discover a bit of the history of the community, something of its past. Whatever I encounter, I’m learning to experience it, feel it, live it. If we do not take forward steps we will not go anywhere nor see and experience new things in life, or even the ordinary and overlooked things in life. Have a super day!
… and have a seat. This scene is unusual as there is almost always someone sitting in one of these chairs. The store that sells these chairs always has them outside on the side walk so people use them. As I came out of the coffee shop there was a small young girl engulfed by the chairs. By the time I retrieved my camera she and her family had moved on. But I figured what the heck and took a few shots. Love colors!
Are they weeds or flowers? Or are they both, a weed that has a flower? A quick search on Wikipedia came up with some interesting information about dandelions. It s considered a weedy species, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. They are important plants for bees. Not only is their flowering used as an indicator that the honey bee season is starting, but they are also an important source of nectar and pollen early in the season.Dandelion pollen is a common allergen and is a common component in bee pollen.This allergen may be commonly responsible for asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. I found these in the Inniswood Garden’s lawn, which is the lawn where most people would prefer they stayed.
Anyway the gist of this post is about perspective and not giving you information on dandelions. Paul Lester has an older post on his experience of a lower perspective which I agree with, and a pretty good image. With the development of the photographers eye through practice we do pickup on the vision of our world from a different perspective We yearn to see it from new directions.
