• Art/Design,  journal,  lifestyles,  musings,  Photography,  writing/reading

    My Life and more….

    My Essentials
    My life: a hat, journal, fountain pen, books, laptop, desk and camera

    My role as an observer of an image is much different as I practice and mature with photography. I am grateful I’ve come to see the world with new eyes when I look through the viewfinder of my camera. I contribute this with time, practice and learning to be present to life. Likewise, my role as an observer of another person’s image has changed. There has always been the draw of colors, patterns and especially the light and shadows. But, the story an image expresses is becoming a greater interest within me.

    I’m posting this image because it says something about me at this time in my life. It tells a story: it tells you I wear a favorite hat on an almost daily basis, it tells you I have established a routine of writing almost daily basis for many years using a small collection of fountain pens, it tells you I allow the words from sacred texts of many faiths, poets, mystics, and creatives transforms me as a person. And, since I’ve taken the image myself it tells how a camera is always with me and used as a creative tool and inspiration in my life. It says something about my life and more.

  • architecture,  Art/Design,  Cityscapes/Urban,  lifestyles,  sunsets

    Fountain at Sunset

    Fountain at Sunset
    Fountain at Sunset

    I do not have a grill back in Colorado at my condo because of a city fire code. Anyway, now that I’m house sitting I have been able to use my brother-in-law’s grill, twice. Last night it was spicy sausages. 🙂

    While things were cooking I was drawn to the neighbors back yard and the little fountain they had. The scene was beckoning me to grab my camera, step over near their wall, kneel down, compose and press the shutter. To me it represents the life people live down here.

    Let me tell you, I am not used to this heat at night. Back in Colorado we cool down at night, but not here. It can still be 85-90 when I go to bed. It would take some adjustment for me to live here.

    Oh, and in case you care to know, the sausages were Awesome!

  • Art/Design,  Black and White,  Cityscapes/Urban,  musings,  Plants,  quotes,  shadows,  trees,  writing/reading

    One Must Not Take Photos

    “A photograph is neither taken or seized by force.
    It offers itself up. It is the photo that takes you.
    One must not take photos.”

    Henri Cartier-Bresson

    When someone sees me with a camera I am quite often asked if I have “taken” any good “pitchers” today. I find that difficult to answer. First, I carry a camera as if it is a part of me, a creative tool. I only compose and press the shutter button when an image appears. My belief in that grows more and more each day. One of my tasks in life is to have a camera with me and to be present and observe. I must see with my eyes and the eyes of my heart and soul. And, there are days when I never press my shutter button, most likly because I was not present.

    Secondly, what I consider a good image may not be good to someone else. If Cartier-Bresson is correct then a photograph given to me has a purpose of nurturing my soul and change something within me. And for me the beauty of this is the desire to share some of these images with you, whether they are liked or not.

    Thanks for listening. Monte

  • architecture,  Art,  Art/Design,  Cityscapes/Urban

    Art it Everywhere

    Mural in Loveland
    Mural in Loveland depicting Lake Loveland and the Devils Backbone Ridge

    Seeing, in the finest and broadest sense, means using your senses, your intellect, and your emotions. It means encountering your subject matter with your whole being. It means looking beyond the labels of things and discovering the remarkable world around you.

    Freeman Patterson
  • Art/Design,  Cityscapes/Urban,  quotes

    Simplicity

    No Bicycles
    No Bicycles

    “You don’t choose your life; it chooses you. There’s no point in asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them and carry on. We can’t choose our lives, but we can decide what to do with the joys and griefs we’re given.”  — Paul Coelho

  • Art/Design,  fall season,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    Working Out Our Success

    A Cold and Frosty Morning
    A Cold and Frosty Morning

    “The solution of the problem of life is life itself. Life is not attained by reasoning and analysis, but first of all by living. For until we have begun to live our prudence has no material to work on. And until we have begun to fail we have no way of working out our success.”

    Thomas Merton

    Well, I guess that means I need to take a few more bad images. I posted this image previously in color. For this image I converted it to black and white with Silver Efex Pro.

  • Art/Design,  Camera Equipment,  Fujifilm X-T10,  winter scenes

    I’m Impressed

    An Unshoveled SIdewalk
    An Unshoveled Sidewalk

    I was impressed with the focusing ability and speed for the Fujifilm X-T10 combined with the Fujifilm 35mm 2.0 lens. I saw this low contrast scene with the light shadows on the snow and wanted an image. I turned the camera on with my index finger and increased the exposure with my thumb while I raised the camera to my eye. In my mind I was thinking I’d have to manually focus this scene because of the lack of contrast but this pair immediately snapped on focus. Yes, I am impressed. Stay warm

  • Art/Design,  Cityscapes/Urban,  winter scenes

    The Cone Head Fire Hydrant

    It is unusual for us along the Colorado Front Range to have snow on the ground for this long. Due tot he frigid temperatures there has been snow since Thanksgiving. This last snowfall of 6-8 inches was a wet one so it was a beautiful snowfall. Snow on top of snow.

    I do have a request. I’d like to ask for input from all who care to comment on an addition to my website. At the top you will find a new tab called “prints”. This will link to my Fine Art America site where people can purchase some of my images as prints on several mediums and a ton of other products. I would appreciate any feed back on what you think or any errors you may find. Thanks.