A few years ago I gave myself a month long project to photograph a bench-a-day. It was an interesting project and ever since I find my eye moving towards them.
Benches
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Mosaic and bench -
Wandering Mind
My Bench I have a wandering mind, a traveling mind, one that goes many places. I spent time at Blendon Woods Metro Park the other evening listening to the birds and being away from the bustle of the world of city. I found a bench looking out over a meadow and parked it. I wrote in my journal a few thoughts and feelings but my mind was constantly being distracted. It is a recurring theme for me. Sometimes those thoughts need to be written down as they will tell me more about myself or be the voice of the muse.
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Wintery Bench
Awaiting Spring I start another 4-day trip this afternoon, getting back on Sunday evening. Yesterday we enjoyed another cloudy, cold and now windy day. When I “jumped” out of bed this morning the temperature was a brisk 11 degrees, at least we were in the double digits. I ventured off to a small coffee shop to write and work on a few images. Outside of the coffee shop is a brick walkway between the older buildings where they have set up tables and benches for the patrons. But as you can see there were not any patrons and the benches were only occupied with snow.
I downloaded the free 30 day trial of Topaz Adjust because several people have recommended it and I don’t want to be left out. I will read up on the manual to see what I need to do. I used it on this image and just selected one that seemed “waaay” to far out there for me. We’ll give it a try. Actually I kinda like the way it looks, it’s different.
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Cold Bench
A Cold Bench A simple project I did a few years ago was to take and post an image of a bench each day for a complete month. Every since that exercise my eye has been drawn to benches so I keep adding images to the subject (keyword). With the snowfall and cold we’ve had it is more difficult to get out but some days I just have to get out there. This bench is not as inviting as it is in the warmer seasons but it is one of my favorite subjects.
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Hidden Bench
In the background While walking in a park in Savannah I was drawn to a vine entwined metal archway. I was not satisfied with any of my images. Something was missing. As I started to leave I noticed the bench in the background. My mind then envisioned the scene you see above. I shortened my DOF and moved in closer to the archway, eliminating it. I like this image as it is no longer a snapshot but pulls the two subjects together and removes the busy street scene in the background. Please let me know what this scene says to you.
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Empty Bench
Empty Bench Walking the streets of Westerville you will find red brick walls, antiques in windows and an empty bench. The only thing missing in this image is someone on the bench.
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Free Concert
Concert Seating Rain started beating against my window around 1:00 am in the morning and continued raining until mid morning. Just after noon the blue skies started to appear and the heat/humidity started to rise. As your clothes begin to stick to your damp body you realized that you’re living in the Ohio Valley and not back in Colorado.
In spite of the weather I decided to give myself an assignment. I walked through Blendon Woods park with only my 85mm f1.8 portrait lens. Every so often along the trails are these benches where people can rest or you can sit while enjoying the free concert orchestrated by the birds. And what a concert it is. Hope you had a good day!
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Empty Bench
Okay, I’m on my couch in a slouched position reading a new book I just bought called, “Within The Frame” by David deChemin. For whatever reason I remembered this image from a year ago and wondered how it would look in B/W. I looked up the image then did a comparison in Lightroom, which he mentions in the book, between a color version and a B/W version, and is a powerful tool that needs to be used more often. Which one stirs the emotion in people is subjective, so both work. But there is more.
David has already helped me understand the difference between subject matter and the subject. We recognize the subject matter in both images: the trash can, bench and lamp post. But, the subject is the stark nakedness of the scene. Does seeing it in B/W accentuate the simple nakedness or not? Do we spend too much time assessing the blue sky or the grass color rather than feeling the subject. So I’m asking, which works better for you and why? Excuse me, I have more reading to do. 🙂
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Waiting Together
Waiting Together Waiting is not something people like to do, especially in these present times, and I’m one of those people. While waiting in line at the bank yesterday, I found myself getting irritated. Even though I had nothing that important on my “to-do-list” I wanted a second bank teller. It was my perception we needed to be moving along faster. Has that ever happened to you?
As a child I remember sitting at a doctors office waiting to see a doctor. It seemed like eternity. Now that I’m a few years older I’ve come to accept sitting and waiting as a time to enjoy the moment, relax and take it all in. I admit to failing, as in my example above, but hopefully getting better at it. When we really think about it, there are no real short cuts in life. When we ask for it quicker we sacrifice something. No way did I want to be short changed by a bank teller. I like this image as it shows a couple waiting for a boat to carry them down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon. I went along with them and it was worth the wait.
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Blue Bus Stop
Blue Bus Stop A few years ago I began to notice benches. I had one month were I posted an image of a bench I took on that day. Benches are everywhere and are in every imaginable shape, color, size and location. And, comfort will vary just about every one of them. Just as interesting as the benches are the people who sit on them or stand beside them. This image was taken in Daytona Beach.
