Here’s something a little different. It was way too windy for flower photography today so I decided to play with some wooden blocks I have been collecting from Antique shows. Then ran it through several software programs until I got a look I liked.
Today’s quote is from Henry David Thoreau:
The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them.
I stopped by North Mountain Park this morning looking for red poppies. There were a few but they were almost done. Guess I should have gone last week. But, I did find a few and I managed to get this one in focus.
It’s Sunday as I write so time to turn to a new source for quotes. This week I will be looking to the books of Roderick McIver. Today’s quote is from John Ruskin:
The object in life is to find that undertaking, that occupation with which you have infinite patience.
Nothing says serenity like a rock in still water. Today was one of those days when I kept thinking about posting a photo and then getting sidetracked. So, I was sitting at dinner going, “Oh, shit” Fortunately I had this one in my back pocket.
Today’s quote from Julia Cameron:
The creative imagination is a will-o’-the-wisp. Wooed best by enticement and not by aggressive assault, the imagination responds to being coaxed and cajoled.
Here’s another one from the trip to the park yesterday. I didn’t take many wide shots and this one I had to crop out some ugly dead branches on the right. I also had to adjust the color because the green light bouncing around in the vegetation was just overwhelming.
Turning back to Julia Cameron today:
We are all artists – some of us are declared, accomplished, and publicly esteemed artists. Others of us are the private kind, making artful homes and artul lives and shying away from the public practice or pursuit of our art.
Something I have been meaning to do since I started this project is head down to Lithia Park and practice my flowing stream technique. I finally had a day when I didn’t have 10 other things pressing on me and headed out with the Canon 7D and 70-200mm zoom on the tripod. Two take home messages. 1) There is always a stick. I edited the stick out in photoshop. 2) This might work better on a cloudy day due to the dappled light sifting through the trees. I do like the colors created by the sun on the upper part of the creek though.
Today’s quote is from Pablo Picasso:
We are all born children. The trick is how to remain one.
So, the lavender is just starting to bloom around the ‘hood. Sometimes I have to ask myself what is creative about another flower picture. Here’s what myself answered. I had to chose the lens to put on the camera: I chose the Velvet 28 because I wanted to isolate a single flower against a blurred purple background. I had to chose the aperture. I chose f4 so the background would be blurred but the flower would be mostly in focus. I had to chose where to focus. I noticed the little flower open and chose to focus right on it. When I got it back in the computer I chose to crop it a little for a slightly improved composition. I also chose to go out looking for lavender this day. So, yes, I guess there are a lot of creative choices to be made even it what looks like just another simple flower photo.
Again from Julia Cameron today:
By insisting to ourselves that beauty is present even on those days when we cannot see it, we make the beauty in the world more real.
Happy June! I went out to water the potted plants this morning and noticed that my Hydrangea had come into full bloom while I wasn’t paying attention. Still experimenting with the Velvet 28 and finding it quite wonderful. It is also new texture day in the texture club so I had to try out one of the new offerings which gave me just the look I wanted.
Today from Julia Cameron:
As artists we “see things differently.” In part, this is because we are looking.
The light was very harsh when I was out photographing yesterday. I did my best to tone this down in photoshop. It is not often I have to take out vibrance and saturation but I may not have gone far enough with this one.
I like this quote from Julia Cameron because I have been feeling it a lot lately and have been enjoying a weekend dedicated to watercolor, photography and enjoying the peace of staying home on a holiday weekend.
When our lives become too frantic, our art retreats. It does not thrive on a life lived pell-mell.
While walking Cody around the neighborhood I have been noticing some Roses with delicate pink edges in the landscaping. I put the 28mm Velvet on the M3 and headed out this morning. Unfortunately the sun was so bright I could not get a properly exposed image until I finally let my body cast a shadow over the flowers. This was the only one that came anywhere near what I had in mind. I walked around looking at all the white roses in the shade but none of them had the pink edges so I’ll have to try again on a cloudy day.
This week we will turn again to Julia Cameron:
Creative energy is energy. When we are worrying about creating instead of actually creating, we are wasting our creative energy.
My office was being taken over by watercolor stuff so I decided I needed to carve out a dedicated space for painting. Since I never dine at the dining room table and it has become a catch all for Cody’s junk I decided it was time to rearrange a bit to create a painting nook instead of an eating nook. Consequently, I am going to skate on the coast photos (at least) one more time. My first trip around shore acres I was carrying only the camera and Velvet 85. I quickly realized I was going to need a wider angle to capture the beauty of the variety of rhododendrons and the reflections in the pond. So, I went back to the car and got the Velvet 56 and 28. The 28 turned out to be too wide for this scene but the 56 was just right. I do wish I had taken a step to the right to get a little more separation between the cranes. Always something.
Once more from Matthew Fox:
There is art everywhere in the universe; there is wisdom everywhere in the universe. One more reason for psyche and cosmos to come together again — to bring art and wisdom alive once more.