Category: Abstact

Day 100 – Dancers

Dancers

A fitting end for 100 days of creativity is this abstract shot which I see as a dancing couple. One of the workshop instructors saw it as a horse… whatever works for you. We were taken to history museum with a lot of old vehicles parked outside to try and make interesting art from the rust and patterns within the patina. In this case it was an old wooden caboose which had been painted bright red but the red paint had splattered onto the metal framework under the caboose creating these very Jackson Pollock like scenes all along the edges.

Our last quote is from Helen Keller:

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.

Day 27 – Farm Equipment Abstract

FarmEquipment

So, yes, I was getting pretty bored with the neighborhood. I took a drive out through the orchards and into the Applegate Valley where I found a few interesting things to photograph, including this farm equipment. I started out with the standard shot of the whole thing but then started zooming in further and further looking for interesting shapes and lines. I rendered this as a black and white but then lowered the opacity on that layer to bring back just enough color to keep it interesting.

Robert Louis Stevenson is the author of today’s quote:

To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.

Day 44 – Airport Abstract

Abstract

Every day I think I really need to get out there and take some new images. But I haven’t been able to think of much that I haven’t already done. And every day jet lag kicks in a little later but it still knocks me out by 4pm. So, then I start rooting around in the archives for something interesting. Any guesses as to what this is? Well, the answer is it is a stainless steel wall texture at the entrance to the ladies room. I blew out the saturation and vibrance to emphasize the colors reflected in the otherwise silver wall. I’m not sure at this point if I was using the Sweet50 or the Trio28, probably the latter.

Night Sky

NightSky

I spent last weekend with Art Wolfe in a photography workshop called “Abstract Astoria”. The idea was to make engaging abstract photographs from rusty junk and stained walls. In this case, the image was shot at a Logging Museum and this is actually a close up of an old Donkey Engine. But doesn’t it just look like the Milky Way or a Nebulae or something. Just did a little saturation and luminence adjustments to bring out the colors and added vignette and darkened the bottom a little.

Day 73 – Christmas Light Abstract

LightAbstract

Black Friday, The Shopping Poem

The people crowd the entrances
at Malls all over town.
To seize the choicest bargain deals, 
They’d gladly knock you down.
The retailers all hold their breath
as shopping gets in gear.
Will Santa fill his sleigh as hoped? 
-or lay off more Reindeer? 
There are plastic toys from China
colored with suspicious paint.
Whip out your last credit card
(-when you see the bills, you’ll faint.) 
“The children must have Christmas! “
No request will be denied.
Never mind your youngest child
has just turned thirty five.
Don’t forget a gift for you
Don’t you deserve the best? 
Shopping is such good therapy
for the financially depressed 

-John McCullagh

So, as we kick off the official Christmas season it is my duty to inform you that there are still 27 days left of Autumn. My brother-in-law is really into the Santa Claus parade in downtown Ashland (apparently he has fond memories of a drunken Santa and hopes for a repeat performance) so I agreed to go along, mainly because I wanted to photograph the lights. We never made it to the Plaza because the parade was a little long this year and  grandma and nephew were waiting at home for supper and sister was not really that happy about walking another three blocks on top of the 5 or so we had to go from where the car was parked and then the eight back… so, now we have a date to do it again next year and not to miss the illumination. As for the poem, I really didn’t expect to find anything when I searched for poems about Black Friday so when I did I just had to share it.

Astoria Abstract

Astoria_Abstract

On my way back from a photography workshop in Olympic National Park last month my instructors put me on to some places in Astoria to shoot grunge abstracts. Too much fun and too little time. I am just getting around to processing some of the images. This one is from one of the WWII bunkers at Ft. Stevens State Park. The concrete walls have layers of different colored paint and streaks of rust contributing to the design. The challenge for the photographer is to find and frame an interesting composition in the dark and spooky tunnels. I did add quite a bit of saturation in this one to make it more colorful and interesting. Also 60% detail in color effect pro to bring out the texture of the concrete.

Grunge Abstract

Grunge_Abstract

There’s not a whole lot of grunge left in Ashland’s now trendy Railroad District but there is one building down about 1st and A that has corrugated iron in all stages of rustiness with old wood underneath and patches on the patches. And a kind of spooky face painted on one side. I just keep going back for more.

Grunge Abstract

Grunge_Abstract

It’s always fun to roam the back alleys of small towns to find the old buildings with patches on patches and with a little graffiti thrown in it makes for a pretty interesting image. I tried this one rotated in all directions and finally ended up back where I started. The colors were a little dull so I took it into Topaz Restyle for a makeover. So many good options! Bur I ended up choosing dingy attic. I wanted to add a grunge texture but I see I have have not yet uploaded my textures to the new laptop. Always takes a few outings to get the bugs worked out.