Category: Macro/Closeup

Day 71 – Hydrangea

Hydrangea3

My Hydrangea is just starting to bloom. I took the Omni and a couple of crystals out to play but in the end I liked this image without any special effects best, though I did have to crop it from the original.

This week I am turning again to Matthew Fox for my Creative inspirations. In today’s offering Fox quotes writer Anais Nin and expands on her words:

Anais Nin once said: “We write to taste life twice.” I agree. I think we write to taste life twice, and we paint and dance and sing and compose all art “to taste life twice.”

Day 69 – Typeface

Type2

Well, I had my three hour zoom watercolor class this morning and by the time I could get outside it was too windy to do any serious photography. So I headed into the studio and just started playing with things I’ve been accumulating to photograph, including these type blocks, and the Lensbaby Spark which is not really at it’s best for closeup photography but I kind of liked this image. I then added a texture to give the background some color and a vignette to darken the edges. It still needed something so I took it into Topaz Studio for a grungy look.

Our quote today is from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty and in the same field it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before and which shall never be seen again.

Day 68 – Iris

1_Iris

Today I took the third tool from the OMNI system out to play. It is called the Crystal Seahorse because it is a crystal in the shape of a seahorse. It has the affect of creating a kind of ghost image reflection. Sometime in composing it is hard to tell what is real and what is reflection. I added a texture to this one for a little more richness and I’m pretty happy with the result.

Another quote from Nancy Rotenberg today:

Magic happens when you give yourself permission to de-emphasize intellectual thinking and to wander without plan or map.

 

Day 65 – Nuts

Nuts

Can’t seem to get away from Black and White. I had my eyes dilated at the eye doctor this morning so photography was not in the cards. I went looking back for something that wasn’t a flower and found this close up of some old farm equipment but it was covered in rust and yellow lichens so I thought black and white would be a better choice. Hoping to have more time tomorrow.

Today’s quote is from Georgia O’Keefe:

I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.

Day 63 – Geranium

Geranium

I spent most of the day working on a class I’m teaching on Wednesday and I must have stop ten times and thought “I need to get an image for today”. Nearly made it to bed when a little voice told me to go check email and sitting at the computer I realized I had never done it. Fortunately I had this geranium in my back pocket for just such an occasion.

Today’s quote is from Janis Joplin:

Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.

 

 

Day 55 – Calla Lily

Calla-Lily

I went to the nursery yesterday to get some flowers for my pots. I couldn’t resist this Calla Lily. You’ll probably be seeing it again. This one was shot with the Sweet 50 on the M3 but I may have to invoke the 180 mm macro lens. But for now I must get back to my watercolor homework.

Today’s quote is from Charles Horton Cooley, and no, I have no idea who he is:

An artist cannot fail; It is a success to be one.

Day 54 – Rhododendron

Rhody

It must be May, the Rodies are a bloomin’. I went out yesterday to see how the Irises were progressing.  Very well, thank you. But I was sidetracked by my Rhododendron which was nearing peak bloom. I find it very hard to photograph Rhody blossoms so that they look good so I was very happy with the way this one turned out.

Our quote for today is from French film director Robert Bresson:

Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.

Day 53 – Pansy

Pansy

This Pansy was covered in pollen and what I think were bird droppings so I had passed it by. I also wasn’t very fond of the dirt in the background. But, two textures and a trip through Topaz Impressions for a Cezanne treatment, not to mention a lot of spot healing brush action, and I rather like it now.

Today’s quote is from Ansel Adams:

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.

Day 50 – Sunflower

Sunflower2

Another day for the archives. This one from my sunflower shoot in March. The good thing about being half done is there is always something to fall back on in a pinch. 

Today I start a new source for quotes. This one is a second book from Roderick McIver and Heron Dance Press called Simplicity is Profound: Meditations on Creativity Daybook. It’s out of print so I had to pay a pretty penny and wait some time for it to be delivered but the title seemed to perfect for this project so I hope it proves worth it. Today’s quote is from Pablo Picasso:

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

Day 45 – Iris

Iris2

I wore myself out pulling weeds today so it’s a good thing I have another Iris photo to fall back on. I never get tired of doing macro shots of Irises. They are so photogenic.

Today’s quote is again from Julia Cameron:

By listening to our heart’s desires and listening to them closely, we are not only led into making the art we dream of making but also into the dream of that art being realized on a meaningful scale.