Now you see it…

 

This image represents one aspect of what keeps me challenged, and forever thirsty, in my passion for the photographic arts: capturing that “moment” as you are seeing it in real time, and forever encasing it in pixels and perhaps dots on paper in the same  way you originally experienced it. How many  photographs actually do this?  This beautiful morning scene drew me in a week or so ago, on one of the first full days of autumn. It was about 7:00 a.m., and the dew was so moist it was literally dripping off the leaves; the shafts of sunlight were radiating through the branches and the fog, creating an otherworldly effect in what is normally an unremarkable rural setting near our neighborhood. But the moment… the moment was pristine. I framed, clicked, reframed… but  even as I shot, I could tell, somehow, the beauty of the fog-laden air, the clean, refreshing aromas, might never be truly represented by my efforts. Even so, I continued shooting until the sun rose so high that the shafts disappeared and the morning’s magical essence faded away. I hope a bit of it remains in my photograph, and I hope you enjoy…

Elegance, magnified…

 

There is something so exciting and fulfilling about macro photography. I never tire of the joy of discovery–peering through the lens at a Lilliputian world, stumbling upon  compositions that reveal minute, breathtaking beauty, most of which are within mere feet of my door. We had a stretch of lovely autumn weather recently that offered a wealth of possibilities for morning macro photography. Freshly fallen leaves, still mostly alive and supple with sap and vibrant color, yet captive and resting, waiting for my camera. The frost and dew still lingering at these early morning hours added a touch of brilliance to scenes that were lovely to behold to the naked eye, but up close, became exquisite. Hope you enjoy…

 

 

Petunias bedazzled…

I recently read another photo blog that was discussing the art of shooting ordinary objects and through the photographer’s eye, creating something extraordinary. This theme really resonates with me; I often find myself yearning to act on my creative impulses photographically, but finding myself “limited” to house and home. I say “limited” in quotations because I am using that term in an ironic sense. There really is nothing limiting about photographing your everyday environs. In fact, as I have said here before, it’s perhaps the highest form of challenge to seek and find creative subject matter right under your nose, as compared to iconic national park scenes or exotic wildlife on safari. (Not that I’d turn down a chance to shoot either!) My subject for today is my very non-exotic petunia pots on my front porch. They’ve been bedazzled with a soft misting bottle to create a little sparkle and drama. I also experimented with some depth-of-field layering, and while I have a lot more to learn about that technique (this is my first attempt), I think it holds some real creative possibilities especially for macro photography. It’s always exciting when you teach yourself something new. So to get back to my original point, as a photographer, whether you are born with a photographer’s eye, or you develop one over time, take that eye, and make sure you really “see” the world. It’s right in front of you. Hope you enjoy…

Fall leavings…

Thanksgiving week is upon us and that means the opening of the late fall early winter season, which also means that nature will transform itself again. Fall holds so many luxurious photographic opportunities, that it is always hard to see it slip away as November seems to charge full steam ahead into December. This photograph is one of a series I did last fall one early dewy morning, under a the sky’s lovely gigantic softbox, which allowed the natural colors of the leaves to show themselves beautifully. The intricate designs of the leaf lines hold infinite interest for me; tiny veins that bring life and breath to the leaf itself as well as its environs. Hope you enjoy…

f/7.1, 180th, ISO 400, 85 mm with extension tube

PS: In the spirit of the week ahead of Thanksgiving, I want to sincerely thank all those who stopped by, offered comments, and signed up as followers last week as a result of my Freshly Pressed spotlight. It was a delightful experience, and all the positive feedback was quite gratifying! Many thanks and I hope you will continue to enjoy the new images and posts in the weeks and months to come. Cheers!