A Sense of Place~ Putting It All Together

 

I've just finished a class with Kat from Kat Eye Studio called  "A Sense Of Place."  The lessons for this class were centered around how to capture the places you visit in new and different ways. Through her lessons, images, and discussions she taught us how to take pictures  beyond the normal "tourist" shots; how to take pictures that really capture the story of any place we happen to be and what it means to us. When I first read about this class I didn't think it was for me. After all, I don't visit many places too far from home. I've never seen the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, foreign countries, or even many places outside of Arkansas. Mr. H has never been much of a traveler and as I get older, I'm getting more like him. I sure like my own bed!!  After much thought and deliberation and assurance from Kat that "homebodies" could benefit from this class, I registered. Kat was right, I've learned so much about how to capture and tell stories about the places I go.

 

As a reminder of the class I choose my favorite place to wander and made a mini-album.

 

I'm sure if you read my blog the fact that one of my favorite places to wander and photograph is in the woods behind our house will not come as a surprise. I've walked these trails in every season.  I love to stand by the creek, watch the water, be still, and just listen. Sometimes I listen to nature; sometimes I listen to my heart. I've seen and captured the creek when it's surrounded by fall leaves, when it's banks are covered in snow, when the bare trees are beginning to sprout new leaves, and when I've welcomed the shade of those same trees during the hot summer.

 

 

The shapes and detail of nature intrigue me. I never know what I'm going to spot while walking the trails. I've discovered a perfect little mushroom house fit for a fairy and a potter's wasp nest. I've even found the tin man in the top of a thorn tree.

 

 

I may be a little strange, but I like seedpods better than flowers. Yeah, I'm afraid so. I think it's because they are a such a beautiful object of nature that is very often overlooked. They fascinate me; these little carriers of life.

 

 

My album would not be complete without "love notes from nature." I'm always searching for those unexpected heart shapes. It's kind of hard to see, but if you look closely at the leaf in the picture below, you can see two heart-shaped holes where insects have eaten. The leaf itself is fairly heart-shaped. When I see a heart my own heart always skips a beat and I gasp.

 

I can't walk across the pasture to the woods without seeing dandelions. All it takes is a whisper of wind to carry it's seeds through the air.

 

 

The verse on the back says it better than I can.

Capturing photos of nature is pure bliss to me.

 

 

I had the best time choosing what pictures I wanted to include,  picking paper and embellishments, and putting it together. It was fun to do something different and creative.

 

 

With the heat of summer upon us, I think I'll be inside doing more crafty things than outside with my camera. There's no telling what other things I might experiment with next!