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!

 

Home ~ A Sense Of Place

 

I could have gone to any number of places to take photographs. I could have revisited places I love like the Old Mill, the Arkansas River, or one of our city parks but, I didn't. You see my favorite place to be is here; right here at home. I've walked this ground many times. I've raised my children here. I've played with my grandchildren here. I've spent many hours here working with Mr. H in our yard. We've seen a lot of changes through the 37 years we've lived here. Take for instance, the old railroad bed that is at the south end of our property. When we first moved here it was used by the Rock Island Railroad. Our daughter loved watching the train.  When she heard the whistle, she'd run to the fence and wait to wave at the engineer and the caboose as the train crossed the trestle. By the time our son was born, the track was no longer being used. We've seen the trestle in all kinds of weather. We've seen it become overgrown after it was abandoned and the tracks were removed. Living here, I know I get better pictures of the trestle if I get out in the morning and point my camera to the southwest.

 

Today after the horrible tornadoes in Oklahoma, I am especially grateful for this little piece of the world that we call home. As I'm writing this I'm sitting in my swing that hangs from a large oak tree. Time and nature has it's effects on everything. This happens to be my third swing and it looks like it's about time to stain it again.

I'm listening to my neighbor mow his grass, the birds sing, a distant chain saw, and the leaves rustling in the wind of the trees I've seen grow from small to huge.

 

I look around thinking of how I can capture it to tell the story of how it looks today. It honestly looks different than yesterday, The rain has washed things clean, the grass and trees are a gorgeous, lush green. The sky is overcast, but occasionally the sun peeks through.  We're getting ready for some more storms to pass through. Some may be severe. I'm praying for all those in it's path.

 

 

I get up and walk around with my camera and I'm drawn to the backyard by the smell of honeysuckle. It winds itself all over our neighbors fence. Mr. H doesn't like our side of the fence to be overgrown. We try to keep it trimmed, but during the spring I stall a little until the honeysuckle has quite blooming, then the fence gets  a much needed trim. This overgrown fence row is a great indication of the seasons.

 

 

Honeysuckle brings back memories; memories of my daughter and son picking off a bloom, pinching the small green end (calyx) off, pulling the white string (style), and licking the  sweet drop of nectar. It's like liquid candy from nature. Now, my grandsons like to do the same thing.

 

 

I waited for a break in the clouds so the raindrops would glisten.

 

 

 

I am innately curious. As I looked at the pictures I'd taken of the honeysuckle, I thought about how little I really know about it. I know it's sweet nectar tastes good, it's invasive and hard to get rid of, but that's about all. So I did a little digging.

• There are about 180 species of honeysuckle.
• Honeysuckle made its way to the United States from Asia.
• Three parts of the honeysuckle, the flower, the buds and the stem, are used in herbal medicine to treat numerous ailments. For example, the flower is said to clear coughs and aid in asthma. Honeysuckle is also known to be a natural antibiotic and can help treat staph infections or strep throat. This kind of made me smile. I can picture myself when my throat is sore, standing in front of the honeysuckle vines licking that one little drop that each bloom, has trying to sooth my throat. How many flowers would I have to pick before relief came if each bloom only has a tiny drop of nectar? Additionally, the healing qualities of the parts of a honeysuckle can reduce rashes caused by other plants, such as poison oak. I may give this a try next the time I get too close to poison oak.
• Honeysuckle can be a significant source of food for deer, rabbits, hummingbirds and other wildlife. No wonder the hummingbirds have avoided my feeder the last week. There's sweeter nectar to be found!

 

 

 

It's the simple things here in my place that I see each day that brings me joy.

 Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery

 

Differences/Similarities ~ A Sense Of Place

 

There is no way I can count how many trails I have walked on. That's where I tend to gravitate; to walking trails in the woods. They may be behind my home, in a city park, or in a state park. It doesn't matter to me as long as I'm walking and breathing in the fresh air. At least usually it's fresh,  every once in a while I smell the distinct hint of a skunk in the woods behind our house. I'm really careful and leery when I get a whiff. I usually head the opposite direction!!

When I find a new trail, what makes me want to walk on it? After all aren't they all pretty similar; trees, moss, vines, leaves, mushrooms, lichen, water, stones, mosquitoes and mosquitoes and mosquitoes? Pardon me. Did I repeat myself? They are one of the things I don't like about woodland trails; that and the snakes and ticks!!  I must remember to add insect repellent to my camera bag!! The image below, I just had to include. I was swatting the mosquitoes away and accidently took a picture. Personally I kind of like it. I think I'll name it "Sweeping Across The Trail."

 

 

Back to what draws me again and again to the woods. It's not the similarities. No, it's the differences. Each trail is unique, each leaf...

each tree...

each seedpod...

and each rock.

 

When I go walking my eye is looking for things in nature that are unique and have fascinating textures, details, or shapes.
 

 

What do I want YOU to see? The same thing...textures, details, or shapes.  I want to convey a sense of discovery and wonder. I want YOU to see and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.  I saw it and I want to share it with you!

 

My images aren't perfect. They're usually not edited. (Usually, but the curlicue has been edited by saturating the color to make the darker background.) Most of the time  they're pretty much just as I see them. They are a piece of me that I want to share with you.

 

Through my lens
I discover the depths of beauty
My soul soars to unknown heights
Bliss
                            ~ (author unknown)