New Yet Old

Today's prompt had me looking for something new to me, but that's been around a while.

I recently picked up this photo album at a flea market

I want to fill it with some of my nature images.

It's old, but it's new to me.

Day 28

new

Learning Is Good

I've always said that I like my photos straight-out-of-the-camera (SOOC). It seemed that If I were a good photographer I could get a picture and not have to post process it.  In reality, I just didn't want to admit I didn't know how to post process! Stubborn resistance and lack of knowledge kept me from experimenting. Then, I discovered Picasa's free editing software at Picnik. There were some techniques I could try, but it was limited. Recently I upgraded to their premium service, which is better, you can add textures. It will never be as great as Photoshop, RadLab or those types of editing software, but this will do for me. I will probably only use it occasionally.

I needed this picture to look stark, barren, and desolate for a winter's prompt. I looked up the definition of "stark". For some reason I like to look up words! One of the definitions is  severe or bare in appearance or outline: "a stark silhouette against the sky".  This branch didn't look very stark with all that beautiful blue sky. It was 60 degrees; not wintry at all.

First, I changed the image to black and white and upped the contrast. That helped, it looks stormy.

This one I used what is called gritty effect and washed out the background. I does look more stark, in fact I really like this one.

I showed all these pictures to my four year old twin grandsons, Drew and Josh, and had them pick their favorite. Both of the them chose the one below. I inverted the colors on this one. Josh said "It looks like it's snowing on the tree when it's dark." This is the image I posted in the class gallery. Here's one of the comments I received, "Wow! This is stunning! Your grandson's have a great artistic eye." Thank you very much!!  I think they're pretty special guys to take the time out of their very busy morning to help me!!!

 

Drew picked his favorite and then had better things to do than look at pictures! Josh wanted to know about every one!  He was pretty fascinated that I could change a picture! He also liked the one below.

 

The rest of these have different textures added. 

I wish I knew the name of the textures, but so far I have never found that information on Picnik.

This one was another of my favorites. I couldn't decided which to post so that's why I asked the boys for their help!

Pretty amazing, what you can do with a photo!! Just a few clicks and you can change something! Makes me wish I could just "click" and change a few things in my life. You know like that red "easy" button on the Staple's commercial!

eat healthier - click
spend my time wisely - click
enjoy every moment - click
house needs cleaned - click

How many times have you wished there really was an "easy" button. That reminds me of the old saying, "good things never come easy."

If it were that easy I would miss the joys that come when I accomplish something I wished to change. There is even joy at the end of a day spent cleaning the house!! The house looks good and smells good...smile!!

Wow, this got pretty rambly didn't it!  One things just let to another this morning!!

I hope your day is extra special!!

Moments

Blessed ~ I am truly blessed.

Blessed with good health, a wonderful family,  and a quiet life. But, no matter how blessed we are, something can happen in a matter of moments that can rock our world and devastate us. I became very aware of this last year, which made me begin thinking about the moments we live each day. It made me realize that I could make better choices and not waste precious moments. I choose what I will do with my day. I can choose to live it or waste it!

 

I've heard a lot about choosing one word. A word that is kept in mind for the year. A word that brings awareness of what we want to embrace in our lives. I decided to take the One Little Word workshop at Big Picture Classes.  As I began thinking over words that I might want to concentrate on,  I thought about the word "moments". It kept haunting me, following me. It wouldn't leave my mind. It wasn't what I was looking for, I wanted an action word. So, I ignored "moments" and began to think about embrace, savor, and capture. These were good words, words I could easily focus on. But, they just didn't fit. I'm back to "moments" those little snippets of time. I'll be focusing on embracing the moment, savoring the moment, and capturing the moment.

 

Part of keeping this word front and center in our minds is creating a journal. This is the opening 4"x6" page. On the front is my word, on the back a self-portrait.

 Once a month we receive an assignment to keep us motivated all year. For January, I looked up the definition of my word and used a thesaurus to find synonyms. I wrote why I chose the word and what I wanted to invite into my life through this word.

I'll also be exploring ways to photograph my word and related words.

It's really surprising how already my word is in my head; how I think about it each day. It will interesting to see where it takes me through the year.

Every time you wake up and ask yourself,

What good things am I going to do today?

Remember that when the sun goes down at sunset,

It will take a part of your life with it.

                                    ~ Native American Proverb

Picture Winter - Days 6 - 10

I'm faithfully keeping up with Picture Winter. As I mentioned, this is the second time I've taken this prompt class. It is so much easier this go round. I'm not intimidated by the other photographers. They know me by now. They know I can take good shots and not so good shots and they are very forgiving and encouraging!!   I don't feel like it's winter. We've had a couple of cold winter days. Most of the time it's been unseasonably warm. I was looking at my pictures from last January and on this date we had heavy ice!  Not this year, it's supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow! I'm headed to the northern part of the state for a few fun days with my grandsons, and maybe it will be colder up there. They had snow yesterday, we had sun!! Enough about the weather, on to the pictures!!

Day 6 - Cracked Open  -   She had a quote on her page I liked, "Everything has cracks in it. It's how the light gets in."   - Leonard Cohen

The picture above is the one I posted in our gallery. It is just mind boggling to think that a mighty oak tree can grow from a little acorn. This one has cracked open, letting the light in and the roots are seeking soil.

On my morning walk I found these long seed pods hanging from a tree. They're about 5" long. There was one little seed left in the pod!

Day 7 - Quiet Beauty - we were looking for beauty among a resting world.

Several years ago my daughter gave me two of these gorgeous bushes. They're called Japanese Fringe Flowers. They bloom in the spring and in the fall. This year with the warm weather, they're still blooming.

Day 8 - Texture Seekers - looking for texture in the kitchen or anywhere else we chose

If you had asked me a year ago if I would be taking a macro photo of coconut; my answer would be a loud "no way"!  But, this year has taught me a lot. I've realized how much of the tiny details of life we miss. Our eyes just can't see them, but, my macro lens can.  Did you know coconut was so sparkly and sugary looking?

Day 9 - Bundle up - capture how we bundle up to go out in the cold

It's been so warm I haven't bundled up much this winter. It was cold enough to put on a sweater and pull up the hood for a photo. I even put on a little bit of lipstick for you!!

Day 10 - Seeking Balance - find a way to portray the balance we need in our lives as we start this New Year

I just had fun with this one. I kept thinking of something that I could balance on this block. "B" is for balance you know!  I found a little Lego man, but he wouldn't stand on one leg without his walkie-talkie in his hand to balance him!  I've been seeing a lot of Lego photo shots and I think they are so much fun!!

Hope you enjoyed the update!!

And, hope you're enjoying the winter!

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

~P. B. Shelley

Capturing Moments

I can't seem to get back to blogging!!  My mind is going twenty different directions. Let's see, I'm finishing up my 365 project from 2011. I still had some journaling to do and the last month's photos to be printed. I began my 365+1 for 2012. Got my album together (I use Project Life) and so far I've been keeping up with journaling each day. Of course the year is only eleven days old!!  And, then there's the day to day things...cooking, laundry, Pinterest (isn't that such a fun place). My writing mind is just not here, I think I'm just tired!  I thought I'd just post a few moments that I captured during the holidays. I'm concentrating on the word "moments" this year. More to come on that in another post!!

Moments of fun and laughter with my family....

Aaron helped me decorate my Christmas tree. As I was standing on the step ladder putting on the lights, I felt a tug on my pants leg, looked down and there he was, standing on the bottom step holding on to me!

Every time I got down, he went up! He thought he was such a big boy standing at the top of the step ladder!!  As I decorated, he sat on the floor and read to me from the Bible. "God loves me." It was precious!! Already at two he knows why we celebrate Christmas.

I had to include this picture of my Dad. We were opening presents at my Mom and Dad's house and he was waiting his turn.  Yes, I said waiting. But look at that package!!  He sat and sneakily picked pieces of the paper off until he could see what was inside!  I caught him though!! He can't deny it, he didn't wait his turn!!

We went to Aaron's house on Christmas afternoon to see what Santa had brought him. Notice he's still in his Christmas PJ's. Who has time to change when there's so much to play with!! This guy loves trains. He was thrilled with his Thomas The Tank Engine tracks and various pieces! I love the motion of his hand playing with the signals.

The other three grandsons came on Monday after Christmas. Oh, they're parents came too, let's not forget them! Lots of fun opening presents and playing with all the toys!! The next morning, we played inside until it warmed up. I love Jake's Christmas PJ's, tie-died!!  Josh sure is concentrating! I think sticking his tongue out makes the game easier!

Over New Year's weekend we traveled to see what Santa brought them. I had barely gotten out of the car when Drew and Josh wanted to show me this rock they were digging up. They've been working on this with their little shovels and someday, it will be unearthed. I don't know what they plan to do with it, but this is important work!!

Next up, show Gramma what Jake got for Christmas. This weird looking thing is called a Cyco Cycle. It looks like a big trike with no handle bars. You steer by moving the seat.  Pretty cool huh!! He was really good at it, even gave the brothers rides!

"You gotta come in the house gramma and see our tree."  Mostly they wanted me to see the train under the tree. These guys look a little worn out from too much Christmas fun!! It was funny, it was like I was on a guided tour! OK, what's next!!

New Year's Eve.

This sight feels me with warmth and love!!

Sweet brothers!!

The next morning it was outside.

We all had to try the Cyco Cycle!!

Gramps and Josh gave it a whirl.

Yep!! That would me, followed by Jake!!

 It wasn't as hard as it looked.

It wasn't long before we had a train going!!

Josh was the engine.

I'm the tender.

Jake is one of the train cars.

And Drew was the caboose.

We had to keep taking turns being the engine.

Everyone wanted to be the leader!

Time for a little scoccer!!  Wish my leg would go that high!

After a wonderful lunch including black-eyed peas, we were off for a trek in the woods, where the boys had the best time throwing rocks in the creek. We walked for a long while on their property. Actually saw two deer. One loped across right in front of us and the other right behind us.

It's New year's Day and the boys are blowing their horns!!

I wondered how far away could one hear these horns!!

Caught Jake on the porch swing with Maggie!

Wonderful!!

A boy and his dog!

I've struggled with photos of family. I want them to be perfect and professional looking. But, life doesn't happen that way.

Things happen quickly! 

You have to grab the camera and capture that moment!!

Who cares if there's clutter in the background!

Who cares if the light isn't perfect!

It's really all about the moment!

The capture of the moment!

What photos do I treasure the most?

The one I set up and worked on forever?

The set-up I took tons of pictures of just to get it right?

No, the one I snapped quickly!

The one that captured a memory of someone I love!!

Snap some picture today!!

Capture a moment!!

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” — Dorothea Lange

Find Your Eye - New Light Photo Shoot

I went out early yesterday morning to enjoy this beautiful, cooler weather that has arrived in Arkansas. I dug out my hammock that has been put up during the hot summer and laid down watching the leaves of the trees play in the wind. I began to think about photography and the next assignment for Find Your Eye at Kat Eye View Of The World. We were to look at the photos we’ve taken and determine what light we normally shoot in. Then, we were to try using a new light. I'd looked at my photos and realized that I take mostly nature shots in the shade or diffused light. I just hadn't decided on which new light I would shoot. An idea hit me, why not take shots using the early morning sunlight.

This was the perfect time to shoot with new light. I got up from my comfortable posistion and took over 100 photos of my hammock in the light. I really enjoyed it. The light was beautiful even on an ordinary hammock.

Some of my shots were similar to my nature photography, they were close up, focused on a small part of the hammock.

Light can be beautiful in many ways, like the bokeh created by the sun on the chain.

I did step back and include more in my shots and I liked those, too.

From the beginning, I was getting some shots that I liked, So, I didn’t get discouraged or frustrated. I really only quit when the sun got too high. I enjoyed this new experience and I’m looking forward to specifically searching out the light more often.

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary."

~ Aaron Rose ~

If some of these assignments sound interesting, you might consider taking a class. Kat is now registering for new classes.

Just click on the button above!

Prompt Addicts ~ August Best Of Show

I wanted to share some exciting news. I belong to a photo prompt group called Prompt Addicts. We began as a spin off from the prompt classes at Big Picture Classes. After we finished Picture Winter, the group had become so close they didn't want to lose contact. A Flickr group was formed. I didn't join until recently, because I didn't have a Flickr account and I'm a little leery of groups like Flickr. But, I finally gave in, joined the group, and I'm so happy I did.  They are the most wonderful, awesome group of friends. And on top of they are amazing photographers. I could not begin to tell what I have learned through the prompts and how inspired I am by their photos.  Anyway, back to the news. For each prompt three top photos are chosen.  One of my photos was chosen for the prompt "creating art". We took a photo and used some processing (or not if your didn't want too) to make the photo look like a piece of art. I know very little about post processing! This was a definite learning experience!

This is my before shot

I then edited the shot in Picnik, a free photo editing program. I like the free ones!! It was very simple, all I did was use the Ripple Blocks effect and added a frame. It made it look like abstract art, but you can still see the salt and pepper shakers.

. 

Now do you see why I love this group so much!!!  They teach me something new each and every week!!

Find Your Eye ~ Looking To Other Artist

Visiting an art exhibit was new to me. I don’t have an excuse, I just rarely view art!  That is definitely something I will change in the future!! As part of an assignment for Find Your Eye with Kat Sloma, we were to visit an art exhibit and study the art. We were to take notes and then reflect on what we liked or disliked and also, note which works of art inspired us. We were to look for elements that we could bring to our own photography.

I will say, this was a fun assignment. I had the best time getting out and exploring the exhibits I went to. First, I visited the Arkansas Art Center. The highlight of that trip was an exhibit that featured Norman Rockwell paintings and Kevin Rivoli photographs side by side. Rockwell is know for his capture of daily life and Rivoli used his camera to capture “Rockwell type moments”. You really should drop by and see his photography here. Both artists documented life in small town America. They showed a passion for ordinary things and moments involving home, school, work, or church. I love the emotions they captured. They inspired me to be more aware of the everyday moments that tell a story.

I was so intrigued with this exhibit that the rest of the museum was kind of a blur. So a few days later, I went back and walked through the other exhibits. I must admit, art is a mystery to me.  I wasn’t brought up around art and rarely have I made an effort to see any. Most of the time, I just don’t get it! I mean really, a monkey with fruit on his head. That was a painting I definitely didn’t like. I also didn’t care for some of the portraits, they seemed so unreal, cold and lifeless. I guess the saying “to each his own” goes a long way in the art world.

There was this one painting by Al Allen called “Morning Musing” that I stood in front of for a long time both times I visited. It was polymer and oil on canvas. It was very simple, very clean lines, and strong light. I was surprised it grabbed my attention! It was a painting of a window with three long sections of eight panes each. As you look through the window you could see the drapes behind the window. Wonderful texture, light, and shadows. But, what was so stunning to me was the shaft of morning light that fell across the window. It was gorgeous! Since I’ve been learning about photography, I’ve read about light and seen photos with light, but for the first time I really saw how light could impact art. There was something magical about this shaft of light, something emotional, something that touched my heart. I wanted to open the drapes and let the light in! I found several other great pieces of art that also captured light beautifully, Dale Chihuly’s glass and Robert Cottingham’s graphite on vellum drawings. Cottingham sketched ordinary objects, but the forms and shapes were brought out by the light and shadows.

　

There was another exhibit of watercolors and drawings by 19^th century French Neo-Impressionist Paul Signac.  I liked the lines and muted colors in his watercolor port scenes. In reading the background material about his works he said he received the bulk of his training from his relationship with other artists and most importantly, from looking at art. He surrounded himself with art and artists. Sounds like our assignment, going out and surrounding ourselves with the artwork of others.

Since I love to take photos with details of nature, I was drawn to this fascinating group of 14 tiny canvases. These were on display at  the Historical Arkansas Museum.

 It was an unusual display with 14 action figures painting on canvases that were about 1” x 3”.

The tiny details were amazing. I'm glad they allowed photos, because it's hard to describe.

　

As I looked back at my notes  describing the art I liked, several words were repeated.  I want to become more aware of these elements that I was attracted to in the artwork and use them in my photos.

Light

As I mentioned above, light captured my attention.

Lines

I was drawn to strong vertical, horizontal lines, curves and swirls

Details

I was attracted to the amazing details in the charcoal, pencil, and pen and ink drawings

Beautiful colors
It didn’t seem to matter whether they were subtle colors or strong colors.

Black and white and monochromatic

This attraction surprised me. I rarely convert pictures to black and white and seldom are my photos monochromatic. Maybe this is an area that I should look into and pursue. I tried black and white with this photo I took at the Historical Museum. This young woman dressed in pre-Civil Ward clothing was showing me a Murphy bed.

This was an amazing learning experience that I will definitely do again.

I would like to tell you a little about Kat Sloma's blog The KatEye View Of The World. I have learned more from her wonderful blog than anywhere else. She is an excellent teacher, blogger, and photographer.  Why should you visit her blog?
1. Her blog is absolutely wonderful!!!  Her photos are amazing and her thoughts are always inspiring!
2. Find Your Eye E-courses, Photo Courses with Heart and Soul. This is my second class and I have learned so much!  So much, that I will continue with her next class. I can see an improvement in my photography from the assignments and photo journals. She is registering now for a September class Find Your Eye: Starting the Journey.

 

3. Come Exploring With a Camera

I don't recommend blogs and classes very often. But I highly recommend Kat's.  If you love photography and want to learn how to improve, she has a lot to offer!!