On the Breeze ~ Exploration Thursday!

"And Then They Danced"

No, I haven't suddenly forgotten how to get a sharp photograph. Today's post is a stand of wildflowers waving in the breeze along a trail two evenings ago. Now some of you may have no use for this type of artistic imagery. Nothing was blurred in processing either. This shot is SOOC. (straight out of camera) My goal was to still have enough detail to see the flower shapes, but to catch the motion of them swaying slightly. And try as I might, they're too sturdy a plant to actually bend and sway, so catching them "dancing" on the breeze was more like it. I think I might have this one done on canvas when printed.

There's something about soft light, soft shapes, and a slow exposure that can turn nature into abstract art or visual poetry. A windy day can offer the photographer a chance to photograph outside the box, choose to be creative, and forget the rules we so often adhere to religiously. Who says every subject has to be frozen in time?

I've been a long time fan of Freeman Patterson's photography. He listens and looks for nature to direct how he can most accurately and beautifully portray it in the lens. His images of lupins or wildflowers dancing in the wind are in a word delightful. When I need inspiration or feel myself getting bogged down with literal accuracy as I photograph, I open one of his books (all of which will be life changing/photographically changing reads) and allow the images to remind me that nature should be enjoyed and that it's many faces can be caught in the camera if you loosen up and enjoy yourself.

Next week it's my hope to have another artist/photographer join us on the blog for Exploration Thursday. You'll want to stop in for that post! In the meantime, channel your inner artist, take a cue from nature, and explore what you can create in the lens.

Thanks for the ramble, have a most awesome day!

Mono Mondays!

"Wherever You GO"

(1/2 sec @ F/16, ISO 100, 27mm fl, 18-55mm Nikkor Wide Zoom, Pattern Metering)

Monochromatic images (aka B&W's) have always been one of my favorite types of photography. There's just something about the way line, shape, dimension and angles are accentuated when color can no longer distract from or fill up the space before the lens.  Possibilities abound with a B&W photograph. Maybe it's just me.

My first Mono Monday features a B&W I took last weekend at the Go Station downtown. If you click on the image you'll see in the larger version the slight ghost images of the public moving through the station to catch buses or trains. I ensured I could open up my aperture enough that a) I'd get the effect of a bit of movement, and b) I'd still get a clear view of the interior design elements of the building which I love without actual clusters of bodies frozen in motion to impede the comp. This is the scene you see as you first enter from the west entrance. The interior seems designed so that the eye travels the length of the station first and makes an impact. It has a very art deco feel, retro in it's styling, and this seemed to be the best way to portray it.

I normally don't like to take such an "eye level" approach to architectural compositions, but the guide belts and stands set up for ques of passengers were directly in front of the doors. So I forced myself to compose accordingly. I also tried shooting from the opposite side, but those booths were open for customers and would get cluttered with travellers. I may yet try that approach still. I also have a color version, slightly different to post later this week. I used my remote shutter release and tripod since my slow exposure would require the camera not to move at all, left my white balance on auto since I work in Raw files and can correct it in editing, and used pattern metering. I played with the length of the exposures till I had some form to the people passing through - too slow, and they disappeared moving through the shot, too fast and they were frozen in clumps. 1/2 a sec seemed to expose correctly at my aperture.

Monochromatic images. You'll find them here every Monday... a challenge to myself actually, to stay aware of those subjects and scenes that lend themselves to the balance of light and contrast, design and space, pattern and perspective. Thanks for letting me ramble on, and as always... have yourselves a good one folks.