Imagination Set Sail

"Evenings Companions"

Another image from the Tall Ships that visited Hamilton last long weekend. Grown ups and children alike were excited to see these beauties. If you click on the photograph to enlarge, you will notice all the flags fluttering in the background from the other ships waiting for visitors as well. Some of the festival personnel were decked out in 1812 era gear, demonstrating musket firings and drills, and two of the ships touring the harbor fired "canons" at each other, shaking the pier.

I don't care who you are, but at that point your imagination reminds you of other fantastic vessels you've encountered over time. Maybe from childhood. Maybe from current films. The eerie but trusty Black Pearl from the movies, the glorious danger of Captain Hook's ship from J.M Barrie's "Peter Pan", the Hispaniola which emerges from "Treasure Island" and the delightful mind of Robert Louis Stevenson.

I don't know if this image is my favorite from that evening... but it's the one that causes my imagination to ramble through all the things we love about these fantastical vessels. So I thought I'd share.

Have a great day, explore your own local festivals, and heck, take the camera.... but whatever you do, take your imagination.

Thanks for the ramble! 

Tall Ships and Opportunities Abound

"Sorlandet in Sunset"

One of our long weekends just past, the family and I wandered down to the waterfront to enjoy the Tall Ships event happening in the Hamilton Harbor. The weather was a perfect summer temp, so the entire Pier and beyond was swarming with people there to enjoy the festival. The tall ships don't dock here every year, so the crowds were thick. As were the number of cameras visible. You knew the local photo communities were about to be flooded with sea faring vessels photographed at dock.

Limited access was the order of the day... many ships roped off for special sailings and tours, others simply docked near food and displays... and throngs of people. It quickly occurred to me that there were only so many places and views and vantage points to be had. And that all weekend hundreds of other photographers would use them all as well. But I didn't let that deter me from getting my own photographs of these carefully restored and historical beauties. And sure, I could have returned with dozens of others in the early morning hours in the dawn, to try to get something different and unpopulated but I was also enjoying some added family time.

I guess I'm posting all this to say that I no longer valiantly try to get "the" shot when I'm out on a ramble... one that no one can compare another to... I think over the last little while I've figured out that I'm always happy documenting what my own eye and camera actually see, or interpret, around me. If I'm experiencing something similar to someone else shooting nearby, so be it. Another photographer I know showed up, saw how limited it all was and decided it wasn't worth it. But why not? Why not enjoy what you see? What speaks to you personally is just that, personal. And if it's personal, you would hope there would also be something unique about it anyway.

So many are obsessed with the "it" shot that no one else can get. But the world isn't exactly getting any bigger. Just the opposite. You are going to ramble and explore and get the same scenes or subjects someone else might have had at some point. Does that mean you pack the Nikon away and pick a new career or hobby? For me that day, it meant noticing the way the sun shot beams through the Norwegian Sorlandet's rigging across from where I happened to pause with my daughter. I took a minute to drink in how pretty it was. It meant if I waited in that exact spot, I could compose for a nearby ship to sail into the frame as well, under a golden sky. Getting the image was a creative and personal experience. And after some slight editing, I can say that this photograph is completely unique to me personally, which is the most rewarding feeling to come away with anyway.

In a world overflowing daily with more and more photographers trying to outdo one another, fabulous images will abound on a more personal level. Don't let anything rob you of that.

Thanks for the prodigal ramble, gang! It's been a while I know. 

Have a good one.

Guest Post With Wanda Judd! ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Pemiquid Point, Maine"

I am very pleased to present a very sweet and talented lady as our guest here on the blog today. I first became familiar with Wanda Judd's work over at BetterPhoto and since then have followed her career over at flickr and Facebook. We'll include links to view her images on other sites below, but for now, let's hear a bit from Wanda about how she started out and what she loves about photography!

"I am first daughter, wife, mother and gram…as a result of these I became photographer. I like to say that I was fired and no one told me…I basically woke up one day and realized that my son and daughter had actually grown up and didn’t need me any more and I had never done anything just for me, something that would give me inner pleasure. I decided to take up photography…I knew nothing about apertures, f stops, how to change a lens…I bought a Nikon camera. Looked for lessons…discovered workshops at The Disney Institute at Disneyworld…. I had no idea how lucky I was to be in the company of these great professionals…Moose Peterson, Bob Krist, the late John Netherton, Jay Maisel ( I recently took another workshop with Jay and learned as much about life as I did photography), Jill Enfield, David Middleton, Beth Wald, Steve McCurry…I was hooked and attended all the workshops they had until they closed the Institute. After that I found Maine Media Workshops in Rockport ME…my first class there was with Alison Shaw and it was certainly a learning experience…it was there that I learned an amazing lesson of light. We had gotten up at 3am and drove to see the sunrise in a wonderful area of summer cottages. I saw the amazing light And saw how fast it was gone…it was at that moment that I knew for me photography was a spiritual experience…it took me a while to realize that what I do and like and put together is in fact art…a deeply personal form of art that gives me peace and pleasure and one I can get lost in..I lose all track of time when I'm shooting and do a fair amount of talking to myself when I shoot."

"When I first started in photography, I did the predictable flower shots, macro, intimate, deep into the soul of the flower and while I still love the flower … It did not take long to discovered that I love abstract photography, architectural photography, photography with motion, movement and softness…I am well aware that there are two kinds of photographers..the tech ones and the art ones...and while it takes a bit of both to make a good photographer, we do lean in one direction over the other.... I have a dear friend who is an amazing tech photographer but admits that he would love to have "the eye"..."

"One of the things I learned early on is to Simplify, Simplify. As a result I very seldom look at or take a whole picture…I look at segments of a photo I am about to take...I think I also look at life in segments as well..."

"I did not come to digital until three or four years ago…I loved film (slides) and the discipline it took to get just what I wanted. Since I started with digital I fell in love with all the periphery that goes with it…I love seeing a shot and knowing or feeling that I will add softness, overlays, punch up the depth of color with HDR…”The eye sees what the mind knows”.

"I have recently been shooting with my iPhone and this year have had two iPhone shows…featuring only iPhone shots…one a shared show at our state Capitol and a solo show in Richmond’s river district…and I was amazed at how well these shows were received."

"I have two mentors… Alison Shaw and Tony Sweet and am inspired by their creativity."

"The lighthouse seen above, was taken at Pemiquid Point in Maine while attending a workshop with Alison Shaw…It was shot with slide film…with a soft focus filter…the color was just as it greeted us before sunrise. When we arrived there and saw the sky and color, I simply ran to make my shoots and the total excitement I felt when I saw the sky is something that I will always feel when I see this shot…the composition was also so exciting in the viewfinder , the peace and joy and excitement at seeing this and knowing it was right will always be with me…"

 

"Lincoln Memorial"

"The Lincoln Memorial was taken the second day of shooting on a trip to DC …I simply was not pleased with what I did the day before and went back the next day…when I turned my camera at the angle, it was pure excitement seeing it in the view finder and knew that again it was right…"

"The Keyboard"

"The ‘Keyboard” I fell in love with while walking under a railroad bridge and when looking up saw this amazing site…it looked like a giant keyboard and I had to stop, put up the tripod, get down on my knees and shot away…

I love being a part of Betterphoto, Facebook, Flickr and FotoBlur…a great way to learn, to see, to grow as a photographer…."

My very special thanks to Wanda for agreeing to be our featured guest today! You'll miss out on some fabulous art and photography if you neglect to take some time to click on the highlighted links above and view the rest of her galleries. If you sign up for her mailing list at her website, you'll be updated on any shows or projects she's involved in. And I know she'll be pleased to help you with an order if you feel moved to purchase a print...

This is a lady who's work moves and inspires me every time I look through her galleries. You can sense the wonder and care that goes into every image... it's been an honor to collaborate on a guest post with her today!

Thanks again Wanda for being so inspirational, and to all my readers have yourselves a super day! Be sure to leave a comment or two for Wanda below and let her know if you enjoyed becoming acquainted with her photography! 

The City Scene...

~Abandoned Decay~

1/30 sec.@ F/5.6, ISO 250, 55mm fl, late day

overcast light, handheld, manual

Urban Decay, Street Photography, Cityscapes... call it what you will, it's one of my favorite genres to work in during the winter. All the different textures exposed, the perfect lines and aging patterns sometimes mingle with lightly falling snow, no crowds impeding your view.

I am particularly attracted to the aging buildings, and old alleyways. Why is that? There's so many handsome, historically restored buildings within the city, but it's scenes like the one posted above that draw me. Closed in, shadowy spaces, filled with wires that crisscross through the image, poles, grids, grates, and iron steps crawling the walls. I've often kept these images to myself, thinking there won't be many like me who'd appreciate the poetry seen within the vertical lines and gritty brick patterns, chipped with ancient paint, or new graffiti. You can't say there's no character within those walls, that's for sure. If you haven't already, I urge you to explore the city limits with your camera in hand!

So what do you need to remember when you decide to take the plunge into street photography? Here's a few things I learned, perhaps they'll help someone else get excited about exploring their city if they aren't already.

1) Use light to your advantage. Early morning side light can give real definition to brick, stone, and glass patterns. Cloudy or overcast days are good for detail, stormy and sunset skies are perfect backdrops for cityscape's in a wide lens. Warm late day light is great for illuminating angles, reflections, or including people on the street.

2) Vary your perspective. Get down low on the ground, use an ultra wide lens, and emphasize the sprawl of a classic piece of architecture. Find a position that lets you photograph looking down on a busy street or deserted alley at dusk. Lean against a soaring tower or condo and distort the receding stone pattern till it looks like it never ends. Use a telephoto and zone in on one rustic detail clinging to the side of an abandoned building.

3) Be safe! Certain locations or times of day require a photo buddy. And they can double as a model in a pinch. Never step backwards into traffic... if the angle you need is in the middle of the street, find yourself a crossing guard or find a new angle. Don't carry so much gear that you'd tempt being mugged for it... I was once asked why I don't carry a tripod in the city. It screams "female photographer with her hands too full, and her attention elsewhere!" On my own, shooting urban decay, I make sure I can raise my camera easily from around my neck or shoulder, and that my backpack is strapped on well. I never stay in one spot for too long bringing attention to myself, and if alone, I shoot in well populated areas. I know this all sounds like common sense, but I've heard stories to the contrary.

I hope this has been helpful in some way. I've met many a beginner that simply shot in every tourist location, and never considered anything but composing from eye level. Add a new element and watch your street photography come alive.

The image above can be enlarged by clicking over it and I'd be ever so pleased to hear what your thoughts are on the image or the topic that accompanies it...

thanks for letting me ramble, and have a good one!