Until we moved to Arizona, I had never heard of Apache Plume- but now I photograph the seed heads every summer. We have a big shrub of this native plant in front of our house. I can’t say it is lovely to look at as a landscape element- but the craaaazzzy seed heads and little flowers are quite captivating!
It is a photography paradox to me that many, many, many of my favorite photos were taken on Southern California beaches- when I spent so much of my adult life disliking Southern California (the crowds and the TRAFFIC!). There is something about the serenity of the water and the white sand that appeals to my eye. I remember looking at this trio of ladies with their hats and cover-ups and thinking they looked like my kind of people- so I titled it “The Book Club.”
A cheery sight at the Alaska Botanical Garden in Anchorage:
I love how the Lensbaby Velvet 56 produces a painterly image straight out of camera! I added a low opacity texture on the background- but that’s just because I can never leave well enough alone.
Since our daughter’s family moved to Alaska two years ago, they’ve really learned their way around! Caitlin drove us up to Hatcher’s Pass one day to see the what remains of Alaska’s Independence Gold Mine (now a state park). There was a beautiful view and wonderful old buildings. I realized when we were there that this is the third old mine we’ve toured in the last year- and it was definitely the best!
This mini iceberg reminded me of a reclining ice maiden floating in the glacial waters of Spencer Lake.
The day before we flew home from Alaska, we took a 10-15 minute Alaska Railway train ride (fun!) with our family to the trailhead for the walk to Spencer Glacier. This spectacular glacier cascades down the mountain to Spencer Lake and these magnificent icebergs. When I converted this photo to black and white, the mountain behind disappeared in shadow, giving the impression of a night view.
My weekly photo group starts next week, and at the end of the year we were given the topic “Excitable” as a topic for the first day of the semester. There was some debate over what that meant- exciting? Something that made the viewer excited? Someone or something that was excitable in the image? Who knew?
When we were at the Petrified Forest in June, I kept remarking that the landscape looked like that of another planet, and I immediately got the idea of creating some sort of fantasy composite using some photos I had taken in a novelty shop in Jerome. I got partway finished and abandoned the project, hoping for that special shot that I would take over the summer. That special shot never materialized.
So here we are on Planet X-citable, which will likely be my first image of the year- unless that special shot materializes over the weekend. . .
We were lucky to have a great view from our little hotel in Homer. I especially was fascinated by the beach at low tide, which is displayed in this evening view of the Homer Spit with the mountains and glaciers in the background.
Just having fun with the Velvet 56 and the lavender in the front porch pot. . .
another shot of just the flowers from last week’s still life
I have been home a lot for the last couple weeks and have enjoyed getting out in the yard to watch the hummingbirds. We’ve had more than usual, but the prettier ones (I won’t even attempt to name the species)tend to leave the yard when I go outside. The feeder at the kitchen window attracts several hummers who sometimes (but not often) will feed at the same time. Our larger feeder out on the patio has been dominated by one hummingbird who sits on TOP of the feeder for over an hour at a time, preferring to guard it rather than feed. I have known children with that same personality trait!
One of the highlights of our trip to Alaska was seeing glaciers. Many glaciers. And a few up close!
This was our third visit to Portage Lake since the kids moved to Alaska- but the first time we have taken the boat ride across the lake to see the glacier! While Caitlin and Lonnie were buying tickets, the boys and I walked down to the water’s edge, and I was able to take this shot featuring one of the large chunks of ice floating in the lake.
A little multiple exposure fun with my Lensbaby Velvet 56
One of our most memorable excursions in Homer was a hike through the nature preserve, a verdant and lush forest area, which is home to bear and moose (it IS Alaska. . .). In fact we saw a moose before we turned into the parking area. We were told not to go down the animal trails (us? no way!) and to stay on the paths. The path that began as a flat board walk quickly turned to uneven ground with tree roots every 8-12 inches. It took a week or so for my knees and feet to recover- but it was all worth it.
There were ferns and wildflowers everywhere- and it was so GREEN! I put my Lensbaby on my camera and had a great time shooting wildflowers (and yes, even dandelions). I’ll post more another day!
melinda anderson photography 