Knowing the time for flowers is limited as the days grow shorter and autumn approaches, I picked a bloom from the bed out front and took a few photos.
Both of these images have a layer of Kim Klassen’s chill texture. The bottom one had the paint daubs filter applied (twice!) before adding the texture.
Here are a few leftover shots from this week- details from around the yard.
Some lonely clouds and some lavender
A patio chair and a closeup of our drooping backyard tree (can’t remember what it’s called. . .)
Front flower bed
Yesterday I photographed No. 2 pencils. I’ve photographed pencils before, but I had this image in my head that wouldn’t go away: bright yellow pencils with my orangey wall as backdrop. I even made an early morning (well, 8:00- early for this retired person. . .) trip to the grocery store to buy brand new pencils.
I think I’ve already written of my lifelong love affair with office supplies, something I inherited from my grandma, Mimi, who would drive my mother crazy in her later years by asking to be driven to the stationery store (this was way before Office Max was born) because she needed a new pen. We would stand around and watch as she carefully tried out each pen before deciding on the right one. She wrote with fountain pens, sometimes the cartridge kind, but usually a beautiful Parker fountain pen with turquoise ink.
When I was a little girl, I loved the beginning of the school year and the passing out of brand new school supplies. We even got modeling clay to keep in out desks; I distinctly remember the smell! When I started teaching, I loved the boxes of new supplies I would unpack each year and pass out to my students.
So today, I am thinking about school supplies. And brand new sharp pencils.
Pencils: dark side
Pencils: bright side
After I took these photos, I saw that a new assignment had been posted in BeStill 52- a still life portrait. This could be a self-portrait, I suppose.
I’ve learned two important lessons about photography in the last four years (and I’m not talking f-stops here. . .):
1. Light is everything.
2. Beauty is everywhere.
I know I used to know about the second one when I was a child; I’m sure all children do. I noticed everything and took note. Then I grew up and got busy. Now that I am retired I notice again. And take note. And appreciate!
The other day I was walking through my bedroom and noticed the vertical blinds-probably the least appreciated item in our home. I don’t like vertical blinds and plan to replace them someday. But that day, I noticed. And took note. And appreciated.
I love the play of light and shadow. Yes, there is beauty everywhere!
I then played with some of the images. I started by making a collage of two of them in Pic Stitch.
Then I brought the collage into Pixlr Express and had fun adding effects with the Effects panel.
Great fun!
The next day was the day of the beginning of the Mother of all Monsoons- torrential rains and flooding fed by Hurricane Norbert pushing inland. I stayed inside (when I wasn’t running outside to make sure the hill wasn’t sliding away. . .) and set up a still life for Be Still 52 (the one I posted yesterday). I was proud of myself for remembering to take some iPhone shots as I was getting things ready. This one had a basic edit in Snapseed, with some adjustments in tone. Then I added a texture in Mextures.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo with my Lensbaby Mobile. Edited in Snapseed. Love that blur!
Linking up with App- Happy Wednesday today!
It was a stormy monsoon of a day- a good day to practice my still-life skills. I’d been feeling the urge to photograph old books again, so went to the bookshelves and pulled down four of my mother’s books (which I treasure) and my childhood thesaurus (the torn and tattered one). I added my cup of coffee to the scene and went to work. Afterward, I edited them with a matte curve in most and adjustments in white balance and/or split-toning to get the tones I was trying to create in the image.
I took two of the images (the first and fourth) into Photoshop and added textures- Kim Klassen’s yesteryear and sweettart.
Linking up with Texture Tuesday today.
This week’s BeStill 52 assignment was to to create a milk and cookies still life. Having been blessed (cursed?) with a sweet tooth, I was delighted to take on the challenge! We were also encouraged, following Kim’s example, to critique our own images- and this simple photo was the one that seemed to work out best. There were various other incarnations that had additional elements, including lavender in a Mason jar, a napkin, and a two tiered Blue Ridge serving plate. As usual in my world, simple turned out best. I kept subtracting elements until I ended up with the composition above. I edited with One Willow presets from the Palette collection (my Friday Find for this week- they are fabulous!). The first version has the Divine preset applied and then two layers of Kim’s sybil texture in Photoshop. The second version was created by starting with the finished first version (complete with texture)and adding a black and white preset from One Willow (I think it was Story). And now I’m off to finish eating that cookie!
After a break in routine of several weeks, we went out on the trail again at Willow Lake and were so happy to see the water in the lake was so much higher after the monsoon rains. There were wildflowers, birds, dragonflies, and butterflies- even little fish in the shallows- and the weeds and grasses have grown high. Other photographers are posting signs of fall approaching, but it still seems like summer here in Arizona.
I just had to post a few more shots of wine barrels from our visit to Granite Creek Vineyards last weekend.
The other morning, I was reading the paper and drinking coffee, when I noticed that the coffee cup and newspaper made a pleasing composition. I started to pick up my iPhone, but then thought- Hmmm, if I pull the plant over a bit and get some strawberries it will look even better. I quickly made an arrangement, snapped ONE photo, edited it in Snapseed, uploaded it to instagram, and then continued to drink my coffee and read the newspaper (and ate the strawberries . . .). If only I could have still life composition ideas come to me that easily all the time!
I was about halfway through my coffee, when I thought of getting out my Nikon and taking the photo again. After all, one of the BeStill 52 prompts was cuppa. I got out more strawberries and tried to duplicate my iPhone photo- trickier than it sounds, considering focal length, depth of field etc.
So here are some Sunday morning stills, quickly taken. All have two layers of Kim’s grunge texture added.
And here is the original iPhone photo.
Linking up today with Texture Tuesday.
Having moved from just outside the California wine country, we were surprised to discover that there are indeed some wineries in Arizona. On Saturday we visited the Granite Creek Vineyards in Chino Valley with friends and were delighted find a bit of the California wine country ambiance only 15 minutes or so from home!
Lonnie and I both felt a bit of a rural Sonoma County vibe as we walked onto the grounds and wandered over to the tasting room- a very small, rustic building with just enough room to stand and hold a wine glass. There was a band playing outside (sixties and seventies rock, I think), and people were sitting around eating and sipping wine under the trees. Best of all, photographically speaking, there was a small barn and some outbuildings, wine barrels, and some old farm machinery lying around. And oh yes- there was a vineyard. We felt right at home!
I will most likely post more images as the week goes on, but here are a couple detail shots.
Old window
Barn door
This week I was going through my antique dental cabinet and discovered some seashells that I hadn’t seen since the move to Arizona. I had always kept my father’s shells from his tour in the Pacific in World War II in the cabinet, but didn’t realize that MY small collection had been put in there too. I KNEW they would turn up somewhere! I have photographed the little green one before, but felt compelled to shoot it again, because, well, I was just so happy to see it again! So the shells are this week’s Friday Find.
And, of course, here is a black and white version.
Jade plant
Some bottles and jars (note the wizard oil!)
We have lived in Arizona for a year now, and I am still obsessed with the changing skies. On Monday night, we looked out the window to see this (captured with my iPhone):
I grabbed my Nikon and ran outside. Unfortunately my macro lens (85mm) was on the camera, but, knowing how quickly light can change, I didn’t take the time to change it to my zoom to be able to capture a wide angle view. By the time, I got outside, the rainbow had faded and everything was bathed in an almost eerie golden light.
The clouds in every direction were shades of pink and gold, which darkened during the 5-10 minutes I took these photos.
All the photos have only minor exposure and clarity adjustments. The last one has Kim Klassen’s everyday texture added.
My grocery store sunflowers are starting to droop and turn brown on the edges, alas. I took a bunch of macro shots- and then turned two of my favorites to high contrast, split-toned black and whites, which I then textured with Kim Klassen’s golden.
Linking up with Texture Tuesday today.
melinda anderson photography 