Icy branches in Yellowstone:
Ice by our driveway (a week after the snowstorms!):
Home Grown Abstract
It was sooo cold when I went out front to shoot these curly tendrils on my spiky plant (someday I’ll find out what its called…) with my macro lens. Although I’ve photographed them before, my attention was caught by the combination of curves and lines hit by the morning light. The colors you see in the background were present in my photograph and accentuated by the Color Burst preset in Topaz Texture Effects, turning it into a little bit of art for a Wednesday morning.
Abstract Grasses
The morning light shining through the ornamental grasses out my office window took me away from my computer and out the front door with my camera and lensbaby. I took about a dozen shots as I knelt on the rocks outside (ouch!) before my knees gave out from the effort. I liked the resulting photos, which I edited with textures to emphasize the abstract qualities of the images.
Textures of the Barrio
From last month’s trip to Tucson’s Barrio Viejo
Lily Abstracts
I took some time a few days ago to take some abstract macro shots of lilies. I added a couple textures for that painterly look I love- and the first one I also took into Topaz Simplify. Truthfully, because of the shallow depth of field, it looked pretty painterly already, but I love to fiddle around with my images. It is my form of a mindfulness meditation and satisfies my childhood ambition to be an artist when I grew up. 🙂
The Final Chapter
It was hard to let them go, so I took a few lensbaby shots of my peony petals before saying good-bye.
From above:
A black and white:
With added texture:
An abstract:
Thumb Butte at Sunset
I love the view of our Thumb Butte from downtown. There was a beautiful, fleeting moment of color at sunset the other night while I was downtown photographing the Christmas lights. I think my favorite image is this (intentionally) out of focus one with traffic coming toward me (yikes!).
The Essence of Shells
I love my abstract photography class! I am finding that the kind of photography I love to do the most (besides grand-boy photography, of course)- macros and closeups with a shallow depth of field- fall into the abstract photography realm. I had no idea! This week I’ve been photographing some of my shells with the intention of exploring their essence- and also their un-seashellness!
The un-seashellness of seashells (more of a pure abstract): 
The essence of seashells:
Neighborhood Walk
Our weather has turned chilly, the leaves have mostly all turned gold and are starting to be blown off the trees, so I decided to take a short walk in the neighborhood to capture leaves on the trees while they were still attached. I did take a few tree photos, but, inspired by my abstract photography class, I also found myself attracted to the shapes and patterns around me.
Berries in the sidewalk cracks:
Leaves in the rocks:
I’ll post trees tomorrow!
Off the Wall, In a Grid, Out of Focus
I’ve been having fun playing with my photography this week, because I’m taking Kim Manley-Ort’s abstract photography class. We’ve been given the task of looking at the work of a list of abstract photographers this week and thinking about who inspires us. Today’s photos don’t really fulfill that assignment, as I’m still absorbing what I’ve looked at and thinking about what I’ve already been doing. I know I love black and white and minimalist photography (abstract or not), fluid and out of focus images (Lensbaby, ICM), and light and shadow play. I love taking detail shots, which may or may not be abstracts. Basically, I really like to play with my camera! And, yes, with the editing too!
Here are two sets of abstract shots, which I ended up placing in grids after some color play. No, this was not the assignment!
Tire tread marks:
Glass patio table:
And then, here’s another attempt at intentional camera movement:
melinda anderson photography 