I can remember my first visit to the ocean as a young child- and how my mother taught me to always keep my eyes on the waves (for safety reasons). And now in my elder years I treasure our visits to the ocean, and my eyes are always drawn to the ever-changing yet constant waves as they rush toward shore. At sunset the light turns golden as the sun bids farewell to another day- a soothing presence in these times.
We visited Tumacacori State Historical Park two years ago, which inspired me to create a series of abstracts reflecting my feelings and memories of this place and time. I was looking through this series and found many images which I’ve never shared on this blog. This one began as a multiple exposure from inside the church.
Just a little abstract expressing my mindset these days…
I love blue, and after taking this multiple exposure of an agave, I was happy to see the blues come out as I played with it in Photoshop.
Waterfront Impressions
Just a little memory of our April visit to Benicia. We lived in Benicia longer than anywhere else (26 years), and when you add in the 12 years of living in Sonoma County, that makes the San Francisco Bay Area our home for about 38 years! The older I get, the harder the math is getting: We have lived in Arizona 11 years. We lived in Sacramento for 6 years too (not quite the Bay Area, but not far away). Chico was home for 23 years (including my college years at Davis). Don’t add it all up- it makes a really big number! I wish my math was off…
I thought of calling this The Twilight of America, but I decided that was too pessimistic. Can I see this differently? The American people have spoken. I hope that the future is not as bleak as I see it right now, but right now I see the things I value- inclusion, educating our children to think, women’s rights over their bodies, respecting differences, taking care of the less fortunate, valuing science- being rejected.
About the image- It started with seeing the moon last night at sunset- and noticing red, white, and blue appearing in the image as I looked at it on my phone. A good omen, I wondered? This morning I overlaid a doorframe and the stars and a texture. And it expresses my mood. You can interpret it as you wish- negatively as in my first paragraph, or the moon as a symbol of what is constant in the universe, despite politics and politicians.
Just having a little Photoshop fun- layering and blending photos
We took a two hour walk at Willow Lake on Thursday- what a gorgeous Fall day! The grasses were golden, and the trees were starting to turn from green to yellow. At one point I did my favorite camera waving moves- and this was the result!
Remembering our visit to Kansas this summer. . .
This piece was so much fun to create- it came together quickly out of two photos layered in Photoshop and a fair bit of brushwork. My photo club’s theme this month is Prescott/Prescott Valley, and after re-editing a photo shot a few years ago, I discovered that the lake where it was shot was just outside Prescott, so it didn’t adhere to the rules. On the last day to submit a photo, I woke up with the idea and inclination to throw caution to the wind and create an abstract- so here is Whiskey Row Kaleidoscope, a whimsical view of our iconic street of bars, restaurants, shops, and art. My friend Debbie came up with the title- thank you, Debbie!
And. . . to my surprise, it won third place at the photo club!!!
Another through the window ICM as we drove along the Turnagain Arm in Alaska . . .
This abstract image was created from one shot of the pipes of an organ in a Kansas church. I was fascinated by the array of pipes arranged by diameter (it seemed…) and height in ascending order and took the photo with the intention of creating an abstract. I think there will be more- perhaps in different colors and perhaps not ascending. Stay tuned!
I can’t think of anything more KANSAS than a cornfield.
We will be heading to Kansas soon, which sent me back to images I have created in the past. I have a slight obsession with grain elevators and silos, and fantasize about taking a road trip through the midwest and Canada to see some of the old historic relics that are still standing. Sometimes referred to as Prairie Castles, these huge structures are visible for miles over the flat prairie. The image above started as a working grain elevator operation in Kansas, but with multiple exposure and the magic of Photoshop, I have reimagined it.
Another ICM image from our rainy drive along Alaska’s Turnagain Arm. Oh how I love to wave my camera around!
melinda anderson photography 