Beyond Beyond

Second post of the day- but I am pretty excited- my Beyond Beyond class/group started today! I couldn’t wait to get started, because I have been waiting and waiting for this since I stopped my Project 365.   I have loved all my previous Kim Klassen classes and know I will be inspired by Kim’s tutorials and art (as well as by the other photographers participating).

The assignment was to set up a scene (could be a cooperative subject, not limited to a still life) and photograph it from all different angles.  This was definitely WAY inside my comfort zone, because this is the way I tend to operate.  Of course she didn’t say to check things over and over on the computer- and then come back and take more photos (which is what I always do).  We were then to either create a collage or post our favorite photo.  I seem to be in collage mode lately (as well as kitchen chair mode), so that was what I did.

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Melinda25 Comments

Framed

I’m kind of on a roll at my kitchen table these days right- so many of my photos have been taken here lately (most not posted).  I discovered the afternoon light from the window a while ago- and more recently I’ve been entranced with the curve of my very ordinary kitchen chairs.  This photo was NOT taken in lovely light and really posed a challenge in terms of exposure.  I finally went with blowing out the background- maybe in afternoon light I could get a better background.

I shot this photo is response to a theme from my daily challenge group on Flickr- FRAMED.  And what better frame than a kitchen chair?

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I used simplistic, one of Kim Klassen’s lovely textures (2 layers- one at soft light, one multiply, reduced opacity) and am using this image for my Texture Tuesday link-up.  Check out more images created with Kim’s textures by following the link at the bottom of the page.

Melinda8 Comments

Cuppa

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It’s finally Texture Tuesday again!  I think it’s been a month since the last link-up.  I’ve missed it, especially because I finally have enough time (famous last words. . .) to participate each week now that I am not doing a Project 365.  So, unbelievably, the theme this week is cuppa– and I have the perfect photo- another view of my beautiful new cup and book.  Because I used them as the subjects of last Friday’s post (scroll down to see) , I changed things up a bit and did a black and white conversion with a bit of a silver tone prior to adding texture.  I almost never add textures to black and whites, but I think it works well here.  The textures are return (low opacity) and reentry (100%), two of Kim Klassen’s latest.

UPDATE: When I went to link up today’s post to the Texture Tuesday page this morning, I discovered that Kim Klassen had used the exact same cup in her post for today (and she also had just received the cup as a gift!)! I’m thinking this must be a sign of good things to come!

Melinda14 Comments

A Cup of Tea and a Book

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Gratitude is my favorite spiritual practice.  The act of appreciating what is present in my life immediately turns around any worries, self-doubts or complaints circulating around in my brain, and I begin to experience peace.

One of the themes from my Flickr group this week is spiritual.  I chose gifts that I recently received from two friends in my HeartMath group to represent the practice of gratitude. One is a beautiful (and wonderfully huge!) tea cup from my friend, Carolyn- and the other is The Secret:The Power, a gorgeously illustrated book by Rhonda Byrne from Eline.   I have such thoughtful friends!

The photo is textured at low opacity with silence by Kim Klassen.

Melinda1 Comment

Potpourri

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At the end of the year, WordPress sent me a POTPOURRI of information and stats about my blog in 2012.  I thought I’d report the highlights here, because some of my wonderful blog readers figure in the report.  Intrigued?

This blog had a total of 13,000 views in 2012!  That is hard for me to fathom, since it’s not advertised.  I know it is mostly my real-life friends and family, but also those I have become friends with in the online community through Clickin Moms and Kim Klassen and other connections I have made.  Thank you all for viewing my photos!

The busiest day was February 16, with 134 views!  The post that day was Lean On Me, which was the most viewed part of the blog that day.  I am wondering if Nevin or some of the other Rapunzels did some blog viewing that day!

Now here is the puzzling part to me- the most viewed post in 2012 was from Jan. 5, 2011- the fifth day of the FIRST year of my Project 365.  It is puzzling, but not surprising to me, because each week of the year the search term that brings most folks to my blog is SNOWY BRANCHES- and that is the blog title for that day. Week in and week out- people search for snowy branches. Is snowy branches a code word for something? A drug term? A video game? A rock group? A rapper? If you can shed some light on this, please do!

Oh- and the second most frequently used search term that brings people to my blog is- get ready for it!- SNOWY BRANCH! Oh, dear me. . .

The other most frequent search terms make sense to me: melinda365, flower texture, and flower textured background.

Now for the Top Five Commenters!

Not surprisingly, the most frequent commenter is Carol of In Focus Daily!  She is actually in the number 1 and number 5 spots (two internet identities, most likely).  Carol was my roommate in college and for 2 years after that- AND she introduced me to my husband!  We reconnected a few years ago and developed our passion for photography at the same time.  Thanks, Carol! Number two is my friend, Claudia, who has been so faithful about reading and commenting on my blog. Third is Karren, whom I have never met, but feel like I know through her wonderful photographs of her family and beautiful scenery in Utah.  Her blog is Karren’s Photography Journal– go check it out! Fourth is my friend Joan, who has been a close friend since we met as brand new, totally green, first year teachers at Kawana School in Santa Rosa, California in- nevermind the year. . .

So that’s it for the potpourri of blog stats for 2012!

Today’s photo was taken in response to a Flickr challenge (starts with P) and is textured with Kim Klassen’s bent edges, my absolute favorite and go to texture.

Melinda4 Comments

Leaves in a Jar

Gray days, rain- perfect weather for staying inside and doing a still life!  These are some leaves from my nandina (heavenly bamboo) by the back deck.  I have some by the front porch as well, and, in the last two years. its leaves and berries have been photographed by me many times.  In fact, this photo of nandina was the first of my Flickr photos to ever make Explore (and, oddly enough, it is still in the Explore collection, while most of my others have been dropped).

So, Friday’s photos were of nandina berries; today’s is just of the leaves.

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Melinda2 Comments