More Downtown Details today! Above is the light fixture hanging in a doorway of the old Masonic building, and below is the clock on the same building. By the way, these photos were taken in the morning- and the clock reads two o’clock- hence its title- Correct Time Twice a Day.
to be continued…
This month’s theme for my AAUW photo group was Downtown Details. I wandered around downtown on a Friday morning, armed with my iPhone and looking for details to capture. Above is a lamppost sign on a Cortez Street intersection. As the wires and lamppost intersect (as do past and present), I call this one Intersections.
Below is Through a Glass Brightly (groan…), a view of a window, the lights inside, and a reflection of the building across the street.
to be continued…
Back when we were at the Desert Botanical Garden a few months ago, I’m sure my husband was a bit taken aback by my enthusiasm over these watering cans which were sitting on a ledge in a corner, almost out of sight. We were surrounded by the beauty of nature and the magic of Chihuly glass, but there is something so amazing about finding an unstaged, “found still life” just waiting to be captured by the camera! I aimed my camera with my zoom lens and took a few quick shots, feeling very lucky to have come upon this little wabi sabi scene.
A recent assignment for our photo group was an image with a “vintage” feel. I chose a Kansas barn and windmill shot with a Lensbaby Edge80. The Edge 80 is certainly not a vintage lens, but the areas of blur and the brown tones added in post-processing hopefully give this photo an old-timey feel.
We had a storm today. I mean- we had a STORM! To put it in perspective, this was NOT a hurricane- but it was similar to a very strong monsoon storm, though monsoon season is over. This afternoon at about 1:45, the rain started- and the thunder- and the lightning- and the hail- and finally the wind. I was just about to begin my genealogy meeting on ZOOM this afternoon, when the storm intensified, and a couple of the gals lost power and disappeared from the zoom screen. I had just started our check-in (where we talk about our genealogy progress since the last meeting), when our electricity went out. This was a problem for everyone, since I was the one doing the presentation and then playing a video! The storm continued, Lonnie got out flashlights (it was pretty dark), and I ran outside to capture cushions being tossed about by the wind. After about 15-20 minutes, to my surprise, our power came back on- though the storm continued.
I was able to go back on zoom, and my friends were still there waiting for the meeting to continue! All went on without incident, though it rained and thundered and blew outside.
After dinner, I went outside to our street, which was covered in mud that had washed down the hill from the house construction site across from us. This is a shot of the street below at sunset, after the rain and flooding had stopped. Everything is water-saturated, but the only sign of all the drama from earlier is the tipped-over porta-potty from the house construction down below. Normally, I would clone that out in Photoshop- but I chose to leave it as evidence of the crazy weather from this afternoon!
Before I set up last week’s still life with the milk can, wheat, lantern and a multitude of pumpkins, I set up a simpler scene on a table for a test shot as I checked the focus and exposure. I soon realized that there wasn’t enough room for everything on the table and decided to move the whole tableau to the floor by the front door. After I finished editing that image, which I took to my photo group, I came across my original test shot. It is a much simpler composition and is edited fairly simply with an added texture- and (shhhhh…) I prefer this one.
I spent some time today doodling with a pumpkin image I took at Trader Joe’s a week ago. The historic storm battering Canada’s maritime provinces must have been on my mind as I edited this- hence, Pumpkin Storm.
Fall is in the air- or at least it feels that way. It’s a bit cooler, it gets dark earlier, and there is a breeze. So even though the official start of fall is a couple days away, the autumn vibes inspired me to create my first still life of the season.
As I get ready for today’s Labor Day barbecue, I think about how Labor Day meant the end of summer when I was a child. Now, most schools have been in session for a couple weeks or more. This image is from last October’s visit to Huntington Beach; summer is still in full swing in Southern California!
I am thinking of getting my Fall wreath out soon though. . .
As summer draws to a close, our yard is full of flowers- and BEES! I’m glad about the bees, but I don’t always want to have them in my flower shots. I decided to post this one however- I thought this little guy was particularly photogenic with its round little body and glowy wings in the middle of the cosmos.
Morning coffee these days means sitting on the front porch watching the monsoon rains or sitting on the back patio and watching the hummingbird show. Today it was the hummingbirds.
We have had more hummingbirds than usual this summer and often they are vying for dominance in their territory. This morning they were zooming around so fast it was difficult to focus. Although they were focused on each other (and the feeder!), I considered they might actually fly right into me as I stood taking photos. As I write this, they are back at it again after a forced respite due to heavy rain.
I was in the mood for a soft photo when I edited this image, so muted the colors and added a blur and a paint filter over all. This is a look I like in photography- but does NOT reflect the mood of these feisty hummers.
Most of my Alaska photography time last month was spent photographing the loons that swam peacefully around the lake. Often they would dive beneath the water for food and then surface with a spray of bubbly lake water. They were usually in pairs and would call to each other when they were separated, flapping their wings when the other was spotted. There was a pair with babies which I never saw, unfortunately. Next year…
Some of my favorite images (and memories) come from last summer’s vacation in Alaska when we celebrated our fiftieth anniversary. I have a multitude of photos still to be processed, and I love dipping into the collection and finding new images to create. This one is two photos taken within minutes of each other and layered in Photoshop.
During our “elder years” (I put this in quotes, because I haven’t quite accepted my role as an elder), my husband and I have taken to eating many of our summertime meals out on the patio while we to watch the birds. Last night, I was enjoying watching the goldfinches, when many more finches swooped in and crowded each other on one of the feeders. I was surprised to see the spotted towhee (on the left) join them; I’m used to see the towhees under the feeders, rather than ON them.
What a relaxing way to start our evening!
We have just returned from a week visiting our daughter’s family in Alaska. Most of the time was spent at their family cabin on a small lake. I can’t imagine a more relaxing spot- especially at sunset. This iPhone shot was taken after 11 pm, when the light was just beginning to dim. Ahhhh….
melinda anderson photography 