Just a book and a rose. . .
Playing with Sticks
More branches in a jar. This was shot with the Lensbaby Edge 80 again, but then I used an oil painting filter in Topaz Impression and a Flypaper texture after that. Yup- just playing with sticks. . .
The Berries- again
I found a couple other shots I took when I was taking my berry still life for my class. These were taken before or after- without a tripod, because I couldn’t get high enough with the tripod. I used a shallow depth of field for fun- and I guess I wasn’t very steady on the stepstool, because these would definitely not pass the sharpness test! I like them anyway.
BTW, my hummingbird passed muster yesterday in my new photo class. I wondered how people (especially the instructor) would respond to the background, which had been edited using Topaz Impression- but they were fine with it. If you read my blog regularly, you’ll recognize this photo from last summer. The only critiques were some thought the little twig under the hummingbird could be cloned out, and one person would have liked a closed beak. One thing I’m learning is that people have differing opinions of each other’s work- and it’s all ok. It’s a very nice group of people, which makes it all easier.
Bone Structure
“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape.
Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.”
– Andrew Wyeth
Iris Play
I had some fun with the edit on this iris photo. I took it into Topaz Impression twice (two different layers in Photoshop) and added a texture as well. This is therapy for me!
Full of Beans
When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with the antique gold pencil that was kept in the chest that held the good silver. My mother said it belonged to a great-great grandmother, but that I was not named after her- which was obvious to me, because Melinda was SPELLED WRONG! My mother was not particularly interested in family history, but I was, even at a young age. I wondered who that Malinda could be (and why her named was spelled wrong).
Of course, I didn’t realize at that time that variations in spelling are the norm rather than the exception in genealogy- as are inaccurate family stories. When I started doing genealogical research, I discovered that Malinda Tucker was actually the second wife of my great-great grandfather, Luther Bean, whom he married after my great-great grandmother died. My mother’s mother would turn out to be Luther’s only heir after her aunt died, so we have quite a few of his things.
As you can see by examining the photo, he was in the Civil War as a surgeon. He grew up in New Hampshire, and he and my great-great grandmother, came from a long line of New Englanders- going all the way back to the early colonists (right AFTER the Mayflower). Later in life he moved to Waukegan, Illinois, where he continued to practice medicine.
Another inaccurate (I think) family story was that I had a great-grandfather who was in the battle of the Monitor vs the Merrimack, which I learned about in school. I remember being proud to tell my sixth grade class all about it- minus the name of this mysterious great-grandfather. I have searched and have yet to find him, the most likely candidate being Luther- but there is no record of this in his service record that I can find. This story may be as false as the story that my husband’s grandfather was “half Indian”- and his mother grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma. Wrong!
Oh- about the spelling of Malinda/Melinda– on her gravestone, her name is spelled with an E, like mine!
Photography note: the gold lines under the pencil in the top photo are reflections.
Tulip Impressions
What can I say?- I am in the mood for BLUR!
These photos were shot with the Lensbaby Velvet 56; the resulting softness was further emphasized by editing with Topaz Impression.
Company Came!
Yesterday we woke up to a couple inches of snow on the ground- which quickly became 4 or 5 inches at least, as it snowed steadily all day. It is super cold, as it was during and after our last snowstorm, so snow is still on the ground- unlike in our first two winters here, when it all melted away by noon. We are experiencing a real winter in the Arizona high country!
Around noon, my husband spotted this hawk sitting quietly on one of the birdhouses. It was snowing lightly at the time, and the wind was blowing. I’m not sure if he was just resting or was waiting for the birds that frequent the bird feeders in this part of the yard. I posted a shot of him on Facebook, and it was suggested he was either a Copper’s hawk or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. I didn’t enter the debate (I have no confidence in this area), but I did read that even experienced birders have trouble telling them apart.
For the above image, I cloned out all the distracting branches and the rocks on the hill in the background, and then added a texture at low opacity to make the background less stark. Below is a more natural photo- with the branches and background clutter. Both photos were taken through a bedroom window, and he was definitely aware of my presence!
Sun, Snow, and Steam
I couldn’t resist- here’s another image from our visit to Mammoth Hot Springs. . .
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Day
from our Thanksgiving trip to Yellowstone
Twirls and Swirls
I’m still a bit enchanted with the swirling, twirling tendrils on these grasses- not tired of photographing them yet!
Cozy
Hot chocolate and a book by the fire- my kind of evening!
Tulip with Attitude
My little AAUW photo group was discussing gesture in photography- a term used by Jay Maisel all the time to describe what he waits for when choosing a subject for his photograph. I can’t say that I fully understand the concept- but I usually know it when I see an obvious example. It seems to be a quality that makes the subject unique and isn’t only limited to living subjects. Even Scott Kelby was having difficulty understanding the meaning when interviewing Maisel.
To my eye, this tulip exemplifies gesture; in fact, it seems to have a definite attitude!
The Bench
There was still a lot of snow on the ground as we stepped out of the car on our way to one of our favorite Italian restaurants. But the area around this bench was snow-free, and the orange leaves on and around it seemed to create a little autumn vignette. I quickly snapped a photo with my iPhone, edited it in Snapseed, and called it done.
Big Wow!
For the last month, three photos of mine have been hanging at ‘Tis, a downtown gallery right on the square. I must admit I have visited them there more than once.
Below, you can see my husband, the art critic, analyzing Dandelion Dreams.
And here are Moonburn and Daydreaming (I think I overuse the word dream in my photo titles. . .):
This whole gallery experience has felt like I’m playing at being an artist, and I’ve enjoyed every minute. I still have one photo on display in another gallery at Prescott Center for the Arts, and I was awarded an honorable mention for that one (I didn’t even realize there were awards). The planets must have aligned just right!
Yesterday, the last day of the show at ‘Tis, I went to pick up my photos. The curator said I could only pick up one, and when I asked why only one, she replied “Because the other two are SOLD!” You could have knocked me over with a feather! I’m pretty stoked!
So Dandelion Dreams and Moonburn didn’t come home- and that’s more than okay with me!
melinda anderson photography 