The Blue Jay
Each time I see a Blue Jay I can not help but think of my husbands Grandmother. I can picture her sitting in her recliner having a conversation with one through the window. Now this was not a one-sided conversation, the Blue Jay would squawk talk back. It mostly went like this: oh, be quite Grandmother would say; you be quiet, the Blue Jay would say…. this would go on for while, they both were stubborn like that.
As for the picture, it’s not the best, he was jumping around and hard to capture. I also shot through the kitchen window, not an easy task (difficult to be sneaky). But I had to share, they are such beautiful birds. It is incredible, all the beauty that surrounds us.
“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.”
~Gilbert Keith Chesterton
Share this:
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (in Texas)
As I was working in the garden a few days ago this beautiful butterfly paid me a visit. He stayed long enough for me to go inside and get my camera (I thought for sure he would be gone by the time I returned).
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” ~Rabindranath Tagore
Share this:
Cow Creek Road
Back roads: we love them. These pictures were taken off Cow Creek road, a small country road which leads to Flat Creek Winery (in the Texas Hill Country). I have to admit, I wasn’t really a back roads kinda gal, coming from the big city and all :), until I met my husband. Any road trip we would take, he would opt for the back roads, and I mean the back back roads! Once we followed the map to a back road which turned into a dirt road, did we turn around? No. This road led us straight through the mountains in southern Colorado, it was the best drive on our three-week camping trip. I guess you never know what may be around the next corner, it’s all about perspective.
“When all’s said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So, it’s not so much which road you take, as how you take it.” ~ Charles de Lint (Celtic folk musician, 1951)
Share this:
more flowers, not more color, just more flowers…
Here is another picture of the tulips I took earlier this week. This one had a little different perspective and was a bit bright in color, so I decided to change it to b&w (with a very slight sepia tint).
When I think of black and white images, I can not help think of Ansel Adams and to be honest, my Father. My Father took some beautiful pictures during his lifetime, mainly his younger years, and developed them himself. Ansel Adams, well… I don’t think any explanation is needed.
In one of my photography books, The Photoshop Darkroom by Harold and Phyllis Davis, they give a suggested Channel Mixer Setting, that has been called the ‘Ansel Adams’ effect as: 160% Red, 140% Green and -200% Blue. Even though I tell you this, I did not apply this ratio to the image you see. Actually, I did apply it, but it did not look right, so I ‘mixed’ my own. I have applied the ‘Ansel Adams’ effect to other b&w’s and it does look nice.
Just for comparison, here is the original:
“In my mind’s eye, I visualize how a particular… sight and feeling will appear on a print. If it excites me, there is a good chance it will make a good photograph. It is an intuitive sense, and ability that comes from a lot of practice.” ~Ansel Adams
Share this:
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Another rose from yesterdays outing (is it really an outing when it is your own backyard?).
About the quote:
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a quotation from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, it is meant to say that the names of things do not matter, only what things are. The line is said by Juliet in reference to Romeo’s house, Montague, which would imply that his name means nothing and they should be together.
Share this:
There it was when I looked up :)
This morning I was sitting at my desk (I think I mentioned before, it’s really the dining room table) and when I looked out the window, there was the rose-bush looking back at me. I picked up my camera, headed outside and took a few shots (more to come). I thought the white frame looked nice for a change (instead of the usual black I seem to have a habit of selecting).
“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.” Ziggy (comic strip created by Tom Wilson)
Share this:
The Great Blue Heron
If I could be an animal (I know, it’s one of those 6th grade questions you might talk about at lunch), I would be a bird. The way birds catch the wind is always amazing to me, besides it looks like fun. Not sure what type of bird, one that eats seeds, nuts and grass only. :)
I realize this is not the best picture of a Great Blue Heron, but it is the best I captured. These birds always take off when they see me coming, I know it’s not just me. I have to get pretty close because my zoom lens (70-200) really is not long enough to be sneaky.
According to wikipedia, this is the largest North American heron, head-to-tail length is 36-55 inches (91-140cm), a wingspan of 66-79 (167-201 cm) inches, and a weight of 4-4.8 lbs (2-3.6 kg).
“God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.” J.G. Holland (American Novelist; 1819-1881)
Share this:
Brrrrrrr, it was cold at the beach!
FIrst stop Buc-ees: HOT coffee. Second stop: the jetties.
The first image is of an oil tanker coming into the port. Today I learned that some tankers are so heavy, they are already partially emptied off shore (as this one was). Why is their load lightened? So the tanker does not drag the water way as they head in. Also, you can see all the happy seagulls (you might have to enlarge the picture to see this better), they are eating shrimp that is churned up as the tanker and tug boats pass.
The sweet little kitty in the second image, I can only imagine, was waiting for someone to open the door and let her/him in.
I did say it was cold, that is relative of course to each of our surroundings. Those of you in the north, are thinking ‘right, there isn’t even any snow in that picture, you want cold, come up here!’. Well, for Texas, it was pretty cold this morning- 36 degrees. However, once down at the beach (at 7:30am) it was the wind that had us turning around after and hour, most of which was spent in the car ;). So now I sit with a fire burning in the fireplace, hot tea in hand, warm and content.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating: there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kind of good weather.” John Ruskin (English writer and critic of art, architecture, and society. 1819-1900)
Share this:
“Bloom where you are planted.”
This week has been a bit busy, so I am posting two pictures from a trip back in August. I love taking pictures at the beach, hey I just love going to the beach. I am fortunate it is so close, 20 minutes or so. Some people complain about our beach, it’s not 7 mile beach (Grand Cayman), but it has all the elements: water, sand, birds, wind, sun… just to name a few.
I am looking forward to my next trip. :-)
The quote: “Bloom where you are planted.” author unknown, just reminds me to be happy wherever you are and with whatever you have.
Share this:
Broken Obelisk sculpture @ the Rothko Chapel
.
I saved this picture for today’s post, only because I had PSed a few images and had them in a folder lined up to upload for three days in a row, this one happened to fall on todays blogging day. It was taken on our visit to the Menil Collection (Menil link: HOME ) over the holidays. Such a peaceful and reflective place. Come to find out, as I researched the sculpture a bit, it was dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. in 1971. Coincidence or not?
I included some information off the website for the Rothko Chapel below. I also included a quote, which seems appropriate for today (but maybe that’s the issue, it’s appropriate for EVERYday.)
First the quote (the last line stand out to me):
“What should move us to action is human dignity: the inalienable dignity of the oppressed, but also the dignity of each other. We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.” ~Dominique de Menil
|
About the Chapel: (Rothko link: index.php)
|
Share this:
TrYinG SoMeThinG NeW
My favorite quote (for the moment) is:
If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.
Thomas Jefferson
Hence the very photoshopped image. Sometimes, for me anyway, we are concerned about how our images will be perceived by others. If that concern stops us from expressing what we want, then it can be bad. After all, life is about opinions, not right or wrong. We all have likes and dislikes. You may not like mine and I may not like yours, does it mean you are wrong? I am right? I am wrong? You are right? No, it just means we are different.
With that said, I happen to like the PS effect on the image above. Did I hesitate to ‘blog’ it? I did, but i hope that hesitation will go away with time and confidence.
Here’s the funny part, I want to ask now – what do you think? Do you like the image? I guess what I am asking for is you opinion. The answers are not received as offending, only as critiquing.
Share this:
Out with the old, in with the new…
. Out with the old, the car
in this case, in with the new, the amazing colors found on the car.
Change. it can be good. With that said, it’s that time of
year to begin again, start over, make new plans, goals, OR just
continue on the path already set out (because it’s a wonderful
path). Of course, there are some things to improve upon
(change), but I will only mention improving on photography to spare
you all the whole diet and exercise resolutions. Don’t get me
wrong, resolutions, intentions, plans, goals… they are great,
it’s just that when you make them isn’t really as important as
making them, that’s my opinion anyway. So, if I did make a
list, what would be on it? Learn more, be kinder, more
helpful to those I know and those I don’t, … Basically, I
hope to live up to my potential. Below are a few quotes, I know- a
few- I couldn’t pick just one, about new years, resolutions,
change…
We spend January 1
walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work
to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance
the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not
looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen
Goodman
I made no
resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of
criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a
daily event for me. ~Anaïs Nin
I think in terms of the day’s
resolutions, not the year’s. ~Henry Moore
Share this:
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” -Dorothea Lange
Louisville, Ky: First let me say I had no idea it was such an artsy town. It was such an enjoyable stay, despite the highs in the 20s and lows in the teens (which I actually enjoyed, quite the change from the gulf’s heat in Texas)… oh, and it did snow 2 days out of the 5. My husband and I stayed downtown at 21C Museum Hotel (which I highly recommend). As the name implies, it is also a Museum.
The image above was taken as I walked the downtown streets (off Main to be exact). Amidst the old architecture was this modern (not completely modern) glass building. As people passed by on the street, going about their daily routines, I was taking pictures of the world around me. I am guilty of passing by life also, but I do have to agree with Ms. Lange’s quote above, being a photographer is a gift, it makes us pause. Sure, we pause to consider the technical side of the photo, but when we pause we see so much more. This ‘pause’ is then carried over to those days when we don’t have our cameras. Well, that is just my opinion.
Below is information about Dorothy Lange, the image I included is one that you will probably recognize.
Dorothea Lange (May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange’s photographs humanized the tragic consequences of the Great Depression and profoundly influenced the development of documentary photography.
Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother,” destitute in a pea picker’s camp, because of the failure of the early pea crop. These people had just sold their tent in order to buy food. Most of the 2,500 people in this camp were destitute. By the end of the decade there were still 4 million migrants on the road.
Share this:
Peace: |pēs| noun 1. freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility: mental calm; serenity
>
‘
‘
‘
Personally I find cemeteries to be beautiful places, there is a sense of peace and calm about them. But at the same time, I feel a bit uncomfortable taking pictures of such a personal place. The images I chose to post depict a nice balance (for me), not to private, yet still peaceful.
All images are from Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.
“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Share this:
daily views…seeing something differently
.
.
.
Taking photos has become such a big part of who I am these days. It hasn’t always been like this, but I hope it stays. Unfortunately I am without vehicle at the moment, so that means it’s up to my bike or my feet to take me places, and since the weather was rather warm today I let my feet take me to my backyard. Not very far I know, but I decided it would force me to take photos of the view I see everyday, and perhaps take a little for granted. So, again, out of my comfort zone.
‘If you do not raise your eyes you will think that you are the highest point.‘ ~Antonio Porchia, 1943
Share this:
reflect
During a class assignment while in Santa Fe, NM I took this shot at an outdoor sculpture museum. Our only assignment was to take photos. It was March and the weather was amazing, dry and cool. I also remember this assignment was a bit difficult for me, it was hard for me to take pictures of still objects, hence the object of the lesson for me was to get out of my comfort zone.
‘Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.‘ -Brian Tracy
Share this:
More from the beach…
Two more photos from my early morning beach trip.
The tide was high when I arrived, the top picture shows it slowly descending in to the sea. I love all the small channels that are created.
For the other image I used a slow shutter speed, one can almost see the waves in motion.
‘Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think‘. ~Robert Henri
Share this:
93
93: the number of photos I took at Captain Mac’s Boat Yard. Thank goodness for digital cameras, right!? Well, maybe. There is something about taking film shots, I think we spend more time studying the subject, deciding on the angle, the light, the background… perhaps they are more thought-provoking up until we release the shutter. Whether film or digital, the image still tells the story, the same story no matter the medium (or does it).
Of the 93 photos, I had a favorite and my husband had a favorite. Needless to say, they were not the same image. Like I have said before “A photo tells the beginning of a story. The beauty of the story is that the person viewing the photo finishes it, they may say it out loud or they may create it in their mind, but it is their’s to create from the image. The story I tell about one of my own photos may not be the same story you would tell, we all see things differently. We are each unique, as it should be.“
Share this:
six:thirteen AM
As I opened my eyes this morning I could see the sun beginning to rise, even though I was not ready to rise myself I did! I knew if I did not move fast I would miss the beautiful colors that are only visible in the early morning. I threw on some shorts, grabbed my camera and tripod, and set out to the lake. The colors changing as I walked, our world is pretty incredible.
“For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise or the magnificence of a full moon, but it is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the universe that surrounds us.” Richard H. Baker
Share this:
Devil’s Shores Cactus #2
My plan: Photograph a Yellow Oriole.
I began my search around 8am for this bright little yellow bird. I did see birds, but the Yellow Oriole was no where in sight. As I search for the bird, I noticed I was surrounded by sage bushes, all of which had dropped their purple flowers a week prior to my arrival, how sad that I missed it I thought. Mixed in with the sage I began to see a vibrant magenta color, so I walked into the fields and found small yellow flowers, even smaller purple flowers, sweet soft white flowers and this prickly pear cactus. Although the blossoms were gone, the prickly pears fruit, cactus figs, remained.
I started this journey with narrowly opened eyes, but as I wandered my eyes opened. We go through life seeing what we want to see, each of us interpret our surroundings differently, whether those surroundings are full of people or nature. I am thankful for my ‘open eyes’.
“Be careful how you interpret the world: It is like that.” Erich Heller
Share this:
Devil’s Shore Cactus #1
“She was illusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.” Jerry Spinelli author of Star Girl.
Share this:
Peace
Madrid Angel: Something about this angel calms me. She seems to be sending a message to be at peace with yourself, others, the world. She reminds me of a quote by Mother Teresa:
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
kim hinds photography 