a place to hang my pictures

different lighting

2012-02-17T07:56:00.000-05:00

Thinking about photography absorbs my mind. Planning a photography adventure excites me.

I get lost in the process of taking a photograph. I am anxious to review the results uploaded to the laptop. I am totally lost in the process of editing a “good” photo and enhancing it through editing to make it looks like an artistic photographic representation of itself. It is rewarding and educational to share with others, and I am always excited to receive their feedback. I get lost in the process of taking photographs and photo editing in the same wonderful way that I can get lost in a good book.

In our most recent journey with Kat Eye Studio, we were prompted to explore photographing in different lighting than we typically take photographs in. I decided to try photographing my beautiful Valentine’s Day roses indoors, in the evening. I tried setting up additional lighting and covered the top of a cardboard box with aluminum foil to use as a reflective object.

I didn’t really know what I was doing, and after a long day at work I am not usually my most energetic and motivated self. I moved the light source around quite a bit and took photos from many different angles.

I found the light to be quite harsh and severe casting a lot of shadows. I also experimented with the light in the editing process using the features “brighten” and “bloom”.

I noticed that the bloom feature gave it a kind of soft and blurry feeling which was different but nice. If I were to change anything in the process it would be taking more time to learn about studio lighting and setting up the lighting more appropriately.

New subjects photo shoot…

2012-02-12T08:36:00.003-05:00

Continuing our on line photo class journey with Kat Eye Studio

Get out of our comfort zone, take at least 100 photographs.

My oldest son said “don’t take photos of flowers” and suggested photographing people. I asked if I could take 100 photos of him, but he declined. I thought about photographing a sporting event, as that would certainly be different. The time crunch was on and I still hadn’t chosen my subject.

My mother and I went out to run errands and grocery shop. My camera is my baby, and I wouldn’t leave it locked in the car, so it went in the store with me. My mother commented that 100 photographs is a lot and suggested taking photos of the fruits and vegetables. My reply was that taking 100 photographs was the easy part. Choosing a subject was the hard part. There is no way I would want to take photographs in a crowded grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. That was further out of my comfort zone than I was willing to go.

Finally, afternoon was approaching and I hadn’t decided. At this point I didn’t have much “oomph” in me and I didn’t approach my lesson wholeheartedly. I decide to photograph books. I love books. We have a lot of books in the house. I have many books that I have collected over the years.

I enjoy the peacefulness of books and the peacefulness of photography. I enjoy going on photo adventures with my husband or by myself. Even in a crowded city, no one takes much notice of you. But in that crowded, bustling grocery store too many people would have noticed me, and I would not have liked it.

Once I started taking photos, I was easily lost in the process, even though I wasn’t that motivated. As I was taking the photos, one of my treasures caught my attention. It is a scrapbook that I found.

Based on the styles and date found on one of the items, I am guessing it was made sometime in the 1920’s. The person who made this scrapbook must have been a woman and she certainly had an artistic and creative streak in her. I was excited at the thought of sharing her book with my classmates and blogging friends. Here are some images from her scrapbook, much different from the scrapbooking style around today.

Attend an art exhibit…

2012-02-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

This was one our “assignments” in our photography journey with Kat Eye Studio.

My first thought was “oh, a nice trip to Boston to visit the MFA or the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum”. But after an extensive on line search I was reminded about all of the artistic displays and events here in Metro West Boston. My husband and I visited the Decordova Musem and sculpture park located in a neighboring town. Fortunately for us, it was a sunny, mild day and a treat to spend time wandering around outdoors in the fresh air.

There was an outdoor interactive display of what my husband referred to as musical pipes and I referred to as a standing xylophone. There was no way to resist picking up a stick and running it along the pipes to make music. I observed two elderly gentlemen stopping to play, and one of them complimented the other telling him “that was very nice”. You couldn’t resist and it made you happy.

Bubbles floating through the air caught my eye. I went to find the source of the bubbles, and called my husband to come see. There was a man with a rope attached to two sticks. He dipped the rope into a bucket of liquid and made the greatest bubbles. Grownups and children alike had their arms stretched out in delight, trying to catch them. Again, something else that you can’t resist and it makes you smile.

I was excited to photograph the bubbles and really wondered what they would look like captured in a photo.

Our favorite outdoor sculpture had to be the Two Black Hearts. I don’t think it would have been nearly as appealing if there was only one heart. My last name is Hart, my husband proposed to me on Valentine’s Day and gave me a heart shaped engagement ring … and so I am partial to hearts. ♥♥

As a piece of art work, I appreciate the fact that the artist chose to create two hearts. The texture of the hearts and all of the objects embedded in the surface give your mind and eyes a lot to look at and absorb. And the size of the hearts provided impact.

The next sculpture appealed to me because of its colors and surface texture. I looked at it for a while and then exclaimed “it’s a pinecone perched under the trees!” When I looked at the photograph later, I thought it looked like many breasts, but I like my perception of a pinecone more.

The sculpture/exhibit which least appealed to me was an actual bed encased in a glass structure. It did nothing to resonate within me. But, for some reason, I really like the way the photograph turned out!

I was disappointed with what we found inside. The rooms were small and choppy, and some of the hallways abruptly ended and you had to turn back. The only large room didn’t feel large and open. I saw one oil painting, and my reaction to it was “oh finally a painting.” In retrospect I know that I react to what my preconceived ideas of what art is. I once had a VERY lively discussion with friends about “What is Art”. It was one of my favorite conversations. Many points of view were expressed but no one answer was agreed upon. The perception of art is so individualized.

In reviewing the photographs I took at the museum, it confirmed my previous post declaring what I like and am drawn to. I am drawn to shiny and reflective objects, textures both smooth and rough, color opposites and the enjoyment of editing a photo.

Attend an art exhibit... you won't regret it.

photo-heart connection january 2012

2012-02-03T06:24:00.002-05:00

This month, my heart sings with this photograph

It sings because I am so pleased with the results

It sings because of the shades of robin’s egg blue and aqua

It sings because it feels like a painting to me

It sings because it is a beautiful orchid

It sings because a dear friend gave it to me

It sings because I edited it

It sings because I enjoyed the morning I spent experimenting with my camera and new tripod

It sings because I started experimenting with aperture

It sings because I didn’t have a preconceived idea of what it would look like after editing and I was so pleased with the results

The results were more like an unexpected present than intentional and that is ok

I sing because I continue to learn and grow and create

Kat from the Kat Eye studio came up with a fun monthly photo prompt called

The Photo-Heart Connection

Each month we will post the photo that most captured our heart and explore why it did so

Visit Kat's site here to learn more: kateyestudio

I think I’ve been coloring outside of the lines..

2012-01-30T19:44:00.004-05:00

The first rule of photography I remember learning is probably the same one that everyone was told, which is to position yourself with the sun behind you. Since then, I’ve learned more about composition, the rule of thirds, not centering an object, and leading your eye into a scene.

I can’t say that I really think much about these rules before I take a photo though. And with the ability to crop our own photos, it is easy to edit an image and make it more visually pleasing post shooting your photo.

I am participating in my second online course with Kat Eye Studio. One of Kat's recent posts included her photo of a scooter, which only shows part of the scooter. I have noticed lately, that it isn’t always necessary to show the complete subject in a photo. Having a piece of it missing is ok. Maybe it even helps to draw your eye into the photo. I don't know if this was ever a photography rule or not, but probably one of mine.

It's ok if you don't see the entire flower and all of the petals

or if you can't see the entire balloon in this photo

or even the entire bodies of these children

Thankfully, I don't think I have any preconceived photgraphy rules that are holding me back in this journey. And believe me, I have always been a rule follower. ♥

I like.......

2012-01-19T19:58:00.001-05:00

Flowers

contrast in color and textures

softness

brightness

a scene you can see yourself walking into

reflections and store window displays

sharp, crisp and clear

and I love editing photos

all this decisiveness from a woman who could never even pick a favorite color...

I highly recomend you check out Kat Eye Studio and the online courses offered.

Start the journey to finding your eye - like I did ! Thanks Kat !!! ♥

flowers in winter

2012-01-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

I enjoy taking photographs of flowers.

Last weekend I spent the morning photographing a beautiful orchid my dear friend had given me for Christmas. I don’t have a very green thumb, well maybe an aqua colored thumb – but not a green thumb. So I am happy that the orchid still looked as nice as it did on Christmas.

My dear hubby gave me a tripod for Christmas. I set up the tripod and experimented taking photos in different rooms, with different lighting and different backgrounds. Close ups and from a distance. It was early in the morning and I was the only one up and about and I was easily lost in what I was doing.

My only frustrations were that I hadn’t taken the time to think about the light coming in the backdoor and casting shadows on the orchids. I eventually opened the backdoor – but it was cold outside!

I love photo editing. I’m pleased when I have a nice sharp and crisp photo to start with. Often times the results are soft and muted. I ended up editing a lot of the photographs, but I went with the flow and that’s where it led me.

Pixel Dust Bonnie's free texture "one life"

2012-01-13T05:39:00.000-05:00

I recently downloaded GIMP, which looks like an awesome free photo editing software. I haven’t had enough time to practice with it as much as I would like to. And as Bonnie expressed in her post, it is hard to get back into the swing of things after the holidays! I am really looking forward to using layers. I have read a few tutorials that cover layers, but some of them make my head spin!

For editing this photograph of a beautiful white orchid from my dear friend, I once again used Photoscape, which is another free photo editing software. It doesn’t have the same layering feature, but it does allow you to add textures (including adding your own textures) and placing objects on top of your photograph and changing the opacity.

For this photo, I used the auto level, which lightens it up a bit, and then sharpened. I find that I almost always use sharpen. I then used color enhance and saturate. I added Bonnie’s free texture “one life” as a texture and then added it as an object on top of my photo. I reduced the opacity to 141 and saved.

I love the nice soft feeling it has and the white writing of the words “one life” blends in nicely with the white petals of the orchid, rather than standing out in sharp contrast.

Thank you Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art, for hosting Photo Art Friday, for sharing so much of yourself and your creativity, and for hosting a great spot for all of us to share. Having a spot to share what I do gives me some sort of validation and meaning. So, Thank you again! Happy Friday to us all! And I've got the number three tucked away in my head for next week!

thoughts on photography

2012-01-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

While driving to the bank this past Saturday, a small group of canadian geese sitting on an iced over pond caught my eye. My first thought and reaction was to reach for my camera, pull over and take a photo. I didn’t have my dear camera with me.

When something catches my eye, it generates a feeling and a response within me. I want to capture that feeling in a photograph and convey and share that feeling with others. "this is me, this stirs me, do you feel what I feel?”

Photography has been in my life for a long time. Years ago I took a photography class and learned how to develop photos in a darkroom. Many times I went out with a camera in hand, looking forward to taking photographs.

I appreciate the freedom of digital photography. If the photo doesn’t turn out the way I had hoped it would, I can delete it. And it satisfies my need to create. Editing the photos is the icing on the cake.

My initial response to the question – why do you photograph was “because I have to”. But that’s not quite right. But, I do have to be creative. And photography fills that need quite nicely.

I went through my house and took photographs of some of the things that I’ve painted, sewn, refinished and made.

I think it’s an appropriate photo for this post. ♥

Holiday Lights

2011-12-29T20:48:00.001-05:00

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park is a seasonal display of holiday lights synchronized to music. It is an amazing display of Christmas lights and decorations.

Kat Sloma's most recent Exploring with a Camera series is Creative Lights.
I can't say that I had much time to be creative, but I was fortunate enough to experience the "Creative Lights" in person while visiting Disney in Orlando a few weeks ago.

I know that Kat is fond of bicycles...

and who isn't fond of pink mouse ears !

I am delighted that you took the time to view my photos.. want to see the other 597 photographs I took while at Disney???? - smile -

Disney Holiday Reflections

2011-12-17T04:33:00.001-05:00

A big thank you to my Mom for taking her "kids" to Disney in Orlando!
This shop window caught my eye because my brother loves M&M's and these look like M&M's with mouse ears, dressed up for Christmas.

It wasn't intentional, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the word "GIFTS" reflected in the photo.

Thank you James at Weekend Relfections for hosting such a nice spot for us to share our reflections!

Photo Art Friday - December 2nd

2011-12-02T05:56:00.000-05:00

This week Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo made the suggestion that we try some edits we have been wanting to try, but have felt were too hard or that we just haven't had the time for. The photo art could be produced from following a tutorial or simply the result of some creative play with new photo art tools and techniques.

I chose a photo that I wasn’t really sure what I would do with, but thought I would experiment with layers and the eraser tool. I used Photoscape for most of my editing, and pixlr.com to make the layers. After much editing, I didn’t use the eraser tool as much as I had originally thought, and only to bring back the orange color of the swan’s beaks.

I just could not decide if I like the photo with text or without. I think that is one of my next goals - learn how to make text look better.

And with Bonnie's texture "Gratitude"

Happy Friday to all of my friends, especially those posting and exploring at

Photo Art Friday !!

Photo Art Friday - "Vintage"

2011-11-25T06:58:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. Bonnie of Pixel Dust Photo Art, has suggested that this week we post a piece of photo art that has been sitting in our archives.

This is a photo of a dahlia in my garden. It had rained earlier and the petals were still dripping wet. I used photoscape for editing and and transforming the colorful photo to sepia tones. I placed the post card image (I'm pretty sure it was from the Graphic's Fairy) on top and manipulated the opacity. I like the old vintage feeling.

I was thinking about the word "Vintage" this morning. I have lived long enough that many of the items from my past are now referred to as vintage. Many of them could also be called antique. But vintage has a much nicer ring to it. I would much rather be referred to as a "Vintage Woman" than I would an "Antique Woman" !!
Have a lovely week!

photo art friday in Boston

2011-11-18T07:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday! I chose to share this photo editing for several reasons. And I must admit that the number one reason is so that I can boast about why I was in Boston. We were at historic Fanueil Hall in Boston as my oldset son was sworn in as an Attorney!! I was so proud to present my son with his license and to hug him and tell him how proud I am of him and how much I love him.

Photo Editing:

I don't have Photoshop. I keep thinking that someday I will make the purchase, but as of yet I must say that I really like using Photoscape and Pixlr, both of which are easy to use and you can find them for free on the internet.

This first photo captured my attention because of the "Cheers" sign, which most people are familiar with and associate with Boston. The second thing that captured my eye was Santa. The day we were there, a crew was stringing the lights around the gigantic Christmas tree.

I used many features on Photoscape. I really played around a lot with this photo.

I cropped, used backlight, saturate, sharpen, vignette and the film effect cross process.

This is the first original photo.

And the second photo, taken from the parking garage as dusk approached on a rainy evening.

I placed the second photo as an object on top of the first photo, made it more opaque, combined them and sharpened and saturated again. I used color curves to add more green and red while getting rid of some of the excess blue. I used backlight and the film effect cross process once more. As of now, I can't really say that I have a technique that I follow. I just experiment as I go along and save quite often in case I overwork something, I can go back to where I was happy with the reusults.

Oh.. and here is the final photo! I like the effect of the windows of the buildings in the Cheers sign.

Time to go to work!! Hope everyone has a happy and creative day!

Don't forget to visit Bonie at Pixel Dust Photo Art and check out all of the bloggers who are linking to Photo Art Friday!

Dad & Son photo art

2011-11-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

A lovely co-worker of mine was looking for a way to combine two special photographs;
one of her son as a newborn holding his Daddy's thumb, and one of her son and his Dad walking through an apple orchard this fall. I tried combining the photos side by side, one above the other, in black and white and sepia and layering one photo over the other and removing color.

What finally seemed to provide the best results was editing the baby photo to sepia tones, adding it as an objet on top of the apple orchard photo and making it opaque.

I think it might be a present for Dad!!

Linking this post with Bonnie, host of Pixel Dust Photo Art and Photo Art Friday.
Bonnie and the fellow photo artists are SO VERY creative.

Exploring With A Camera - Opposing Lines

2011-11-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

In the current Exploring with a Camera series, we are exploring opposing lines, lines that run in opposition to each other. In going through my collection of photographs, I was pleased to find these examples.

Opposing lines of the Zakim Bridge in Boston

And close up -

Opposing vertical and horizontal lines of the glass structures.

And I am wondering if the pattern of the curvy lines in this glass blown witches ball could also be considered opposing lines???

check out Kat's new web site for on line courses, and more exploring with a camera series
http://kateyestudio.com/

reflections of firefighters ♥

2011-11-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

I am proud of my husband and his fellow firefighters, both men and women. It has been my privilege to become friends with this amazing group of people. This photo was taken on picture day at the firehouse. This is a reflection of a few members of the group in their dress uniforms.

God Bless Firefighters.

Thank you James at Weekend Reflections for hosting such a great site and allowing us a place to share our reflection photos with others. HAPPY WEEKEND!

Found Texture

2011-10-27T07:04:00.001-04:00

I think I am a texture junkie. I didn't realize this until I participated in Kat's Exploring With a Camera Series topic - Found Texture. I've taken so many close ups of trees, rocks, sticks and peeling paint!

When I think of texture, I think about how something feels. Cold, rough, and grainy. Silky, sleek and smooth. Dry, coarse,flaky. I finally narrowed down my choices and decided to include some photos of stone, cement and brick textures.

archways in Boston

statue of St. Francis

decorative garden accents

corner of a building in Metro West Massachusetts

Thanks for stopping by!

Zakim Bridge in Boston

2011-10-22T11:14:00.001-04:00

a quick little post for Bonnie's Photo Art Friday...on a Saturday... Happy Weekend !

retro reflections

2011-10-21T13:26:00.000-04:00

spotted this reflection while wandering around Salem, Massachusetts ....lots of spooky sights in Salem durring the weeks leading up to halloween, but not in this window display of lovely retro/vintage dresses. sharing this link with.....

Weekend Reflections

The place to see and share photographs of reflections

2011-10-13T19:49:00.002-04:00

Vintage Reflections

Thank you to Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art for the use of her free texture called French Boudoir Blue.

the weekend in black and white - one more from summer in Boston

2011-10-07T21:02:00.000-04:00

one more photo from summer...wandering around the waterfront and the North End of Boston..

click here to visit Dragonstar from Ireland at The Weekend in Black and White

photo art friday 2..

2011-10-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Photo editing is fun! Bonnie at Pixel Dust PhotoArt has many textures to share and is very generous in sharing the details of her photo editing.

I edited this photo and decided to add a little phrase that my mother was always saying when I was young.
I know this is a rooster, and he doesn't lay eggs... but I liked him.

colors for Kat ...

2011-10-07T19:53:00.000-04:00

When I am working on..nix that..when I am playing on creating a new post, I often create a folder on my destop and put my photos there until I am ready to post. For the last few weeks I have had a folder on my desktop which I have named "colors for Kat". Visit The Kat Eye View of The World for details and examples, both from Kat and with links to many photographs and creative, lovely blogs.

In the color wheel part 2 - one of the areas we are exploring is complementary colors, or opposites on the color wheel. Blues and oranges, yellows and purples are opposites on the color wheel, and that's where this post has led me...

to the pumpkin patch..

to the flower beds...

and to the backyard fire pit...

Hope you have a chance to enjoy your weekend and all of the beautiful colors in our world !!

weekend reflections - last bit of summer

2011-10-07T13:27:00.000-04:00

It is supposed to be in the 80's here in Massachusetts this weekend.
Mark Twain wrote, "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes."

We are always talking about the weather here in New England.

This photo was taken at Hyannis Harbor, located in Cape Cod.
A last bit of summer before autumn arrives in full.

Happy weekend to everyone. Enjoy weekend reflections here: Weekend Reflections

the pumkin and squash weekend in black & white

2011-10-02T19:21:00.003-04:00

It finally felt like fall today.
The day was overcast and chilly, but there were plenty of people out picking apples and visiting roadside farmstands. We came home with apple cider, apple pie and a pumpkin.

It was interesting to see the results of editing colorful fall vegetables into black and white images. The first photo is a shot of of bright orange pumpkins. Ereything was covered in water droplets from an earlier rain shower. I like the drops of water, they add texture and interest.

This large squash was a light tan color..

And these interesting pumpkins were white to begin with. I had fun editing the photos to come up with even lighter white pumpkins...

Thank you Dragonstar for hosting The Weekend in Black and White - check it out here.

Photo Art Friday

2011-09-25T18:12:00.002-04:00

Thank You to Tatjana Parkacheva for mentioning Photo Art Friday on her blog (with her beautiful rose).
Bonnie, at Pixel Dust Photo Art, has a fun spot called Photo Art Friday,
a place for sharing digital editing of photographs.

While hubby was yelling at the tv watching the Patriots play football, I was photo editing.
Here is the end result (Thank you Henry David Thoreau for the quote)

I started with this photo of the boat, taken in Oqunquit, Maine...

and used this photo...

to create my first texture - What Fun !!!

The Color Wheel, part one exploration with Kat

2011-09-24T18:32:00.000-04:00

Kat’s most recent exploration from The Kat Eye View of the World is the color wheel, part 1.

In Kat’s post she gives great examples and great descriptions of monochromatic color, analogous color schemes and chromatic gradation. In reviewing my archives I discovered that I have taken lots of photos with opposites in the color wheel, but not many to tie in with this exploration.

Thanks to a little photo editing, I have an example of a monochromatic color scheme..

And if I've cropped out enough purple flowers, an example of an analogous color scheme...

And if I could go behind the store window and move Oscar next to Grover, then Big Bird and Ernie, followed by Elmo, I think I would have a fine example of chromatic gradation. And Bert, well I’m not certain where he will go.. Please be sure to visit Kat’s site for the explanation!!

SIGN - SIGN everywhere a SIGN.....

2011-09-24T08:24:00.001-04:00

Signs draw our attention. Lately, I have been drawn to photographing them. So many signs are deliberately designed with colors to capture our attention, but I think these signs still effectively convey their messages in black and white.

Signs show you where to go...

where you are...

and where you might need to go....

signs that are to the point....

signs my youngest son does not want to see...

and signs I like to see...

mmmm....canolis from the North End in Boston...

Linking with Dragonstar at the Weekend in Black and White... visit Dragonstar to see fabulous black and photos and links to sites of very talented photographers

weekend reflections in Maine

2011-09-18T10:27:00.000-04:00

Summer is winding down and the air is getting cooler... This reflections photo is a shot of the lake, taken on the last morning of our vacation. The water was so still and it was a chilly 47 degrees..

visit James at Weekend Reflections to see a sampling of gorgeous photographs

Monochrome in Maine

2011-09-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

We lost our electricity for 4 days after the hurricane. Then we had our vacation in Maine, in the middle of nowhere without any electricity..Now we are back into the fast pace of work and life..

I took this photo while we were driving in Maine, on our way to Eastport - one of the easternmost locales in the mainland USA.

I liked the photo in color, but the blues and reds drew your attention away from the old car. In black & white, I like the way your eye is drawn to the textures in the car and the way it is framed between the two old gas pumps. I wonder what the price of fuel was back then??

Visit Dragonstar at The Weekend in Black and White for a fabulous sampling of Monochrome Photography

water and mist - awaiting hurricane Irene

2011-08-28T10:18:00.001-04:00

a black and white photo featuring water and mist...thought this would be appropriate as we await the approach of hurricane Irene here on the east coast...

unlike today, this photo was taken on a hot summer day in Boston...

check out The Weekend in Black and White if you enjoy black & white photography.....you are in for a treat - stay safe and happy weekend !!

The Liberate Your Art postcard swap and blog hop !!!!

2011-08-27T17:59:00.000-04:00

Kat Sloma from The Kat Eye View was the creator, host and laborer for this creative and fun event. Each of us created 5 unique postcards and forwarded them to Kat.
Kat very graciously received, stamped, sorted and mailed 1020 of them !! phew!

I studied my photos and went back and forth before finally selecting the final 5.
I wasn't certain what I would write on the postcards, but finally chose a quote which came from a fortune cookie of all places. The fortune read “Never judge a work of art by its defects".
I never look for the defects in anyone else's artwork, yet it is something I always to do myself. … see my previous post here…

Every day I looked forward to checking the mail, eagerly awaiting a postcard. I displayed the postcards on our fridge and let my family know every time one arrived. It was so much fun to participate and receive the lovely postcards. And the fun still continues as we meet each other and share our creative lives with each other on our blogs.

I chose to use a little creativity with the scanner in my sampler of the beautiful postcards I received…..

And after all of the effort Kat had already put into this project, she was kind enough to send each of us a postcard from her. I am really grateful that I was fortunate enough to find Kat’s blog and everything that she has brought out in me since then.

Flower from a friend

2011-08-20T06:54:00.000-04:00

visit Dragonstar at The Weekend in Black and White to see more black & white images

Weekend Reflections - 2nd week

2011-08-13T08:41:00.001-04:00

It's true that time flies.....and a weekly posting really reinforces just how quickly it does !!

Linking with James at Weekend Reflections. This photo was one of my first blog photo's and one of my favorites as you can tell by my blog header. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and week ahead.

The Weekend in Black and White

2011-08-13T08:11:00.001-04:00

It looks as though I have traveled to some exotic locale to take this photo, but it was actually taken in a neighboring town on a gorgeous property run by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. A beautiful spot to walk around, dream, picnic or take photo's to your hearts content...

The texture in this photo is not crisp and sharp, as many black and white photo's are.
But I like the graineness of it - somehow I think it works with the grainy texture of a stone or cement statue.

I've come across a very interesting blog - The Weekend in Black and White - and am linking this post up with them. You could spend hours looking at all of the great black & white photographs and blog postings.

frame within a frame....

2011-08-09T18:48:00.002-04:00

... is the most recent exploration series with Kat Sloma from The Kat Eye View of the World; Exploring with a Camera series. When I read the newest exploration series posted by Kat would be "frame within a frame" and I saw all of the beautiful examples, I must admit that my first reaction was "ugh - why can't we have something easy!" But once again my creative mind has been exercised and my own "eye view" has grown.

We live in the suburbs of Boston. I was wishing for centuries old crumbling archways with quaint village scenes just beyond...but not much of that to be found around here.

These goats seem to be quite content living at the local ice cream stand. My dear husband pointed out to me that the window in the rear of the shed is actually a frame.. within a frame...within a frame.

In this photo I did some cropping and realized that I had already framed this view between the trees.

This scene is the first idea that came to me when I thought about what might fit the bill for a frame within a frame...

and the brick wall in this photo frames the window...which frames the flag indoors.

Weekend Reflections

2011-08-07T19:21:00.001-04:00

My first time linking with Weekend Reflections

"The place to see and share photographs of reflections"

Thought it would be appropriate to include a few photo's taken around my home town...

reflections in water . . . . .

the Sudbury River at sunset

reflections of a pair of swans on a local pond..

and more reflections in water courtesy of a pair of canadian geese.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend

The Butterfly Place

2011-08-07T16:47:00.001-04:00

LOVED The Butterfly Place.....

Located in Westford, Massachusetts

what a wonderful place to visit - fun for all ages

and what a fun place to take photographs

the butterflies landed on us and made us smile

everyone was enchanted by the butterflies ....hundreds of them flying around us

the temperature is maintained at 80 - 85 degrees

well worth the admission price

and fun to experiment with the photo's when you get home!

in search of repeat patterns....

2011-07-30T19:53:00.002-04:00

You see patterns everywhere once you start looking for them. Some are so obvious and others much more subtle. The current Exploring With a Camera series with Kat from the Kat Eye View is Repeating Patterns.

I started my seach seeing patterns everywhere, in clovers, pavement, walls, fabric.... I could go on and on. The creative part was in searching for a pattern that would also make an interesting photo subject.

These flowers represent the many repeat patterns found in nature, and even the activities of the bees is a pattern of nature repeating itself season after season.

Jack the cat has a lovely pattern in his fur

Patterns are easily found in man made structures, some very obvoius...

patterns in the roof tiles and patterns in the iron work

the patterns of wooden house trim and roof shingles

and the subtle symmetrical patterns in the architectural details of this old building

You'll see patterns in tunnels...

crossing bridges..

in your local garden center....

and even while putting your feet up for a rest !!

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way"

Glimpse of Ogunquit

2011-07-29T07:47:00.001-04:00

Edwin Mccain is one my favorite musicians. He recently performed in Oqunquit, Maine. Hubby and I decided to go to the show and enjoy a few days of fun in the sun.

I was trying to be very discreet while I took this photo of Edwin with my digital camera. Everyone else was snapping away and taking videos with their little phones.

Oqunquit is located on the southern Maine coastline. One of our favorite things to do while there is to walk the Marginal Way. The Marginal way is a 1 ¼ mile paved footpath which winds along the rocky Maine coastline. Starting near the village and ending in the harbor at Perkins cove.

This is a shot of where we stayed. It is located near the village end of the Marginal Way. Heavenly to be somewhere so lovely when the temp was over 100 degrees!

One nice feature of Oqunquit is that the shops, restaurant and beach are all within walking distance. This restaurant is located in the village.

This is a shot of the river. It flows into the ocean right next to the beach, which is also located near the village.

Here is an example of Maine's rocky coastline.

These boats are located in Perkins Cove, at the opposite end of the Marginal Way.

This boat was going back & forth in the harbor. I am guessing that they were checking their lobster traps.

Happy Summer !!

Reflections in Glass

2011-07-18T20:45:00.004-04:00

This is the current theme at Kat’s Eye View Exploring with a camera series.

I enjoy participating in Kat’s series – the prompts remind me to look at things in a new way. I always learn something new - from myself, from Kat, and from the other people who participate.

This photo is a reminder of a beautiful spring afternoon with my husband. We enjoy visiting the Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. It is a great place to enjoy a leisurely walk in a historic area. We made a spur of the moment decision to stay and have lunch outside on such a beautiful day. When I originally took this photo, I wasn’t thinking about reflections on the outside of the glass. (I was more intent on looking forward to what was inside the glass)

As usual, the camera explorations had me out exploring and looking at reflections in glass in a new way.

There is currently a large construction project taking place at our local high school. The yellow poster on the classroom wall catches my eye first, and then the blue sky. It’s not the most beautiful subject matter, but it is an interesting reflection.

I got a kick out of this glass reflection photo. The circle of the sign holder on the door is right where the flash on my camera is located.

The mirror in this photo is from and old dresser set. I removed the mirror from the dresser and sponge painted it to complement the colors in one of my paintings I have in the dining room. The painting reflected in the mirror is a treasured watercolor my dear friend painted for me. It holds special memories. I didn’t think about setting up the table for a photo shoot. I am looking forward to spending time learning more about indoor shots, but for now there is too much to do outside!

This is not really a reflection in glass, although it looks like it. My husband and I spent a morning at the Sandwich Glass Museum in Sandwich, MA. The display panel of glass depicts an image of two men in period clothing. I asked my husband to stand on the other side of the glass so I could take his photo. I noticed after the fact how well the colors in his shirt blended with the display.

Here's to a happy summer with lots of opportunities to go out and shoot more photo's!!

fog

2011-06-27T20:25:00.001-04:00

Quite by accident I discover how satisfying it can be to take photographs in the fog.

Visits to Cape Cod usually include lots of sunshine, blazing hot sand, and dips in the icy cold Atlantic ocean.

This past weekend was overcast, but my husband and I both agreed that it couldn’t have turned out better.

We spent so much time visiting sites we never would have taken the time to explore if it was beach weather.

One of our stops was at the Highland lighthouse in Truro, Mass. Granted, the fog certainly prohibited a spectacular viewing from the deck of the lighthouse, but it was beautiful just the same.

And now I look forward to another opportunity to take photographs on a foggy day.

Thresholds

2011-06-26T20:31:00.010-04:00

Linking this post to Kat Sloma’s Exploring with a Camera topic: Thresholds

The Sagamore Bridge and The Bourne Bridge connect Cape Cod with the U.S. Mainland. These two bridges are the thresholds to the Cape.

Crossing over the bridge for the first time each June is the threshold to summer on Cape Cape.

For me, the fog is symbolic of the unknown, which often waits on the other side of life’s thresholds.......

The fortune in my cookie…..

2011-06-19T13:45:00.001-04:00

Last night my husband and I had dinner at a Schezuan restaurant.

The fortune in my cookie said - - - “Never judge a work of art by its defects.”

I made a comment about my fortune, put in in my pocket and took it home. The fortune is now sitting on my lap top and I am glancing at it as I write.

The first thing I do when I look at something I’ve created, painted or photographed is to look for the defects. - - - Yet when I look at someone else’s art, the first thing I do is appreciate it and admire the creativity involved. If only we could view ourselves as gently as we do others.

Got the blues…

2011-06-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

No blues today, just a rainy dreary and chilly weekend.

Maybe that is why I am drawn to these pictures today.

Blue wall

Blue Door

Blue hydrangeas

and a Blue stained glass church window

From a Flower's Point of View

2011-06-09T18:30:00.003-04:00

The most recent Exploring with a Camera series with The Kat Eye View - From a Flower’s Point of View.

Yay !!! I’ve been hoping that flowers would soon be the subject of Kat's Exploring Series because I just love taking photos of them.

This is one of my favorite flower photos. The flower was part of bouquet from a dear friend. After a few days, it was hanging over the edge of the vase – but still had its own beauty.

I just love this tulip photo. It reminds me of a sizzling red hot lipstick.

“Underside” of a clematis looking up to the sky

Clematis resting on the deck railing before opening

The yellow orchids remind me of exotic looking insects.

Bleeding Hearts just hanging around

Love the deep purple color of this lilac

This photo was taken in a local garden center. I like the blurred colors in the background.

It’s fun to see what colorful flowers will look like in black and white

A white peony soaking up the sun

Tulip

Spring lilies

Pollination in process

and finally . .

can’t imagine a Memorial Day without red geraniums

Photoscape

2011-06-06T18:53:00.002-04:00

Recently I have been using Photoscape – a Free Photo Editing Software. Here is a before and after sample of a photo edited with Photoscape.

I didn’t like all of the price tags on the pots, and I didn’t want to erase them, so I played with the colors and this is what I came up with - I like the results.

Seasonal

2011-06-05T07:57:00.001-04:00

In New England our lives are lived around the seasons. Just like our weather, the flowers have their seasons. In honor of the "season of the iris" here are two more irises - one in my best friends garden and one in my garden.

Irises

2011-06-03T06:19:00.001-04:00

The irises are absolutely beautiful right now. The American Iris Society has some good tips on planting and growing irises.

Definition of form

2011-06-03T06:08:00.003-04:00

Exploring with a Camera -

Form: the shape and structure of an object

Form: an element of art. At its most basic, a form is three-dimensional geometrical figure (i.i.: sphere, cube, cylinder, cone, etc.), as opposed to a shape, which is two-dimensional, or flat.

The city seems to be the perfect spot to capture photographic examples of form at its most basic geometric figures.

Waiting to Click

2011-05-30T17:12:00.002-04:00

Kat Sloma from The Kat Eye View of the World features a series called” Exploring with a Camera.”

I was immediately drawn to her description of why she chose the name for her series, “Exploring with a Camera” rather than using the words “challenge” or “assignment.” Her series is intended to inspire, to see the world in a different way and make it a fun experience.

The first series I took part in was called waiting to click. Waiting for all of the elements to be in place, to capture the photo you had in mind. On a chilly April morning, we attended a reenactment of the Battle on the Old North Bridge in Concord, commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War.

We had a lot of rain in New England this spring, and the banks of the river were overflowing. There was a large overflow of water in the field right next to the path where the “Colonists” would be marching. I waited for the right moment, when the colonists marching by would be reflected in the water – and the colors of the red, blue and yellow jackets would add more interest to the photo.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to have Kat include my photo on her blog. It really gave me a great boost of confidence and validation to continue with my playful explorations. And I have been loving it.

1st official post

2011-05-25T20:32:00.000-04:00

Are you a scanner? I fit author Barbara Sher’s description of a scanner. I’ve taken a lot of ribbing from family members over the years because I have so many interests and I don’t “stick with one.” According to Barbara Sher, we are actually a special kind of thinker genetically wired to be interested in many things.

One of the interests in my life which always comes back in an ebb and flow is photography.

When I was little I loved taking random pictures, but back then is was cost prohibitive to let a child take so many photo’s - the cost of film and developing pictures added up! That is one of the reasons I love digital cameras – the freedom to take as many pictures as I want, and not worry about how much it costs!

For more years than I like to admit, I have been promising myself that “someday” I would buy myself a nice camera. This spring my father passed away and I remembered that life is fleeting. I bought my camera and have been having fun exploring and experimenting ever since.