It is Lovely to Watch

It is lovely to watch spring take over from where winter left off.

Crossing

This is a pretty common sight in our city, Winnipeg.

It was a foggy morning when I took this shot. Using my tripod, I gained stability where I would have lost it with my 1/30 shutter speed. My aperture was set at f/5.  ISO was 100.

Once on my computer, I brought the image into photoshop and added a texture layer to give the structures a little bit of substance, something for our eyes to grab hold of through the fog.

Christmas Bokeh

I love how the bokeh echoes the shape of the Christmas ball. Include bokeh. Look for bokeh. It can add so much to your image. Its light and form are positively magical.

I shot at a speed of 1/80 with an aperture of f/2.8. My focal length was 45 and ISO was a whopping 800. 

Fading Memories

Solitude

We all need it at some point: solitude. Some more than others but each of us, all of us, need this.

I shot this image on a beautiful autumn day. It felt more like summer than fall but the colours were definitely autumn's.

With the bright sky, I opted for an aperture of f/9.0 and fast shutter speed of 1/320. Though I didn't need the depth of field the f/9.0 provided, I didn't want to blow out the image because of the bright light. Choosing to bump up the speed also ensured a properly exposed image.

Once on my computer I added two texture layers, breaking up the negative space a bit. While some negative space was important to this composition of solitude there was too much I found it to be too stark, too bare, for the solitude to be inviting. There is a fine line between the solitude sought after in a chaotic world and the solitude that speaks of loneliness. Once I applied the layers, it was exactly as I wished the image to be.

Autumn's Shade

The strong lines of the tree trunk and branches echo those in the window frames on this building in Chicago. The yellow umbrella of leaves are a beautiful contrast to the dark browns and blacks in this autumn scene.

Once in Lightroom, I increased the contrast and saturation until the image popped with autumn.

The hints of teal in the windows compliment the orange tones beautifully without distracting from the main subject focus.

Juxtaposition

The definition of juxtaposition is to place side by side for comparison or contrast. Here, the clouds and the tree are placed near one another for exactly this reason. We immediately compare the two. Are they alike? Or different?

Including just the two subject matters with only negative space to separate them moves our minds to find a way to make them fit. So how do they fit? By shape or contrast? Perhaps the answer is yes.

I decided to take this image into photoshop to add a layer of colour and texture over-top. As a result the contrast in the "colour" of the subject matter (black vs white) is accentuated but so is the comparison of form. Interestingly, the colour of the cloud, or non-colour, is echoed in the lights of the tree, encouraging our mind to again compare and see how they fit alongside each other and together.

I used f/5 and a shutter speed of 1/1250.

We long to make things fit and if they do not, we tend to find a way to exclude. Rather than looking deeper for similarities or including the differences, if it takes too much work, we might just give up.

Images such as this can challenge my default thinking patterns.

Silhouette

These tree seeds almost have a halo effect with the sun shining through from behind. New life emerges and is easily found by the sun, silhouetting the recent growth beautifully.

Though the blue sky was lovely on this day, I chose to take out the colour, turning it into a black and white image. I felt that the lines and form of this image were better shown in greyscale. When contrasting light and dark in an image, colour is not often necessary.

Unlikely Pieces

This seems like such a gentle story-book picture. What is a surprise to me is how well the debris is camouflaged amongst the snow and grasses. Behind this tree lies a junk yard of sorts. Strewn about are metal scraps and tires.

Had I taken the time to move these things out of my composition (and I wouldn't) something would surely be missing from the picture. It would not be as beautiful minus the darker hues and shapes. Some of the rocks would remain but it still wouldn't be the same picture. Sometimes the most unlikely pieces are necessary to the whole.

Standing Firm

Gold

Dancing with the Morning's Sky

There are a few trees along my trail walk that I look for each morning. I would miss them if they were not there. This is one of them. There is a movement in her branches that danced so beautifully with this morning's sky.

Two Are Better Than One

I love this tree and wish I knew her name. On my trail walk, she greets me as I reach the woodlands. No matter the season, she is there. I love to watch how she changes over the year. She is beautiful, always.

Her berries catch my attention each time I walk by. This pair reminds me that two are better than one. I know this to be true in my life. I am so thankful for my family and my friends.