Thursday, January 12, 2012

THE SPINE OF THE NIGHT, NUCLEUS, & AT GALAXY'S EDGE

All three of the photos today were reclaimed from my "needs editing" folder where they'd been languishing for about a year and a half. My last resort with a picture I sort of like that just isn't working no matter how I fiddle with it, is to try making an abstract out of it. All of these today got that last minute reprieve before the trash can. You may notice I also indulged my love of a particular family of colors. :-)


"The Spine of the Night" above was taken in that stand of cannas I so like photographing. The original was much larger in scope and way too visually busy and messy. So I just kept isolating various small sections of it until I hit on shapes I really liked; then had great fun changing the colors.



The above "Nucleus" is the center of a wide open dying lavender rose. I have another photo I took that shows the entire flattened rose, so didn't need this second one. That made me feel even freer to fool around with it to my heart's content. (Yes, I always have the original I can revert to, but I have made an occasional mistake and irretrievably altered an original. Which means that possibility is always in the back of my mind when I mess extensively with a photo.)



And this last, "At Galaxy's Edge," was the only very small section of a larger garden photo that wound up being interesting at all. I liked that ruffly effect and knew before I even began fooling with it that it put me in mind of galaxies and such. And at least to me, it now looks a bit like a painting. Decades back when I was painting in oils I sometimes enjoyed layering the paint on, creating texture. This photo reminds me of that effect.

Sigh, now that I've had a surfeit of picture editing and this post is drafted and up, how will I save my sanity today? No joke. First and foremost, beyond what any of my photos (or poems or any other creative attempt) may or may not offer a viewer, is how entering that creative, questioning, exploratory state of consciousness keeps me sane. If only for the time I'm in it.

NOTE: In most browsers you can click on a photo to view a larger version. And here’s the link if you wish to read an Introduction, Background, & Technical Aspects post about this blog.

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‘til next take, may you enjoy life in the ever changing light,





[aka: Patricia Kelly] **** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or photos, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”) ****

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

LOVING 'TIL THE LAST


"Loving 'til the Last" is another of those photos of mine that I don't think is any great shakes. In particular, it's not as clear as I'd like. And any more sharpening in my editing program will be counter productive. However, I'm very drawn to the feeling tone of this raggedy little rose today. Just as I was drawn to its small light the day I took the picture.

The entire rose garden was totally shorn just a few days after taking this picture; nothing left but pruned thorny branches. Of course, this is healthy for the bushes and they will come back the better for it. However, it is a bitter sweet sight, just as this rose was the day I took the photo.

NOTE: In most browsers you can click on a photo to view a larger version. And here’s the link if you wish to read an Introduction, Background, & Technical Aspects post about this blog.

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‘til next take, may you enjoy life in the ever changing light,





[aka: Patricia Kelly] **** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or photos, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”) ****

Sunday, January 8, 2012

THE PARAKEET'S LAMENT, & ALL HAIL THE GIBBOUS MOON!

Both photos today are brand spanking new and -- as I've said here before about new photos -- I should probably let them "cool" a bit before posting. But I'm going with the heat of the moment and putting them up anyway. Titles and very brief comments immediately follow each.


"The Parakeet's Lament" looks vaguely like a parakeet beak and head in the lower left, therefore its title. I have a couple more photos from the same batch this one was in that are "abstract," too. Even when I get a good clear shot I'm finding these days that my desire is to manipulate the image. Fortunately, my basic editing program saves all originals, too, if I change my mind.



I don't think "All Hail the Gibbous Moon!" is any great shakes as a photo. I actually like it better in it's original, tall narrow version. However, there are big obstructions (dark intrusive leaves, etc.) that make cropping necessary. And this was the best I could come up with ultimately. I only share it because it's the clearest shot yet I've gotten of the moon, day or night. And even more so because the gibbous moon has particular meaning to me. I'm always a bit of a lunatic -- pun definitely intended -- during the waxing gibbous phase, sometimes worse then others. And this one that just ended yesterday with the full moon was a howlingly difficult one. So I'm giving it due respect here. :-)

NOTE: In most browsers you can click on a photo to view a larger version. And here’s the link if you wish to read an Introduction, Background, & Technical Aspects post about this blog.

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‘til next take, may you enjoy life in the ever changing light,





[aka: Patricia Kelly] **** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or photos, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”) ****