SURPRISE!

I'm in an odd mood right now and have always enjoyed this bloom's approximation of a look of "Surprise!" And that's about the only reason for posting it, other than soon we'll be seeing these fabulous epiphyllum buds and blooms around our grounds.

I guess I should also say * * * * HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! * * * * I'm a Kelly, though that name is actually more Irish than I am. Even if it's the largest chunk of my heritage, the Irish is only from my Da's side. :-D

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”) ****

NOTHING MISSING, LOOKING TO THE DAY, & "This close..." (a haiga)

"Nothing Missing" is in my "for haiga, etc." category. That is, I imagine that one day I might put one of my haiku on it in the tradition of Japanese haiga. Though I have to admit I have always hesitated to do so, therefore its title. Although in the title I am also referencing the idea that each moment is in itself perfect. (And much of which we'll miss if we're not present to it. E.g., this above photo version is the result of a mistake I made in copying over to another program.)

I thought of this photo this morning as I've been re-reading a book of haiku by a woman haiku master of the Edo period in Japan, Chiyo-ni. (It was one of the many books I could just not afford to ship when I moved here, and gave away. What a delight when a friend loaned me a copy recently.) There are a few of Chiyo-ni's haiga -- brush paintings/drawings with calligraphed haiku on them -- in the book. Which makes me think maybe I might start trying some sketches again (actually I've been feeling that particular itch for some time). And wondering if haiku might come along naturally in that process.

In any event, "Nothing Missing" is a very recent new version of a photo I posted here late last summer. At that time I hadn't named that older version yet. It's now called "Looking to the Day" and is posted below:


The shapes and "trajectories" of those four buds on their graceful stem almost mesermized me when I saw them "live." The first photo version above I like for it's resonance (at least for me) with Japanese brush paintings, and the second photo version for what it manages to capture of those simple living shapes.

Oy! I just recalled a really old haiga of mine. The drawing is from the late 1970's and the haiku written for it probably around the turn of the century. Although this is a photo blog, I thought I'd share it as an illustration (:-D) of one of my attempts at haiga:


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.

* * * *

‘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”) ****

BEYOND THE VEIL, WHAT DREAMS AWAKE, & FILM NOIR

"Beyond the Veil" was taken from Goleta Beach two years ago, while awaiting moon rise. The moon that time of year (as now) was closer to earth and thefore going to look exceptionally huge. None of the later full moon photos came out even passably well. I was using a friend's camera (a rather nice Olympus) but had next to no experience with night shots in general, much less with that particular relatively high-end camera. But it was a lovely photo outing, enjoying a sunset and oohing and aahing over the full moon as it rose majestically above/behind Goleta pier.

But back to this photo above. I had not yet set the camera for night shots as the sun began setting and I began snapping. Some of those before-the-full-moon shots came out fairly well. Though most of them I heavily cropped and edited for composition and other reasons, as I did "Beyond the Veil" above. Below is "What Dreams Awake" from that batch, that I did not feel a need to crop at all and only very slightly color saturated to bring out that sunset. (I believe that's The Channel Islands in the distance.) I could wish for better focus, yet the vagueness may add a little to its dreamy quality:




Last below is "Film Noir," the only full moon shot I kept from the many I ultimately attempted that night. It comes closest to "working" for me, in mood at least, if not technically. It's also probably only the third time I've turned a photo into true black and white:


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.

* * * *

‘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”) ****