BREAKING THE RULES...

birthday boy who DOESN'T like parties!

I've just started the second part of FIND YOUR EYE with Kat Sloma... AND, just returned to work full-time... AND, spent a long weekend out of town (hence, the lack of postings!)

This post is my FYE homework response to "BREAKING RULES" when using your camera. I must say, this assignment has me thinking a lot about how & why I take pictures... but here are some thoughts:

"water noodles" ~ capture the ordinary

Wanting to explore another "creative" venture (other than scrap booking, collaging, journaling - other creative interests), I began using a camera as another way to "corral & capture" the ordinary details of my life.


DETAILS... I love them! so much that I typically discard photos that appear blurry or out of focus! This is a rule I'm working on breaking! At the beginning of this course, I hadn't thought about the "story" behind a picture ~ instead of discarding the picture, I'm learning to look at the "power of motion" (even if the picture is blurry!).

"birthday water slide" ~ powerful!!!

THIRDS... In many photo blogs & photography books, the photographer talks about the "composition of the subject" being captured in THIRDS. If you really don't understand what I'm talking about, you can read about this rule HERE. It's a great composition technique, but I do break this rule if I think the photo lends itself to being front & center. Generally, I break the rule when I haven't paid attention to the background (& I'm trying to block that out) or I want to remember the detail of what I'm photographing.

 "front & center" ~ Mom's porch sign

SAFE SUBJECTS... Some of you may have noticed (or read in this course postings), that I have a habit of photographing subjects that I deem safe... like flowers or objects... notice I didn't say people, activities, or anything that isn't stationery! 

"pirate cake" ~ this ship is NOT moving!

But, I'm working on this! a lot of my recent photos involved splashing water! moving bodies! & activity! It's hard for me to save (& share photos) that aren't neat & tidy (meaning detailed). I know there's a great action photo waiting to be captured! SO... this rule is meant to be "squished" with the touch of my fingertip! 

"we're in this together" ~ blurry? but tells a story!

"remembering the height"

Imposing these rules is short-changing my creative possibilities! so, I'm ready to make the LEAP! Hopefully, I won't embarrass myself? and that brings me to my final thought!

WHO... am I capturing photos for? like everyone else, it's nice to get those "WOW! love how you captured the detail of that flower" but, my photos are a visual journal ~ so I'll be able to remember the emotions, smells, sounds, tastes of a particular day, time and place.

TELL ME ~ why do you take photos? & what rules have you imposed on your "creative" pursuit of snapping a "memorable" photo?

TWISTED!!!

AVILA BARN "VINES"
"Spend the afternoon. 
You can't take it with you."
~Annie Dillard, author (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek)

GOT-YA!!!

4th of July antics (2011)

"The best thing an adult can spend on their children

is TIME, not MONEY!!"

OFF to So California ~ ~ ~ visiting family, catching a movie (The Help), attending a bday party for this little guy (he's turning 5)!

Back Sunday...

BUSY AS A BEE...

Nevada City - OUTSIDE INN

"If you are too busy to develop your talents, 

you are too busy."

~ Julia Cameron, artist & author

DID A LOT OF THIS TODAY!

(laundry, I mean! ~ a blog post is about as "creative" 
as I have energy for today!!)

SIGH. BIG SIGH.. BIGGER SIGH...

Nevada City ~ July 30, 2011
Rob & Daniela's Wedding

Wanna float?
say YES!

it was 87 degrees ~ in the SHADE!

Wanna swing?
say YES!

we took a "post-wedding" swing at 11pm & looked at STARS!

cute CITY!
adorable, renovated MOTOR INN!


ask for "THE CABIN"


we W-A-N-N-A go back!

what's your recommendation 
for a REPEAT visit?

"The Cabin" would be a cozy place
...with a little snow on the ground!

ARE YOU BEING FRAMED?

"INSIDE LOOKING OUT" ~ OXFORD, ENGLAND (July 2010)

"Frame Within a Frame" 

is Kat Sloma's current theme 

for her "EXPLORING WITH A CAMERA" series. 

In this participatory exercise, Kat posts a topic, theme or idea & asks you to use a camera to "explore your world" & share the photos on your blog or Flickr account! To get a better understanding of this compositional technique, you can read about it HERE!

LEED'S CASTLE ~ ENGLAND (July 2010)

My intention in taking this picture was to remember the shape of windows... but after reading her explanation, I found details in my photos I hadn't noticed... like the bird sitting on the outside edge of the window & the "knobby-looking" metal panels of the wall!

ST MARTIN'S-in-the-FIELDS, London, England ~ July 2010

JPE & I visited this church numerous times during our three-week stay in London last summer. The church pews were a refuge against a summer rainstorm; we listened to a CONCERT by the BELMONT ORCHESTRA; and more than once, SAT TO REST OUR FEET from the constant walking on our daily adventures. 

Like a famous painting, we'll never forget the "magnetism" of this window... NOR the scrumptious scones & tea they sell in their basement cafe!!

PARIS, FRANCE ~ July 2005

Don't you want to take a peek in this courtyard? walk up the staircase? smell the fragrance of the flowers blooming in the window boxes? look at the architecture & detail of the ironwork up close? AND, LOOK, did you notice the lion's head in the triangle of the staircase? think it's a water fountain? 

I discovered numerous examples of a "Frame Within A Frame" technique in my photo library. Take a peek at the second & third picture in my RECENT POST!

Have you used this technique? what mood or detail were you hoping to capture? what story would your "Frame Within A Frame" picture tell? 

If you find you've used this technique, why not share the picture with others ~ stop by KAT'S and leave a link to your photo!