Animals – A Photo's Worth

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #145 – Getting to know you

“The artist’s gaze, the photographer’s eye, when cast on a subject begins a relationship. That relationship can grow into a deep affection and a profound wisdom. It is that aspect of relating to your subject that I invite you to explore in this challenge.” Thank you Priscilla of scillagrace.

Photography has always helped me to see the world. It may be the quiet moment when I am out and can appreciate nature. It allows me to take a deep breath and slow down. You must be still as you press the shutter button.

Exploring my backyard with my macro lens I spot this dragonfly.

Sometimes I am occupied looking for the unusual. This may be a funny sign, or an object found out of place.

Other times I see faces or animals in many of my images. This is pareidolia. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines pareidolia as, “The tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful, image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.” Hey, photography has even opened me up to learn new terms.

My photography has helped me get away from my introverted self. I like to people watch, and I use my camera as my lookout point. Some images are candid moments, some environmental portraits, and some tell a story

Photography has been with me since I was nine years old. It helps me connect with people, places, and things around me!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #144 – Taking Flight

“Flying…how often have you thought about how amazing it would be to simply stretch your arms and soar? When you think about it, the number of flying “objects” is quite large. Yes, of course the birds. But beyond them, butterflies, bees and other insects, airplanes, balloons, bubbles, kites….well, you get the idea. So this week, although I’m focused on some of the beautiful birds of Kiawah, please feel free to be creative and choose whichever flying objects catch your imagination and your lens.” This is Tina’s challenge to me.

Watching my dog Charlies fly off my bed, race down the hall, and retrieve his ball reminded me of an event I attended almost 10 years ago, “Petapalooza”. I captured some dogs flying at the Splash Dogs tank event.

Taking off!
Coming in for a landing!
Splash down!

Heading back with the prize ball or not!

All these dogs were having so much fun. I’m hoping that as my dog matures he will get to a point where he is not so anxious, and I can show him the wider world. This CoVid stuff really hurt his socialization growth. Last week he attended the Sactown Doodle Romp where he saw Doodles of all sizes.

This is Charlie’s Aunt Kona! (on his maternal side for the genealogists)

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #141 Geometry

In this week’s Lens-Artis ts Photo Challenge #141: Geometry Patti invites me to share images that feature geometric shapes. I am having so much fun looking through my library of images, and trying to remember the correct geometry names.

I photograph hearts in nature! I see hearts everywhere. Do you?

Hearts decorate our lives.

Circles around me in Bodie California.

Curves are interesting to follow.

This garden in aMazing. Getty Center in Los Angeles

Yosemite National Park and Mirror Lake provided me with this image.

Reflection on Mirror Lake complete this quadrangle.

I enjoyed looking through my archive to find some geometry terms. I hope that when you are out and about you look a little bit deeper and see some shapes also.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #137 Soft

My next Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is Soft. Anne-Christine asks what does the word Soft mean to you? Is it something that you touch? Is it the undefined notion that is the opposite of hard? Is it the contrast to sharp from a photographer’s point of view? This is not so simple a concept.

My first thought was that of a baby. We want everything about this new being to be soft. Soft blankets, soft toys, soft skin, soft colors, and soft sounds Nothing hard, or harsh. We want the world around us to be soft and welcoming.

Only a week later, my Charlie joined the world. We follow his first developing steps on a webcam.

His fluffy soft fur needs tending to. Every evening we bond over grooming

Nature softens the world around me.

Light falling softly on this lotus flower

The dandelion flower pod beakens us to spread its seeds with one soft blow.

My most favorite photographic technique is shooting with a large aperture setting. This narrow depth of field clarifies the subject. This blurred background is called the bokeh. I pay particular attention to this when deciding to purchase a lens for my Fuji x system.