Brian said “What has been happening recently is a bit of fragmentation around the world, a disconnect. But we always have been made up of pieces.” He wants to see some of my fragments photographically.
Forgotten History
Bodie Historic State Park in California is a photographer’s dream location for fragments of history. Located in the Eastern Sierra Mountains it now is a historic ghost town. Left as it was.
An outside look. Here I tried some photo editing. HDR, Adobe Photoshop, some B&W
A look inside
Bodie Cemetery. Many children among the gravestones.
This week, Donna of Wind Kisses is hosting the Lens-Artist Challenge with a focus on, What’s Bugging You? She thinks that the true challenge here is that encounters are rarely purposeful, and bugs are never willing participants. Some will flitter around and finally land on a leaf. Some pollen collectors will ignore the photographer and some will look straight at you.
Plenty of things are buggin’ me, but this post is strictly about the ones found in nature. I captured most of these images in California. The arachnids I discovered on The Big Island and in Kauai. All except the first one were found outside of a dwelling. Unfortunately, last night as I sat down to watch television, my Moxie kept looking at the lampshade. And there I discovered a VERY unwanted intruder. I captured it in a jar and took a photograph.
Who is this uninvited intruder?
Now I get to the real purpose of this particular blog. Insects I come across in nature. They are usually found around flowers, and I do appreciate their reason for being. The only one that I did not capture, and I have found no reason for being is the mosquito. In some seasons I appeal to them more often. Other times, I can go a long time before their nasty bite comes along. I am not a fan of putting on insect repellant either.
Busy Bees
Photography leads to learning about my images. I did not know the difference between honey bees and bumble bees.
This is the first photograph I sold. It was taken at Effie Yeaw.
So, for this week, Sofia challenges me to think of mood, and how to convey and create an emotional reaction to my shot. That can be accomplished by capturing situations or occasions, photography styles, or people and their feelings. Never forgetting how moods can be perceived in different ways by different people.
Loving
Silhouette at McKinley Park
On the dock in Old Sacramento
Helping
Can you please give me directions?
Comforting
Helping his son.
Teaching
Docent at the Sacramento Zoo
Docent at the Sacramento Railroad Museum
Learning out in nature
Alone
Local carnival
A bench in Berkeley
Encouraging
At a swim meet
Tired and Broken
Attitude
Not happy to have his photo taken.
Renaissance Faire in Fair Oaks, Ca.
Scary
Animal Moods
Smiling after a spa dayLaughing faceDinner yet? Hopeful
My Moxie’s sweet eyes.
This iguana was out for a walk with its owner. Looks happy!
What’s going on?
I imagined a story by watching these gulls on the beach.
Wolf’s Guenon shows affection, protection, and care.
I’ll end here with the hope that everyone’s mood is positive, polite, and caring.
Anne-Christine tells me that “backlighting is a great way to create stunning, eye-catching effects. Here are a handful of specific images you can make with backlighting: Street and portrait silhouettes, bird-in-flight silhouettes, portraits, and macros with beautiful background bokeh, landscape silhouettes, and sunset/sunrise landscapes.”
Glass
I always enjoy looking at glass objects. I found some of these images in stores, in windows, and in displays.
I first saw an example of Chihuly glass at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The first and third photographs are examples displayed at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.
Black puppies are particularly hard to photograph. Lighting is key. Libby was an English Black Labrador Retriever and my very first dog. I waited 40 years for her! It has been 4 years ago this month that we parted.
This is Liberty Love at 8 weeks.
Here is Moxie! Backlit.
Lots of images benefit from backlit lighting. I hope that you may be inspired to look at the world from a new perspective. Positive, beautiful and peaceful.
A Photo's Worth 