leaves

beautiful mess, part two (autumn)

255/365: early autumn riot

blog091615_tangled-up-in-autumn

This image expresses the tangled mess of nature and the absolute profusion of life that exists anywhere the natural world is left undisturbed if even a small space or a limited time. The energy and chaos and intermingling of so many different life forms, colors, textures – to me this is what nature is all about. It’s not an idealized concept of ‘landscape’ but it’s very real. For me, these scenes are full of hope – a testament to the how strong, robust & resilient nature can really be.

see ‘beautiful mess, part one’ here.

coming attractions

233/365: korean maple, late summer

blog082515_korean-maple-early-fall

In the dog days of summer, there are hints of a new season waiting in the wings. We feel it in the cool of the morning air, the gathering dark of the evening, and the urge to turn on the oven instead of firing up the grill.

shadow play

227/365: shadows

blog081915_shadows

It was one of those desperate moments when I realize, just before crawling into bed, that I’ve forgotten to take a photo. (This seems to be happening with increasing frequency, unfortunately.)

In those moments, I try not to throw in the towel. No matter how tired I am, or how dark it is, or how really uninteresting my bedroom appears, I believe there is something to see. Some material for art-making to be found. I always grab my camera and start looking. Sometime while cursing under my breath.

Count on light, reflection, and shadow to come through in the clutch every time…

junco?

Fortunately Brad and I were having a bird ID dispute on the deck. We just put up the feeder and, while we were at the cabin, the birds discovered it.

Brad claimed they were juncos. I didn’t believe him so I took a really bad picture on his phone. It turned out to be the only shot of the day.

You will notice that there are NO birds in THIS picture. But I’m still happy. I salvaged something and managed to NOT miss a day taking a picture. In spite of myself.

blog080415_junkoes212/365: accidental tree pic

not afraid of the dark

Photography is all about light. Some days, though, the sun has set and I realize I haven’t clicked a frame. This can a big frustration but, then, limitation can spark creativity, too. Letting go of any expectation that the images will be sharp & clear, embracing this grainy, dim aesthetic, looking for any trace of light – it results in a different type of picture. Always better than throwing in the towel on the daily photo and often quite surprising.

blog071715_maple with raindrops at twilight194/365: raindrops on korean maple at twilight

garden tapestry

I frequently zero in on the magnificence of a single flower and I do enjoy that kind of intimate study of a particular color and form. But often the beauty comes in the combination of elements – the layering and the contrasts. Sometimes I have to remind myself to step back and take it ALL in.

blog061415_garden with wisteria

162/365: garden view with wisteria