26.2

274/365: long shadows near mile  19

Sunday was the Twin Cities Marathon – always a festive occasion in Minneapolis but extra special this year because Brad ran it!! Despite in juries & training setbacks along the way, he gutted it out the full 26.2 miles and managed to have a smile on his face every time we saw him.  He’s not in this photo – one of the few I snapped all day – every time I saw him I was way too excited to think about my camera!

Way to go, babe. You did it and we couldn’t be more proud.

shadow play

227/365: 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…

so good to see you

There are days when sunlight is an event. Yesterday was one of those days. This warm yellow-green color made me smile; it was like seeing an old friend I’d been missing.

58/365: sunlight on evergreens

07.01.13 turnabout

Photographic wisdom states that the best conditions for taking pictures involve a bright, overcast sky. While sunshine seems like it makes everything pretty, it actually washes out colors and casts harsh shadows that don’t look great in pictures.

But on this day, the sun was shining and the sandpit is like an expanse of desert; there was no way around shooting in full, blinding sunlight. Then, while I examined my options, I suddenly realized that the shadows themselves were really interesting and rather than avoiding (or cursing) them, I started seeking them out as subjects.

182/365: plant shadows

03.07.13 the other side of sunshine

Sunshine is always welcome. But it doesn’t really pack a punch – as far as noticeable warmth goes – until March.

Yesterday the icicles that weren’t dripping furiously had already crashed to the ground and lay in piles of crystalline shards, half buried in the snow. I thought it would be all about the beautiful blue sky. And it did make me smile. But I couldn’t resist the graphic appeal of the crisp, black shadows (which only exist, in true yin-yang fashion, when the sun shines brightly).

66/365: icicles and shadows