It’s so easy to drive past malls, fast-food restaurants and discount stores, listening to music or talking on the phone. It’s easy not to notice what is really along the side of the road, pieces of who we were.Each of these photos sits along the roadside of a busy road. Four-lane or six-lane traffic streams by and they remain , watching, until new stores or gas stations threaten to devour them.
Maybe we need to take a closer look.
The more I played with the curtains and slice of view, the more they morphed into a drawing.There is a story here of calm anticipation, knowing that a surprise awaits and welcoming it into the heart.
A visit to our good friends’ house always means fun and curious things to photograph as well as good food.The event today was beer-making and as the group tended the contraptions that turn sugar water and hops into beer, I spent my time wandering and looking for iPhone photos . I did shoot some photos of the process and learned it takes between seven to twelve days to make five gallons of beer.In the hot sun ,and fighting the total insect population of Shelby County, it was the baby-sized Airstream with the requisite pink flamingoes standing guard that provided inspiration. The plastic birds and their reflections on the polished metal surface intrigued me.
My new friends Snapseed and Toaster helped me create twelve too many versions. As an act of restraint, I am using one.
Any feedback, or trade secrets that will help me improve would be greatly appreciated. Learning from comments and suggestions is much easier and interesting than books or instructions. These words come from the mouth of a teacher.
I have fallen in love with my iPhone! Not Siri, whose moods and remarks are not endearing, but my almost weightless camera that has delightful apps to play with.
This is another today photo shot at my local antique store, one of my favorite hangouts since our flea market morphed into t-shirts and boring junk.The straight photo of the portrait on a leopard print chair worked, but I like these better!
Since I could not decide between them, here are two of the twelve versions I made using Snapseed and Toaster.This is almost worse than eating chocolate chip cookies or ice cream.
For inspiration, be sure to check out http://www.rubicorno.wordpress.com and www.painted by the sun.wordpress.com .
Two great sources of information include The Art of iPhone Photography by Dan Burkholder and articles by Susan Tuttle.
I would love feedback and suggestions as to what works and how to improve what doesn’t.
After drooling over iPhone art by WordPress bloggers Rubicorno.wordpress.com and Painted By The Sun.wordpress.com, I had to try using my phone for more than just impromptu shots. Downloading Snapseed , Toaster, and Blendr has given me a wealth of new toys with which to play. Playing is definitely my favorite sport.
There is a park near our home that has been a labor of love for a couple over the past fifty plus years. In all seasons, something blooms. But more than that , it is their home and their accumulated treasures of local history.Several years ago, I had the opportunity to buy a frame that had hung in their house from her grandmother’s days. Victorian, it is a special reminder of a lovely lady.
In order to try my iPhone camera skills, I wandered the garden. Having taken many photos, nothing really resonated until I paid attention to a flower clinging to an oak leaf hydrangea. Delicate as lace,the shades of color and texture attracted me.
Combining techniques in both Snapseed and Toaster, I have taken my first wobbling steps.
Hopefully I will improve with practice.
Any feedback on tips, tricks or ways to improve would be greatly appreciated.
With a nod to The Little Prince, here are Oakleaf Hydrangea 1 and Oakleaf Hydrangea 2.
It’s so easy to make excuses, and I excel in this sport. During the school year, life is so busy that I don’t always take time to appreciate nature and savor the small things. Yet that beauty is profound.Summer vacation is here and I need to make that commitment.
Swaying on the porch swing at my grandmother’s house is one of my favorite summer memories.A breeze would drift through and it was cool in the shade. The pillows arranged comfortably and a glass of sweet iced tea with so much lemon that it could almost be called lemonade at my side, I could read or play contentedly. Until my cousins arrived……….
In French sunflowers are called les tournesols, turn towards the sun. I love the sound of the word as well as its meaning. There are so many times it’s easy to give into moods or annoyances and turn away from those who provide the light. In summer, controversy over tanning aside, feeling that sun on your face and shoulders relaxes you and gives you a sense of well-being ( unless you live in Memphis and it’s 98 and humid then you feel more like a dishrag). This photo is a combination of two that I shot in the south of France while savoring the fields of sunflowers.Next year I am promising myself to plant some in our backyard.
I have always been fascinated by hands and the work they can do, so I was so excited by this week’s WordPress photography challenge. As I searched through my work, I found a collection of photographs that focused on hands and creating.I shot them in Israel , in Jerusalem, at an organization called Yad Lakashish which means Lifeline for the Old.
Everyday 300 seniors come to LaKashish to create. There is a bookbindery, pottery, art studio, paper and metal-working shops. Each of the people is trained if necessary and creates and explain their pieces to visitors as they are working. Their artwork is sold at the shop and online all over the world.The website is http://www.lifeline.org.
In return, the participants receive a monthly stipend, any medical or dental care, meals while they are there as well as friendship, a sense of purpose , dignity, and a place to create.
The impact of my visit has resonated with me more than I can describe. The studios form a community. Flowers bloom everywhere and there is a sense of peace. I left trying to figure out how this model could be used at home to benefit our senior citizens. Having the opportunity to create, to feel useful, and connected while benefitting financially would be a great gift.
Learning from each other is a great gift.
appropriatelyfrayed 