Ordinary Things

It has been a beautiful week here in Central New York State. The bright sunny days have been unseasonably warm with temperatures near 80 degrees F. The only drawback to this time of the year is that our growing season hasn't start yet. The crocuses and daffodils are in bloom, but that is about all. The trees are still bare and the tulips will bloom in May.

So, I was in the yard looking for something interesting to photograph. I came across these dried weeds and photographed them in the late afternoon sun. I like to look at ordinary things in different ways.

Oh, I feel that I have so much to relearn about photography! I haven't been able to take photos since last fall and I really need to practice! Hopefully, May will bring those coloful tulips and other wonderful flowers to photograph.

Creative Eyes

It is another snowy evening here in Central New York State, so I thought that I would go back and look at some of my photos. I was looking for photos that showed ordinary objects in more artistic ways.

The photo that appears to the left is call "The Old Barn Door". I spotted the old barn one fall day while I was walking along a path heading for another destination. In fact, I was going to see a local waterfalls. Now , Trenton Falls is by no means comparable to Niagara Falls. However, it was worth the hike in order to see it. (Trenton Falls is on private land and the public is allowed to come and view it a few times per year.)

The barn was on the same private property. I really liked the contrast in colors and textures between the old barn doors and the goldenrods (which are actually weeds). The old barn doors were actually one of my better shots that day. (I am draw to old barns just like our friend Pat.)

So, I tried not to limit myself that day and take only photos of the waterfall. Hopefully, I will be able to visit Trenton Falls again in the spring in order to take photos of all of the surrounding area.

Simple Things

Recently, I discovered a wonderful quotation written in the signature portion of a colleague's e-mail message. "Teach us to delight in simple things." (Rudyard Kipling)

Kipling's words immediately made me think about the art of photography. Our camera lenses allow us to really see the world around us. Photography provides us with so many opportunities to appreciate the world around us that may otherwise go unnoticed: a child's tiny fingers, a beautiful sunset, shadows from a tree, the light in an elderly person's eyes, or a colorful peacock feather. And the list goes on.

The photo above is entitled "Ice Princesses". I still remember the day I took it with my trusty Canon point-and- shoot digital camera. I was amazed by just how beautiful weeds could look with ice on them. I really liked the muted colors against the white background.

I have a list of simple things that I would like to photograph: berries encased in ice, my nephew's tiny fingers, an approaching thunderstorm, pumpkins in an autumn field, Nubble Lighthouse along the Maine coast, and snow covered trees lined up in a row.

"Teach us to delight in simple things." This is such a profound statement! Do you have a list of simple things that you would like to capture with your camera?