New Year -Photo travel Inspirations

Photographers, artists, travelers and dreamers welcome to 2012!! The first day of the year is so exciting- a whole year of blank pages to be filled… where to go, what to see, what to paint, what to write…

As creative types it is helpful to take an opportunity to assess one’s path.. one’s goal.. should you continue focusing on a certain topic, or is it time to switch gears?

Maybe you want to pick a color to focus on.. you are passionate about Blue so all of your images will be speaking of blue… or be toned that way…

Maybe you create a project for yourself such as visiting and using as creative fodder anything related to Abraham Lincoln..

There are many ways to approach finding a path.. finding an inspiration.. maybe you are more carefree.. toss some ideas into a hat and pick one..

Some artists, writers like to choose the notion of doing something every day.. whether that is painting or writing…

Make your goal feel attainable and something you think you will really enjoy..otherwise why are you doing it?? Are you hoping to sell something? Are you just following what someone else is telling you should be your dream??

I lost someone very special and important to me at the end of 2011 and as I look with eager anticipation to 2012 I plan on dedicating some of my artistic endeavors to her.. things she enjoyed and places she would have or did enjoy..

Seek your inspiration, follow your dreams and never let roadblocks get in your way! Happy 2012

Suggestions:
If needed look up lists of favorite books..top places to visit whatever your interest.
List colors,places,ideas or other sources of inspiration on slips of paper and toss them into a hat and draw something out..

If you need or look to others to inspire you.. seek out a local group of writers,photographers, artists.. www.meetup.com, www.linkedin.com and your local chamber of commerce are good places to find like minded groups or individuals in your area.

New Visions New Inspirations

You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.

Anne Lamott (via myquotelibrary)

Each one of us carries a handicap whether it be physical or something we can’t see.. each one of us has a unique way of viewing the world around us.

Someone very close to me is now gone.. often when I went photographing I would photograph images just to show and share with this person..see things or colors I knew they would enjoy.. Now I think the opposite may be true.. I will be shown things ..

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Angels/2009/02/Signs-from-Angels.aspx?p=5

I recently came across this post about “signs from angels” which the link is above.

Interesting signs from angels include CLOUDS.. this I feel has just recently become more important in my images.

When photographing clouds. Some helpful tips- composition-make the sky the larger part of the image-using the rule of thirds this would give the sky 2/3 in either a horizontal or a vertical image.

Use a Polarizer to bring out the CLOUDS-give more definition and more of a 3D effect- just be careful when using the polarizer to avoid getting a black sky.

Rainbows-sometimes people see these as a definite inspiration- a good sign.

Shapes in places that just seem to jump out at you. A good example of this is sometimes I have returned to a location thinking I wouldn’t see much new but have returned hoping for new light, different plants in bloom or simply sharing a good location with another photographer.

Here is just such an image-on  a prior trip I simply saw a broken window and kind of passed it by. IN this image I clearly saw the image of an American Indian Phoenix..rising. Sometimes we get to a location and we just run around trying to scoop up as many images as we can.. when instead stepping back and just stopping to look around might reveal a simple much stronger images than a bunch of grabshots.

Some tips to encourage your own vision-new inspirations:

Write down a wish list of things you wish to photograph-

Make a collection of gathered photos/drawings -ideas to help you visualize the image you wish to collect-

Use a tripod-by using a tripod for your landscape photography I think it forces you to slow down and think thru the image you are creating. As you set up be still, be quiet and just listen, look and see where your mind and heart lead you.  Close your eyes and then just soak in what you can’t see around you- when you open your eyes try to take a series of images of what you first see.

Patience- be patience with yourself-being creative can take time and tuning into yourself is an art that takes some time to develop. Nurture your creative self and you will be rewarded!

 

 

Trees!

Trees.. moving thru a forest of green breathing the fresh air !!!

No one else..just me and the trees.. al l around well and my husband driving the car… Love the effect of the movement… like my own watercolor created with the swipe of my camera..

To create this effect make sure you have someone else driving.. experiment with different isos and whether you are viewing thru the front windshield or the side.. or moving your camera as well as being in a moving vehicle.. Have fun, experiment and if it’s digital just erase the ones you don’t like.. be free..

Flower Power

This was an image I took with a single flashlight.Ok, Still getting the hang of using WOrdPress does not seem as easy as Blogger was…

But wanted to show off the image I got while taking a recent macro class..with Ron Brewer.

This image seeks out the power and  energy of creativity kind of like my current state… Looking forward to the Old Newhall ArtWalk and Farmers Market Thursday May 6 – hope you will come by and visit !! www.ronbrewerimages.com or www.scvphotocenter.com to check out current class listings and workshops!

Shopping California Style

As an Artist, Fashion has always fascinated me, how colors and styles can improve our mood or add more to city. While traveling I often notice how people dress, in California we have the luxury of beautiful weather 90% or more of the time, skirts, dresses, bright colors, sandals and light weight fabrics give us more to play with than places that experience more variance in weather. While driving one Saturday morning past the white wash and concrete of a California beach town, I noticed these gals out for a day of shopping and fun and they caught my eye, and I also imagined the pile of clothes they might have picked thru in their closet before venturing out….

Spring has Sprung !

California Wildflowers are BLOOMIN !

Time to get out the camera, the paintbrush or just our sketchbook and sit and watch the show !

I ventured out to Wind Wolves Preserve in California Saturday and walked, taking in all the brilliant colors, pausing and trying to zoom in and capture all the small patterns and details.

Tips- go early, the morning light is wonderful and many places are usually less crowded so you can indulge alone, stay in one spot and see how many different compositions you can create. Give yourself time… time to enjoy and time to create and you will leave with new energy and new inspirations !!

Slowing Down…

Last Saturday, the last one of February, I had a wonderful opportunity to join other photographers for a day in Allensworth, a California State Park founded by African Americans in 1908. Each of the rooms simply furnished had an air of peace and simplicity. The following day I spent most of my day in bed… whether trying to catch my breath, or someone letting me know I needed to slow down, I heeded the message and spent most of Sunday in bed. When photographing historic homes, or items that are old, such as fabrics do not use flash. Additional bright light can contribute to further deterioration of the items.. So for this shot I carefully set up my tripod, and tried to capture the shadow that adorned the wall behind the head board, and I tried to imagine walking into the room on a cloudy, rainy day as it was this day and looking for that space to slow down. Sometimes I rush around, anxious to fill my days with as much as I can possibly take in and only later do I take time to absorb everything that I have felt or experienced. The days seem to slip away faster and faster and try as I might I can’t slow them down…. But your bed and pillow are a place to find refuge from the speed at which life passes, a place to dream, a place to reflect and a place to hide when feelings overwhelm you. My mother used to always tell me to lay down, take a nap when I was sad… I think she realized that with some sleep maybe you could escape the clouds.. and find that a rainbow waits.. And when trying to capture an image sometimes that’s also something to consider.. wait.. ponder, and maybe tomorrow you will see in the image you took something unexpected.

Morro Bay In December

Watching the last rays of sunlight bathe the sky around Morro Bay in this pink purple light.
December is a good time to photograph the California Coast, clear skies, fewer crowds and incredible sunrise and sunsets provide many photographic opportunities.
This view is from the Embarcadero Inn.

Watercolors of the Day

Standing in the morning light by a small pond that at first was just a pond, a few ducks, a few photographers and a few yellow trees. But as I watched the ducks and took a deep breath I let my eye wander to the far end of the pond near the pussy willows, cat tails and reeds and saw the patterns they cast into the water. Like a painter I saw the water moving and took a few shots to remember the place I wanted to come back to.
Now at home I can crop it and choose out the
best image… like a painter that puts down a few strokes, I would rearrange the picture with my images and add some colors. Sometimes slowing down is a chance to see something new and unexpected!

Unexpected Fall Splendor !

I lie awake as I know in New England, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont the sun is lighting up the trees and filling the scene with warmth and the amazing morning light fresh and new! When one has witnessed the trees, the plants even the streets of a town at that first light nothing compares and each morning that you lie in your bed you know you might be missing something… But never turn away from the chance for the unexpected… when photographing or creating sometimes we stick with what we know.. we stick with what is comfortable.. but sometimes when you see a road sign for a place, take a chance and go take a peek !! I was in Maine photographing the splendor of October and on a limited schedule but I decided to try a turn off to a different State Park, and I was rewarded with a quiet place with these amazing colored trees mixed with some that were still green, I spent a bit more time than I thought and left feeling very refreshed, relaxed and excited by some new compositions I tried !! So be brave and step out of the comfort zone, instead of taking all of your photographs standing try lying on the ground or point the camera straight down and see what your camera may see, isolate one part of a scene, or after enjoying the view in front of you, turn completely around and see what is behind you…