Tag Archives: lines

Eastern Market Stroll 6

“More Hats”
Capitol Hill Eastern Market, Washington DC

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, hats were everywhere in the Market.  They were different colors, different shapes, and different textures.  A stacked set of colors and repeating lines caught my eye here.  It was pure “eye candy”

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Looking at Details

A.E. Larson Building Entry Foyer, Yakima, WA

This post continues my self-assignment to look for contrasts.  This image was taken from the same location as my previous post.  It is the corner of the wall/ceiling cornice moulding.  I saw the contrast of colors, shapes, lines and light/shadows. The foyer of this historic building is full of “eye candy”.

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Sometimes Simpler is Better

Philodendron Leaf, Hawaiian Botanical Gardens

I enjoy photographing botanical subjects.  When reviewing my work, many times I quickly pass over an image that at first does not catch my eye as a “select”. I was going through some images that I photographed a year ago in Hawaii.  This image just grabbed me.  Instead of a leaf, I saw bright lines radiating out, I saw shadows and voids.  I saw a triangular shape inserting itself into a void.  The green color did not add anything to the image, I thought black and white.  The image emerged.

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Yellowstone: Grand Prismatic Spring – Lines 1

Grand Prismatic Spring -Mineral Flats

As the hot mineral water flows out of the spring, it creates a series of mineral flats.  This perspective  was a flat grey.  I decided to convert it  to black and white, add contrast, and apply a slight gradient across the image..

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A Day in the Canyon: Tilted Basalt

Tilted Basalt Columns – Yakima River Canyon

This tilted basalt was the result of a plate fold being pushed up from a diagonal force.  Throughout the Yakima River Canyon the basalt columns show displacement in various directions.  This illustrates that forces were lateral pushing toward each other creating a “fold”.

The basalt shown here is in a “columnar” formation.  Basalt formed like this cooled very slowly, creating a soother texture.

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Starting Up Again

170302_Central CA CoastFuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 89 mm, f/11, 1/350 sec, ISO 400

It has been several months since I entered my last post.  It is time to get started again.  I was motivated to do so by two photographers I went on a photo shoot with along the Central California Coast.  These two, Karen Hall and Vicki Moro, took me on a quick introductory trip along the California coast line above Morro Bay.  They encouraged me to start sharing my images again.  Thank you Karen and Vicki for a great day and the stimulus!

This image is of the hills above Morro Bay.  What caught my eye was the layers of shadows across the emerald green hills, the water, the distant hills, and the clouds.  The shot was at mid-day, so I combined several images to create a balanced exposure.

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Badlands Sunrise

160614_Badlands SunriseFuji X-T1, XF10-24mm @24mm. f/22. 1/13 sec, ISO 1600

The sky was very dark and covered with clouds. The landscape was very dark and covered with shadows.  Then for a few seconds the sun popped out in a small gap in the clouds.  The landscape opened up its arms for me to enjoy.  The three hour drive starting at 3:00 AM to catch the sunrise was worth it!

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Scouting the Painted Hills

150715_Painted Hills by Karl Graf. Fuji X-T1, XF 18-135mm @ 37mm, f/22, 1/180 sec, ISO 400

I have heard many people comment on the beauty of the Painted Hills of NE Oregon.  Being from central Washington, I had never taken the 2-3 hour drive to see them.  So on a recent trip to central Oregon, I thought I would go exploring.  My purpose was more of a scouting trip than specifically to take images.  I was there mid day on a very bright warm summer day.  Even in this bright light, the colors of the hills radiated out.  I look forward to coming back during the late afternoon sunlight.

Painted Hills is one of the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, located in Wheeler County, Oregon.[1] It totals 3,132 acres (1,267 ha) and is located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Mitchell, Oregon. The Painted Hills are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon.[2] Painted Hills is named after the colorful layers of its hills corresponding to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain.

The black soil is lignite that was vegetative matter that grew along the floodplain. The grey coloring is mudstonesiltstone, and shale.[3] The red coloring is laterite soil that formed by floodplain deposits when the area was warm and humid.[

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