“Lichen”
Heatherwood Winter
From the spot I took the image for my last post, I looked up the hillside and saw some interesting lichen on a boulder. It was another opportunity to let my imagination flow with my camera!
“Japanese Maple Leaf on Phlox”
Heatherwood Winter
I enjoy the little things in the garden. A couple of days ago, I took a short stroll with my macro lens just looking for little things of contrast and interest. I looked down and noticed a single Japanese maple leaf from last year lying across the new growth of the a mound of phlox ground cover. The tips of the maple leaf accentuated the tips of the old and new growth of the phlox.
“Tri-color Sedum Abstract”
Heatherwood
Sometimes I see something that attracts my interest. What is it that attracts me? Is it the color, texture, shape or something else? Or is it something completely different that I imagine from a different perspective formed from my mind?
“Birches and Fence”
Heatherwood Winter
Our garden birches hide our neighbors white fence during most of the year. From December through March, the white ranch-style fence peeks through the branches of the trees. I stand just enjoying the form of the white winter birches, then squint my eyes. A different abstract perspective appears. The background horizontal lines of the fence appear. The natural, slightly curving vertical lines of the birch trees contrast with the hard straight lines of the fence. I contemplate …
“Blue Rug Juniper and Woolly Thyme”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Many times I walk through our garden with my camera focusing on a simple objective. Contrasting colors and textures in our winter garden was my photographic theme during this day’s garden stroll. I consider our Heatherwood garden as one big experiment. This little vignette is the result of two seasons growth of a creeping juniper and a soft-textured thyme. It provides a tight contrasting ground cover in our Japanese influenced garden. More thyme has been ordered for this year’s planting project to provide additional interesting ground cover for the garden.
“Ajuga et al”
Heatherwood Winter
Every stroll through our Heatherwood garden presents little “treats” of joy. The above image is from a shady part of our Japanese garden.
Nature’s Cycle
New and old mix together,
From decay, emerges new,
Another season ahead.
“Foggy Sunrise”
Heatherwood Winter
Fog and early morning sunlight create a wonderful ethereal scene. Layers of fog and low lying clouds cover the valley below our home. The distant hills provide a dark hazy background silhouette in the middle. More low lying clouds obscure the Selah-Yakima gap and additional cloud layers cover the morning sky. Winter sunrises and sunsets are a special gift to start and end a day.
Many may think that the above image could be an abstract painting. It is not. The image is straight from my camera with only a very small amount of contrast added. Magic happens!
“Winter Grass”
Heatherwood Meadow
Recently I have let myself become a little trapped into a photographic rut. Most of my work has been focused on recording what I see. At times the result has been “pretty pictures” that have not portrayed my real feelings behind what I see. I am in a state of being in search of what it takes to create a compelling image that is unique and reflects my feelings behind it.
“Redbud Abstract”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
One month of winter has passed by, only two more until the first day of spring arrives. Our grounds have been covered with snow since the last week in December. We have enjoyed the beauty of the Heatherwood’s winter scape, but are getting a little “itchy” to get out and work in the garden.
I try to live each day in the present, focusing on what I can do today to enjoy it to its fullest. Each and every day is a precious gift. I feel a little guilty when I start wishing for the future. But it is hard not to when there is such beauty ahead.
“Bryant Park Skyscraper”
New York City
This image is an “eye-teaser.” Does the center portion of the image extend outward or recede inward? Whichever you choose, close your eyes, squint, and choose again. This is another skyscraper around Bryant Park that intrigues me. I spent several minutes staring upward to determine the correct answer. But does the real answer matter, or is it just a matter of perspective?