Art, Color and Beauty are Everywhere
I recently attended a contemplative photography retreat at beautiful Hui Ho’olana on Moloka’i. The next several posts will be from the retreat.
Beauty was everywhere I looked. It presented itself along every path, around every corner. It seemed that it was just asking to be photographed.
Red, green and yellow
Spiked leaves shoot out like a star
Just asking to be noticed
Entrance – Seattle Japanese Garden
The soft early morning light highlighted this scene. The maple tree, grasses, and pine shrub appear very soft. I enhanced the softness in post processing. The image was exposed to highlight the soft leaves of the Japanese maple. The background was in shade which created a nice dark contrast to the light maple. The image warms me all over.
Red Maple/Yellow Ginko – Washington Japanese Garden
This is what fall color is all about. I was able to photograph in the Washington Japanese Garden almost at its prime this fall. Colors were gorgeous everywhere. This particular scene caught my eye contrasting the brilliant reds and yellows,
I am taking an on-line course, “The Compelling Frame” by Dave duChemin. My focus for this excursion was to explore how different types of light created different effects. Here, the soft mid-morning light set the colors of these trees on fire. I am always searching and exploring ways to help me progress through my never-ending journey in photography. I strongly recommend Dave duChemin’s course.
Portland Japanese Gardens
Today is an overcast dark day. I need a little brightness!
Yesterday I visited the Portland Japanese Gardens. Even though the day was overcast and a bit drizzly, the bright fall colors of this Japanese maple brightened the surroundings and captured my eye. The fall color was past its prime. But, there was still quite a bit of color patches. I thought the gardens were beautiful and can just imagine what they were like during their prime color. Next fall I will return during the peak.
P.S. I was practicing working with light and found this brilliant reflection.
Hanging Moss – Hoh River Rainforest
It was mid morning on a bright sunny, hot, dry day. The summer has been one of the driest in history. It was not a typical rainforest day. It was still a beautiful exhibition of nature. I spent a lot of time looking around to find an area that had filtered light without glaring bright spots. This is one that I found.
I processed the image to try to capture the feeling I had: filtered rays of sunshine highlighting background trees, interesting moss shapes in the shadows speckled with sunlight, a soft feeling of the soft moss.
I must go back after a good drenching rain.
Mt. St. Helens – 27 years after
Nature is magical! It renews itself. Out of a devastated landscape, life emerges. I wish I had taken photographs when Karen and I visited the devastated mountain twenty plus yeas ago. Everything was grey and brown, mud and ash. It reminded me of what I thought the moon’s landscape was like.
Now, life is emerging everywhere. The reds, oranges, yellows, and purples of the wildflowers scattered about breathe life into the landscape. The greens below are young trees that have sprouted from seeds that have been brought to the surface by the small ground animals that survived the blast underground and from returning birds dropping seeds from above. Life is a miracle! My spirits lifted as I looked down over the valley below. My imagination looked forward to picture a natural forest that will return in the centuries to come.
Lupine and Mt. St. Helens’ Crater from Johnson Ridge
Mt. St. Helens eruption blasted directly over Johnson Ridge where this photo was taken. The landscape was devastated, Nothing was left standing or living. Now the hill sides are covered with wildflowers and small trees. This lupine stands defiant in front of the mountain.
Flowing Grass Abstract
I saw some soft flowing grass with different colors and shades. I thought it would make a good abstract. I did a diagonal pan along the shape of the flowing grass. In post processing, I added a little contrast and softened the image.
The textures of the various plants, moss, and rock caught my eye. The hardness of the rock, the softness of the moss, the glossy smoothness of the the blade-type plant coupled with the variegated shades of the three-leafed plant attracted me. I converted to B&W to focus on the various tonalities and textures. Just experimenting …
Wildflowers – Snow Mountain Ranch
As I walked along the trail at Snow Mountain Ranch, I stopped frequently and just looked around enjoying the countryside. Almost every time, something caught my eye. This simple image of rocks and flowers was one of those moments.
Photography has taught me to see the beauty and interesting things around me. Today, everywhere I look, I see something interesting that makes me step back and enjoy the moment. When I become engrossed on a photographic subject, I feel like I become part of it. I am no longer just an observer.