Camera Movement and Abstraction

Thursday morning I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) with a photographer friend. I wanted to photograph color, movement, gesture, and form. While respecting the artistic creations exhibited there, I hoped to find ways to show beauty through using Camera Movement and Abstraction as well as from examining the textures and rhythms in the art that I saw there. When I arrived at MIA I realized that though I had brought my camera, I had forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera the day before. So using my camera was not an option. Instead I used Read more…

The Queen of Summer

I love photographing Queen Anne’s Lace flowers. So this morning I went in search of them at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park. And I found a huge patch of them thanks to a tip from a photographer friend. I think of this flower as The Queen of Summer blooming as she does in late July or early August. She is so feminine, delicate, and interesting. I love the lacy shape of the flower, the funky looking buds, and the way I can photograph her from different directions and angles and always see something new. It was a couple of years ago Read more…

Peace Like a River

Yesterday morning I listened to a meditation led by meditation teacher, writer, and psychologist, Tara Brach. In it Ms. Brach asked listeners to hold a hand over their heart and ask themselves, “Why am I meditating? What is it I am seeking today?” My answer to both those questions was simple — peace. I am seeking to experience Peace Like a River in these moments and throughout my day. Initially the words, “Seeking peace,” or “Looking for peace” came to me. But I realized that the idea of being peaceful, and seeking or looking for peace were somewhat antithetical. What Read more…

Creative Play

This morning I happened upon a small notebook of watercolor paintings I made several years ago. And I realized that it has been about three years since I did any watercolor painting. Though I didn’t immediately get out my paint and brushes, I did decide to commit to more time to Creative Play in my life, like painting with watercolors. Today I photographed some of my previous watercolor paintings and then played around with combining those photos with nature photographs that I made recently. Layering a photograph with a photo of a painting that I made, and then playing with Read more…

At the Bird Feeder

Yesterday I saw a fun little interaction between an adult house finch and it’s young At the Bird Feeder outside my office window. The interaction went on long enough for me to pick up my camera with telephoto lens and make this series of images despite the fact that I was talking on the telephone with a photographer friend at the time. (Thanks for your patience, my friend, and for encouraging me that photos of the birds would be fun for others to see.) As an aside, despite all it’s begging I also saw the youngster dipping into the bird Read more…