Ideas and Imagery #118

Repetition of elements is a great method for creating visual interest.  These white plastic tables were arranged outside a restaurant just below the Ferris Wheel on the pier in Seattle.

I never noticed the tables as we meandered through the line, waiting to board, but they quickly grabbed my eye as we started to move around the path of the wheel.  Looking down at the area makes me feel claustrophobic.

I do wish there was more spacing to allow the table shadows to be more prominent in the shot, but that is a minor gripe on what was an unexpected and fun photo to stumble upon.

Tiles #14

Strong shapes and complimentary colors are the focus of this Tile, which I saw driving home.  I pulled off and shot this from across the street to try and preserve the angles created by the ladder and its shadow.

Shooting from this angle relatively straight on makes the ladder look 2-dimensional.  The only way to reconcile that it is leaning is by the shadow.

I like images that force my mind to work in order to understand what is represented.  This shot accomplishes that task with minimal distractions and a clean and simple frame.

Ideas and Imagery #117

This is a photo taken in Bandon, Oregon at sunset.  While I know that sunsets can get a little staid, I really like the transition of colors from the blue of the ocean through the warmer colors of the sky. 

The sliver moon adds a visual anchor to the scene without overpowering everything else.  I also like the detail I was able to pull out in the clouds, giving them depth and making them seem less blocky. 

Ideas and Imagery #116

Compression is a term in photography that is used to describe the flattening of three-dimensional space down to 2 dimensions.  Longer lenses that magnify a scene are the best to create compression and you can see that effect here.

The combination of shooting zoomed out and lining up the stairs at a 45 degree angle takes the depth out of the photo and creates the illusion that all of the rails are vetically aligned. 

This type of composition in and of itself doesn't translate to a good photo.  Compression can enhance a good composition, but it can't save an uninteresting one.

Here I like the shapes created by the stairway and the pattern on the stairway.  The mix of red and green is pleasing and the rusty color of the stairway works well with the earthy tones of the green ivy and faded wood door in the corner. 

I like the final image here and think it works well within the rest of my compressions series, which I hope to continue through the end of the year. 

Tiles #13

There was so much going on along this wall that it was difficult to try and distill it down from chaos to something more accessible and interesting.

I like that there are distinct color regions within the whole and that there are elements running between them to help your eyes break through those lines.  I also like the simple colors and shapes that emerge as things get bisected.

It was really satisfying to spend some time, knowing there was a composition within a visually complicated space, to come up with a shot that continues to hold my interest.

Ideas and Imagery #115

I've been taking a break from posting over the past month, not particularly because I wanted to, but more because things have been really busy for me both personally and professionally.

Now that I am able to get back into sharing photos, I am starting with a shot from my most frequent subject.  My favorite tree in Oregon City was surrounded by a particularly incredible sunset when I stopped to shoot after work last winter.

Clouds like this come infrequently in our area, with our usual cloud cover being more blanket or wispy than these popcorn clouds.  The sun caught these just right, adding pink highlights between the deep blue of the sky above.

It made for a spectacular show, and one that yielded several shots that I was really excited for.  It pays to have your camera with you, especially on nights like these.

Ideas and Imagery #114

I accidentally left my wallet in the passenger door of my co-worker's work vehicle. The problem was that he only works in our office once a week and the rest of the time he works an hour away.

While sharing my mistake isn't the point of this post, I can say that my resulting two hour round trip car ride to retrieve my wallet would have been completely annoying if not for having my camera with me.  As a result the trip was only mostly annoying.

I approached this bar near the end of my journey, and what caught my eye was the colorful glare from the neon signs off the wet roadway.  Between the bikes out front, the neon signs and the non-descript building front, this bar is representative of small town bars everywhere.

Once I arrived back home and started to look through my photos, this bar immediately reminded me of the one in the beginning of Terminator 2.  I walked across the street to get the reflections of the neon signs in the shot, and was also able to get some leading lines framed in as well, leading directly to the front door.  From there, you see the bikes all lined up in the same position, the neon signs and the door.

I know what is in there in my mind...a few pool tables, a couple of taps, and the regular patrons settling in after a long day at work.  I just keep waiting for Arnold to throw someone through the window and ride off on one of those bikes.

Tiles #12

This shot is very representative of what I am trying to do with my tiles and compressions series.

  I thought that the circular razor wire strung horizontally complimented the strong horizontal bar across the top and dividing the composition into layers.

I also like that the objects themselves are abstracted, helping to encourage the viewer to look at the elements as something other than what they actually are.

Ideas and Imagery #113

This was a simple photo opportunity that caught my eye on a store front.  My first draw was the color scene of yellow and teal that I though was pretty striking.  It lead me to other interesting parts of the scene like the arrowhead tops to the bars, and the hanger just below the window.

The lingering perception I get with this photo however is just how uninviting this store front really is.  Between the red "No Trespassing" and "No Loitering" warnings on the bars, and the "window" with room only for the open sign, I didn't really get the sense that this was a place I was welcome.

I love when shots are layered and have multiple levels of interest that you can continue to discover as you look as them a number of times.  This shot slowly grew on me, and now I find it really enjoyable to come back and view it.

Tiles #11

I found that once I started to get a feel for the objects, scenes, and people that I was interested in shooting, I couldn't really turn the seeing part of my brain off.  This fact has been known to me for a few years at least, and I can say that the feeling hasn't diminished since that realization.

One way that I can describe it to the non-afflicted is with the example of owning a car.  Before you own a particular type of car, you rarely seem to notice them when you are out on the road.  But once you own that car, you see them everywhere.

Many times I have my camera with me, anticipating the inevitable situation where I see something interesting while moving through a normal day.  This shot is a result of such a time, and while it was a less than opportune time to shoot, I felt compelled to make sure I made the effort.

It just goes to show that no matter what I am doing, who I am with, or where I am at, if I see something that catches my eye, I will want to grab my camera.  People who know me understand that this is just what I do now, and they patiently wait while I exercise my eyes.  I appreciate their support, whether they connect with the shot or not.

In the end I hope that these moments will be appreciated by others.  I share the results of my passion with others because we're social beings who want to communicate?  I just happen to communicate my thoughts and feelings with photos.

I won't lie and say I don't enjoy when people connect with my photos.  Everybody likes to be appreciated.  But I take pictures for me, and I figure if I am shooting things that I find pretty, interesting, funny, or sad, there will be inevitably be someone that connects with my body of work.

I hope that audience grows over time, but regardless of if it does, I will continue to shoot the photos that I enjoy.  It is my way of connecting with the people and world around me.