Experimental

Your eyes are not blurry. 

These are intentionally taken while moving the camera.

I feel a bit odd trying to do this type of photography. I've seen some absolutely beautiful ICM abstract photos.

I'm still one of those that is on the fence with this method. I've also learned that trying to do it on a bright snowy day is really not the way to start.

This is obviously the outhouse. I moved the camera forward when pressing the shutter on a 1/2 second shot. 

So it ended up looking like a double exposure.

It isn't something I will put on the wall. 

I consider this as play and experimental photography.

 

I can always say that I am pretending to be Monet with a camera.

This shot was done by simply moving 
the zoom lens as I hit the shutter button.

It doesn't hurt my brain to look at this one. 

It was my first experimental shot I did of the day.

It is actually nicer than the others.

Really beautiful ICM takes a LOT of practice and generally
shooting when there is quite a bit of contrast along

with color.

Of course winter is not the best time to 

try to make ICM fine art. But it

is fun to practice.

Here is a sample of an image that really defines the beauty of ICM.

A flower by: 
KarenWallerphotography

It looks like a stunning painting and something I'd hang on my wall for its soothing effect. 

Obviously none of my shots have reached this caliber!

This summer, I did do a few shots with ICM and absolutely you do need brilliant color to do this with any good results. 

I did this shot in September and it is the only one so far that I really like.

----

So without further ado, I went back to something I know when I defrosted myself after my hike.

Some high key work. I put a white sheet over a kitchen chair and arranged some dried flowers to photo their textures.

When the outdoors suck, I can always do Still Life.

Since I had the white sheet set up, I pulled up the embroidered border and thought that Teddy Bears exchanging flowers would be cute.

I thought I'd work with my Lensbaby and the Teddy Bears. I really enjoy working with that lens as it makes you slooooowwwww way down and really work at getting the exposure and area of focus just right.

The ICM tutorials make everything look so easy. I have so much to learn!

I will try some more practicing to figure out what movements might look good. I wonder if I set up my dried flowers and did an ICM with Still Life?

Ahhh, you will have to wait to see what I may do next!

Otherwise. Have a good day and stay warm.

So it is 22

Change the Page

The Holidays are over [Thank goodness!] I've taken down most of the decorations and am turning my attentions on my next project.

The photos above were used with some new editing techniques I've been trying to figure out.  For those interested I will show the before shots below.

I just went out in the fog with my Olympus DSLR and a 12mm lens. That means if I want to be closer, I have to walk closer.  

Of course I wanted a deep mystical mythical looking forest. The one that would have Hobbits running about and perhaps a few elves too. Sorry, no elves or trolls, just the trees and the clutter of the forest floor.

I picked out the cool oak tree I love so much and tried to find a good angle of it. This tree, I call the Hugging Tree. I mean it looks like it is ready to give you a hug! 
It's odd shape makes it a favorite of mine to take shots of all year long.

This boxelder tree is not well loved by most people. But I adore it. 
I think it is the absolute, best-est ever climbing tree in the universe. 

Okay, just the best one on our back road.

My neighbor lady found out that her kids were making a fort there once and was aghast. The tree resides on the edge of our absent neighbor's land. 

I told her that it was the place I would pick for a fort if I were their age.

She wouldn't let them keep their ropes and little chairs there. 

The photo below is just a random shot through the fog towards our house from deep in the woods.  I just thought that the leaves that still hung on the trees were unique. I don't know what kind of trees these leaves belong to, but I suspect some kind of cherry tree.

I won't repeat the snowy scene. Nature provided the absolute perfect backdrop for that. 

It is 22.

Just that.

It is just another date change. 

I'll get excited about the next snow storm or ice storm perhaps.

Today it was all about staying comfy while doing outdoor work.

Onward.

For Art's Sake

I'll just jump right in on this. I had a lot of tangents I went on first ... then I hit the delete button and started over.

Edits for Art's Sake:

Original

Edit

This is a 'double exposure'. I didn't do it in the camera but used a plugin from DxO labs. 

Here is the entrance to the summer pasture with the brilliant red oak leaves glistening in the  late fall sun:

Original

It is pretty. But ...this is how it felt. I use a paint program to 'paint' portions of the photo. Topaz Studio, an old program from a few years ago. 

Edited

Fall offered so many opportunities. I walked once a week past a Sumac Tree as it changed. On this foggy morning I struggled to find the proper way to present this scene. 

Original

Edit

Update In 

December

I like to dabble in things. I like to 'create' sometimes. I enjoy trying new things and challenging myself.

I can't draw even though I used to draw cartoon critters as a teenager. 

Me as a Naturalist 

looking for creatures in the

creek

When I used to write for a magazine,

I also tried my hand 

at cartoons again

Once in a while I get creatively stuck. 

After the snow had melted last week, I took my Infrared camera and went for a walk along the creek. Infrared shots work best with the reflection of light off from leaves with chlorophyll in them.

Most of what I shot turned out to be trash.

I used a 550nm filter which horrifies me each time I try to do anything with it. I felt since I disliked it so much, I should try and make it work. Do something out of my comfort zone.

Original

Edit

This shot turned out so 'otherworldly' that I like it. Note to self. This filter still is very hard to work with. 

My next shot is another IR shot. No fancy camera, a point and shoot.

I rather like the challenges that October and November bring with IR.  The sky and the pond ice reflected blue when I 'channel swapped' the colors.

The pines on the other side of the pond did appear slightly different shades of white and grey.

The birds were added.

 October hike in KVR in a washout above Weister Creek.

Original

Edit

I'm not even sure why I like this one, but I do and it was fun to work with. I painted in brush strokes and then erased them from the zig zag of the wash. I guess this is really how this particular spot 'felt' to me.

The only thing more fun would have been to see a unicorn, a dinosaur, or woodland creature hanging out in the back!

The fog on Christmas Eve was fantastic. Charlie and I couldn't get enough of it. Okay, Charlie really only went out with me for the first time.

I wanted to do something different and try some High Key work.

I dig fog, I really do!

Original

Edited

The photo above was used as the base for Charlie in the double exposure in that first edit!

Training Dragons and other things

What I do when I feel like messing around.

Boar Predator meets The Skeleton Dragon who is pretty fierce himself.

The Scout Predator has a more simplified approach to taming Dragons.

I like to mix and match my toys which generally are cast offs. 

My Lego dudes got in on the action with harvesting Hickory nuts. 

"I get by with a little help from my friends!"

Teaching others a skillset. 

Stopping to smell the flowers.

And then there is this. I have NO idea what 'she' is but I got her dropped off by a neighbor kid who thought I'd like her.

She is a character from the Internet game Roblox?

She's wild, has red hair, and is posing with a skull from the Predator series.

Why not?

And yes, that is a mini fire behind her. I thought it would be interesting as a background. 

This guy said he'd EAT this mushroom. Not sure if that is wise.

Wow. I checked out the price of some really cool action figures since I was having so much fun with these. Did you know how pricey they are? 

The 7 inch toys can run over $70 or $80!

Lego people are expensive so I am happy I had some cast offs.

I'd love the ideas I see of Toy Photography. That might be something I explore by making my own sets this winter.

Stranger things have happened.

Double Exposures

Double Trouble.

That is me. 

The photo method that I described before intrigued me. And of course I went off on a tangent from there.

Lo and Behold I decided to try some more double exposures 'in' camera. Now, mostly I am not a fan, but I think it is a fun diversion. Just like the Pep Ventosa Technique which will be a project I work on the next few days as the heat indices are to be around 100+ degrees F.

In camera double exposure of Charlie and random ox eye daisies. Double exposures really need better planning than this.

I like this one I did of my son's dog in his backyard but it feels too ghostly.

Subject one should be isolated more to include a second exposure. So I tried this one. There is the color version and black and white version to see the image within the image better.

So what if I took a photo of a vase of hosta flowers and made the hosta plant the backround? I used a white board that I should toss out as it has seen much better days. 

Original:

Edit:

That was fun.

So I then thought I'd try about 7 exposures 'in the round' of my little meditating dragon.

Here is the edited color version attempt...

It is sort of interesting as it appears that the dragon is thinking inside of himself?

I thought the colors were too distracting. I decided to try a black and white version.

Hmmm. I kind of, sorta, think...sorta, that I like it?

Then I took shots with the Infrared camera of the neighbor's playground and simply stacked them all at 40%.

I added a bit of contrast and that was it.

Certainly the dragon is sort of growing on me.

The playground resembles the Pep Ventosa method a bit better and I think it would work for abstract artsy stuff.

I may have to try it again. 

While doing a bit of research I found a lot of sites that offered classes in this and other 'painterly' effects. I didn't sign up for classes, I like experimenting on my own.

By the way, the weather this morning was incredible. More about that non Artsy Stuff tomorrow. A Heat Advisory has been issued. 

So I am doing other crafty things like dying Queen Anne's Lace and drying it in hopes I can use it as Christmas or Fall *Decorates*.