Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Distractions

My son sent me a quote which I felt was very thoughtful and needed to be shared here.

Once I read it and after we discussed it, I decided that this indeed was very appropriate. It also explains the 'why' I have toys and why I experiment in photography and graphic art.

"The opposite of play is not work - the opposite of play is depression." ~Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play.

Okay, so I knew this in the back of my mind. Play and exercise in some sort or another is what helps the mind get out of a rut. Well, it does for me.

With the Pandemic this year, the isolation, and ... well hell, the politics, 2020 through 2021 so far has been awfully trying. Endless days of fog and overcast weather can make things even more depressing.

So what does that mean? Not much. But I decided not to let all of that bother me. I took out my newly arrived Dragons and had a go with them. 

I spent most of my time while on the hike looking for spots along the creek that I could get good reflections. So I had to look for rocks to add to the creek bottom so the toys wouldn't be too submerged and they would stand up instead of falling over.

Yep. I crouched in a creek and arranged figurines. The whole time I was doing that my mind was clear of all intrusive thoughts. It was like going on a Mind Vacation.



Seeing as that I have Dragons in my creek, I wasn't surprised to see the Unicorns in the forest.

I amused myself by trying different methods of processing the photos. I use DxO's Photo Lab 4 for most of my processing. I dipped into Analog Efex Pro 2 for these shots.
It is interesting to try out different film effects.


The photo below is what I call a failed experiment. A fun one just the same. In camera double exposure. I did this indoors. The first shot is of this dragon, the double was of some 'fake' leaves. It sort of turned out with an interesting Bokeh effect but it took me down another path.


So I looked up 'how to create' a double exposure effect. And thought I'd give it a whirl.


There I am with my funky hat [bad hair day as usual]. A shot against a blank white wall. This took a long time to get the look I wanted. Don't look too close. You will see my wrinkles. I have decided that I am okay with that look too. 

I'm going to work on a few other things.
Yesterday I took Charlie for a long walk on the cropland on the ridge. I took my point and shoot Infrared Camera. Winter and IR usually don't produce great results, but I think the Creative Challenge will be a good thing.

Now to finish my errands. A trip to the butcher and we will be set again until some time late February except for milk.

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:45 AM

    I love the quote concerning play! Personally I think my wrinkles are a badge of honor that demonstrate that I have survived. The self portrait of nature on the brain is perfect.

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    1. Thank you. Nature on the brain. That is me,...hahahah!

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  2. I love reflections! Nice pics, really like the second one. Digital lends photography endless options. I have been a Photoshop girl since it came out, but rarely do affects unless posting iphone pics on Instagram. That's what makes art so fun, everyone creates and interprets differently. Double exposure was a process (no pun intended) back in the dark room age. I still have my print where I added clouds for interest to a scene. Cool self portrait!

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    1. Yes I started out with Photoshop too. I still have a very old version of it. Using different filters are just sometimes a fun way to explore and experiment.

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  3. Very COOL Pics! I love Dragons. And... I love playing around like a kid. Adults should never lose that thirst for adventure and fun. It really makes them... Boring. We only work because we have to. and hopefully... we can limit that time and try to enjoy the majority of our lives. Those pictures are So fun!

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    1. These dragons are so much cooler than any toy I ever had as a kid. Thanks, glad you enjoyed them!

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  4. Oh I like the last one too. You should play when ever you can! :)

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