Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Fall Color in the Park

Here I have some photos I took while roaming a park in North East Minneapolis as the sun had begun to set. I wouldn't say that they are my best work but I like the colors in them. Dont' really have much to say about them...I felt solemn and peaceful as I was there...not needing any words...just out there, me and my camera and a slight chill in the air as the sun melted into the horizon. So here they are...


 



Beauty of the Structure

As promised in my previous post, I have here some images of the beautiful building behind the maple trees with the captivating yellow leaves. 



I really like the way the light brick is illuminated in these images. Being that this series of buildings is a Catholic Church complex seems very fitting for the effect. 



I am finding that I like to take my photos on a tilt. Seems like this works sometimes and not so much in others. Anyway, I found the detail in the architecture of the buildings very interesting. I have always loved old buildings. Especially churches...there is alway wonderful intricacies for the eyes to ponder and appreciate. I think about the artist that created it. How did they "see" that...another thing I have thought about many times. I just don't know how sculptors do it! To be able to see what it will be when its just a lump of clay or stone. I guess thats why I take pictures instead...LOL!


 I liked this little still life just sitting there for someone to find it. The pretty cascading flowers and spikes holding on just a little longer until the autumn, then winter weather over come them. 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Autumn Texture

Here I have been experimenting with the textures and colors of Autumn...working on my photoshop skill as well in these. I am trying to get away from just using actions and doing my own adjustments for each image. I think that by doing this I am starting to understand photoshop more than just the basics. I also started doing some adjustments in RAW (havent' really utilized this before)...I was able to fix a few  "settings" mistakes made during shooting. Here we go...





I was captivated by the sun catching the vibrant color of the leaves in these maple trees. And the stark contrast between the dark chocolate color of the bark and the florescent yellow the of the leaves. I could have stayed with these trees for a long time...soaking up their beauty. It was a bit brisk out but it was easily ignored in the presence of these trees. It was a somewhat cloudy afternoon, so it was a though these trees had stollen all the golden warmth from the sun and reflected it back in their own flora. Not only were their colors catching but the size of the canopy was also what kept the looking. It was a grouping of about 5 or 6 trees that were just massive in size. They made the builiding that they were adjacent to seem diminished...the it was actually a complex that made us a Catholic church and school (this builing was also quite beautiful, I will have another post including those photos later).


As I was looking for parts of nature that merited a photo I began to notice the intricacy of shapes created in nature. Each leaf from a tree, a bush, a flower or any plant has its own unique design. I think this is something that we don't notice. The first shape I encountered was the odd fan like shape of a leaves that had fallen from a tree along the sidewalk. I have never see this kind of leave before and it doesn't even really look like something you would find in Minnesota. Its fan-like shape with a little V snipped out from the center of the arc makes it look like a heart...sort of. They don't seem to color before they drop from the tree so most were still rather green and blended into the grass somewhat. Anyway I thought it was very pretty how the water drops looked sitting atop the pile of decaying leaves on the ground.


Next I came across some shrubs with almond shaped leaves. These were very very very brightly colored. Warm yellows, reds, and oranges all intermingled on the same plant and even on the same leaf. Very eye-catching and exactly what you should expect from such foliage in the fall.


Then later on another adventure outdoors in the garden at my parents house I found the spent rhubarb plants that provided an excellent crop this year. These plants have been in the garden for as long as I can remember...they have made some re-locations but all ways come back year after year. And even though I have never really noticed them in the fall. I did not know that they too change their colors in anticipation of the winter hibernation. They went from the lush green of the summer to the vivid red with streaks of yellow where the veins are on the leaf. Beautiful.