Back in Black (+ White)

November 1, 2018 (305/366)

“Colour is everything, black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

November naturally represents an absence of color as the world turns brown and gray and the days get shorter and darker. Natural light becomes a precious commodity while artificial light distorts color and clarity. In the past, I struggled with my November photographs as my work day begins and ends in darkness. Two years ago, I decided that, rather than bemoan these limitations, I would embrace the lack of color and post only black and white images to focus on light, shadow, texture and composition. As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.”

Week 42 - Technical: Shutter Drag

October 17, 2018 (290/365) • Fly Like a Beagle

Week 42: Dragging the shutter to balance fill light with ambient light or to add motion-blur  #dogwood52 #dogwoodweek42

Sailing + Photography Lessons

 August 8, 2018 (220/365)

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." ~  William Arthur Ward

...Or the pessimist complains that her iPhone can't capture the beauty of these little prams racing just off-shore. The optimists hopes she can edit her photos to make them clearer and brighter. The realist posts her photos anyway since sailing opties and a photo-a-day challenge are all about learning!

A Lesson

June 27, 2018 (178/365)

"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf." ~  Rabindranath Tagore

When I teach smartphone photography, I always start with this anecdote: "Once upon a time, a photographer was invited to have dinner at the home of a top chef. During dinner the chef praised the photographer for his work, saying 'Your photos are beautiful! You must have a great camera.' The photographer smiled and nodded politely. After the delicious dinner, the photographer complimented the chef, saying, 'That was an excellent meal. You must have some great pots and pans!'”

The point is that great photos are not just about having the best equipment; they require a skilled eye and often a little luck. I always say that the best camera is the one you have with you. Although I still wish I had had my "good camera" along as I walked Piper this morning, without my phone, I wouldn't have captured these raindrops at all.

Week 16 - Technical: Portrait Lighting

Week 16 - TECHNICAL: Portrait Lighting

[Whether Butterfly, Rembrandt, Split, or Loop Lighting, choose the technique which best flatters your subject.]

#dogwoodweek16, #dogwood52, #dogwood2018 • f/2.2, 1/732, ISO32

"The dog is the perfect portrait subject. [S]he doesn't pose. [S]he isn't aware of the camera." ~ Patrick Demarchelier (Color or black & white?)

Overexposed

April 3, 2018 (093/365)

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” ~ Ansel Adams

I know that these tulips are overexposed, but I love how delicate and ethereal the light makes them feel.

Week 12 - Technical: Macro

March 18, 2018 (077/365)

Week 12 - TECHNICAL: Macro - Life is in the details.
Get in close and show us the details we usually miss.
#dogwoodweek12, #dogwood52, #dogwood2018 • f/1.8, 1/842, ISO20

"There's something in the very small minutia of life that tells us something about the big, big picture that we see every day all over the place, and so I think the more specific and creative and revelatory you are in the micro, the more powerful the macro will be." ~ Philip Seymour Hoffman

Week 8 - Technical: Zoom Burst

February 20, 2018 (051/365)

"Anybody can be a great photographer if they zoom in enough on what they love." ~ David Bailey

Week 8 - TECHNICAL: Zoom Burst 

[By changing the focal length during long exposure you can add movement to your frame, 

producing leading lines within your frame.] #dogwoodweek8, #dogwood52, #dogwood2018

Out of Focus

 January 24, 2018 (024/365)

"Over-preparation is the foe of inspiration." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am a planner. Even when it comes to taking pictures, I look at the calendar and the weather to determine what I might photograph each day, week, and month. Ideally, Project 365 should be spontaneous and I try to take photos everyday, but during winter in Wisconsin, when I often go to work and come home it the dark, a little planning seems necessary. Lately, however, I have had a hard time finding inspiration. There are only so many pictures you can take of snowy branches, supermarket flowers, and beagles (well, there are never too many beagles)! Any suggestions for winter locations or subjects would be welcomed -- thank you!

Week 1 - Vision: The Sky's the Limit

January 2, 2018 (002/365)

"Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose 

instead of the expectations and opinions of others.” ~ Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

*
Week 1 - VISION: Look Ahead • The Sky's the Limit...
[New year. New beginnings. New you. Look ahead. Interpret as you wish.]
#dogwoodweek1, #dogwood52, #dogwood2018 • f/1.81, ISO25

It is only day two of the new year and already I have accepted a new challenge. My friend, colleague, and fellow photographer, Julie, introduced me to the Dogwood 52 Week Challenge for 2018. Unlike other projects that suggest a daily or weekly subject or theme, this challenge was created by photographers and focuses on only five categories:

• VISION: This category is designed to push you to go beyond sight, to insight; to take inspiration and make it a reality. Vision exists in your imagination and is revealed your photographs; expressing something otherwise invisible. Developing a Vision for your work is showing to others what you see in your mind’s eye.
• COMPOSITION: Composition refers to the way the various elements in a scene are arranged within the frame. Challenges will focus on setting up the shot and developing our personal composition styles; styles which can become our trademark. Developing your Composition will allow you to set the stage to generate a reaction from your audience.
• TECHNICAL: Technical Aptitude is just as important as creative inspiration in photography. This year's technical category is primarily focused on in camera processes, however, there will be some post processing techniques included.
• CREATIVE: When this category comes up, you really have room to express yourself. You can interpret the assignment literally or figuratively. Unlike the other categories, the idea of this category is to let your artistic impression shine.
• WILD CARD: Consider this a Show-and-Tell for grown-ups. You have freedom do shoot what and how you wish. Let us know if you're trying a new technique, composition, style, subject, working on a specific project, or just exercising your freedom. Have fun!*

Here is the Challenge List:

• Week 1 - VISION: Look Ahead - New year. New beginnings. New you. Look ahead. Interpret as you wish. 
• Week 2 - COMPOSITION: Color Harmony - Get out your color wheel. Do opposites attract? Can there be harmony with opposite colors? Does the Hulk wear purple pants? Mix warm and cool colors. 
• Week 3 - TECHNICAL: Full Manual - While the camera often determines shutter speed and aperture for the photographer, it doesn't know your creative intent. This week, challenge your self to assume creative control over the camera by using full manual mode. Select a subject where varying the aperture and / or shutter speed helps enhance the composition and visual qualities of the image. 
• Week 4 - CREATIVE: Quiet Moment - Peace. Serenity. Tranquility. Convey a quiet moment. 
• Week 5 - WILD CARD: Photographer's Choice - Capture an image on your terms; who, what, where, when, why, how … it's all up to you. Caveat: You must tell us your intent. 
• Week 6 - VISION: Alternating Rhythm - Alternate patterns of light to bring depth and rhythm to the photograph. 
• Week 7 - COMPOSITION: Fill the Frame - Fill the frame with your subject, no background. You will need to get up close and personal, or use a good zoom lens. 
• Week 8 - TECHNICAL: Zoom Burst - By changing the focal length during long exposure you can add movement to your frame, producing leading lines within your frame. 
• Week 9 - CREATIVE: Forsaken - Abandoned and Forgotten were favorites in the past. Let's revisit the idea the idea this year. 
• Week 10 - VISION: Selective Color - I know, I know. Yuck. Selective color can be cringeworthy, however, when done right, it brings compelling focus to the subject. 
• Week 11 - COMPOSITION: Negative Space - Minimize the composition to isolate your subject. The composition should be simple, thereby drawing your viewer to the subject. 
• Week 12 - TECHNICAL: Macro - Life is in the details. Get in close and show us the details we usually miss. You don't need a macro lens to shoot a macro shot. 
• Week 13 - CREATIVE: Leading Lines - Back by popular demand, use lines to lead the viewer to your subject. 
• Week 14 - VISION: Diptych or Triptych - Connect 2 or 3 images together, creating one image, to provoke a thought or tell a story. 
• Week 15 - COMPOSITION: Rule of Space - Your subject should be facing the frame, walking into the frame, this keeps your subject "in" the frame and engaging with it. Give your subject room to move. 
• Week 16 - TECHNICAL: Portrait Lighting - Whether Butterfly, Rembrandt, Split, or Loop Lighting, choose the technique which best flatters your subject. 
• Week 17 - CREATIVE: Humor - Laughter is the best medicine. Make us laugh. 
• Week 18 - WILDCARD: Photographer's Choice - Capture an image on your terms; who, what, where, when, why, how … it's all up to you. Caveat: You must tell us your intent. 
• Week 19 - VISION: Edge Cut Sun - Having an edge cut through the sun looks nice, or having the sun rising over a line or diagonal within the photo. Stop down the aperture to create a starburst. 
• Week 20 - COMPOSITION: From Below - Get down low; below 2 feet, and change your perspective. Look out or look up. 
• Week 21 - TECHNICAL: Product - Imagine your image in a catalog or a magazine. It's not as easy as it sounds. 
• Week 22 - CREATIVE: Door - A symbol of transition, a door or a gate provide a passage way. 
• Week 23 - VISION: No Peeking - Shoot as if you were using a film camera. That means that you will not look at the photographs you've taken until they are downloaded on your computer. 
• Week 24 - COMPOSITION: Contrast - An easy way to make a photo more interesting is to introduce some form of stark contrast: liquid/solid, hard/soft, delicate/brash. 
• Week 25 - TECHNICAL: Starburst - Create a very strong focal point and add an entirely new dimension of interest to your image using a starburst. 
• Week 26 - CREATIVE: High or Low Key - You don't have to do both this year; choose your favorite and shoot that. 
• Week 27 - VISION: Flattery - They say imitation is the highest form; so, past or present; choose your favorite master photographer and imitate their art or technique. 
• Week 28 - COMPOSITION: Left to Right Rule - Compose an image in the way we read; most countries read from left to right. Compose your shot to follow this direction. 
• Week 29 - TECHNICAL: Twilight Zone - While golden and blue hours bring beautiful lighting, shooting in twilight opens up a new way of seeing the world. Capture a "scape" that isn't dominated by darkness. Show the light and textures that can be found under the stars, in city lights, or a moon filled sky. 
• Week 30 - CREATIVE: Circles - The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning; it represents the notions of totality. 
• Week 31 - WILDCARD: Photographer's Choice - Capture an image on your terms; who, what, where, when, why, how … it's all up to you. Caveat: You must tell us your intent. 
• Week 32 - VISION: The Alphabet - Alphabet photography involves taking photographs of existing or created objects to create a word. 
• Week 33 - COMPOSITION: Figure to Ground - If camouflage is designed to make things disappear, Figure to Ground is designed to make the subject stand out. Light on dark, dark on light. 
• Week 34 - TECHNICAL: The Wild Side - Capturing a captivating wildlife photograph requires knowledge of your camera settings and the behavior of the animal. Capture a compelling wildlife photograph that has proper subject alignment (e.g., no "bird butts") and exposure. For an easy introduction, urban critters (e.g., squirrels) are easy targets. For an advanced challenge, a bird in flight could be considered. 
• Week 35 - CREATIVE: Loneliness - One is the loneliest number. 
• Week 36 - VISION: Ordinary - Find beauty in the ordinary. 
• Week 37 - COMPOSITION: Eye Lines - Eyes draw attention to certain parts of the frame, your subject will direct your audience's eye. Where is your subject looking? What are they seeing or not seeing? 
• Week 38 - TECHNICAL: Focus Stacking - A technique which combines multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image with a greater depth of field. Especially helpful in macro. 
• Week 39 - CREATIVE: Abstract - Photograph a common object in an abstract manner. 
• Week 40 - VISION: Classic Novel - Create an image that identifies a classic novel or story. 
• Week 41 - COMPOSITION: Rule of Odds - Compose and image highlighting an odd number of subjects; some see this as natural and more pleasing to the eye. 
• Week 42 - TECHNICAL: Shutter Drag - Used to balance fill light with ambient light or add motion-blur to images. 
• Week 43 - CREATIVE: A Song - Create a photo from the title of a song. 
• Week 44 - WILDCARD: Photographer's Choice - Capture an image on your terms; who, what, where, when, why, how … it's all up to you. Caveat: You must tell us your intent. 
• Week 45 - VISION: Show Half - Tell a complete story by only showing half of it. 
• Week 46 - COMPOSITION: Golden Triangles - A diagonal line divides the frame from corner to corner, two more lines are added from the other corners, intersecting the diagonal line. 
• Week 47 - TECHNICAL: Step Back - Edit your image to where you think it's perfect and let it sit for two days. Then return to it and see if it works. Print a picture and review it from a different perspective before finalizing. 
• Week 48 - CREATIVE: Split Tones - Another favorite; last year's technical, is this year's creative. Have fun with it. 
• Week 49 - VISION: Look Back - We need to look back to see how far we've come. If you were Captain Ahab, which skill would be your whale? Post a comparison. 
• Week 50 - COMPOSITION: Golden Ratio - Often called Fibonacci, the spiral leads the viewers eye to the squares (the subject), compose your image using the Golden Ratio. 
• Week 51 - TECHNICAL: Exposure Compensation - While high dynamic range pictures can help capture challenging lighting situations, there are times when you need a single frame. Use exposure compensation mode on your camera to capture backlit or other challenging lighting situations 
• Week 52 - CREATIVE: Self Portrait - Not popular, but it's good for us to get on the other side of the lens. This year it's in a creative category, so be creative.

 #dogwood52, #dogwood2018, and #dogwoodweek[NUMBER]

*Foshe, D. (2018). 52 Week Photography Challenge for 2018 by Dogwood Photography. [online] Dogwood.photography. Available at: https://dogwood.photography/52weekchallenge2018.html [Accessed 2 Jan. 2018].

Project 365

December 30, 2017 (364/365)

"Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. Capture the good times. 

And if things don't work out, just take another shot." ~ Ziad K. Abdelnour

It has been my habit at the end of each year to reflect upon my Project 365 and to make plans for the next iteration. Some years have been status quo while others have been (sometimes failed) attempts at redefinition. Occasionally, I wonder if I should reduce or even abandon this project, having struggled to maintain the pace and to find new inspiration. More and more, I try to focus on quality over quantity, yet often it is the quantity of photos that leads to the quality that I strive to achieve. I have posted a photo each day for five years -- that's 1826 photos, but I have taken thousands more. Even when it seems as if there is nothing new or interesting to photograph, I have found that capturing familiar subjects helps me to experiment with camera settings, lighting, angles, and editing techniques, ultimately allowing me to see my own growth as a photographer. I know that if I were to stop, I would miss the challenge, but in 2018, I will try to afford myself the flexibility to enjoy the process rather than hold myself to strict guidelines. To further spark my creativity and document my progress, I will also try my hand at bullet journaling this year. I might challenge myself with series, themes, colors, and photo-a-day challenges, or I might simply continue to allow each day to surprise me. To paraphrase Fitzgerald, "and so I beat on," allowing the past to become a source of inspiration and ideas for the future.

Things are Looking Up

November 30, 2017 (334/365)

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." ~ Tony Robbins

Thirty days ago, I challenged myself to abandon color in favor of a focus on composition, light, shadow, and texture. As always, thank you for your encouragement and feedback as I continue to learn and stretch myself as photographer. It has been a rather steep climb at times, but things are looking up and tomorrow there will be color again!

Black and White

November 1, 2016 (305/365)

“Colour is everything, black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

November naturally represents an absence of color as the world turns brown and gray and the days get shorter and darker. Natural light becomes a precious commodity while artificial light distorts color and clarity. Last year, I recognized that I have often struggled with my November photographs as my work day begins and ends in darkness. So, rather than bemoaning these limitations, I am again embracing the lack of color by featuring only black and white images. When a day fails to present me with an interesting or beautiful subject, I will search my archives for previously-rejected images that can be improved by stripping them of color and focusing on light (natural and artificial), shadow, texture and composition. As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.”

Take a Hike!

October 19, 2017 (292/365)

“There is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Days like today challenge me to grab my camera and explore. Like a signature, every photographer has a unique perspective and tends to favor certain settings, subjects, colors, angles...yet, it's fun to push one's limits and experiment with exposure and focus. Although this photo is not my typical style, I'm so intrigued by the light, especially the magical bokeh in the changing leaves. 

I spy...

March 30, 2017 (089/365)

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.” ~ Ansel Adams

It's Throwback Thursday and I'm featuring a photo taken barely a month ago. There's nothing profound or poetic to say about it except that somehow a cold, rainy day in Paris really is more pleasant that a cold, rainy day in Wisconsin...and when you see a vintage Fiat with a Jesus sticker in the window, you take a picture!

Form Follows Function

February 13, 2017 (044/365)

"Form follows function." ~ Louis Sullivan, American architect

Every time I visit the Milwaukee Art Museum, I stop to by the decorative arts collection to gaze longingly at these beauties. The collection of Walter Dorwin Teague's Art Deco Kodak cameras includes five Beau Brownies (one in each color), a No. 1A Gift Camera (background), and this gorgeous Bantam Special.  As a student of architecture and design, Teague subscribed to the tenet that form follows function; yet, he was determined to created modern heirlooms out of practical, machine-made objects. These cameras are works of art to create works of art - a photographer/collector's dream!

Cheers!

December 31, 2016 (366/366)

“Which of my photographs is my favorite? 

The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” ~ Imogen Cunningham

CHEERS 

...to another year of daily inspiration, 

to 366 days of growing and learning,

to 1,461 photos since January 1, 2013...

and to 365 more in 2017!  

What we see...

November 10, 2016 (315/366)

"There is only you and your camera. 

The limitations in your photography are in yourself, 

for what we see is what we are." ~ Ernst Haas

November Rain

November 2, 2016 (307/366)

"Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy -
your work becomes a dance with light and the weather." ~ Annie Leibovitz

Black & White

November 1, 2016 (306/366)

“Colour is everything, black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

Synesthesia, from the Ancient Greek σύν - together and αἴσθησις - sensation, is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. 

I have always suspected that I have a tendency toward this phenomenon. Numbers, letters, days of the week, months, etc. have always been associated with a specific color in my mind.  Some of these associations seem logical, representing the traditional or natural occurrences during that time of the year: February is red and, for the past three years, my February pictures have intentionally been shades of red and pink. October is orange and has naturally featured the hues of the changing foliage. But why is 5 red and 7 yellow? Isn't L green and Tuesday blue for everyone?  

November naturally represents an absence of color as the world turns brown and gray and the days get shorter and darker. Natural light becomes a precious commodity while artificial light distorts color and clarity. I have often struggled with my November photographs as my work day begins and ends in darkness. This year, rather than bemoaning these limitations, I'm accepting a new challenge. I will embrace the lack of color and post only black and white images. When a day fails to present me with an interesting or beautiful subject, I will search my archives for previously-rejected images that can be improved by stripping them of color and focusing on light (natural and artificial), shadow, texture and composition. As Elliott Erwitt said, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.”

[Archival photo: Japanese Tea House, Sturgeon Bay, WI - July 25, 2015; iPhone 6 f/2.2 1/30 4.15mm ISO100]