In a world of so many great photographers and writers, I am venturing into some unknown territories, leaving comfort zones, finally very willing to practice the art of seeing. By maintaining the practice of posting daily photos, I hope to continue learning about the possibilities that I trust are out there for the taking.
In my photo below, I wish I’d changed the angle of capture so that the cactus (see blog amendment below to correct succulent name to agave, not cactus) point on the right didn’t blend in with the dark background. Another thing I noticed when I zoomed in is that the front left cactus point isn’t in focus and that is where I intended the focus to be rather than where it is on the right rear point.
Hey, I’m happy I notice such things lately.
Another student of Carol Leigh’s, Lori, has a wonderful portfolio of cactus photos on her site. I thought of Lori this morning and wished I could have picked her brain on how to shoot this shot.
And I just have to post this way too funny photo of Connie’s mode of transportation these days.
Blog entry amended 8/16/09. I received an email from a friend who helped me see that what I had photographed was not a cactus. I was told..”you called your agaves “cactus”… grrrrrr…… they’re both succulents, but agaves aren’t cactus, and vice versa! Grrrrr…… you know how protective I am of my agaves, so be careful not to besmirch their reputation! >;-}”
I apologize and stand corrected!
CRITIQUE: Linda Jeffers
HALVES 
1. MEEEEEEEEE
I hope I included the right number of “E’s” in the title!
This is a cute photo of you, Linda, and it was a good
idea for this assignment. And just as an aside — isn’t it
weird when we examine a photograph of ourselves? If
we stare long enough it’s almost as though the
photograph is of a stranger and you begin wondering
about this other person . . . Nah, probably just me . . .
Anyway, I like this photo. I also like how you post processed
it. The black and white treatment is
appropriate and it’s flattering. You’ve also softened the
image, which again is appropriate. And it looks as
though you may have overexposed the shot somewhat,
which is ALSO appropriate. The little I know about
people photography, I know that the black and white
treatment removes some of the distractions that color
can create. And the softening aspect draws our attention
to the eyes, which are the most important part of a
portrait. And slightly overexposing a black and white photograph often removes a lot of the
deeper lines in our faces.
Please note: I am not saying that you are an overly tan wrinkled old hag and my, what a good
job you did disguising it! No, no! I’m saying that we digital photographers have the skill and
tools to become self-portraitists, and we can do exactly what a professional portrait
photographer might do. We can soften lines or we can emphasize lines. We can max out on
color or we can be more subtle. We can selectively soften an image, making the eyes leap out in
sharp focus.
Your lighting is such that the background really blends, providing just enough shadowing and
texture to be interesting, yet being soft enough so that your face really stands out against it,
especially the strands of your hair and the peach fuzz on your cheeks. (It’s said that Marilyn
Monroe had this same soft fuzz in her face, which gave her a naturally luminous glow.)
Your glasses blend in well, don’t they? We know they’re there, but they don’t interfere with our
connecting with
you via your eye.
Good shot,
Linda. You look
cute.
2. HALF DISTORTION 
Beautiful. What makes this shot (to me) is (1) the bit of
yellow in the reflection and the sharpness of the base.
You filled your frame with 2/3 glass and 1/3 background,
which works great and ties in with the overall Rule of
Thirds in composition.
Your background is completely out of focus but has
strong bits of color in it, making your glass stand out well
against it, but without overpowering the image. Your
glass is darker than the background, which makes it stand
out even more.
My eye goes first to the lower left, focusing on the
yellow. Then it sees the yellow in the reflection, and so
my eye works upward. It then begins looking for
something in focus, and it finds the base of the glass/
vase.
This is important:
Did you notice that my eye concentrated just on the
bottom of your photograph? The yellow, up to the yellow,
then down to the base? Maybe THAT’S where your
picture is. Maybe if you turned this photo into a square, it
would be jam-packed with good stuff, without any
extraneous empty dark stuff on top. Let’s take a look. (Carol Leigh posted a square version here on my critique cutting off the upper third of the vase.)
Hmmmm . . . I think I like this version a lot better. I think
we see all of the interesting things at once — yellow/
yellow/base. What do you think? Less is more?
I’m sorry, I just
had to do this.
Here’s how
you’d look as
Yoko Ono! Ha!
This looks
NOTHING like
you! (I couldn’t copy the photo Carol that appeared here to explain this last comment. In the critique she posted a full face photo she’d created of me, by somehow flipping or reversing my face to seamlessly post a full faced photo.)
3. TV SHOT 
Very interesting. I’m glad you added descriptive info
— TV and poster edges — that helps me out a lot.
I’m not sure about this photograph, but I’m finding it
intriguing. Let me just sort of ramble on and maybe
something will come of it.
First of all, my initial impression was Obama/
Kennedy. I shan’t go into politics, but my thinking
was, “Oh, give me a break!” The important thing
about this little thought bubble is “teeth.” My eye
went first and foremost to the teeth and to the guy on
the left rather than the guy on the right, who is much
darker. So to me, you’re emphasizing the person on
the left. But what’s tying the two together is the bright
white of Obama’s shirt. So I go from teeth to shirt and
then up to Obama’s eye. All I’m trying to do right now is point out the movement in your photo
and how our eye goes from point to point and why.
I truly like what you did here. It’s fresh and different. And the poster edges filter in Photoshop?
I think it worked great! You took what was (I’m assuming) a relatively grainy photograph of a
television image. So your photo is not only of halves, but of grain. How can you enhance the
concept of grain? Poster edges does it beautifully. Ink outline sometimes is a good filter for this
sort of thing, too. And the black and white treatment? Again, it works for a TV image — a sort
of retro TV feeling.
Photoshop filters can look gimmicky and obvious, but they can also enhance a concept that’s
already in place. When we use filters for a reason, not just because we can, we add our own
artistic touch and vision to an image. As you did here.
I think you did a great job with this picture. It made me stop, look, and think. Congratulations.
Carol Leigh
August 10, 2009
It’s me back………I’m so sad Carol is no longer going to offer these online classes. Here is a link to her blog where I’m sure other learning possibilites will be offered under her web pages section.
I hoped I was wrong, but last night I knew my glands were sore. This morning something I have sucked all the energy out of me. I don’t want to be sick. We’re leaving to go to Mammoth for 3 weeks in a few days. Well, maybe whatever I have will go away over night.
Following the second part of the 5th step I heard from 7am to 10am, I got back into bed….with books! What a luxury. I’ve been wanting to watch the Canon D40 tutorial DVD I’d watched a long time ago, and did. There were some things I didn’t know how to work on the camera, but was surprised with how comfortable I am knowing how to use the camera. In the DVD the guy suggests we learn how to use the camera by feel and intuition like we do when driving cars. I don’t have to look at the stick shift to know where it is or how to use it, so that’s my goal with the camera…..knowing how to use the controls without pulling my eye away from what I shooting.
A stolen hour at home, trying to create another photo for my online class assignment: Triangles. 
It’s 10:40pm and I’m tired. Lot’s of phone time today plus a 5th step tonight for 3.5 hours. At 7am tomorrow we meet to finish the 5th step.
Off to bed to sleep for 6 hours.
Still not light enough to hand hold a shot of the girls hamming it up for the camera.
And what would a hike be without a shadow shot: Connie, Me and Mary Kay.
Home watching this different visitor drinking from the water Ray put out before he left for the San Fernando Valley today.
Too late to blog.
Up at 3:45am tomorrow morning to hike with Connie and Mary Kay.
Good night.
p.s. Katie was “4″ yesterday!
I asked Susan if I could post her email I just read. I am not of service to get, I give to give, but when I get something like this I am so moved.
You made my day Susan. I love you.
p.s. Now get back to writing:-)
From: susan alvarez [mailto:suzeque321@bresnan.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:11 AM
To: Linda Jeffers
Subject: One a day!
Hi Linda! I am so envious of my sis’ who get to be with you. I miss you lots
and in case I haven’t said it often enough…I love you! You give and have
given me so much more than I could have ever wished or dreamed of…you help
me keep my self from running naked down the street (with my hair on fire and
out of the “bin”). Everyday I watch and learn something new. You are my
treasure! I was born an only child so every once in a while I don’t want to
share you. Today’s topis at my meeting was selfish and self-centered. I
picked the topic. But I fell out of myself pretty quickly today. So here’s
your poem for the day.
Treasures
I am so glad to feel a part of your part
Don’t know where that is, but it’s a good place to start
Talking to you is like melting my soul
I can see all the lines and all of the holes
You fill up my heart and God takes me away
He then brings me back and I get to play
I’m happy and free and dressed up to dance
I willing to be and just take the chance
I’m brave and I’m strong and I know the way
I see little bread crumbs left every day
God leads me to water and I take a big drink
My mind wanders onward without me I think
I don’t pay attention to thoughts in my head
they tell me I’m worthless and I should be dead
I silence the demons and put them in place
They’re snarling and angry with shit on their face
It’s all an illusion a disease of the self
You’ve brought me the courage to climb down from the shelf
I wish to pay forward and give it away
My soul seeks the answers each moment each day
I have thoughts to offer of God and His plan plan
My mind wanders onward when I take a stand
I do love this journey where ever it leads
Love is the answer it fills all my needs
It takes but a moment to walk out of the self
It’s here in the moment that I wish to dwell
Where I am just happy to be so alive
There is a solution and how I do thrive
So I need to thank you for just being you
You’re calming and brilliant and I like the view
So here’s to the heartbeat that my soul does claim
One thing’s for sure, I am not the same!
Love,love, joy,joy. happy, happy, Linda, Linda, bye,bye. Talk manana!
Happy Birthday Paula.
Cynthia, Connie and Paula.
The color burst originating upward from the distant San Jacinto mountains, just before the sun came up while on the Bump & Grind with Connie this morning.
Last night we all (Me, Ray, Connie, Paula, Cynthia and Dusty) went to see the Bill and Bob play in LaQuinta.Cynthia, Paula and Connie.
Dusty and Cynthia.
Quincy and Karen
Karen, Sandi, Quincy and Linda.jpg)
Quincy and Linda