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.
Oh I wish I could write like Bruce DeBoerg. Bruce’s blog is named Permission to Suck.
Here is a portion of his blog entry I read this morning (after I shot the two photos below).
Blog entry: The Space Between Your Notes
Thu, Dec 17, 2009
“Music is the space between the notes” – Claude Debussy
“I thought of this quote before discovering someone much more intelligent said it first. I was at a show listening to bluegrass virtuosos play so fast that it was hard to discern a space between notes. It made me realize that there was only one interpretation possible. There were no spaces for me to think or feel anything but the energy of their content.
Allow me to share a favorite quote came from my recent interview with guitar great Will McFarlane: “It took me 10 years to learn how to play something vaguely interesting and the next 15 learning what to leave out.” Notes give direction but it’s the spaces that allow you to project feeling into a composition. Odds-on, this is where “less is more” originated.
Spaces give us time to anticipate, but what are those expectations exactly? Perhaps answers to equations, our soul’s rhythm, or a simple desire to return home, but to be sure, the more we experience, the more we tend to anticipate outcome. In turn, this leaves room for surprise; the unanticipated conclusion. Spaces between notes are like the unresolved questions; we search for direction and probe for answers.
Then again, unlike performing arts and film, the studio arts and photography have no external timeline. The spaces are created by holding back information – we consume the first ten years discovering how, and the next 15 learning what to obscure.
A color photograph taken at eye level and displayed actual size with infinite detail and accuracy for the scene may inspire through technical proficiency, but there is little room for interpretation. “This is a near exact replica of the scene, isn’t it lifelike?” A photograph summed up in this way risks being quickly dismissed.
It takes courage to allow others to interpret your work but that is where emotions reside; in the spaces between the notes. Make a statement then allow space for interpretation; too many answers create myopic works. Passion is heightened when we find obscured spaces or silence allowing us time to emote; The notes manipulate and the spaces allow feelings……………..”
The following photos are not in focus (obviously:-), are cropped and tweaked, and most importantly, not what I had hoped for when I clicked the shutter using the new Sigma telephoto lens in pre-sunrise light. But I liked them and didn’t know why. They just seem to have more emotion than my regular shots. I thought for sure Ray would poo poo the shots when I asked him for feedback. He usually dislikes any photo that is not in focus or is somewhat abstract, leaving the viewing to imagination. But he liked the photos too.
So I uploaded the photos to WordPress to place on my blog this morning but because I can’t stay with one thing for very long as I’m most easily distracted, I found myself reading the blog entry above from Permission to Suck. Synchronicity at work I believe. These are the spaces between my notes.
I was ready for the geese to fly. Not want I'd hoped for, but I'm happy.
I'm learning how close I can get before they fly off.
I am the Saturday hike leader for our MHCC hiking group. I’d prefer to not be the leader for every Saturday hike but no one else seems to want to lead hikes. Well, for now I’ll keep leading them. I do like scouting new hiking areas out for different hikes. I do like that I want to stay in shape to be able to lead the longer hikes we will do after the 1st of the year. So, it’s a win/win.
Instead of using my small camera, the Canon Powershot A650 I usually use on hikes, I used this new Sigma lens I just bought. You can check the hiking photos I took today here in the Portfolio section of my website.
Why did I buy this lens? I want to use my larger camera, the Canon 40D more, but I don’t want to carry a lot of different lens on hikes. I needed (not wanted LR) a lens with a good variety of range. I knew I’d found “the” lens after a woman, named Marianne J., whom I respect from my online photography Alumni Group, posted the following last week:
“I just bought the Sigma 18-250mm OS for my 7D to use as my all purpose
“hiking” lens. I’ve ended up not taking it off since I bought it!.
Don’t let the speed of the lens fool you. The optical stabilization
makes this lens respond pretty darn quickly. I recommend it without
hesitation as a perfect all purpose lens. (It’s for APS sensors only)
The price is excellent. Go to mysimon.com to search for the best prices.”
Almost all the photos I uploaded from the hike where taken with this new lens (that I needed:-), except for this group shot below. which was shot with the Powershot, on a self timed mode while precariously positioned on a rock.
Me and the others on our hike in the Whitewater Preserve.
Fridays after I’ve driven in to LA on Thursdays are pretty much a Linda day.
Up at 8:30am!!!!!
Breakie and coffee.
Cleaning ladies come.
Ray leaves (he hates being here when the ladies arrive).
Ladies leave.
Ray returns and goes for a walk. (I’m waiting for my new lens to be delivered and I dare not leave the house for fear they will not leave the delivery without someone being home.)
Ray returns and I go for a quick 36 minute walk.
Shower for the second time this morning.
Lens is delivered! Yeah.
Off to Yessie’s (taking my camera and new lens) for my regularly scheduled hour and a half Friday massage. (Ray has his massage following mine.)
All calm and relaxed I hurry at 3:20pm to beat the setting sun for some new lens use.
I had no idea what I’d shoot. I had little sunlight left. So I headed to the I-10 freeway intersection at Bob Hope. Took a side road north of the freeway and headed west.
Five minutes later I pulled off for the first of 100 hand held shots using the new Sigma AF 18-250/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM F/Canon lens. What sold me on this lens was I could use and carry only one lens while hiking/walking and maybe I’d start taking and using the Canon 40D instead of my point and shoot.
4:15 pm and off on a side road waiting for color.
Zoomed shot back east.
Looking west towards the San Gorgonio Pass.
More color coming.
San Jacinto moments before I headed back home for the Chicken Ceasar Salad I knew had waiting for me.
I’m feeling good today because I ate good, exercised and got out to shoot.
Ray found these on Youtube this morning and I spent too much time watching these adorable videos.
Enjoy.
This is adorable:
Baby Dancing to Beyonce – ORIGINAL!
And this is even better:
Beyonce vs Little Girl Arianna
I wasn’t in the mood to go out and shoot but wanted to post some just shot photos. I’m bored with shooting here around the house. I asked Ray if he’d walk outside with me while I shoot for about 40 minutes. I told him I wanted to see what bird shots I could get but there were so many golfers still out playing. He said we should get in the golf cart and head over to the Pete Dye course, one of the 3 Mission Hills CC courses, but the one few golfers play (they think it’s too hard). The Pete Dye course has some great lakes and good jack rabbit photo ops. Good idea Ray had except for the fact that by the time we got the golf cart out and drove over to the Pete Dye course the sun would be within minutes of going behind the San Jacinto mountain range.
So we walked outside our back door and ended up shooting at the lake by #18. I haven’t used my Canon 70-200mm L series 2.8 lens since I was in Jackson Hole in September. So that’s what I shot with today. I was surprised when I put the camera card in the card reader and saw that I had shot about 140 frames in less than 40 minutes. I had few keepers but felt good about honoring the deal I made with myself to get out and shoot with something other than my fanny pack camera that is always on me no matter what I am doing.
While waiting for the golfers to tee off, I shot Ray.
I asked Ray to walk over to the birds by the lake to capture some motion shots.
Shooting towards the light from the setting sun.
I was hoping some ducks would fly overhead so I could see how well the Canon 70-200mm L series 2.8 lens would do getting the birds in focus.
Moments before the sun went down behind the mountains.
We drive in to LA tomorrow. It’s Thursday! We’ll leave earlier than normal as Ray has his first visit with the hip doctor since the surgery. Ray’s curious to hear what the doctor will have to say about the pain he still has.
Ray and I left home this morning at 6am. We arrived at the Desert Hospital at 6:25am. Twelve hours later Cynthia presented her husband Dusty with a very healthy baby boy named Noah. Noah weighs 7.2 lbs and he is 19 inches long.
This was a very long but happy day.
Baby Noah, Dusty and Cynthia at 6:40pm tonight. Noah is minutes old.
It was an in-front-of-the-computer in pj’s kinda day until I pulled myself away to go take a walk for exercise at 2:30pm. I thought I’d take my Canon 40 D fitted with the 50mm lens just in case. Well, Ray decided he was going to turn back. Shortly after I passed the first lake on the loop walk, and since Ray wasn’t with me, I figured I really start looking for photo ops. The reflected color in this photo below stopped me in my tracks. No longer interested in walking I strolled along the lakeshore shooting away.
The color stopped me from walking and made me alter my plan to exercise.
Still trying to get a good bird shot. Photo cropped way down.
Shooting birds is utterly impossible for me but particularly impossible with the lens I was using.
I put an antique filter on this photo and turned the clarity way down in Lightroom.
How did I manage to capture this bird with his back line in line with the crest?
I stood so long waiting for this bird to fly away, so long the sun went down.
Off to bed at 9:50pm as Cynthia is going to have her baby tomorrow morning real early. She’s being induced to deliver and will be at the hospital at 6am. I’m bringing my camera for some first photos of Dusty and Cynthia’s new baby son.
I’m the Saturday hike leader here at our club. Today was a first. All men. Usually the women way out number the men.
Earlier this week I wasn’t sure I was going to schedule a hike for today as the news had been pretty adamant about Saturday being a rainy day. But one of the members had emailed Friday me asking if we were going to have a hike. Once I realized someone wanted to hike, it was a no brainer. I was up for a hike, rain or not. I am concerned that the members won’t bring appropriate rain gear and might get wet, chilled and hypothermic….And, I’d be responsible. So when I finally sent out an email Friday afternoon letting others know we would in fact have a Saturday hike I stressed that rain gear was a must. Thank goodness we didn’t get but a slight sprinkle of rain at the very end of the hike as one person didn’t bring rain gear.
From L>R: Kern, Bill, Michael, Steve, and Me.
Me and "The guys!" on today's morning Mission Hills Hiking Club hike.
To check out more photos from today’s hike click here and then scroll down and click open the Gallery labeled 12/12/09 Big Horn Overlook Trail .
Didn’t get out today to shoot, AGAIN. These photos were taken yesterday, when I stopped my late afternoon walk after I looked across the lake and saw our home. The lighting made the color in the reflections pop. When I moved closer to the ducks they sensed my presence way before I thought they should have, and moved away from me. All these shots were taken with my small camera, the Canon Powershot A 650 (the camera with the dirtiest sensor ever).
Uh oh. I had a little slip today. I bought a new Sigma 18-250mm OS lens. My thinking and actions were influenced by a post Marianne J. made on Carol Leigh’s yahoo alumni group where I am a member. I too need a hiking lens so I only need to carry the one lens. Right?
It's been a while since I shot my shadow.
Leary ducks.
Motion in the water.
Late afternoon color in the reflections.
Snow covered San Gorgonio in the distance across the I-10.
Our home.
Just received an email from Margaret and here are some of the details from the email…………..
“Lecture/Trunk Showing/ Luncheon is on January 11, 10AM-12 Noon. Palm Springs Museum, Palm Springs. The speaker is Carol Sauvion, producer of Crafts in America (PBS Peabody Award series) and owner of Freehand Gallery in Beverly Hills. There will be 4 artists invited for trunk showings. Mine (using Margaret McLane, my AKA “artist’s” name) will be “beads & fibers” – necklaces and purses.
There will be luncheon served. The event will be in the main museum (not the cafe or theater). Tickets are $65. Contact is Stacy – at the museum – phone 760 322-4844. Don’t want anyone to feel obligated but would definitely love to invite anyone who is attracted to the package.
Here are a couple of photos of pieces that will be included in show.”
I’m going. Anyone else want to go?