Photography 101: Treasure

and

Wordless Wednesday

Photography 101: Glass

Today’s assignment is to focus on glass. Some suggested techniques were to

Look through.
Look between.
Find an unconventional surface.
Experiment with your flash both on and off.
Shine an artificial light source on it.
Surprise us!

I decided to photograph the chandelier in my dining room. The pictures look other-worldly to me….. and remind me of one of my favorite movies, Close Encounters of the Third Kind!

without flash

with flash

Written for Photography 101: Glass

Photography 101: Catching Up!

I’m behind in my Photography 101 assignments so decided to address all three of them in one post! These photos were taken today at Jefferson Park in Seattle.

#1 Fleeting Moment

It was suggested that our fleeting moment photo capture something with movement. Just as I was about to give up, I noticed that the wind was whipping this grass around!

#2 Swarm

If it was a week from now, I would be in India photographing the swarm of cars, taxis, bicycles, buses and people. Since that wasn’t possible, I decided that this section of the park could be an nontraditional depiction of the word “swarm!”

#3 Landscape

I knew what shot I wanted for this assignment! This is the view of downtown Seattle from Jefferson Park. If you look closely, you can see the Space Needle.

Written for:

Photography 101: Moment

Photography 101: Swarm

Photography 101: Landscape

Photography 101: Architecture

Years ago, a family in my neighborhood added a futuristic addition to their existing house. I decided it would make a good subject for this assignment.

Train your eye to look for architectural elements that translate in black and white: sharp lines and patterns, defined shapes, large surface areas, and a mix of very light and very dark colors. Compare the color and monochrome versions of today’s shot.

I took photos of four different angles of the house and used a variety of effects to make them monochrome. Below you will see them in color, black and white and sepia followed by a slide show of them with the Holga effect.

Color

Black and White

Sepia

And here are the four pictures in Holga.

I took photos of one other house that seems very futuristic, especially since it is located in my neighborhood of 60 to 100 year old homes. It has probably been here about 20 years by now!

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Written for Photography 101: Architecture

Photography 101: A Pop of Color

In July, I wrote a post about all of the red cars that line the street where I live. When I went outside looking for color today, it was red that popped out amidst the muted late autumn colors.

Written for Photography 101: A Pop of Color

Weekly Photo Challenge: Accomplishment

For some time, I have realized that I spend so much time working on my laptop that it would be better for my back and my health in general if I had a standing computer desk. That way I could stand up when I use the laptop. I looked on the internet for one but it didn’t take long to determine that they cost more than I was willing to pay, i.e. $100-200.

I decided to create my own standing desk by putting three small tables on top of each other with a piece of plywood in-between each section. I used it for most of the year, but eventually tired of having something so unsightly in my living room.

Two months ago, I was at a friend’s house and saw his standing computer desk. My eyes lit up. It was exactly what I had been looking for, and he had purchased it for only $36! I soon discovered that the price had gone up since he bought his, but I was still able to buy one for $46 plus tax. (In obtaining the link for this post, I noticed that the price has increased again.) Now, while I work, I can stand when I want to stand and sit when I want to sit. I love it!

Purchasing the computer desk was an accomplishment, but it wasn’t the biggest one. For as long as I can remember, my dining room table has been covered with clutter. There is the mail, Sanskrit homework, info for the monthly newsletter I write, bills, the laptop, items I need to write posts, and a whole lot more. I generally push things to the side when I need space to eat, or since I live alone, I just eat elsewhere. The rest of the house isn’t a mess but the dining room table sure has been.

Having the computer desk has made all the difference in the world. After I put the desk together, I cleaned the dining room table and it has stayed completely free of clutter ever since. If I put items on it during the day, then I remove them shortly thereafter.

With all the clutter removed, I can see how scarred the table is, but that is a job for another day. For now I’m going to celebrate the accomplishment of having a clean table and a clean dining room!

*****

Written for Weekly Photo Challenge: Accomplishment

Photography 101: Play With Light

Our assignment for the weekend was to:

Study light throughout the day. Select one single location or object to which you’ll return to see how the light changes — and how it affects this particular shot. Snap test shots during each session, so you can compare the results.

Photography 101: An Early Morning Mystery

The morning began like any other. I decided to take a walk in the empty lot behind my house. That land has no houses, but is the location of many mysteries! What would happen today?

Home again! I wonder what mysteries the rest of the day will hold.

Nature Cycles

For Photography 101: The Natural World and Wordless Wednesday

Photography 101: Landmark

When I read the Photography 101 assignment for today I knew exactly what landmark I would use. This statue is called the Fremont Troll and is located in Seattle under the Aurora Avenue bridge.

Wikipedia states that prior to the troll moving in, the area was a dumping ground for trash and a haven for drug dealers. The statue was made in 1990 by four local artists: Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead. The street it is on was renamed Troll Avenue in 2005.

The troll is 18 feet high and weighs 13,000 pounds. You can get a sense of its size not only by seeing it in relation to the people in the photos, but also by knowing that the troll is clutching a real Volkswagen Beetle!