My front yard slopes in a way that rain water runs towards the house. To solve that problem I have been making raised garden beds which even out the land. The street also slopes downhill so in some places the new wall may be eight bricks high and in other places two. Brick by brick, and bucket after bucket I have built the wall and filled the new garden beds with Cedar Groves compost. I’ve completed about two thirds of the project.
I decided photos of my wall would work well for the edges assignment. I used the straighten option of PicMonkey to make sure the lines were positioned correctly. It is nice to have learned how to use a new photography tool.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Yesterday, I read a beautiful and moving poem, Remaining True, written by Wendell A. Brown. The picture that went with the poem contained the words from Psalms 103:1 “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”
The Psalm reminded me of a song from Taize that I love, Bless the Lord My Soul. I found it on YouTube and played it. As I listened, tears came to my eyes.
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of more than one hundred brothers, from Protestant and Catholic traditions, who originate from about thirty countries across the world. It was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schütz, a Reformed Protestant. Guidelines for the community’s life are contained in The Rule of Taizé[1] written by Brother Roger and first published in French in 1954.
The community has become one of the world’s most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. Through the community’s ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.
In December of 2001, two friends and I went to Taize on our way to Amma’s ashram in India. I felt so blessed to be in the presence of Brother Roger. He radiated a spiritual energy that was so palpable….. and so kind.
Below you will find YouTube videos of two Taize songs. The first is Bless the Lord My Soul and the second is my favorite Taize song, Veni Sancte Spiritus. I picked this version to share with you not only because the music is beautiful, but also because it has pictures of Taize and of Brother Roger.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
As I listened to the second song, tears started pouring down my cheeks. There are places in Seattle where Taize chants are sung regularly. It is time for me to go again….. very soon!
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”-William Shakespeare
Living, Learning and Letting Go 