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!
Fremont Troll- Seattle
I really appreciated my time with the troll today. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.
The assignment for this weekend was to use the concepts we have been taught so far in the course and to create a gallery. I kept in mind the concepts of wide angle, vertical/horizontal, foreground/background, and Rule of Thirds.
In March 2014, I started my Living, Learning and Letting Go blog. Creating posts for the blog has without doubt been a major source of bliss for me. When I think of which post I associate most with the word bliss, Bastet Pixelventures: One Point Perspective photography challenge comes to mind.
When first I read her challenge on June 2, I had no idea what a one point perspective was. I read Bastet’s directions and also looked the phrase up on Wikipedia. Wikipedia says:
A one-point perspective drawing means that the drawing has a single vanishing point, usually (though not necessarily) directly opposite the viewer’s eye and usually (though not necessarily) on the horizon line. All lines parallel with the viewer’s line of sight recede to the horizon towards this vanishing point. This is the standard “receding railroad tracks” phenomenon.
Now I knew what it was, but what photo could I take? As I started on my morning meditation walk, ideas began to enter my mind. I knew I wanted it to be a useful photograph, i.e. something that had a purpose beyond my post. Next I thought of the PNW Litter Project I coordinate. I could take a photo that could not only be used for the challenge, but also in our monthly GreenFriends newsletter and for Litter Project promotion.
Soon thereafter, it dawned on me how I could accomplish my goal. I was so excited. As soon as I returned home, I set to work.
A main focus of the Litter Project is to pick up cigarette butts, the biggest form of litter in the world. The butts are so toxic to the earth and to our waterways, marine animals, birds, etc. To date we have picked up more than 225,000 butts. We send them to TerraCycle to be turned into plastic pallets.
My idea was to create a photo that shows the never ending nature of the problem. To do that, I placed 1375 cigarette butts in a straight line on a sidewalk near my home. It worked!
I definitely felt blissful while creating the imagery and when I saw the photograph!
Today, let’s focus on a street. It can be a quiet road in a small town, an alley near your apartment, or a busy street where pedestrians weave between cars and motorbikes….In your shot, think about its basic components: a foreground and a background. The foreground is the part of you that’s nearest to the viewer, and where you can place a subject or focal point of your picture.
I took this photo in a way the viewer might think that my focus was the texture of the road in the foreground.
The Weekly Photo Challenge is:
This week, show us your interpretation of descent — experiment with your point of view and angle, or go even deeper with the theme.
I think the picture above captures the concept of descent well!
*****
Completing these assignments reminded me of an incident that happened decades ago. When it snows in Seattle it is nearly impossible for me to drive to or from my house. This photo shows the road going west from my house. There are 8-10 more blocks of steep incline beyond what you see here; so driving uphill when there is snow on the ground is not an option.
One year, I thought the one block decline going east was potentially doable so I decided to try it.
I took a deep breath and turned the corner onto McClellan St. When I looked into my rear view mirror, a moment or two later, I saw a station wagon sliding down the hill sideways. Somehow, I avoided a collision, but that was the end of my driving when it is snowing in Seattle! If I need to go somewhere I walk, take the bus or go by light rail!
“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 