landmark

Every city has its share of important landmarks, but certain iconic spots seem to be more photogenic than others. This is certainly true about the "passageway" in downtown Omaha's old market district. It's a must-see for anyone, but especially magical for photographers. I've been there countless times and still find myself reaching for my camera. Tourists love the passageway for it's shops and restaurants, but photographers are drawn in to the combination of rough brick, luscious greenery and twinkling lights paired with the daylight flooding down from the skylights. With surroundings this beautiful, a photographer can't go wrong. So if you're ever in Nebraska, the Old Market passageway would be one of my top photo-worthy recommendations.

Do you find your camera drawn to certain landmarks in your city? Give us your recommendations so we can take advantage on our next road trip.

out of hibernation

A blizzard, then an ice storm. Then rain, then a cold snap, and everything freezes solid. Foliage is dead and buried, brittle or frozen. Everything hibernates.

Go ahead, says February. Find my beautiful. And I'm not talking about that salt-weathered barn in the middle of that field. No standing half a mile back. Get up close. Make something of nothing.

I've got a bit of a plan now. A wide-open aperture, a deliberate shoving through of foreground, a focusing on the middle. Lying in snow, stalks tangled up in my camera strap. It makes camera into brush, composition into canvas.

+++

It doesn't matter what you think you're shooting. What's in front of you is not your photographic subject. Your photographic subject is whatever that thing or person or scene evokes. Your subject is the feeling, the story, or the questions you raise by capturing that thing or person or scene one way versus another. Let's strip this down and test it. Here's a bunch of stuff.

I looked at the table in front of me. A coil of wire, some reflective paper, a pad of steel wool, some bolts, unraveled wool, crumpled paper and too much else to make sense of. I looked back up at the instructor.

Take whatever looks interesting, and photograph any of these subjects. She pushed a paper across the table to the group of us.

Loneliness
Love
Cold
Warm
Fear
Safety

It doesn't matter what materials you use. What matters is your creative intention in arranging and capturing them.

I choose 'cold' and photographed it. And I forgot it until now, or at least forgot the connection between that abstract photography course and what I'm looking for when I'm outdoors in February. I'm not looking for pretty subjects. I'm looking for shape and line, company and loneliness.

+++

The first time I did it, it was an experiment, an exercise in blurring eyes and looking to see what else I'd found other than a withered, mid-winter hosta. I've been on hiatus from Shutter Sisters for a while, and now I'm back at the very peak of my photographic dry season (which I write about every year without fail, each time with that whiny, northeastern lilt). And so I remembered the basics.

Have you ever abstracted subjects to their elements? Have you set out with the intention to construct a photograph of colour - just colour - or line, shape, texture, or space? I'd love to see. Either that, or just tell me how you're doing and what you're shooting. It's been too long.

Cheap Frills

image shot with my Nokia N8

Standing in the check out line a sunny bouquet of flowers caught my eye. Ah ha! That is exactly what I need! I didn't hesitate to grab it before I left the store. And just that simple, I totally made my own day!

Is it just me or does anyone else forget that there are a number of simple things we can do to lift our spirits?

I have been delighted and inspired but this simple arrangement all week long. In fact, it's not only offered me some well-needed color therapy (during the season that often lacks it) but it has served as a creative muse. I can't stop shooting all the color, texture and frills that this bouquet of slowers boasts!

It may be too chilly for swingy skirts but that doesn't mean I can't use this Gerber Daisy as a substitute. Just don't tell her it's not spring yet!

I encourage you to get girlie today! Capture something that lifts your spirits and reminds you to enjoy being a girl!

snapping a slice of life

 

Confession: The only thing I love more than eating food is photographing food.

Is it just me or does anyone else do this?

Sometimes I will plate a meal so that it looks pretty even though it’s going to be in my belly in two seconds. I’ve always cared about what my food looked like. If it doesn’t look good, I usually don’t want to eat it. As an artist, I'm always on a hunt for color, texture, and light. Food provides all three of these things on one plate!

This week, I’m inviting everyone over for a Slice of Life Tuesday Visual Potluck! Slice of Life Tuesday is a weekly photo challenge in which I provide a theme for inspiration and ask people to share photos from their everyday lives. For me, it has provided a way to stay creative and find the beauty in ordinary moments. And really, what could be more “everyday” than eating? It’s something we all have in common. We all have to eat. And those three square meals a day (or 6-12 in my case) provide ample opportunity for us to pull out our cameras.

So let’s feast! Cook up some of your most delectable, delicious, yum-tastic meals, and share a photo that will make our stomachs growl. If you don’t usually cook, try your hand at photographing your meal at a restaurant.

At one time, I thought about becoming a food photographer and spent a lot of time flipping through my fair share of food magazines, studying and ogling over the delicious photos. Through my studies, I discovered a few simple tricks that can help capture food at its best.

1. View your plate as art. Take your time plating the food. Think about composition and the rule of thirds. The same concepts that apply to art apply to plating your food.

2. Color. Color. Color. The camera loves color. Colorful food sets off triggers in our brains that say "Yum! I want what she's having!" In addition, think about ways to bring color and texture into the background. Use napkins and tablecloths to contrast and enhance the food.

3. More is more. When it comes to photographing food, the more full the plate is, the more scrumptious it looks. Photograph the overflowing bowl of food before you serve it on plates. Or put more on your plate than you plan on eating. Sometimes, art wins out over practicality!

4. Find the light. If you cook in a kitchen with fluorescent lighting like I do, don't be afraid to move the food to a different location. I photographed the couscous salad in the photo above outside on my deck. If you don't have a deck, bring the food to a window that lets in lots of natural light or find a place in your home that is lit with warm light. You can sometimes find me in the living room with my camera and my breakfast because that was where the best light was at that moment.

5. Take a bite. If you look at any food magazine, most of the photos show the food as it’s being cooked or mid-meal. This is where the "slice of life" philosophy really helps. Use your food to tell a story. Take food photos that look like real life. If you normally have a fork on your plate, put a fork on your plate. If you want to take a bite, take a bite!

Above all else, enjoy the food! Before your meal gets cold, put down the camera and pick up the fork!

Bon appétit!

Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Darrah Parker. You can find her on her blog where she hosts Slice of Life Tuesday. You are invited to share your Slice of Life with her at the Slice of Life Tuesday Flickr Group.

elements of style

If you ever watch TLC's What Not to Wear, then you've heard Stacy and Clinton tell countless women to look for "color, texture, pattern and shine" to create stylish outfits. And although creating a trendy look is different than taking an interesting photo, some of the same principles apply. It's about mixing contrasting colors and textures to draw attention to your subject. Not only can we be on the lookout for interesting textures, colors and patterns but unique perspectives and compositions. And when these elements are used sparingly, the results can be pretty eye-catching.

Do you have any examples of a photo that includes all or some of these elements of style (color, texture, pattern and shine)?