A Garden + A Theme = Learning

Wanderlust is in my blood. I get it from my dad. We both have a strong urge to wander or travel. I find that urge to wander carries over into my photography. Most of the time even though I go to a specific destination, I just wander along letting my instincts and curiosity lead me. There’s nothing wrong with that as I always find something of interest, but recently I tried something different. I went with a specific theme to photograph. My destination was a woodland garden that I have been to many times. I thought by choosing a place I’ve been before I wouldn’t be overwhelmed with the newness of everything around me. My theme was leading lines because it is our Monthly Focus  and it is something I needed to work on.

Having something specific in mind changed my shooting approach in a positive way. Having a theme provided a starting point instead of aimless wandering until something caught my eye. Of course, the pathways were the first and most obvious leading lines. It was just a matter of finding a pleasing point of view. I soon discovered that if the lines weren’t obvious like the pathways, I struggled with finding them. Subconsciously I’ve used leading lines before, but to look for them was hard for me. I had all these thoughts running around in my head. Is there a line here? Where is the line leading my eyes? Do the lines help or hinder the photograph? Can I get the line higher or lower to improve the balance? Does the line need to stay inside the frame or lead out? 

I discovered that leading lines don't have to be continuous. Sometimes our eyes will complete the line for us like in the photo above. There is not a complete line of rocks that are visible, but our eyes follow them out of the picture anyway.

I also discovered that abstract images can be improved when there is a line leading your eye through the photo.

Photographing with a theme is not something I’ve done very often. As I said I’m more of a wanderer, but I did like this experience of picking a theme. I felt stimulated and came away with a sense of accomplishment. Having a theme helped me focus because I already knew what I was looking for. It also became a good learning experience. The next time you’re out with your camera you might try choosing a specific theme. Although the possibilities of a photo theme are endless, here are some suggestions to get you started:

• a specific color
• things that are old
• shapes
• patterns
• shadows
• reflections
• signs
• people
• arcitecture

For an extra challenge, pick something you don’t normally photograph.

I encourage you sometime during this month to choose leading lines as your theme and post some of your images in the Focusing On Life Flicker photo pool. I would love to see examples of leading lines as I continue to study them. I honestly need help learning to see them!

It's Not Easy Being Green

by Dotti

My intentions were to post about some photography related subject today but the more I thought about our monthly theme, colors of the season, the more I heard it calling my name. Don’t you just love this theme? I know I do!

You see, I’m a color person. There aren’t many colors I just don’t like and in my photography, I find it very hard to desaturate the color in my photos or to make them black and white. I love color that pops off my computer screen or off the paper. Yes, color lights my world.

And Spring, well, Spring makes my pulse beat a little faster – I love seeing the earth come alive again with her colors. As I looked around me at all the fresh, new green growth in our landscape, I kept thinking about Kermit. Yes – that Kermit, Kermit the Frog.

*It's not that easy being green;

Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold-
or something much more colorful like that.

It's not easy being green.

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water-
or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of Spring.

And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like the ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be

It could make you wonder why, but why wonder? Why Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.

So – what about you? Does the Spring color make your heart beat a little faster? Is your camera your new best friend again? As you immerse yourself in the awakening of Spring, don’t overlook the color green. This time of year it’s brilliant in its own, understated but ever so beautiful way. And you might just find yourself humming, “It’s not easy being green …”

*Lyrics: Joe Raposo

Wednesday Focus on You

by Judy

Our month of searching for the alphabet has almost come to an end!  I do hope you continue to keep your eyes open for letters. You will find them in the most unexpected places!  

This week's 'Wednesday Focus on You' is a little different.  From now on, instead of doing our Saturday 'Focus on You' posts, where we choose a theme related photo to feature, starting today, the last Wednesday of each month, our Wednesday Focus on You will feature your photographs that are theme related. We thought it would be a fun way to wrap up our monthly theme by bringing together some of your theme related photos into one beautiful post.  

Like these two photos from Barbara Vautier, (Drolwa.)  

P is for Pepper.  Love the colors in this one.

And, Tibetan Letters.  These letters are gorgeous!  I'd love to know the story behind this.  

This adorable little bee was perfectly captured by Teragam.

Wearing Sunglasses, the Letter B.

What a good eye Pam Scott,( PJ Scott) had when she saw the Letter W in her sandals! 

Letter W.

These two photos from Life, Unscripted Photography really caught my eye.  I am drawn to doors, and she found a beauty!  Both the close up of the rusty letters, and the full photo showing the door are stunning.  

Fancy Rusty Letters.

Alphabet in Nature.

N is for North.  I loved the lines in this pretty black and white by Leanne Strilchuk, (Leanne S.)

Thank you all for playing along!  Stay tuned for next month's theme. 

Love, Judy

Finding Themes

by Leigh

Sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office….bored out of my mind….decided it was time to clear some photos off my phone when it struck me.  There are some pretty strong themes to my photography.  Nature is an obvious one since that accounts for 90% of my photos, but leaves in particular occur frequently.  I think to myself…what is it about leaves that intrigue me so.  Is it their overall shape….elongate, lanceolate, linear, oblong, obovate, tendril, orbicular, deltoid? (warning: my botany nerd is starting to come out in full force!) Is it the patterns of the veining….palmately, pinnately?  Is it their edges….smooth edged, toothed, serrated, lobed?  Is it the joy of fall when the days get shorter and the lower production of chlorophyll allows the green to fade and the colors to shine through?  (botany nerd…I told you).

There are so many different ways to show the beauty of leaves.  There are little nuances that separate one leaf from another…it's like a treasure hunt to find the distinctions.  Sometimes it's the shadows that leaves create with each other.  It's the interplay of the leaves with each other and their surroundings.  Perhaps it's finding the individual among the group….showcasing some feature that is distinct to that one little leaflet.  These little distinctions deserve to be seen.

Take a look through your photos…do you see a theme that you may not have noticed before?

"Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, 

and partakes of the perfection of the whole."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson