Jane and Maggie enjoying the sunshine at the farm.They just closed their eyes and soaked up the warmth.
mail order brides
Feast your eyes upon one very lonely tree named Bryan. Didn't know that trees had names like Bryan? They do and, as I mentioned, they also can be lonely. Bryan has been standing here for many years and unfortunately, as you can see, he stands alone. It's not that he couldn't have friends and companions. Bryan is a very friendly and outgoing sort of tree. Unfortunately, nobody has ever seen fit to plant another tree nearby.
What Bryan needs is a girlfriend. A lady tree to keep him company. Perhaps one of you fine people reading this has a spring catalog of plants, bushes and trees sitting on your cofee table. Maybe you even feel sorry for Bryan's plight and are willing to help a good tree out of his predicament.
If you are of a mind to make a lonely tree happy, pick up that catalog and order Bryan a companion. Maybe a nice maple to see him through his years. If you think the maple might be a little too flashy, I suppose he might also like a kind, friendly poplar.
uncomfortable mo
I have a friend named Mo. It is one of Mo's pleasures to create photographs that make the viewer uncomfortable. I don't know why, but then, I don't know why she is named Mo either. However, Mo's delight in uncomfortable images has gotten me thinking about this image that I took a couple weekends ago. It makes me uncomfortable.
I don't like to be uncomfortable looking at my own images. I tend to want my photos to embrace me with comfort. I want my eye to flow smoothly into the image and rest on the subject without any effort at all. I work hard to make that transition from reality to the image as smooth as possible.
After giving the photo some thought, I believe that what throws me off in this image is that the irrigation system recedes to the left, away from the center of the image, instead of towards the center of the image.
In this second image of the same irrigation system, I framed the photo so that the irrigation system recedes towards the center of the photo. I am much more comfortable with this image than the first. I also like the parallel lines formed by the edge of the road and the edge of the plowed field. Comfort and balance. Peace with the world.
I don't know which image is the better image from a technical standpoint. I don't really care. I do know that I prefer the comfort of a balanced image. Evidently, I don't want to work too hard when looking at a photo. I will leave that to Mo. Me? I am a lazy viewer.
white on white on white
While out driving on Saturday, I found this scene. This is pretty typical of the farmland that surrounds Springfield, Ohio. We live on the edge of the city and it takes only a few minutes for us to find the corn and soybean fields.
winter fog
This weekend was an odd one for winter weather. The temperatures rose to just above freezing and a chilly fog set in. We never saw the sun all weekend. It was really difficult even telling which direction the sun should have been.
I wanted to take some landscape pictures, but the fog forced me to rethink my approach. Now, I had to use the fog as part of the image composition.
Note that there are spots on the the image. Turns out that I had some dust on the camera's mirror. I should have noticed it when I changed the lenses, but didn't. These are easily removed in Photoshop. However, that is not always the case. Lesson learned; check your mirror as well as your lens… everytime you change lenses.
outside of the summer kitchen…
… the winter lingers like a cold breath.
winter grass part two
As promised, where is the uncropped B&W conversion of the previous photo. I am torn between the two. I like the B&W conversion. I like it's OOC crop. However, I like the warmth of the bronze grass in the previous version. Perhaps the answer lies in between. What do you think? What is your favorite version?
cold, cold, and cold
It's been a cold weekend. No other way to describe it. The weather started Thursday evening as the snow flurries began, culminating in only an inch or so by Friday evening. Snow wasn't the problem, it was the temperatures. Saturday started in the upper teens and ended in the low twenties. Sunday hovered around zero at dawn, eventually warming to the mid twenties.
We spend a large portion of the weekend huddled in the den, in front of the fire place…. maybe it wasn't such a bad weekend after all.
The stare down
Michelle doesn't like to have her picture taken. I can respect that. However, she lets me and I appreciate that.
When somebody who doesn't like having their picture taken allows me to do it, I feel as though I have a special obligation to get it right. I also tend to show them the image in camera so that they can see what they will look like. If you find yourself in a similar situation, take the time to let them know that you appreciate them allowing you to shoot and that you very much appreciate their patience.
launch
I always really enjoy the beginning of a new project. There is a level of excitement and anticipation that is full of promise. Soon the work begins and routine sets in. Then, as the project nears its conclusion, the excitement returns as the results begin to show themselves.
This image is the first in a new project and I wouldn't normally show it to you, but I am very pleased with the results. In this case, my excitement comes from the subtle tones and shadow of motion that came from a little experimentation and dozens of shots before I got what I want. I think my parents were right when they taught me that hard work always results in the joy of a job well done.
The project? Hold your horses, more on that later.
tim mcmurdo 