orange wall with blue door and window

This is a late post because I am trying to finalize all of my school work before the holiday gets here. I took this photograph last year and feel like it kinda works as metaphor of my week: lots of dynamic things going on, some of them are harsh and clashing with other aspects of my life.

Don’t work too much for me. When I finish turning in my assignments, I will be done for the summer and able to focus on creating newer works to dazzle myself  and entertain viewers.

This has been a very busy week for me: I started a new full time job and had to give a speech as part of a class assignment. Now that the school work is more or less up to date, I wanted to post this solitary tulip I saw the other week.

This yellow and orange tulip was all alone in a spot of sunlight just below some trees: dramatic lighting too good to pass up. So, here it is for all to see.

I am hopeful next week will be slightly less chaotic. I will be spending this weekend trying to ensure such does happen.

Until next week…

rainy day, ripples from raindrops in puddle

I have been working on my portfolio for this quarter. This image is one I will not be using; not because its a bad shot but because I am using a horizontal layout and this does not work when rotated.

I am basing my selections upon the series “Equivalents” by Alfred Stieglitz. I want to use black and white to remove the emotion associated with color.

My final portfolio will be much more contrasty and show a wider range of tonal values between black and white than what this image currently depicts.

I hope to have my final selections made for my portfolio by next weekend.

American flag by early morning light

This was a compositing assignment for school. I like it well enough to share. I have to point out that I actually took the photographs in late afternoon.

I wanted this to look like it was just after dawn on a stormy morning. I had to wait for the wind to open the flag far enough so that it could be seen clearly.

The flag really has gotten worn out this rainy and windy winter. The plan is to replace it by June 14th, Flag Day.

four red tulip blooms

Here are the red tulips in bloom. Not at full opening like I want to capture in a photograph. I have managed to be gone during the blooms most open times this past weekend. Now the rains are back. At least the progression from bud to bloom has been recorded.

I still might do a diptych with the tulips but, as I have been shooting a lot of other things lately, I may hold off and do something completely different next week. When will the iris be coming into bloom?

three red tulip blooms

As promised, an updated image of the tulips. They are indeed red. It has been raining often this week. If you look closely, there are raindrops, not dew on the blooms.I am hopeful this weekend will be sunny so I can get another photo of the blooms open in sunlight.

Check back next week to see if the weather cooperates.

pairs of daffodils

I took the day off from school and spent it photographing flowers and local scenery. The daffodils seem to fit the theme for the day, bright and cheerful.
I especially like how the pairs of daffodils seem to be receding in a line up the slight hill.

budding tulips

These tulips are proof that spring has arrived. I have no idea what color the blooms will be when they open in the next week or so, hopefully. I am guessing they will be red because this is where I have seen red tulips.

I used my flash to add some dramatic lighting.

Once these bloom I will post another photograph of them. I might even do a diptych for comparison. Or, push my luck, and have a triptych….. hmm.

storm clouds above Skagit mud flats

As I write this entry, I can hear the rain pouring down outside my window. I took this image the same day as the young bald eagle with ruffled head feathers was photographed. I really have not wanted to go out into the rain this week. So, I am offering this image as representative of the weather this week.

To be more specific about the posted image: it was taken at Padilla Bay in Washington state. The tide was very low during this day. The clouds were bringing rain, snow, and hail. I like the image for its slight reflection but mostly for the dynamic clouds with teasing bits of sunlight.

purple crocus in early evening light

I thought I would add this image before the bloom dies. The weather has actually been sunny for a few days. I photographed this  purple crocus illuminated by the evening sun and enjoyed a warm, early spring evening.