Lens Artists Challenge # :Choose a Color

When you’re drawn to color like I am, you can make serious shopping mistakes with impulse buys! This week Ritva’s post is all about color, its meaning and its importance. I love red, and when I see red, I automatically try to figure out where I can use the item. More than not, I don’t need it. The older I get, the more level headed I am and can leave the item behind.

When we were young marrieds, my husband drag raced a red Pontiac with cheater slick tires. It became my car. I cannot tell you how many police followed me on the freeway until they realized I was a woman. Then they left me alone. Here’s a somewhat red car with a beautiful reflection.

I guess I like deep colors like red because my skin is pale and pastels just make me look like a ghost. I went to our new friend AI to find out what red symbolizes:

  • Passion: Red often represents strong emotions like love and desire.
  • Danger: It is commonly used to signal warning or alertness.
  • Energy: Red is associated with vitality and enthusiasm.
  • Power: The color conveys strength and authority.
  • Courage: Red symbolizes bravery and determination.
  • Action: It encourages movement and urgency in various contexts.

Is that me? I’m not sure. I’m passionate about photography. But, I don’t go looking for danger. I used to have a lot of energy. I’ve never been power hungry. I do have courage. In an emergency, I do take action.

Let’s look at some more images. If I have a choice, I’ll sit under a red umbrella. I think I should have bought those cups, but I restrained myself. Japanese gardens always include red. While red is a stimulating color, this bridge calms me down. Just walking across it creates serenity.

You know I love flowers. I could have filled this post with flowers, but we are limited. Here are two: a tulip and rose.

Now that Ritva has me in a red mood, I just might go shopping. One more red blouse or a red doodad won’t hurt. But I really don’t need them. What to do?? Maybe I need to end this post and busy myself with some other color. I do like blue, purple, and green!

Talking about color, your textures last week showed beautiful colors of rust, wood and florals. Thank you for participating. When you post your colors, please link to Ritva’s original post and use the Lens-Artist tag. Next week Egidio will challenge us, so look for his post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient.

Lens Artists Challenge #355: Looking Back–Creativity

Looking back in our lives helps us see how far we’ve come in the present, especially in photography. It’s exciting that the LAPC team is beginning this new exercise, and Ann-Christine is starting us off with a challenge from 2019 on creativity.

Now, I don’t think of myself as a creative soul. Maybe that’s why when I looked through 2019 for a post on the subject, I couldn’t find one. I wasn’t a team member then.

There are many types of creativity. You find it in science, architecture, art and more. Teachers and parents have to be creative to reach and teach the children. I don’t think of myself as creative. I can’t create art, but I can see it in everyday circumstances and photograph it.

Here are three places where I found creativity.

Gloshoff Sculpture Ranch in Fairfield.

This ranch is an ongoing exhibition of metal sculptures and it grows each year. You know you’re near the ranch when you see neighbors displaying Mr. Gloshoff’s art in their front yard. You need to make an appointment and he doesn’t mind photographers photographing his creations. Here are a few.

I also believe creativity is in the eye of the beholder. I guess how a photographer interprets an object is creativity. Here are some objects from IKEA as I saw them.

Nature’s shadows form creative patterns that photographers can’t resist. At least I couldn’t.

And finally, one of my favorite forms of creativity is signage.

Thanks Ann-Christine for sending me through my archives in search of creativity. I totally enjoyed your responses to my reflections challenge last week. You kept me busy and posts are still trickling in. You gave me a great week and had me smiling. Please link to Ann-Christine’s post and use the Lens-Artist tag when you respond to her challenge.

We will be off next week. Wherever you are, celebrate life and capture creativity through your lens. We will be back on July 12, when, guest host, Stupidity Hole (SH) will present the challenge. I wonder what he has in store for us? In the meantime, stay safe and live in gratitude.

ICM at IKEA

Happy Thanksgiving for all my USA readers. My table is set and the turkey is defrosted, so I have time to prepare this blog.

Last weekend, because it was raining, we went to IKEA, each of us with different intentions. Mine was to practice intentional camera movement (ICM). I thought I could get away with it because of the store’s subdued lighting. And the designs on pillows are excellent ICM subjects. I also used pictures they had on walls.

Here are some images. I’d like some critiques if you have any.

This last one was a curtain. After processing the ICM image, I used a Photoshop distort filter.

Thanks to IKEA for letting us bring our cameras in their store. Have a wonderful day everyone and take care.

Lens Artists Challenge #324: In the Details

I’ve learned another thing about the way I take photographs, and thank you Patti for this challenge that gave me the lesson. I tend to photograph wide as in landscape or close as in close up or macro. In this week’s challenge, Patti wants us to focus on details, meaning getting closer or moving around our subject. It just so happens I already did that a few weeks ago.

My friends and I were roaming around the Yolo County countryside when I saw a complex that featured a rusted wheel sculpture in front of a nondescript building. You know I like rust. Since I was driving, I pulled in and announced I was getting out to photograph the rusted wheel.

My first mistake was not taking a full wide angle picture of the wheel. I just ran over and started photographing pieces and details, missing the image of the entire wheel. It’s amazing how excited I can get about rust, and isn’t that what Patti asked for? Here’s what I photographed, but unfortunately I can’t show you what the whole wheel looked like! I think you can tell from the first image.

As a bonus, when I looked inside the wheel, this is what I found.

So while a good image may bring in the details, I will remember to take a wide angle of the whole! Lesson learned. The building was a community center, complete with pool.

When you post your detailed images, be sure to link to Patti’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. Silence was truly golden last week as we all replied to Egidio’s challenge. I loved the relaxation I received when viewing your posts. Next week Tina will be challenging us, so look for her post.

In the meantime, go wide, medium and close! We are always learning.

When the temperature rises: Pottery World

When it’s steaming outside, we go inside to take photographs. Most stores don’t mind. One such store is Pottery World in Rocklin. We look for a store that has an array of subject to photograph, and recently we went to Pottery World.

Here are some examples of what we found.

I like to go in close and sometimes crop even further. I’m looking forward to October when we can stay outside longer! It’s been a hot summer!