Butterfly Jungle: Photo Challenge

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Photo Challenge- Orange

I issued myself another photo challenge a couple of weeks ago. At the time it seemed that selecting the color orange would be a tricky task but turns out not so much.

The parameters of this challenge were simple. One- the subject had to be orange. Two- and here's where it got fun at times- I couldn't touch the object to photograph it. I could move over, under, and around it. I could change the settings on my camera ad infinitum. I could wait for the shadows to move or come back later when the light changed but I couldn't turn on or off any lights. I could go prowling around the house or countryside looking for my friend Orange, but the object had to be photographed where and as I found it. No touching. In situ.

Some of the pictures included here were taken with the Hipstamatic app on my iphone but the same rules applied.

I've been undertaking these little self-assigned exercises for a couple of reasons. First, I hope to teach my mind and my eye to "see like a photographer". OK- ha!ha! I'm so far from being an actual photographer that it makes me feel like such a fake to even say that. But it's good to have dreams. Second, it gives me a chance to play around with my camera and to learn some of the technical aspects of photography. Third, it makes me look at the world, not just to find a picture, but to see the world as it is around me. There are so many shapes and colors and sizes in our world. Sometimes we miss a funny juxtaposition or a small beauty because we're rushing off to the next thing on our list.

I finally had to end this challenge as it turns out there it a great deal more of the color orange in the world than I originally suspected. But after spending some time with Orange, we've become friends and I'm glad we have plenty of Orange for everyone.

I almost fainted when I saw this 2007 Mustang. I had to stop photographing it because I was falling in love.

Go look on your bookshelf. There are tons of books with an orange spine.

I hope you have enjoyed my little tour of Orange. I did have an unfortunate incident while transferring photos from my phone so some really cool Hipstamatic pics are gone forever. Pouf- into cyber-oblivion.

I'm going to put on my thinking cap for the next photo challenge. If you are interested in playing along, drop a comment here and I'll let you know.

Thanks for coming over today-

hope to see you again.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Photo Challenge #1

Let me start off by stating the obvious: I am not a professional photographer. I am a very visual person and love to peruse photo collections in whatever form they take- Flickr, websites, books, photo albums. I love the surprise of a good image. But I am not a professional photographer.

I bought my first camera, a lovely Kodak Pocket Instamatic, for something like $28 in about 1976. You wouldn't believe how long I had to save- that was a mountain of money way back then. Photography proved to be an expensive hobby. Not only did you have to buy the film but also the flash cubes- the "Magic Cubes." You got four pictures before you had to yank off that little cube of blasted glass and plug in another. With each snap of the camera the little cube on top would flash and then turn 90 degrees to the next flash bulb, ready to go. I think the magic part was getting the cube off without crushing it to bits or lacerating you hands.

Plus, each camera came with an extender thing-y intended to raise the flash thus eliminating red-eye.

Ah, those were the days. Funky as it was, I was so proud of that thing.

I've forged ahead over the years with a new camera every so often, learning mostly by trial and error, hit and miss. Right now I'm using three cameras: a Canon G3 (an oldie-goldie), a little Canon A410 that I carry in my purse, and an iPhone. I've been trying, really trying, to see from the right side of my brain, to see like a photographer, to see pictures in the world around me.

So I issued myself a challenge- a picture a day for seven days- as a short little exercise in discipline (ha!) and taking the time the time to stop and look around. Some days it was easy, other days, like the days I worked, it took more of an effort. At any rate, here are the results of Photo Challenge #1.