Palouse Abstracts

In looking back through my images from the past couple of years I noticed that there were some nice abstract images taken in the Palouse area of Washington state. If you have ever been there you know that one could create countless abstracts. I have included three images here taken at sunrise and sunset. The first image has the Orton filter effect applied to add to its abstraction. The second image is purely about shape, shadow and texture. The final image is an abstract impression using a side to side pan.

Rainy Days and Mondays

We are in the usual winter rain pattern here again in the Oregon Willamette Valley. It can start to get you down sometimes, but it can also present opportunities for unique images. Here are a couple I have shot on rainy days like this through the car windshield. The first image is of a store at the Oregon coast with some additional Photomatix and NikSoft processing. The second image is a swipe shot of a forest edge (near my home).The last image is of bushes changing color in the late fall (where I parked my car at work) - nice jewel tone colors and effect.

So remember where ever you are and no matter what the weather conditions, you can create beautiful images - you just have to look and see.

Splendor in the Grass and a Happy New Year!

I went to a "Pink Martini" concert on New Year's Eve with my daughter to welcome in the new year. The title song from their latest album, Splendor in the Grass, ends with the lyrics:

Life's been moving oh so fast
I think we should take it slow
rest our heads upon the grass
and listen to it grow

For me, getting people to slow down and look at the beautiful creation around us is a key thought behind my photography (see my artist statement on my website). In a salute to this song I have included a couple of images I created once just lying in the grass looking closely for a glimpse of the beauty there. While doing this is not an original idea (others have done this well before me), it is a reminder that there are beautiful images to be found just at our feet.

As you start your new year, I encourage each of you to slow down and look more closely at the world around you. What beauty are you missing?

Blog images: the first image is a dew laden piece of grass in front of some low growing pink inpatients. The second image is a closeup of view of one of those webs you see in the grass on a dewy morning. The final image is of the sunlight playing off of all the dew drops in the grass. All the images were shot with a 50mm lens plus an extension tube.