Thursday Thoughts #35
Tag Archives: amateurphotography
In Focus #15—More Birds in the Hood
Birding is more fun with company. At least it is for me. I appreciate the extra eyes and smarts it takes to correctly identify fast moving birds around branches. A comic could easily be drawn of me with binoculars, camera, bird book and pencil hanging and flopping around my neck and filling my hands. Did I mention I also have our dog with me? It really is a comical sight, and usually an unsuccessful outing. Beautiful birds are passing through on their way to their summer homes elsewhere. It takes great skill (and another set of eyes for me) to identify them. That said, more times than not, my focus is on the easy birds that live in the fields, woods and ponds with us, and those returning home to us.
What fun to watch the male goldfinches change into their courting attire every spring for summer. They stay home year-round, but loose their brilliant yellow in winter. Also, happy, happy songs fill the air in the barn with the joyful return of our beloved Barn Swallows. Springtime is best time to see even more of our neighborhood birds because tree leaves are just bursting forth. Their small size offers big windows to see many of our beautiful local birds. It is my favorite time of year for birding. Our locals are not in as big a rush to get somewhere else, nor are they as ravenously hungry as those passing through. Making them easier to follow and identify.
A flock of beautiful Bohemian Waxwings were just chilling on a branch earlier this week. They have wonderful lessons to teach on sharing. I have seen them all lined up on a branch passing berries down the line to one another. There are so many sweet singing sparrows busy building their family homes for the year. The Red-winged Blackbirds are busy tending to home and family as well this time of year. While the Carolina Wrens could not sing a sweeter song.
I invite you to go outside, look and listen to this blessed, happy time of year the birds are telling us all about.
Thank You, Darlin’ Dot
Shirley has a lot to thank her darlin’ Dot for.
Dot is the professional photographer in the family at large. Shirley wrote about her earlier this year: https://bluerockhorses.com/2020/01/03/dot/ Shirley and Snoot are real proud of this talented, first Daughter-in-love of theirs.
Once again she has opened the window of photography a good bit wider for Shirley, an amateur photographer. While taking in the outdoor view on a recent visit to the farm, Dot mentioned the wonderful photos that could be captured. Then she asked Shirley the killer question—“Where is your camera?” She answered her own question, “I know, it is put away neat and tidy in your case.” How did she know that, Shirley wondered?
Opening the pantry door, Dot pointed to an empty spot on the shelf. “This is where I would keep it all the time. A camera in it’s case is seldom used.”
Before being too hard on Shirley, dear reader, it is helpful to know she is ‘a-place-for-everything-and-everything-in-its-place’ sort of gal. Neat and tidy. Sometimes to a fault.
Well, later that very day, Shirley proudly showed Dot the ‘new home’ for her camera. The exact spot Dot had pointed out to her. One more little tip our amateur photographer learned from her professional Dot—-keep the lens cap off!
Shirley says it reminds her of a verse from Scripture: Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. Proverbs 14:4
Shirley would like to share some of the wonderful moments in time caught because of having her camera closer to hand:
Shirley thanks her darlin’ Dot for opening her photographic mind and window a little bit more.
The Lazy Man
I may be lots, I told myself, but one thing I am not and that is lazy.
Is that so? The next thought begged the question.
My thoughts immediately turned on their defensive mode. I grew up in the tourist industry on a big farm. We twinsters started earning paychecks long before our hours could be legally reported. No, no, I am not a lazy man!
Yet, there they sat, all ready to go. My photographs. Carefully place in frames that added to their visual appeal all ready to be entered into the county fair. Why bother with this fair in this other county? You have already won ribbons from your own county fair. You do not want to take the time to drive all the way over there. Think of all the work you could get done here in the time wasted doing all that mess! My thoughts nagged me.
Does anyone else have thoughts like these? These: don’t do it; it’s a waste of time; it’s not worth it, kind of thoughts? What a battle! I was exhausted! When suddenly floated in the encouraging words from my daughter:
“Yeah! Go for it, Mom!”
“You will have fun!
“Your pictures will win, they are great!”
The urge to not let my main cheerleader down pushed me to grab up the photographs and head to the fairgrounds.
It was in this struggle that the truth of Proverbs 13:4 hit me head-on:
“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.”
Just how diligent am I being toward gaining my personal goals? What are my personal goals? It has struck me that I am a worker. I know how to work. But this Proverb did not speak of work. It spoke to me of desires. These are two different notions.
I do work hard. It is hard work to keep our animals healthy and well cared for. It is hard work maintaining the gardens and farm. However, I desire to become a better amateur photographer, a better blogger, a better horsewoman, a better Christian.
I realize I must be diligent in working toward my desires. After all, they will not improve just because I want them to. I must not be lazy in working to improve them. These desires add a great richness to my life. A cheerleader is another important piece to this puzzle. I did not want to disappoint her hope in me. Everyone needs a cheerleader in life.
As for the entries in the fairs? I won eight ribbons between the two fairs. It was a fun surprise to see which ones won. Call me sappy if you like, but when I saw that blue ribbon hanging from the photo of our steer, it put a lump in my throat!
I am rich indeed.
In Focus? #3 – Negative Space
Negative space is an element I enjoy incorporating in my photographs. I have discovered some folks enjoy negative space, while others do not. They want the area filled in with something. Anything! Just do not leave all that empty space. Sort of like putting one beautiful slice of a garden tomato on a huge dinner plate. Fill that plate up for goodness sake!
I can understand this philosophy. Being wasteful is not a bragging point. However, I appreciate the way the negative space emphasizes the beauty of the one or two objects in the photo. Or for that matter also in a flower arrangement, and even sculptures. It leaves a space for the viewers imagination to fill in with their own experiences and ideas.
So take a stroll through this gallery. Fill in your own stories, and share your thoughts. Have fun!
Negative space in sculpture in the gardens at Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, VA. 
Can you track how it is connected?
Because I cannot Paint It!
“Are you a photographer?” Dreaded question.
I tell folks I like to take photographs. That is about as far as I dare myself to go. To call myself a photographer is just too big. To be a photographer one must know what one is doing, know their camera inside and out (not!), and how to get just the right image.
It is a big title—a photographer. Same as calling oneself a painter—oh my! It is true some of my photos have won prizes, in small shows. I do sell note cards with images I thought would look pretty on cards, and a couple photos hang in the homes of kind folks.
So the main reason I take photographs is because I cannot paint it! This post is to share with you photos I have taken. It will be a joy should they bring a smile to your face or recall a pleasant memory. Please let me know the ones you like! It is always fun seeing which ones ‘speak’ to folks. They all tell a story of some sort, yes? Share your thoughts with this amateur you-know-what.
Happy Friday to you!
one_local_gal 