Monthly Archives: January 2021
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Striped and Checked

Okay, since you asked, Ann-Christine, here are a few:
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Emotions
“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Patti, this week’s host, writes, “Show us portraits or street photography that captures people’s feelings, such as happiness, anger, sadness, curiosity, or fear. Or, choose a subject or scene that evokes an emotion in the viewer. If you are able to shoot new images in your area, consider how light and shadow, the weather, warm or cool colors, the surroundings, and your choice of subject might impact the emotional response of your viewers.”
“All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.”
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“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
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“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
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“But the love of sisters needs no words. It does not depend on memories, or mementos, or proof. It runs as deep as a heartbeat. It is as ever present a s a pulse.”
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“Compassion is the basis of morality.”
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I find, as a photographer, that it is very difficult to capture a subject’s emotion without being intrusive. The most common expression when someone is taking your picture is one that is happy. When you’re in the throes of an uncomfortable emotion, do you really want someone snapping photos? To be allowed that privilege, the subject must either be very willing, trusting, motivated or without any choice. I would imagine babies are great subjects for capturing numerous human spontaneous emotions without any objection to being photographed. As adults, I suspect most of us would like to be more in control of what emotions we permit people to observe and record. Tricky subject, actually.
Instead, the photographer can use a simple object or scene to spark emotion in the viewer. 
Still tricky. What gives an object emotional significance at first view? That’s a good question for me. I’d like to explore this further in my photos.
Thanks, Patti, for the challenge!
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: It’s A Small World
We have a guest host for today’s Lens-Artist challenge – Anne Sandler – and she just taught me the difference between macro, micro, and close up photography. Since I only have one lens, my choices for today’s challenge are all simple close-up shots.
I do have to date myself and say that I remember learning to sing the Disney song in elementary school chorus. Later, when I lived in California, I visited Disneyland and took the Small World ride. Favorite verse: “There is just one moon and one golden sun, and a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the oceans are wide and the mountains divide, it’s a small world after all.” That is totally from memory. Didn’t even Google the lyrics.
I have to admit that it took me years to realize I had an automatic close-up setting on my Canon Rebel T3i. What a wonder…so much easier!
Still, I’d like to treat myself to a macro lens and learn more about that 1:1 ratio.
I cropped the image above to get the extreme close-up I wanted…those tender little “hairs”.
I really enjoy how photography has helped me to see things in detail with my own eyeballs. I am always fascinated by what my eyes can do almost instantaneously. My photos are never as breath-taking as what I see with my very own lenses. 
I love really getting in there with my nose up to the subject.
Especially when it’s truffle cheese!
There are worlds in a droplet…
…and communities atop a flower. How fun to study them and learn appreciation and affection for them!