Tag Archives: nature photography
Photography 101: Landscape
This is my passion. Landscapes – wide open spaces, gently rolling hills, big sky. When I was a little girl, my family went on outings to places like the Morton Arboretum. We would follow a walking path and come upon an open field of dandelions or daffodils, and I simply couldn’t contain myself. I would take off running, cartwheeling, spinning and singing….like Julie Andrews in the opening shots of “The Sound of Music”. Freedom and joy as big as all outdoors is the feeling that landscapes give me. I have met a few expert landscape photographers on the blog scene. They go above and beyond (literally) to get spectacular shots. I am not likely to be up at 3am to climb a snowy peak. I take my camera where I’m going and shoot the scenes that present themselves. I am still picking up techniques for making those shots more compelling. One is to have something really interesting in the foreground:
Or to put a person in it for perspective:
It’s more challenging to get depth and interest in a scene without those things. Of course, equipment plays a part. I don’t use a tripod; I don’t have a special lens. I end up with more flat, snapshot-type scenes. They’re missing a bit of drama, I suppose. Something to work on.
Photography 101: A Pop of Color
Not to be confused with a soda of color, say Nehi grape or orange…
Here in the Midwest, ‘pop’ has another meaning. If I happened to have some, that would make a perfect combination for this theme! But the pop I have in the ‘fridge is 50/50, and it’s not even as colorful as Mountain Dew. So… back to the natural world, and natural liquids.
And perhaps a double pop on this one…
This one is a gentle, soft ‘pip’…
May you find some eye-popping delight today!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Achievement
Hoo, boy. This challenge is monumental. What is “achievement”? Stay with me, folks…
It’s rather an emotional concept to me. I was just discussing ‘success’ with Steve yesterday. I am 52 years old, currently unemployed, and trying to venture into an area of work for which I never had any formal education. I feel rather ‘late to the party’ trying to become an environmental writer/National Park Service guide/eco-activist (or whatever it is I will become) at this stage of life. My perfectionist voice keeps talking about how unqualified I am. What have I ever done to merit respect in this field?
Well, here’s what: I’ve grown. Every day that I read more about the health of our planet, every part-time customer service or education job I took, every decision I re-examined over these years is a stepping stone toward living a life I’ll be proud of. I can do better at being the person I want to be. And I can keep working on that goal until the day I die.
Maybe “Achievement” is simply growing into being the best you can be, year by year. Here’s my illustration (and inspiration): sequoia sempervirens.
Now THAT’S something to look up to!
© 2014, essay and photographs, Priscilla Galasso, All rights reserved
Photography 101: Mystery
I can think of no better icon of mystery than the sky. The heavens in “Big Sky Country”, the American West, give plenty of fodder for pondering mysteries of all magnitudes, from “Do you think it’s going to rain?” to “Are there other life forms on those twinkly planets?” I wish that I had the proper equipment to photograph the night sky in New Mexico. The number of stars visible to the naked eye is astounding. We had a new moon night with a view of the Milky Way that was indeed mystical. It put my own life into a different perspective. Here’s a gallery of some mysterious skies:
Photography 101: Warmth
Hmm. The sun does not seem to be cooperating with Word Press today. The skies in Wisconsin are a flat gray, and I’m in bed with bronchitis. Warmth is going to have to come from some stored files. Let’s start with early morning, shall we? There’s nothing like a cat for finding the sun’s first warming light. This is Portia, my brother’s cat:
California boasts some dazzling sun. I found that challenging when taking pictures in the middle of the day. I took several shots of a fallen redwood; its roots were spread out like a sunburst. The texture and lines were amazing. In high contrast, it’s rather like an acid trip. (Not that I’d really know…)
Seriously, that’s not my style. I am a Nature Girl. Here’s a more natural look:
At the end of a day of dazzling sunshine in New Mexico, the sun slants in at a low angle, warming the red rocks:
Finally, the sun lights the clouds a brilliant fuchsia at its departure.
Hey, the sun came out! Guess it’s time to get out of my sickbed and make some breakfast. I hope your day is warm, whether from the coffee in your mug or from the sun itself.
P.S. Later that afternoon….hey! What’s that flaky stuff floating down through the sky? Is it?! Yup! It’s snow. First of the season, too. 🙂
Photography 101: The Natural World
I don’t believe there are any straight lines in the natural world. All is “wiggly” (as Alan Watts would say), and we’re told that the Universe is funnel-shaped, a huge graceful curve. I figure that pine needles are almost straight, but even they exhibit a gentle arc. Nature is the ultimate Art, in my estimation. Shape, texture, line, composition, color…every artistic facet writ large on the world around us. How do I pick one photograph? Or even a few? This is the challenge for me. I have a whole gallery of Wisconsin outdoor shots on one of my pages up there. Feel free to browse that. Meanwhile, I’ll put up a few new ones, taken outside of Wisconsin.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Minimalist
You might think that desert living is minimalist living. I mean, what’s out there? How do you survive on nothing? (see my post “Wilderness and the Myth of Nothing” here). Native ancestral pueblo dwellers made a lot of useful things out of the very simple materials in their environment. Like yucca fibers. They’re strong and fine. Sandals, baskets, and rope were made from them. The rest of the plant was used for even more things like shampoo and paintbrushes. Yeah, paintbrushes. They had time for art in their ‘minimal’ lives. Go figure.
Photography 101: Solitude
One of the wilderness character traits is Solitude, a dwindling natural resource. Where do you go to realize your solitude, to find humility, to gain perspective? Where do you find reminders that we do not dominate the planet?
(And thanks for the tip on the Rule of Thirds…I’d heard it mentioned, but not explained.)
Photography 101: Water
Water in the desert. It’s a huge factor, and not in the way you’d think. Water shaped the desert landscape, even though you might think there’s none there. The canyons and caverns of the American West were formed by water. I heard a very enthusiastic Death Valley National Park ranger named Jay Snow expound on this amazing fact. He was right. Death Valley is all about water. So is the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns and all those other iconic desert places. Many of them were once part of a vast inland sea, believe it or not. Water is ancient and powerful and wild. When we’re not tampering with it, that is. (and that’s a huge topic for another post on my ‘In Wilderness…’ page)












