Essay #35: Summer's sacrifice

Summer's sacrifice

Her crown laid in winter's path

Glory on the ground

She gives her splendor

For promise of renewal

Sadness comes untrue

Essay #34: Ode to a Red Velvet Cupcake

Oh, sweet decadence!
Harbinger of happiness
You have made my day

Essay #33: C'mon, baby, just a little smile

 

Enough posing now!
How can I wreck this picture?
I'll stick out my tongue!

Topic: Haiku

Japanese poems
Three lines of five, seven, five
They don't have to rhyme.

This week I'll blog with
Syllabic frugality
In all my captions.

Like sun, sky, water
Beauty in simplicity
Is haiku's hallmark

Freestyle: Football

Today was the homecoming football game at my alma mater. Here are a few game-time images.

Essay #32: Turn, turn, turn

Season's change brings such beautiful color combinations.

Red, yellow, green and a hint of purple. Nature's own tie-dye.

38mm 1/800 f/7.1 ISO 200

Essay #31: Wildflowers

Wildflowers are so colorful. So much vibrance in such delicate packages.

45mm 1/500 f/5.6 ISO 200

Essay #30: Walk in the Woods

How I always pictured Mirkwood Forest:

Walking through the arboretum today, I almost expected to happen upon some elves talking to the trees.

18mm 1/40 f/3.8 ISO 400

Essay #29: Rushing water

 

27mm 1/40 f/4.5 ISO 100

Essay #28: Seeds in the wind

I suppose I could claim to have taken this photo as a commentary on the fleeting nature of life, or some other such pretentious nonsense. I just thought it was pretty, and then the wind picked up.

45mm 1/80 f/5.6 ISO 400

Topic: The Great Outdoors

All my photos this week will be taken outside. I'm determined to enjoy the weather while it lasts. I don't often get to revel in the changing of the seasons, but this week I'm going to appreciate the onset of autumn.

 

81mm 1/640 f/5 ISO 100

Freestyle: Mushrooms

Since I spent all week raving about the things I like, I figured it would be best to balance things out with something vile.

Ew.

I firmly believe that fungus is not intended for human consumption. I will painstakingly pick it out of any dish. The argument that it's "just another plant" is erroneous: mushrooms are NOT plants. Fungi is its own kingdom. Mushrooms are saprophytes, meaning they thrive on death and decay--and they can stay far, far away from my mouth, thank you very much. They play a vital role in the ecosystem; that doesn't mean they belong on my plate.

43mm 1/100 f/8 ISO 400

Essay #27: Puzzles

Sudoku, crossword, jigsaw, logic: puzzles are acrobatic exercises for the mind. Who knew any kind of exercise could be so addictive?

However, let me tell you, attempting to one-hand his shot with my left (non-dominant) hand was one workout I probably won't repeat.

And yes, I routinely do my Sudoku in pen. I'm not so foolish with crosswords.

38mm 1/80 f/5.1 ISO 400, flash bounced off ceiling

Essay #26: Woodland paths

A quiet, shady path is one of the most enchanted places. Something about strolling down a tree-lined lane brings order to my muddled thoughts and carries a great sense of peace and wonder. Perhaps it's the feeling that, at any moment, the trees will start dancing or an Ent will hoom past. There's something very deep about places like this. I can see why, in all the old tales, forests are places full of magic.

14mm 1/40 f/3.5 ISO 400

Essay #25: Peanut Butter

As a kid, I was very specific about my sandwiches containing only PB, no J to taint the peanutty goodness. Now, I love to lavish this creamy, nutty, salty-n'-sweet spread on just about anything. Bread, muffins, crackers, cookies, ice cream (yes, ice cream: try it, it's fantastic!). I substitute peanut butter for syrup on waffles and pancakes. The thicker, the better. A friend sent me an entire box full of peanut-butter-themed treats for my birthday one year; I was giddy for a week.

What's your food addiction?

42mm 1/50 f/5.4 ISO 400

Essay #24: Bookstores

Stepping into a bookstore or a library is an unparalleled experience. I enter, close my eyes and draw a deep breath, savoring the aromatic blend of paper, ink, binding glue, coffee and a hint of dust. It's sweet and spicy and rich: Heaven. In used bookstores and libraries, the air is tinged with age, the tangy flavor tickling my nose and tongue. The soft hum of circulating air bears with it whispers of a thousand books recounting the tales bound within their pages, waiting to be unfolded.

I could spend the day here.

14mm 1/2.5 f/7.1 ISO 200. I used another bookshelf as a tripod.

Essay #23: The color green

Green is my happy color: the color of life, of growth. When editing, I always use green pen--it's so much more encouraging than red. I took this picture specifically for use as desktop wallpaper, something I do not infrequently. Since the last three years of my career were spent in a windowless office, I couldn't rear any deskside plants. Instead, I took pictures of green shrubs and shade plants for my computer display, to give me a hint of something fresh and alive every day. In the dead of winter, green is also an encouraging reminder of the life dormant beneath the snow, and that a new season will bloom out of the frozen earth.

Topic: Things I Like

Yesterday's post about downhere inspired this week's theme: things I like. You may learn more about me in the next few days than you'd bargained, dear reader. But if I can't rave about things that make me happy on my blog, where can I?

41 mm 1/100 f/5.3 ISO 200, flash bounced off ceiling

Freestyle: Concert

This is Marc, one of the lead singers for the fantastic band downhere. Not only are the members of this band amazingly talented, they are also four of the most genuine people I've ever met. Their music has been a defining soundtrack of my life for the past eight years. They have a Christmas album coming out this year that everyone with holiday spirit should own, regardless of your feelings about "Christian" rock.

One of the things I appreciate about Marc here is that he's also a photographer, so he and the band not only allow fans to take and post photos, they encourage it. Don't ask me to explain the newsboy cap/plaid shirt/necktie combo, though (he chose to complete the ensemble with combat boots).

The key to concert photography is no flash, high-ish shutter speed, high ISO and wide-open aperture. 150mm 1/200 f/4.5 ISO 400

Essay #22: Chopsticks

Popcorn with chopsticks? When I was first learning to use chopsticks about two years ago, a friend told me to practice on popcorn. I've eaten those buttery, snackable exploded kernels that way ever since. It forces me to slow down and not shovel in handfuls at a time, but the real draw? No greasy fingers!

45mm 1.80 f/5.6 ISO 200, flash bounced of ceiling

Essay #21: Pears

A new crop of apples and pears is arriving in stores. Time for a trip to the orchard!

I guess they left the leaves on to reinforce the "organic" label.

40mm 1/200 f/5.3 ISO 200

Essay #20: Cupcakes

I baked today.

Banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Be still, my heart.

Although I enjoy it, I rarely bake. Baking these today brought to mind the plethora of things I've wanted to pursue but didn't have the opportunity while I was working. I could brush up on my French, remove the rust from my piano skills, finally bring all those old clothes in my closet to Goodwill, and maybe learn a couple of recipes that don't call for cream of chicken soup.

36mm 1/80 f/5.0 ISO 200, flash bounced off wall to the right of the frame

Essay #19: Egg

What about cooking transforms egg whites from a runny, transparent mess to a solid, opaque mass? Albumen (the fancy term for egg white) is mostly a suspension of protein and water. As the egg dances on a hot skillet, the proteins unravel and tangle with each other, giving the egg its familiar solid white color and firm texture.

39mm 1/80 f/5.2 ISO 200, flash bounced off ceiling 

Essay #18: Summer's sweet end

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

35mm 1/160 f/4.9 ISO 200

Topic: Food

This week is dedicated to delicious delicacies.  I'm purposely leaving it broad, to force myself to photograph some non-produce edibles.

Specs: 45mm 1/80 f/5.6 ISO 200, flash bounced off ceiling

Freestyle: Sign

Ha.

14mm 1/250 f/11 ISO200

Essay #17: Red

I've said before that photography is an exercise in perspective. It's seeing a whole world of patterns and reflections, a crystal cavern, an underground city, or a ruby palace in one sunlit tail light.

45mm 1/320 f/5.6 ISO 100

Essay #16: Orange

I warned you about my proclivity for produce. All kinds, not just tomatoes--although tomatoes are fun because they come in so many lovely colors (and are in season right now).

Specs: 25mm 1/250 f/4.2 ISO 200

Essay #15: Blue

Baby blues, to be precise. This is 9-month-old Sam. This photo doesn't do justice to the pure blue of his eyes. Babies have such wide, wondering eyes: They're taking in the world, constantly looking around in awe, delighting in discovery. One of the reasons I enjoy photography is that it gives me the chance to recapture a little bit of that childlike wonder, to look at things for the first time again.

And now here's something I rarely have the opportunity for: a model's statement. Take it away, Sam!

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Essay #14: Yellow

Yellow is such a happy color. Bright, warm and sunny. So why do we use it for "caution"?

45mm 1/500 f/5.6 ISO 100