Flowering Tree in Spring

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A flowering tree in early Spring

In early Spring flowering trees of many varieties begin blooming. During a hike a couple weeks back I photographed the flowers of one of these trees. I don’t know the specific variety, but I think they’re beautiful, as so many of them are.

The tree, and many others like it, were along the edge of a gravel road. Typically the road is part of a wildlife drive visitors can use to explore a small portion of the refuge by car. But the road was blocked off and only allowed hikers because of a pair of nesting eagles further down the road who have been returning to this location for a number of years. In fact, the road is completely blocked, even for hikers, just a little beyond this point to protect the eagles.

To help the flowers really stand out I found an attractive grouping of them standing against a darker background, a group of trees a bit further back and in the shade. The trees didn’t have many leaves yet so it was mostly a dark stand of tree trunks and shrubs. If you photograph a very light subject, like these flowers, against a very dark background, like the trees, and you expose for the lighter flowers, then the background can be made to go very dark, sometimes almost completely black. That’s what happened here. Later in post I adjusted the exposure to further lighten the flowers and darken the background, but it didn’t take much as most of this happened naturally in camera.

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Showing the flowers in the context of the path through the refuge

Here is another photograph that shows the flowers in context, with the road leading down towards the eagle’s nest. You can see the darker lines of trees I was referring to. Just a slight shift in perspective, from facing the road and the lighter sky, to facing the dark line of trees, can make a huge difference in the look of the photo.

I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy.

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Quarterly Look Back - March 2020

Can you believe we’re already 1/4th of the way through the year? With that being the case I thought I’d take a short look back, provide a quick summary of things that have happened in the first quarter of 2020. I’m hoping this might keep me more focused and looking forward by taking some time to peer a little way into the past and see what I’ve accomplished (if anything). And, perhaps, it may give you some ideas of things to do, books to read, or movies to watch.

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Photography

On the photography front I’m still not getting out shooting as often as I’d like, though I’d likely say that regardless of the number of times I got out. I had about half a dozen outings with the camera this quarter, all small and local hikes. Many of the locations I frequent have closed or had their access restricted due to virus lockdowns, so this may affect my outings over the next quarter.

I’ve continued working on my back catalog in Lightroom, which is often an enjoyable experience, pulling out old photos I’d forgotten about and seeing if I can turn them into something more. From an organizational perspective, I always feel I could better manage my photos, and I’m always behind in keywording them, so there’s still plenty to do.

I strive to regularly publish a new post each week on the blog and I’ve managed to keep this pace. In case you missed any, here’s a quick rundown of the posts this quarter:

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Blog posts from the 1st quarter of 2020

Before & After

Water & Stone

Field Notes Updates

Red Badges of Courage

Winter Heat Wave Heron

Flight of the Northern Pintail

The Building of a Doomed Nest

Photo Failures

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Random Thoughts

Goals for 2020

A Fly on the Rail

Keep Your Eyes Open - White-tailed Deer

10 Ways to Work on Photography While Confined to Your House

Reviews

Used Photography Book Roundup - January 2020

Circe by Madeline Miller

Story Behind Image

Cherry Blossoms by the Jefferson Memorial

Trip Report

Fort Hunt Park, Virginia (update/repost)

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Reading

I love reading. I think it helps develop our creativity by exposing us to the creative minds of others and by pushing us to see things in a different light than we might have otherwise. So I push myself to read a lot, and I attempt to read from a range of genres though I’m most drawn to a few.

My overall goal this year, tracked in goodreads, is to read at least 50 books. Granted, I know some of these will be much shorter than others. Some will be books of photography with few words. Others will be graphic novels. But even with that, 50 is a high enough number to keep me motivated to continue reading. So far I’ve been doing a good job keeping pace.

Here are the 13 books I’ve finished this quarter:

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The books I read during the 1st quarter of 2020

Photography

ShadowLight by Freeman Patterson

A wonderful look into the life of Canadian photographer, Freeman Patterson. I have a couple instructional books by Patterson, but this is the first I’ve read. It contains a nice selection of his photographs and much writing about his journeys through life. I hope to post a review one of these days.

Non-fiction

A Nose for Trouble by Michael Ainslie

An interesting look into the life of Michael Ainslie and his experiences in business and life. He seems to have been drawn to, or simply found himself in, situations full of adversity, from traveling through countries during wartime, to the growth and scandals of Sotheby’s, and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.

Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this book. It tells of the author’s troubles with debt and how he attempted to get a quality education from a prestigious institution without going back into debt. The premise seemed good, but it just didn’t work for me, and the comparisons to Walden didn’t ring true. But, your mileage may vary.

Fiction

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

This is book 2 of the Imperial Radch trilogy and a very worth followup. I don’t want to give away too much in case you haven’t read the first book, Ancillary Justice, but suffice it to say Ann Leckie has created an incredible universe, one I found full of surprises. It had me thinking about what it would be like to be some of the characters, given how different they are from anything we know in the real world.

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey

I received a pre-publication ebook of The Book of Koli through a goodreads giveaway. This was my first exposure to M.R. Carey’s writing, though I did watch the movie version of The Girl With All the Gifts. Having read this I can understand why there are so many fans of his work. It was a very entertaining read about a far future post-apocalyptic Earth where civilization as we know it has collapsed, leaving small villages separated by dangerous swaths of carnivorous forests. I look forward to the next book.

Circe by Madeline Miller

A thoroughly engrossing tale of the life of Circe, a lesser goddess of Greek mythology, daughter of the Titan Helios. We see glimpses of better known events and figures as her life unfolds. I very much enjoyed this book. Check out my review of Circe by Madeline Miller.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

I finally read (actually listened to) this classic story of a dog, Buck, stolen and sold into the service of gold miners in the north. A wonderful tale of adventure and adversity tracking the life of this incredible dog and his various owners, some of whom were cruel and harsh, others who showed great love.

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Another classic I’m pleased to have tried, though I didn’t enjoy much beyond the first of Gulliver’s travels. It was an interesting bit of social commentary of the day, but I found the story, itself, to really drag on.

The Peripheral by William Gibson

My first read of the year and a great way to start it off. I loved Gibson’s story, which followed two timelines as they interacted in various ways, each being altered by the other. An interesting cast of characters and technologies made for a very enjoyable read.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

The third book in Martha Wells’ series, The Murderbot Diaries, following the life and adventures of a cyborg security unit that refers to itself as Murderbot. I absolutely love this character, which Wells has imbued with such life. She packs so much story into these short novellas and I continue to look forward to each new chapter.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Working my way through some of the classics, I found myself somewhat disappointed with this book. I enjoyed parts, and I appreciated the overall story, but I got bogged down in all the details and the overly blatant moral lessons. Others may appreciate this far more than I did.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Here is a classic I thoroughly enjoyed. It was interesting to see what the actual story was, given all I’ve had access to prior to this were the various movie renditions. This was a long book, but one I very much enjoyed. I look forward to returning to these characters in the sequels.

Comics / Graphic Novels

Global Frequency by Warren Ellis

The story of a private rescue organization with global reach, run by a woman known as Miranda Zero, helping folks no one else can. I enjoyed some of the stories, but others were a little too over the top for me.

Five of the books I read this quarter were in audio format:

• The Call of the Wild by Jack London

• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

• Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas

My favorites of all these were:

• ShadowLight by Freeman Patterson

• Circe by Madeline Miller

• The Peripheral by William Gibson

• Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

I’m currently almost finished with a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring, the 1st book of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, but this time in audiobook format. I do love this series. And I’m slowly making my way through Alice Shroeder’s The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life. One of the next books I plan on starting is The Black Prism, the first of Brent Weeks’ Lightbringer series.

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Movies

As with books, I love watching movies to experience worlds crafted from other creative minds. I prefer books, but I enjoy both, each having its own strengths and weaknesses as a medium. This quarter I watched the following movies:

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The movies I watched during the 1st quarter of 2020

Advantageous

A slow concept movie about a single mother with a daughter far in the future when jobs are harder to come by. The mother makes a difficult decision she hopes will help guarantee a positive future for her daughter. The movie was ok.

6 Underground

A fast paced, over the top, special effects-laden action film about a 6 person international vigilante team intent on overthrowing world leaders they see as evil. If you enjoyed other Michael Bay films you may enjoy this one. I didn’t care for it.

Furie

A Vietnamese martial arts action film about a mother struggling to make ends meet when her daughter is kidnapped by a child trafficking group. She gets little initial help from the authorities so she takes matters into her own hands. It was entertaining and exactly what you’d expect from this type of film.

I Lost My Body

I very much enjoyed this animated French film about a dismembered hand trying to find its way back to the young man who lost it. Slowly we get a picture of this young man’s life, see his troubles, what he does to try to change, his pursuit of a love interest, and how he came to lose his hand. I enjoyed this film more than I expected.

Parasite

I may be biased in my enjoyment of this Korean film as I’ve enjoyed most of the films by director Boon Joon-ho and those starring Kang-ho Song. A very interesting look into the life of a family struggling to survive, and another with riches to spare, and how they eventually begin to interact and mix together. This was not at all what I’d expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ready or Not

A bit of a dark film, a horror/comedy, full of some gruesome scenes, but overall I ended up enjoying it. A new bride is introduced to her husbands family in a dark, mysterious house, where they must all play a strange card game with each new addition to the family. Things get a bit out of hand.

Watchmen

Based on a graphic novel, this movie tells of a group of masked heroes after their heyday, when someone begins killing them off. One member, Rorschach, begins investigating, suspecting there’s more to this than most realize. And he’s proven correct. An exploration of human nature and whether the ends justify the means. I very much enjoyed this film.

The Way

An absolutely beautiful and moving story of a father who must travel to Europe to collect his son, who died after starting a pilgrimage, hiking a trail from France to the coast of Spain. Tragic. Funny. Moving. Heartfelt. A movie about healing and self-awareness.

Miss Hokusai

Miss Hokusai is an artist and daughter to a famous painter. They have a somewhat strained relationship but manage to get along. I loved the art in this film, and there was an interesting cast of characters and a very enjoyable story. I did find the ending a bit odd, and parts of the soundtrack were unexpected for this type of story. But overall, I did enjoy it.

Of these my favorites were:

• Parasite

• The Way

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Life

The elephant in the room this quarter would have to be the virus pandemic spreading across the world. It’s certainly something new for most of us, never having experienced something of this magnitude. And it’s changing the way many of us go about our daily lives and how we seek entertainment and well-being. But, as with all things, it will pass. And we just need to do the best we can until then.

I hope you’re well wherever you are. And I hope you stay healthy, active and positive. Let me know how your quarter has been in the comments below.

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10 Ways to Work on Photography While Confined to Your House

Sometimes we’re stuck at home, unable to get out and about as usual. Perhaps this puts a damper on some of our photographic pursuits. But that doesn’t mean we have to completely put aside photography during this time. There are photographic activities we can pursue right in our own house, and below I share 10 ideas to keep you active.

Reading

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Read a book, any book.

This could be a great opportunity to catch up on some reading. Pull out some of your photography books and pore over the amazing images. Spend some time on each photograph. What is it you like about this photograph? And why not pick up some non-photography books also? Perhaps you have a book about painting? Or architecture? Or even some great non-fiction and fiction books that could provide inspiration and ideas for your photography? Just start reading.

Education

If you have time at home you may want to consider taking some online classes. You could learn a new skill or improve on an existing one. There are lots of sources of great education out there, such as CreativeLive, KelbyOne, and YouTube.

Learn Your Gear

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Pull out your camera and manual and start getting to know your gear.

Now may be a good time to pull out that camera manual you never read. Start going through it, learn some of the features you never knew your camera had. Practice with your gear, learn the placement of all the controls so well you can use them in the dark.

Learn About Light

With time on your hands you could setup a small photoshoot to practice with lighting, both natural and artificial using whatever lights and modifiers you have available. Learn how light falls on different subjects. Change the angle of the light, position it closer or further from the subject, control the intensity of the light. Watch the subject throughout the day as the sun changes position. Notice how all this changes the look of the subject and the scene.

Photography Projects

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Work on photography projects right in your house, such as this matcha display.

There are plenty of things around the house you could photograph. Think outside the box, find things you may not usually photograph. Try photographing a cup of coffee or tea. Maybe photograph a book shelf or a set of stairs. Bring out a bottle of wine to photograph. Come up with small projects you can work on right here at home. Consider it practice. Have fun experimenting and learning.

Clean Your Gear

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When was the last time you cleaned your gear?

When was the last time you cleaned the outside of your gear or the glass of your lenses? Maybe it’s time to clean your sensor. Bring out your blowers, brushes, and lens wipes and get cleaning.

Reorganize Your Gear

Where do you store your gear? Is it clean and organized, or could it use a little tidying up? What about your camera bags? Are they full of too much stuff accumulated over the years? Is there a better way to reorganize their dividers? Let’s get organized.

Post-processing

This is a perfect time to work on your back catalog, processing photos you maybe have been meaning to, but just haven’t gotten to yet. It’s also a great time to organize your catalog, tag and rate your photos, etc.

Learn Your Software

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Try something new with your photography software.

There’s always something new to learn with software these days. And I find it’s also good to practice things I’ve done before to be sure I remember how. So spend some time with your software. Pick an image, any image, and try to learn a new feature. Experiment. Play. Have fun.

Brainstorm

Maybe you can’t head out now and photograph, but you can brainstorm ideas for when you are able to get out. Take some time and consider ideas for future photographs or projects. Make some plans. Think about things you’d like to photograph. What time of day would work well in that location and with that subject? What season? Maybe research locations you’ve yet to visit.

I hope this list has given you some ideas of ways to stay active and productive even if you can’t leave your house. There’s almost always something we can do to keep learning, to better our craft and better ourselves.

Keep learning. Have fun. And stay positive and healthy!

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