Nature Photography Challenge: DAY SEVEN!

Well, all good things must come to an end. For the subject of this, my final nature challenge of the month, I decided to select this mysterious ball-shaped moss that plagues the branches of Texas trees. Literally every time I see these weird balls, I tell myself I should find out what they are… yet somehow over the last 4 years I have never actually figured out what they are or whether or not they are killing the trees with their smothering tendencies. So, for today’s challenge, I not only studied these moss balls through the lens of my camera, but also did a little bit of research to satisfy my curiosity! Here are my shots from the day, as well as some little tidbits of information I managed to dig up!:

Turns out I was pretty close with my “Moss Ball” title for this plant. Tillandsia recurvata, also known as Ball Moss, is a flowering plant that grows on larger host plants in areas with more humidity and low light (aka on the branches of Southern shade trees!).

They are not a TRUE MOSS or a parasite like mistletoe, but an EPIPHYTE (gets nutrition from the air) like Spanish Moss. So, it obtains only physical support, and not nutrition from its host. The only negative effect that this Ball Moss might have on its host trees would be that it may hinder tree growth by competing for nutrients and sunlight.

Ball Moss photosynthesizes its own food, getting water from the air and nitrogen from bacteria. It can range in size anywhere from the size of a golf ball to that of a soccerball. Here are a few close-up shots I took while studying a Ball Moss covered branch that had fallen on the ground:

Ball Moss is spread by seeds sprouting from bird droppings on stems and shrubs of trees (weird!), or from windblown seeds. It is sensitive to freezing–especially when it is a wet freeze.

Last cool fact: Ball Moss is from the Bromeliad family, so it’s related to a pineapple!

If you’re still thirsty for more Ball Moss knowledge, check out this website!

What a great way to wrap up the Nature Photography Challenge! And what a truly AMAZING and much-needed little plant that I can now include in my list of acquaintances!

Oh–one last note… Here’s what the sky looked like today:

So, it goes without saying that shadow-filled compositions are not happening today! Looks like that little assignment will have to wait for another challenge!

I hope you all enjoyed this challenge as much as I did. ‘Til next month, I will continue my posting of cool lesson ideas, inspirational environmental artists, and more!

Happy Monday, and may you have many artful explorations in nature this week!

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY SIX!

Ahh the best laid plans…

Turns out I should have consulted the local weather report prior to setting my challenge for today! Turns out, the forecast for today was cloudy, with a 99.9% chance of diffused light…leaving a .1% chance of the sun popping out from behind the clouds to cast a few shadows. So, not being one to let a cloudy day get in my way, I decided to take a little Sunday stroll with my camera…just to see what I could find. Turns out that sun DID pop out twice during my walk…for about 2-5 seconds..leaving no time for any sort of compositional design. I had to shoot any and all shadows I could find.

This, my friends, is no way to enjoy a day of photographic explorations. So, while trying to capture fleeting moments of sunshine and shadows, I focused most of my attention to enjoying my beautiful walk and discovering little gems of nature along the way. Below are a few of my favorite shots from the walk–beginning with one of the only real shadows that I was able to capture!:

This is what the sun was doing for 99.9% of my walk…hiding:

I must say, even though I was initially frustrated by the lack of sunshine-induced shadows, I enjoyed the walk..and was able to discover some pretty awesome sights along the way! In addition, my husband decided to join me for the walk–and captured some pretty great shots of his own:

For tomorrow’s challenge (the LAST challenge for this month!), weather permitting, I will once again be on the look-out for shadows! In addition, I propose an in-depth observation of one subject in nature that is of particular interest to you–be that a tree, flower, animal, rock, etc… Try to take pictures of your subject from a variety of angles. Study the texture, patterns, colors, and shapes of your subject. Maybe if I’m lucky, my subject will also be casting some shadows!

‘Till tomorrow…Happy shooting!

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY FIVE!

I definitely don’t look UP enough during the day.. So, today’s challenge was a welcomed change to my normal observational habits. Shooting with the sky as the main subject of my compositions also made for some interesting observations and allowed me to focus on the visual relationships between the natural shapes of trees and the various shapes and shades of color in the sky. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day:

For tomorrow’s challenge, my eyes will be once again turned towards the ground, as I will focus on SHADOWS for the main subject of my shots. If you’re up to the challenge, give it a try! Once again, I’d love to see your shots!

‘Til tomorrow! Happy shooting!

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY FOUR!

I must say I enjoyed the little break in my day, provided to me by my fourth challenge! Rather than selecting an area that seemed to be full of aesthetic possibilities, I chose an area that I walk by every day…and frequently overlook. After my little photo shoot in the area, I now feel like I know and appreciate this area much more than before. I found that this special place, that initially appeared to be rather dull, is teeming with incredible visual patterns, colors (thought I took mostly black and white shots! Oops!), and life! Here are a few of my shots from the experience:

In addition to my own shots, here are a few shots sent to me by one of my readers, Keith Powley! In Arizona, he took a break from his day to find a colorful spot to explore. Here are a few things he found:

What a cool spot to explore! One of the things that I love about this process is that we are not only forced to take a closer look at the world around us, but we are also able to share our personal experiences and observations with others.

For tomorrow’s challenge, look to the sky. Try capturing a variety of sky-themed shots…perhaps you might want to try taking pictures throughout the day, capturing different times of the day..or maybe you just want to focus on making the sky the subject of your picture…while still including other aspects of the natural environment. The decision is yours…

‘Til tomorrow…happy explorations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY THREE!

Today’s challenge is to study and appreciate TEXTURE through your lens! So, rather than focusing on the composition of your shot, take a moment to appreciate the variety of patterns and textures that are out there. Maybe you want to take this a step further and add some touch to your artful explorations. Try feeling some of the textures before you take your picture. Then, compose your shot so as to capture the FEEL of that texture. It’s a tough assignment, I know. Here are some of my favorite shots from today’s challenge:

FEELS LIKE: Smooth surface, broken up with very thin ridges and smooth bumps

FEELS LIKE: Crisp, Dry, Rough, Pointy

FEELS LIKE: Grainy texture with thick ridges, broken up with smooth areas

FEELS LIKE: Very rough, chunky, and ridge-filled surface, gritty knot surface

And here’s the last one I’ll post. I took this shot just for fun–exploring the visual textures more than the tactile…

Have a wonderful day of artful nature exploration!

For tomorrow’s challenge, I propose the following:

-Choose a nice place to sit and relax. Without moving from this spot, take shots of anything and everything around you. Maybe you’ll notice something particularly interesting and normally overlooked!

‘Til tomorrow!

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY TWO!

Ahhh…another glorious, 80 degree Texas day For this, my second day of the nature photography challenge, I decided to once again leave my options open–snapping shots of any and everything that happened my way during my walk to work. Here are some of the interesting shots I took:

Though not nature in its PUREST form, I found this shot to be very powerful…and thought-provoking…

Enjoy your second day of nature explorations through your lens!

Tomorrow, as my challenge for the day, I will focus on TEXTURE in my compositions.

Happy Tuesday!

Nature Photography Challenge: DAY ONE!

What a beautiful day to begin a nature photography challenge! I’ve officially decided that I am going to enjoy this challenge! The wonderful thing about photography is the ability to record fleeting moments—which are much more difficult to capture through nature sketches! For my first day of the challenge, I decided to allow myself free reign over my compositions–capture everything and anything that entered my path on my way to work. Here are some of my favorite shots from my walk:

I ran into this little fellow multiple times…pretty sure he was following me… Here are a few more shots of him:

If you’ve decided to join me on this week of photographic adventure, have a most joyous Day One! I’d love to see your shots, if you’d be willing to share them with me! Enjoy the experience!

‘Til day two… Happy Shooting!

Landscape Photography

In preparation for the Nature Photography Challenge, which begins next TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1st, I wanted to post a few helpful tips for inspiration!

Click here to read some suggestions related to landscape photography compositions. If you do not like following links or reading large amounts of content, here’s the gist of Guy Tal’s suggestions:

1. Rules are not recipes for success. They are more like GUIDING PRINCIPLES. They may not work in every situation. However, they do play a role in understanding what has been known to work in certain situations. At the deciding moment, rules aside, the only thing that matters is what you see through the view finder.

2. Take into consideration the SCALE of your scene (Grand Scenic, Intimate- Isolating the scene within a scene, or Close-up/Macro) when you are planning your composition. Be open to different scales–and think of all possibilities. You may find new and original compositional possibilities through simply keeping an open mind.

3. Take into account the “raw materials” in your composition:

• Light – its direction (or lack thereof), angle, and color
• Shapes – the outlines and surface of objects in the scene
• Lines – these can be straight or curved, pointing in or out of the frame, to or from a given object etc.
• Textures and patterns
• Colors and tones
• Frame boundaries

4. Anticipate quick changes in light, keeping in mind the following:

• Grand scenes, covering vast areas, with the sky prominent in the frame, often look their best within an hour on either side of sunrise or sunset.
• Intimate scenes, or other subjects where capturing the utmost detail is essential often work best in indirect or diffused light. Direct sunlight may result in high contrast (deep shadows and/or bright highlights) that may distract from the fine detail.
• Carefully consider the direction of the light. Back-light or side-light can be used to enhance detail, while light coming at a high angle can create large unsightly areas of dark shadows

5. The edges around the frame of your shots should be given careful attention, realizing that your decision to include or exclude something from your final image effects the impact of your image.

6. Rule of Thirds– consider placing the most noteworthy element in your composition slightly off center to enhance its relation to its surroundings.

7. Think about the strong lines in your composition and ways that they might lead the viewer’s eye through the image. Here are common techniques Guy Tal provides in his article:

• Diagonal lines often work better than horizontal or perpendicular ones
• Intersections of lines form immediate power points. These can be lines intersecting inside the composition or the intersection of a line with a frame boundary or corner
• A common mistake is for lines to point out of the frame, leading the viewer away from your subject and making them wonder what else is out there. Be aware of the directions of strong lines in your composition.
• Combine leading lines with Rule of Thirds to further enhance your composition’s focal point.

8. In the field, it’s important to try out multiple rules and options for your composition. Do not limit yourself. In Eliot Porter’s words: “You learn to see by practice. It’s just like playing tennis, you get better the more you play. The more you look around at things, the more you see. The more you photograph, the more you realize what can be photographed and what can’t be photographed. You just have to keep doing it.”

I hope these tips help! Check out landscape photography, Guy Tal’s article for more information.

Happy Thursday!

Nature Photography Challenge!!

After what I deemed to be a successful Nature Sketch Challenge in the beginning of October, I decided it was time to explore another artistic process through which nature can be explored and understood—Nature Photography! In past posts, I have mentioned photography, however, during the first week of November, I would like to explore the possibilities of this medium in greater depth. So, from November 1 – November 8, I will be posting suggestions for Nature Photography, along with my BEST nature shot of the day. Along with the image, I will provide an explanation for why I consider it to be my BEST, along with a short sentence about the insights I gained on that particular day.

As was the case with last month’s challenge, I invite anyone who is interested in a good challenge to participate with me–sharing your images and insights as well!

For the rest of this week, I will post various Nature Photographer’s works for inspiration and motivation for the coming challenge!

Who’s in?