Macro jewelry

One of the lessons coming up in my Mini-Macro online photo class is about photographing jewelry, exploring lighting and depth of field. I have this old silver and amethyst necklace in a glass jar on a shelf in my studio. I kept the necklace in the jar and shot through the glass, filling my frame with beads and silver. Weird? Yes. Cool? Yes. Fun? Yes.

©Carol Leigh, who is usually weird, infrequently cool, sometimes fun...

Frozen in time

It's been cold and clear at night here on the Oregon coast and mornings are sparkly with frost. I got up around 3:30 this morning and looked out to see the moon shining silver on the ocean, lots of stars, lots of beauty, lots of cold!

In keeping with the chilly temps, here's a photomontage I created of a close-up of an ice cube combined with a photo of a clock (of sorts). I made the clock myself, piling up various parts, and then shot straight down onto it. (Click to enlarge.)

Looking at this clock, I'm either extremely early or very late, so I better get moving.

©Carol Leigh, who has no concept of time . . .

Snowy Leaves

You know how sometimes you start off with one concept and it turns out completely different? Well, that's what happened here. I'm still going to work on my original concept, but in the meantime, I like this shot. (Chris didn't like it at all, but says it's now growing on him. He's SO diplomatic!)

These are cherry leaves that I pressed flat, photographed, and then combined with a photo I took of scratched aluminum. I like the cold, fall-into-winter look. Click to enlarge. ©Carol Leigh, flattening leaves wherever she goes...

What are you working on?

When you ask most artists what they're working on, they have an answer. Maybe, "I'm experimenting with encaustic painting right now," or "I've developed a different sort of glazing technique," or "I'm using plant dyes to create patterns and designs on fabric," or "I'm working on a series of collages using old player piano rolls."

When you ask a photographer what they're working on, the response doesn't seem quite as defined. "I'm trying to get out more," or "I'm playing around with a new lens," or "I'm learning Lightroom."

Is it time for us photographers to focus more sharply on what we're doing? Rather than wandering about looking for things to photograph, what if we had goals, projects, concepts to pursue? More clearly defined projects to work on?

A new year begins soon. What will YOU be doing next year with your photography? Still wandering around looking for things to shoot? Nothing wrong with wandering. In fact, I live for that. But maybe in addition to that seemingly idle wandering we would learn more, expand our vision, hone our craft by consciously looking for something in particular.

One of my goals for the coming year is to work more with extreeeeeemly shallow depth of field. My fastest lenses are an f/1.7 20mm (which focuses quite closely), an f/1.8 50mm, and an f/2.8 100mm macro lens. In addition, I've got an old Lensbaby which deserves a bit more time, and shallow depth of field is what that lens is all about.

I also have an idea for a book, a book that is handmade and will incorporate physical papers and photographs. So I'm going to be doing shooting that's specific toward the concept of the book and I'm going to have to learn how to MAKE a book!

And I also have an idea for "mail art," a series of photomontage postcards/messages that look real but aren't. And will also continue working on my letter photomontages, such as you see here.

So. I ask you today, just a few weeks away from a brand-new year, what will YOU be working on? Is 2012 the year you conquer your fear of photographing people? Is it the year you begin your "photo a day" project? The year you put together a book of your tree photos? Your "faces in nature" photos? The year you spend a month searching for compositions incorporating the color blue?

Having a specific goal will make you a better photographer. It will encourage you to look at your surroundings differently, with a different focus, a different purpose. By narrowing your vision you will actually expand it. Stick with it and by this time next year you will be a different person, a more confident photographer, and a more creative photographer.

©Carol Leigh, who is conducting an online class beginning January 1 where we'll be photographing letters of the alphabet, one a week, for six months. Could be just the perfect project for YOU in 2012!

What Remains

Photomontage created using pictures I took of an old building in New Mexico, the cover of a Japanese book, and part of a red boat hull. ©Carol Leigh, who knows she's weird but is old enough to enjoy being so . . .

Faces on the beach

The first thing I need to say is that none of these was altered in Photoshop to create the faces — all were "as found" on the beach. It's weird. Some days you'll find no faces at all and on others, well, seems like you're being watched all the time. I particularly like the look and feel of the last photo, an angry raptor of some sort, complete with a highlight in the eye created by dried seaweed. Fun stuff, no?

©Carol Leigh, who is comfortable photographing faces in nature, but terrified of taking pictures of actual human beings...

New collage: "Red River"

I finished this one-of-a-kind handmade collage last night. Thanks go to CJ Middendorf for the "red river" running down the top two-thirds of the piece — a beautiful piece of bright red handmade paper. The grey, black, and blue papers were given to me by Kathleen Amt, who is quite an artist. She also made the bone-like flat disks. The red disks come from a jewelry artist in North Carolina named Nina Bagley. Thank you all again.

For a larger view, please click the image. This collage is for sale in my online store at http://shop.carolleigh.net.

©Carol Leigh, who is having so much fun making both these physical collages as well as digital photomontages. May you derive just as much pleasure from whatever creative things you're producing.

Pi Squared

One doesn't think of gulls as being mathematically inclined, but when I saw this one sitting next to a cleat (pi), I was most impressed. Naturally, a square format worked the best. Since pi = 3.14, I'm looking forward to celebrating Pi Day on March 14.

©Carol Leigh, who knows nothing about math, but who recognizes the symbol for pi when she sees it (and apple pie when she eats it).

Northern Lights

This photomontage began with a picture I took of a cement wall. That didn't work, so I tossed it out, but it LED me to what DID work. All this is is a combination of a photo I took of a very old Japanese book and a photo I took of a scratched boat hull down the coast. Ta da! Click to enlarge.

©Carol Leigh, who knows she makes this sound easy, but it actually took a few hours to create.

No "Black Friday" here

As is our wont on holidays (when it's not raining), we went for a little drive. First to the fishing boats to see what's going on there, where I found a blue buoy/bumper hanging down against an equally blue fishing boat.

Then we followed the river road toward Toledo, stopping to photograph the remains of an old train trestle. Then to Toledo to photograph graffiti on the sides of railroad cars — a favorite photo subject which I try not to mention very often because it's weird and I hate graffiti but love to shoot it, which is also weird...

Steam spewing from a smokestack at the Georgia-Pacific facility caught my eye because of the beautifully textured cloudlike formations the steam created. Powerlines even looked good silhouetted in front of the "clouds." And finally back to South Beach to photograph multicolored buildings.

We did not contribute to America's economy by lining up at 0-dark-thirty to purchase anything (thereby avoiding nasty pepper spray and trampling possibilities) and we bought nothing except lunch at a local restaurant. It was a TERRIFIC day, though! Peaceful, nobody on the roads, and beautiful things to see.

©Carol Leigh, who is thankful for being able to wander, look, and take photographs.

End of the day

Just before sunset, while there was still just a bit of light in the sky, we left the sand-covered houses and headed over to Waldport Marina. Warm lighting on the "caution" sign caught my eye and I quickly shot it, knowing that the quality of light would be fleeting. They're not kidding about outgoing tides — the current was screaming past.

Walking down on the docks, I photographed this gull using a 20mm lens at f/1.7, focusing on him and letting the rest of the scene go soft. It's a pretty look, I think. The photo of the sign above was taken the same way. Loving this 20mm f/1.7 lens!

This was a quiet, peaceful way to end the day, especially after all the sturm und drang of the storms, which should begin again today around 10.

©Carol Leigh, wishing you all a happy and quiet Thanksgiving.

Sand blizzard

There was a break in the storm late yesterday afternoon so we went down to lower Bayshore to check out the houses, which invariably become engulfed in the blown sand. The homeowners' association had been removing sand all day, which was great for the homeowners, but not so great for photography. (Click photos to enlarge.)

A few years ago I put together a series of photos showing the results of these storms, which you can see here: http://carolleigh.net/Bayshore%20Sandstorm/index.html

And just this past February, the houses were covered again: http://carolleigh.blogspot.com/2011/02/sand-blizzard.html

If people were to disappear from Earth, I'm sure these houses would melt into the sea and sand within just a couple years.

©Carol Leigh, happy to be on the east side of the coast highway and up a few hundred feet.

Postcard from Oregon

A big storm has been pounding the coast the past few days with lots of rain and LOTS of wind. (Those of you who have been here for my annual Oregon coast workshop are familiar with the Alsea Bay Bridge, well, a truck and its trailer tipped over onto its side due to heavy wind yesterday afternoon, blocking traffic for a bit.) Rumor has it we may experience a few hours of sun this weekend . . .

Chris and I both wish you a happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful you keep checking in here, leaving your comments, making me feel part of a creative village (if not the village idiot!). ©Carol Leigh

Paper 12

Photomontage consisting of photos of boat reflections, rivets, a torn piece of Japanese paper, photos of hand-painted papers, a "12" from a sign on the docks, and hand-drawn arcs and rectangles.

I'll teach you how to do this in my beginning photomontage online class that starts January 9th, 2012. For more information, click onto my 2012 class schedule at http://www.carolleigh.net/classes.htm.

©Carol Leigh, who is bracing for a big storm to hit us here on the Oregon coast today

Rule of Thirds?

Weird photo, no? A small boat up at the docks is covered with a white tarp to protect ongoing repairs. Holding down the tarp are three plastic partially filled jugs, floating in the water, holding the tarp in place.  And it must work really well, because I believe those jugs have been floating there for at least a year! Click to enlarge.

©Carol Leigh, who has projects in her garage she hasn't finished in NINE years!

Raven, Santa Fe #1 (original collage)

"Raven, Santa Fe #1"
I made this collage using blue, black, and warm brown mulberry papers, rice paper, calligraphy from an 1880s Japanese book on philosophy, acrylic paint, and a raven photomontage that I printed on Japanese rice paper. (See below for a close-up photo of part of the collage.) What's especially fun for me is incorporating my photography into the collage. Hope you enjoy seeing what I'm doing!

 

Size: 6½" x 4½" in an 11" x 14" mat, ready to pop into an 11" x 14" frame (not included). Price: $80, which includes First Class Mail shipping. To order, please visit my online store:  http://shop.carolleigh.net

©Carol Leigh, overwhelmed by the possibilities!

As seen on TV . . .

This is just an experiment... I photographed images on my television, purposely taking them out of focus, blurred them a bit more in post-processing, and added texture. Not sure what I think yet, but it was a fun little experiment. ©Carol Leigh, who apparently is more comfortable photographing people on TV rather than in person!

Possibilities

Combination of my photographs of a bird nest, a page from an old Japanese book, a painted piece of paper, and some cement. ©Carol Leigh, who is conducting a beginning photomontage online class next year and who can't get enough of this stuff...

Gridwork

As I work more with creating physical collages, I'm noticing the concept of using a grid as a compositional "structure." The way I tear and place papers tends to have a grid background. And so it is with these photographs, composed of squares and rectangles that also form an overall grid pattern. Just as I select papers and choose their placement, my photographic eye selects lines and shapes and isolates them to create a (to me) pleasing composition.

The strong vertical lines of a building in Salem, Oregon are "punctured" with smaller, more varied, more colorful little rectangular windows.

The side of an old building in Reedsport, Oregon always catches my eye with its square windows set above equally square non-windows. The texture, the sign, and the broken panes relieve the uniformity of the squares.

In the third photo, a large rectangular shape at the bottom holds up the lighter, smaller rectangular elements above it. And to make it more interesting, there are squares and rectangles within larger ones.

The way books were arranged in an antique store caught my eye. I purposely cropped the scene to form a square to emphasize the squarishness of everything within it.

And finally, the red-painted wood and all the vertical/horizontal lines on a building in Colorado turns into another grid of squares and rectangles.

Strong patterns, vertical and horizontal lines, squares and rectangles within more squares and rectangles . . . these are good compositional elements for us to be looking for as we're out and about.

©Carol Leigh, thinking it's hip to be square . . .

On the beach

A woman works with her horse on the beach near Newport. It was a very bright — glaringly bright — day and so I purposely overexposed the shot to wash out the waves and the sand while keeping the bold silhouette of horse and rider intact. ©Carol Leigh

The power of backgrounds

In addition to the various drives contained within my computers, I also have 10 external drives — all containing photos. It's getting out of hand, to say the least. I'm in the process of consolidating, moving photos around, and as a result, I'm coming across pictures I'd forgotten about, such as these three.

I took the photos to illustrate what a difference a background can make. I set the pushpin on top of a glass brick. In the first shot, I used holographic shiny paper as my background. Why? Because the pin and the glass are translucent/transparent. I wanted a colorful and "light-encrusted" background to echo the lightness of the pin and the brick.

In the second photo, I put an American flag behind the setup, just to see what it would look like. I LOVE how the stripes look through the pushpin, but the background itself is kind of blah.

And finally I used (if I recall correctly) the holographic paper AND some translucent, gauzy purple fabric, which I waved around during the exposure so that it would blur out.

And now if you'll excuse me, I have a bazillion more images to move around!

©Carol Leigh, who will soon be announcing a new, "Mini-Macro" online class for next year . . .

Autumn

Fern frond and a page from the New York Times in Braille. ©Carol Leigh

Pursue some path...

"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence." —Henry David Thoreau

Cuervo de Colores

Don't know what the fascination is, but I'm drawn to the Corvid family! This photo of a Santa Fe bird was combined with a photo I took of the side of a fishing boat here in Oregon. Love the subtle colors. ©Carol Leigh

Coockoo

I'm not sure about this one. The components are a leather jacket photographed in Santa Fe, an old carpet shot on the docks in Newport, Oregon, and a matchbox label (thank you, Kathleen A.) from Poland (vintage 1965 or thereabouts).

©Carol Leigh, who is teaching a beginning online photomontage class beginning January 9, 2012.