Little things . . .

If I'd been asleep, I'd have missed it...

Lying in bed this morning at 2:45, window open, listening to softly falling rain, I heard something in the distance. A flock of geese, calling gently to one another as they made their mysterious migration south.

The world turns, the rain falls, the geese fly south. A mystery. A reassurance. A feeling that things are as they should be. That all is well with the world at 2:45 in the morning.

Wishing you a day of delightful mystery.

©Carol Leigh

Abstracts anywhere . . .

In my quest to show we can create unusual abstract images no matter where we are and no matter what's in front of us, I offer you this.

Looking like a pastel mountain range, these toothbrush handles were a perfect subject. I just lined them up, put something colorful in the background, and emphasized their translucence. Voila! Art and dental hygiene in the same day! ©Carol Leigh

On seeing...

"All the technique in the world doesn't compensate for the inability to notice." --Elliott Erwitt

 "You can't shoot what you don't see." --Carol Leigh

 Just about all my online photo classes concentrate firstly on seeing and then secondly on technique. There's always technique, but to me, it's all about how to see.

Last call for my "Developing Your Creative Edge" class, which begins on the 27th of this month. For more info, please visit my website. I would love for you to be a part of this!

 Carol Leigh

It's a good day to . . .

. . . watch for signs of fall. Have you noticed it? There's a subtle change in the air. The sun has begun moving more toward the south. The days are a little shorter now. Autumn is slowly moving in . . . ©Carol Leigh

It's a good day to . . .

. . . take the day off! ©Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Concrete and Silk:

A combination of various photos, merged, blended, and combined again. And again. And ... ©Carol Leigh

It's a good day to . . .

. . . get a sense of direction. ©Carol Leigh

New online class begins September 27

Just a reminder that my latest online photo class begins September 27 and runs through November 15th. There are ten people signed up so far, including three brand-new folks, so it's going to be a good mix.

I've got four different lessons set up, and, as usual, they revolve more around seeing, composition, line and design than technique, although technique sneaks its way in all the time. No special equipment needed; you could do all the lessons using a cellphone if you wished! The registration fee is $85 for this six-week class.

If you'd like to be a part of the fun, here's the link:
http://www.carolleigh.net/classes.htm

©Carol Leigh

Wiser than some photographers I know . . .

Overheard at a car show this past weekend . . .

Dad: "Oh, I should have brought my camera!"

Daughter, age 8: "That's okay.We always have the camera in our head."

Latest works . . .

I've been experimenting lately, searching for a slightly different slant, and I'm liking how these latest Oregon coast images are looking. They've got depth and softness, texture, and subtle colors. As a result, I'm looking at a LOT of my images, seeing which ones might lend themselves to this technique.

And the technique? Ha! I thought maybe I had something locked in, a series of steps that would apply to each image I selected. But nope, each one requires a different set of layers, background images, and bits of software. And, really, that's a good thing because it keeps me interested, keeps me experimenting, and makes creating these pictures a joy rather than becoming a bore.

Art seems to be a series of problems to be solved, and once the problem is solved, then what? Well, we move on to the next problem, don't we? This ain't no assembly line. This ain't no push a button and voila! it's done.

A stock photographer (and a successful one) once commented that he wished he could just put subjects on a conveyor belt, shoot them as they went by, and then submit them to his stock agency. I find his photography mediocre, uninspired, and dull. But, because he's prolific and because he's competently shooting things that other people aren't, he's doing remarkably well. Doing well shooting snapshots. On his way to the bank...

What's my point? I'm not sure, except to say that it's the newness, the experimentation, the problem-solving that keeps me interested in creating more work, not to mention the sheer delight of being somewhere, especially somewhere new, camera in hand, just looking, looking, looking, exploring, wandering. The thought of "conveyor belt" photography makes me shudder.

Hope you enjoy seeing what I'm doing. (Although a friend commented that there was something sort of "Kinkade" about this look that gave me pause!) So, until I feel the need to begin solving other problems, these sorts of images will continue for awhile. Fair warning!

©Carol Leigh

What's on my bookshelf . . .

"I wrote at least a thousand words a day every day from the age of twelve on." --Ray Bradbury

If Ray Bradbury could write 1,000 words a day, then we can take at least one photo a day, can't we? It's never been so easy . . . we have DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras, cellphone cameras, cameras in our iPads . . .

The best way to improve your photography is to take at least one decent photo a day. And post it somewhere where people can see it. Posting keeps your motivation going. And, even if you last just 30 days, it's fun (and instructive) to look over that small body of work. It may motivate you even more, who knows?

The best way to get better at something is to do something . . . every freakin' day!

©Carol Leigh

P.S. This Zen in the Art of Writing by Bradbury is a terrific book. It's not something I sit down and read cover to cover, rather something I read a little bit, put the book down, a few days later read some more, etc. And so much of what he says about writing applies to art in general, such as, "...if you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer." What if we were to substitute some words, saying, "...if you are creating without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half an artist?" That Bradbury guy might just be on to something . . .

It's a good day to . . .

. . . be oxymoronic with a photo of "new rust." ©Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Bandon Lighthouse"

This is one of my favorite lighthouses on the Oregon coast, perched at the mouth of the Coquille River in Bandon. When I was working on this image, I had it blown way up on my computer screen. Imagine my surprise when, way out in the distance I could see a bald eagle perched on a driftwood log! Because the picture has been completely redone, the eagle can no longer be seen, even as a white speck. But you and I will always know she's there... ©Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Looks Like a Duck"

Created with my photographs of old Japanese book covers, Kanji lettering, old currency, torn papers, postal cancellation marks, and more.  ©Carol Leigh

Who are your friends?

I'm reading Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing and this snippet caught my eye (and my heart):

"Who are your friends? Do they believe in you? Or do they stunt your growth with ridicule and disbelief? If the latter, you haven't friends. Go and find some."

This is the kind of thing I wish I'd understood thirty years ago!

Carol Leigh

It's a good day to . . .

. . . celebrate yourself! When I created this photomontage of pen nibs, I made a quick note in my journal because I was so jazzed with the result. I didn't plan the montage, it just seemed to come about automatically. I love it when I surprise myself. Have you surprised yourself lately? And did you celebrate it? ©Carol Leigh

Link: One more good reason we need physical books in our lives . . .

Yes, I have (and use) a Kindle, but to me nothing beats the feel, look, and smell of a real, live book. Books offer such possibility . . . each one's a gift, a surprise, a secret revealed. Here's one more secret some books offer us: paintings that are revealed only when the pages of the book are fanned out somewhat. Here's a quick video that shows you what I mean — much better than I'm describing it:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/09/fore-edge-book-paintings/

Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Yaquina Head Light"

Inspiration comes from a variety of places. Yesterday we had the pleasure of escorting Bridget C. and John around our neck of the woods for a couple of hours. We went out to Yaquina Head Lighthouse and they were shooting like crazy. They went down to the beach and I remained above, looking at the lighthouse, wondering what I could do that they wouldn't. I knew their photos were going to be very good. How could I make mine different? I shot from a different angle than I'd seen them shooting, and from farther away. So far, so good. But what next?

I've been inspired seeing what Jan Hagan's been doing, creating painterly-looking images. I don't know how she's doing it, what she's using to do it, and right now I don't want to know, don't want to borrow/steal/copy/be influenced by her techniques lest I become a pale copy. But she does inspire me to experiment a bit with what I have at hand, just to see what happens. Well, this happened. And I love it. I like the light, bright, summery effect I achieved, the painterly quality, and the texture. So it's my latest offering at Fine Art America.

Heartfelt thanks go to Bridget and John for pushing me to be better. And to Jan for encouraging me to play, experiment, and come up with something new. It's been a good couple of days.

©Carol Leigh

Nixon's the One

I'm in a creative mode at the moment, putting all sorts of things together, hence this Nixon image, made from a photo I took of a torn poster on a wall in Portland and a photo I took of stamps on a package I received in the mail. Yup, just because I can . . .

©Carol Leigh

Latest work: "Regular Mail by Air"

Another in a seemingly endless series of faux postcards...

This one is made using my photographs of stamps, stickers, foreign currency, torn papers, rusty circles, and a whole lot more.

It's interesting... as I was finishing this piece, Chris walked in and was looking over my shoulder. He had some excellent suggestions, which I implemented. He then said, "I can see how time gets away from you when you're doing this. I've been here more than half an hour, but I'd say it was only ten or fifteen minutes." Welcome to my world!

Prints available via Fine Art America. ©Carol Leigh