stocksdale park IV

Here is another frame from Stocksdale Park (other frames can be found in this gallery).

This was a striking find for me. As I walked along the woodland path I spotted this crazy old tree, going off in a dozen directions. I was immediately attuned to its freeness, its lack of inhibition (if a tree has that sort of thing). It was riveting to look at, and I found myself staring at it for a few minutes before I thought about how to capture it in a frame.

But I didn't spot it alone - when I saw it, it was framed by the two straighter trees on either side. I'm not sure if those trees are "attempting to hide" it, or if they are "providing a safe space" for it. All I know is that the tree could not be shot on its own - it had to be shot "in community," so to speak.

Not to read too much into it (but I am a pastor, you know), but isn't that the way it should be? When we are a little crazy, there should be others there "framing us." And when we are "straighter" or "more usual" we should provide a place and contrast in which to show off the eclectic nature of others.

Hmm... I'll stick to theology.

bennett park

My latest attempt at a "tree portrait" that includes more than just a tree.

Click here to buy this print.

flowering dogwood

Click here to buy this print.

crazy harry's fireworks

I spotted this gem yesterday while taking the boys to the park. I wanted to stop then, but I didn't want to be that guy encouraging his kids to "go play in that parking lot over there while Daddy takes some pictures." Sans children, this was a great place to shoot some frames.

I tried not to mess with it too much. As I look at photo magazines/blogs/online galleries, I continue to notice that the great photographers I like are not afraid of middle greys. I have usually leaned towards high contrast. I had felt like that was the best way to grab detail out of the frame, and make it pop. Crazy Harry's Fireworks has given me an opportunity to work on getting comfortable with letting the middle tones be middle tones, as well as letting them speak for themselves.

I also shot the following frame, an excavated area behind Crazy Harry's.



I'm not sure what I think of it. I've decided I want to branch out in my composition of the "tree portraits" I've been shooting by adding other elements to the mix besides the sky. The excavated wall was the original reason I wanted to shoot Crazy Harry's Fireworks, but I wasn't able to frame a shot that I liked with both elements included.

What do you think? Would this hang well with the other tree portraits I've been shooting?

courtney ridge

I took my big boys to a park down near the river today. As we were winding our way to the playground, I spotted this row of baby trees up on a ridge. I love the "Dust Bowl" era look I got with this shot.

double date and cattails

Double Date is certainly not the greatest photo that I've ever taken, but there are elements of this frame that I love. Compositionally, I like what I was trying to do, but I have not yet figured out how to seperate the similar tones that exist in the foreground and the background.

Double Date was taken at Bernheim Arboretum, south of Louisville, KY. On my last day there I asked my friend Will where he would like to go, and this is the place he picked. I had never been, and I had a great time.

It was a peaceful place, with lots of nature to shoot, including this frame, called Cattails:



To see the other shots I took at Bernheim, click here (they are title Bernheim Arboretum I and Bernheim Arboretum II).

trees on hospital hill

I went out for a landscape shoot today, and returned with four really pleasing (to me anyway!) images of trees. I had recently read an article about Paul Kozal which had some stunning shots of fog laden treescapes that I felt inspired by. As I was driving past the hospital here in Liberty, I saw four trees and a stump up on the ridge line and knew that this was my chance to work out my own vision of trees.

I did not even come close to Kozal's style, and that's okay wih me. First of all, he usually shoots in foggy weather and today was the brightest that ol' Mizzou has been for a while. Second, Kozal echos the pictoralists and I am more of a "straight photography" guy (think Ansel Adams and Edward Weston). His shots are so dense and textured. I preferred a more airy feeling. But the guy is a great eye, and I'm glad his work has pushed me a bit.

I'm very partial to this one, called hospital hill I. I liked the composition when I was standing on the side of the road, but I liked it even more when I got home and looked at it on the computer. I hadn't noticed the birds when I hit the shutter release. What a stroke of luck!

Anyway, if you want to see the other three in the series, click here.