Tuesday was a nice fall day for a trip to the woods, and so I grabbed my camera and walked to a spot in town that lies on the edge of a stream that feeds into the Raritan River. I love being around trees and water, and had a wonderful time taking photos of Nature, especially as no one else was around. From a distance along the bank I noticed a tree that seemed to be holding on to a blue ribbon-like piece of plastic. It was intricately wrapped in the branches, and on further inspection found that it was indeed a stray piece of litter. In its present state of entanglement, it appeared as if the wind had caught it somewhere and blown it to its current resting spot. For some reason it looked like it belonged and the tree was embracing its presence. I took aim with my camera and shot it just slightly out of focus. I'm certainly not a fan of litter, and was not so intrigued by the discarded soda and beer cans found at this otherwise pristine site, but I couldn't wait to upload this particular photo to see what I could make of it. All of my other photos were splendid enough, and needed very little editing, and so I have uploaded them to the slideshow to the right. However, as I stared at this photo a pattern began to emerge, and so as I often do, I starting manipulating the colors, exposure, saturation and contrast. Suddenly a face emerged that was rich in context and color, and I knew I had found a winner. I call it "unicorn". I'm so glad that I did not dismiss the shot as just some junk in a tree, as I would have done in past years. I have learned to trust my intuition and inner vision when creating my unique brand of art. Whether or not you share my opinion that the picture is unique and inspiring... it doesn't matter. Beauty as seen from the eye of the beholder is never wrong.Thursday, October 9, 2008
Eye of the Beholder
Tuesday was a nice fall day for a trip to the woods, and so I grabbed my camera and walked to a spot in town that lies on the edge of a stream that feeds into the Raritan River. I love being around trees and water, and had a wonderful time taking photos of Nature, especially as no one else was around. From a distance along the bank I noticed a tree that seemed to be holding on to a blue ribbon-like piece of plastic. It was intricately wrapped in the branches, and on further inspection found that it was indeed a stray piece of litter. In its present state of entanglement, it appeared as if the wind had caught it somewhere and blown it to its current resting spot. For some reason it looked like it belonged and the tree was embracing its presence. I took aim with my camera and shot it just slightly out of focus. I'm certainly not a fan of litter, and was not so intrigued by the discarded soda and beer cans found at this otherwise pristine site, but I couldn't wait to upload this particular photo to see what I could make of it. All of my other photos were splendid enough, and needed very little editing, and so I have uploaded them to the slideshow to the right. However, as I stared at this photo a pattern began to emerge, and so as I often do, I starting manipulating the colors, exposure, saturation and contrast. Suddenly a face emerged that was rich in context and color, and I knew I had found a winner. I call it "unicorn". I'm so glad that I did not dismiss the shot as just some junk in a tree, as I would have done in past years. I have learned to trust my intuition and inner vision when creating my unique brand of art. Whether or not you share my opinion that the picture is unique and inspiring... it doesn't matter. Beauty as seen from the eye of the beholder is never wrong.
