Colors of Nature

When I was leaving my house the other day I saw this beautiful moth by my front door. I wish I could have gotten a better photograph but he was fluttering his wings and I didn't have time to get my tripod. Aren't its colors gorgeous? I'm not letting it in my house because it would surely devour my yarn.

My Iro Scarf is coming along quickly. It is such a nice mindless project to work on as I listen to audio lectures.

I am crazy in love with my new needles. I thought this needle end might be a little heavy in the hand but it is not.

The needle points are ever so sharp and would be excellent for finicky knitting manuevers.

.And the Noro Iro yarn? Yummy! Wouldn't you agree that the colors are manly-man colors? Colors of nature.

From the Hip

My photography lesson this week at Digital Photography school was to take a picture from the hip. From the hip?

I was to see if I could come up with a fantastic shot without composing my picture carefully through the viewfinder / LCD. It didn't necessarily have to be shot from the hip - mine were taken about over my head, by extending my arm out full range and from down on the ground.

I pushed myself outside of my dependency on my viewfinder and I was surprised at what came up! These were taking after a rainfall yesterday afternoon. And, I might add, we REALLY needed some rainfall because everything is very dry right now. These are not 'fantastic' shots but they were fun and I found the assignment quite enjoyable.

These flowers are in a flower pot on my front porch. I would love to be able to grow something like this in the ground but they are too delectible for the deer that feed in my yard.

The aspens have just budded out. In a few weeks these little aspen leaves will be quaking aspen leaves.

Pretty cool shots for not looking through the viewfinder and composing , eh?

The next assignment is entitled Clashing Colors so I am eager to see what it will involve!

Digital Photography School - Converging Lines Assignment

I am far behind on many things, including my Digital Photography School assignments. Instead of trying to get caught up I'm going to jump right in with this week's assignment on CONVERGING LINES.

Many photographers look for and like to incorporate converging lines in their shots. When you add numerous lines that come together, or close together, you have a tool to lead your viewer's eye into a shot.

I'm not sure my shots are the greatest example of converging lines since I am in the learning stages but here are a few shots that I have submitted for the assignment.

The following shot was taken at the Alcazar in Seville, Spain. I think the grid lines of the pavement guide the viewer's eye to the hedge and then to the arched gateway into the Alcazar courtyard. I also think the converging lines of the walls in the top left corner of the shot guide the eye to the white doorway.

My second converging line shot is of a street in the Santa Cruz district of Seville. Don and I got lost as we were following a walking tour of this beautiful area of the city. The streets were like mazes. In this shot I focused on the foreground having my lines converge there. I blurred the background to give the air of confusion - is this where we are coming from or going to?

The following converging line shot is of a stairway in Cagliari, Italy. The stairs along with the parallel fence and railing channel your eyes up the stairs and to the couple who have just climbed all those steps.

My last converging line shot is of a street in Rome. Our tourguide informed us that many of the oldest streets in Rome are from the Roman Empire days and are shaped in ampitheatre (semi-circular) style. That was a classic Roman shape and is found throughout Rome. I love this photograph and think the parallel curved shapes almost converge in the background and make this little street seem truly curved as it actually was.