“As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in Midsummer.” —William Shakespeare
Today we celebrated May Day by watching a group of 8th grade students dance around in the pouring rain. It was a lovely morning and a wonderful reminder of beauty and connection. I hope you enjoy these photos and let me know if you have a favorite.
These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
“It is at the edge of the petal that love waits.” —William Carlos Williams
I’ve been having a lot of big feelings lately and so today I present to you a distraction in the form of flowers, cute animals, and one shot from the prom photos I took last Friday. Let me know if you have a favorite and I hope you have a great day.
These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
The power of the pink moon wakes me. Stumbling out of bed, I wander barefoot through half-lit rooms looking through distorted glass while my eyes attempt to adjust. What if I let them stay blurry? What if I simply see what’s there? Maybe beauty does exist in the imperfections. The flowers tell me so. I follow the sounds to the beach and surrender.
“Oh moon, I have begun to envy you your terrifying powers” —Henry Virgin
The fourth full moon of the year arrived on my birthday while on vacation at Dillion Beach. The moon proved elusive and all my photos turned out distorted. I had no choice but to embrace the imperfections and play with them.
Let me know if you have a favorite. These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
This is my final Washington photography post and it’s of the iconic Pike Place Market. If you’ve never been, it’s a daily market known for its produce and fish-throwing vendors. In my opinion, these are the best photos I’ve ever taken. I usually focus on macro shots, but I’m learning to step back and let the scene tell a story. I’m excited to see this growth in myself and look forward to continuing to learn new skills.
To those who have visited all six posts, thank you. This trip felt transformative to me in a way I’m not sure I understand yet. Next week is my birthday and I always get introspective this time of year. I’m not writing my novel, I’ve not published anything yet, but I’m still creating. Maybe that’s enough.
“…and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?” —Vincent van Gogh
Can you believe I didn’t get a single photo of the Space Needle? Neither can I. Next time…
All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Last week I took a much-anticipated trip to visit my mother, connect with a dear poetry friend, and show the city of Seattle to my daughter. It was a feast for the photographic eye. Please join me for a series of posts (6 total) exploring the Pacific Northwest and let me know if you have a favorite photo.
“Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
As I carefully walk toward the rippling water my shoes sink in the soft mud. You tell me to listen to what the frogs are saying. I try, but I don’t know how to be still enough. A small patch of yellow flowers grows near the shore and I struggle to get closer to them. What are they saying? The Worm Moon bursts out from behind the clouds shining a spotlight across the water. Everything seems to be calling out. I swallow my words and listen harder.
“The gold tree is blue, The singer has pulled his cloak over his head. The moon is in the folds of the cloak.” —Wallace Stevens
For my third attempt at full moon photography, I visited Folsom Lake at sunset. It felt magical and different. My daughter drew a moth in the sand. Spring is here.
Let me know if you like these and if you have a favorite. These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
you are almost obscene without petals alien green bulbous body too many waving yellow arms yet you appear honest dare I say brave
once, scared nobody could love me I did this to a flower it could have been a relative of yours a great great great grandflower I didn’t think about what it wanted what my actions would change only if I could be loved if I could be chosen
I tore each delicate petal off love me love me not until a pink pile lay at my feet wasted beauty for something like answers
seeing you now I wonder what answers you hold first full and now bare and why naked truth still scares me
“If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
I’ve been sick for two weeks with a terrible virus. It started with a fever and ended with a horrible nonstop cough. I stayed in bed, minus a trip to the doctor, but barely got any rest. It was one miserable day after the next. It made me appreciate my health and fully understand the word surrender.
To celebrate returning to the land of the living (maybe a bit dramatic), I dusted off my camera and visited the local plant nursery this morning. The bees, the colors, and the sunshine all did wonders for my mood. I hope you enjoy these photos and please let me know if you have a favorite.
These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
“If it is time that you are talking to Don’t forget the path you are walking through Sudden flare of past might stalk you Never allow moments to mock you” —Munia Khan
This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to capture a lens flare. Still craving water and a beautiful sunrise, I woke early and drove to Folsom Lake. It was chilly and cold but incredibly peaceful. I hiked for a long time to reach the water’s edge, and then I savored the sound of the waves. If I closed my eyes I could pretend I was still at the ocean.
Not all of these photos stay on topic, but I’m okay with breaking the rules a little bit. Well, I’m trying to be. Let me know if you have a favorite and have a fantastic week.
“….he said it was interesting. He used the word ‘textured’. He said ‘smooth’ is boring but ‘textured’ was interesting, and the scar meant that I was stronger than whatever had tried to hurt me.” —Jeannette Walls
This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to create images using a texture overlay. For those unfamiliar, it means after taking the image you add an overlay in the post-processing to give the photo a different texture.
I’ve never played with this feature before and had fun trying out different effects. Some of these I blended until they almost disappeared but others I made more obvious. Let me know if you have a favorite and what you think of this type of editing. Not sure I’ll use it often but it’s a great tool to add to my growing photography skills.
If you are in the mood for some reading, here’s a short ghost story I wrote this time last year. I’m proud of this one. Week 41: The Cornfield
Photos were taken with Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
If you want to join the 52 Photo Challenge, you can find all the information at nicolesy.com