Flowers

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poetry: stripped

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

by

Photography: Spring

“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.

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  • These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
by

52 Photo Challenge: Week 48-Lens Flare

“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.

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  • 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces
Week 39: Blossom
Week 40: Environmental Portrait
Week 41: Texture Overlay
Week 42: Details
Week 43: Season
Week 44: Fog & Steam
Week 45: Nighttime
Week 46: Analog
Week 47: Sunrise/Sunset

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 41-Texture Overlay

“….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
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  • 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces
Week 39: Blossom
Week 40: Environmental Portrait

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 39-Blossom

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”—Anaïs Nin

“Things blossom in their time. They bud and bloom, blossom and fade. Everything in its time.”—Neil Gaiman

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to take photos that define the word blossom. While it could be interpreted in more abstract ways, I decided to visit my local plant nursery and photograph literal blossoms.

What excites me about these photos is I had an idea of the type of image I wanted—black background and bold colors. In the past, I’ve achieved this look by accident, but today I did it on purpose. I consider this a huge photography milestone.

Let me know which photo is your favorite and have a wonderful week.

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Not a blossom, but aren’t those water drops pretty?
  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 32-Dominant Color

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.” —Jennifer Niven

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to focus on a dominant color in the frame. My mom is visiting from Washington and we went together to the local plant nursery in search of color. It was a warm day and the sunlight was harsh, but we had a lovely time.

Most of these ended up being macro shots, which I think still work. Let me know which one you think best fits the challenge and if you have a favorite. Hope your week is wonderful!

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#11—Doesn’t fit the challenge, but I liked it anyway.

#12—Isn’t my mom cute?

  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 30-Backlight

“I wonder if his hair is darker than usual or if angels have just started following him around with dramatic backlighting.”—R.S. Grey, The Beau & the Belle

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was backlight. From what I understand, this is similar to silhouette, but you can still see a lot of detail in the subject.

As I was taking my daughter and her best friend to the California State Fair, I decided to do this assignment there. It proved to be only mildly successful, but it was interesting walking around a place that holds such fond memories with only my camera for company.

Let me know which photo best fits the assignment and if you have a favorite. Be on the lookout for more fair photos tomorrow. Hope you have a fantastic week!

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#10. This last one probably doesn’t fit the assignment, but I included it anyway. Would have been wonderful for week 21.

  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 29-Macro

“The skies and land are so enormous, and the detail so precise and exquisite that wherever you are you are isolated in a glowing world between the macro and the micro, where everything is sidewise under you and over you, and the clocks stopped long ago.”—Ansel Adams

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was macro photography. The idea is to showcase a subject larger than it is in real life—an extreme close-up. These are my favorite types of photos and I was excited to spend some time looking for things to zoom in on.

I spent the morning at Folsom Lake with the dragonflies and then finished up with a few shots in my backyard. I alternated between my macro lens and my 14-150mm lens. Let me know which shot you like best and have a fantastic week!

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Bonus lake photo:

  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 28-Low Perspective

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
—Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to explore low perspective. I had intended to find interesting shots at WorldFest this weekend, but they changed their policy and I wasn’t allowed to bring my camera in. This turned out to be a blessing, which I will write about later this week, but it meant my challenge photos had to wait until this morning.

Most of these shots are from my yard a little after sunrise. While these photos are somewhat similar to the ones I took in Week 20 for Unique Perspective, I hope you will find something new to enjoy here. Let me know if you have a favorite and have a fantastic week.

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After looking down for so long, I had to look up. The darkness on the right makes it look a bit like the view of Earth from space.

  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 26-Think in Threes

“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”—Patrick Rothfuss 

This week my assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to think in threes. I had technical challenges and ended up getting sick, but I did manage to get a few images. The first shots are from the Vietnam Memorial in the Sacramento State Capitol Park. The second is from my daughter’s G.I.R.L.S. Rock Sacramento show on Saturday at Harlow’s.

I’ve not been sick in years and I’m feeling quite rundown. I’ll be resting while it’s over 100 degrees again today and hoping this cold passes quickly. Let me know if you have a favorite image and have a great week.

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Bonus images (not threes):

  • Photos were taken with an 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

52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color