Photography

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Photography: River Walk

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”—Heraclitus

Our bodies hold onto pain and memory. We can feel it take root within our bones and we can either address or ignore it. I’ve spent the last five years ignoring it, but recently I’ve taken up swimming daily. This practice is slowly returning me to my body. No longer a stranger, we are becoming one again. Pain and all.

I share this and these photos as part of the journey of rediscovery. Look closer. Look again. You might see something different.

I’d love to know if you have a favorite image. I secretly have my favorite. Can you guess?

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

it can look selfish
this way I’m living
looking for love
through a camera lens
through the way my thighs move when I dance 
through the way my chest rises when I sing
but it’s survival
like the lone daffodil blooming in January
a waning moon at dawn
the first dandelion puff
the cluster of fuzzy buds on the bare peach tree
we are all looking

  • These photos were taken this morning in my yard with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
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Photography: Wolf Moon

You’ve walked this trail a hundred times before. Usually, you have a hand to hold or a baby strapped to your chest. Tonight, you are alone. It’s not until you see milky clouds streaking across the sky you realize how weird the woods have become. A rabbit darts across the trail and the word “mad” comes to mind. We are all mad here.

Shifting your weight and shaking your head, you decide it’s the light causing everything to look wrong. Despite it being winter you feel warm and take off your jacket. A wolf howls nearby, but you aren’t scared. You listen as the sound echoes off the black skeletal trees. The branches reach toward the full moon. You feel yourself doing the same. You sway in place, moving with the wind. The moonlight feels good when it enters. Vast.

“As if you were on fire from within.
The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”
—Pablo Neruda

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When you fail to capture the full moon properly with your camera, you create something different. I hope you enjoyed these moody shots and let me know if you have a favorite. Although I promised myself no challenges this year, I’m going to photograph every full moon. Maybe I’ll get better.

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

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Photography: Hit the Road

“How blue is the sea, how blue is the sky,
how blue and tiny and redeemable everything is, even you,
even your eyes, even your imagination.”
—Mary Oliver, Why I Wake Early

I’ve not been posting much. I’ve not been reading much. I’ve started rewriting my middle-grade novel, a fictional adventure story of Thor’s daughter. This means I will be less active here for a bit, but I’m not going away. I’m still around. I’m still moving.

These photos are from a brief trip I took yesterday to pick up my son in Chico. The sky showed me all the ways blue can be and how many clouds it can hold. I only found one spot to pull over as many of the sideroads were flooded from the recent storm, but I like these photos. They tell a story. Which one speaks to you?

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  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW
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52 Photo Challenge: Week 52-Portfolio

“And did I pass?” The face of the old woman on my right was unreadable in the gathering dusk. On my left the younger woman said, “You don’t pass or fail at being a person, dear.”—Neil Gaiman

We’ve reached the end of the 52 photo challenge—one year of taking photos weekly and sharing them here. The final assignment was to create a portfolio of our favorite images from the year, which I’ve done below.

The year included more than 520 photos (more if you count photography posts outside the challenges), 2,907 comments, and 6,612 likes. Beyond the numbers, I’ve learned a lot more about what my camera can do and my editing skills are getting stronger.

Thank you to everyone who has followed along. Your likes and comments keep me going. Every artist desires an audience and you’ve been a loyal and loving one. Thank you.

So, what’s in store for 2024? That’s something I’ll write about later in the week, but for now, let’s take a look at my favorite images of 2023. Happy New Year!

  • 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
Week 48: Lens Flare
Week 49: Panorama
Week 50: Street
Week 51: A Thousand Years

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 51-A Thousand Words

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination is worth a thousand pictures.” —J.E.B. Spredemann

This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to photograph something meaningful to you. As it’s Christmas Eve, I decided to share some decorations around my house that hold meaning for me and my family.

I hope you enjoy these photos and you have a wonderful holiday.

#1: Although this isn’t my grandma Kate’s tree, she had one just like it. You can’t turn it on for too long as the bulbs get nice and hot.

#2: My mother-in-law Janet made this ornament for our family.

#3: I’ve had this tree topper since my first Christmas away from home in 1995.

#4: My parents bought this ornment their first Christmas together.

#5: I’ve had this playset since before the kids were born and I have many fond memories of them playing with it under the tree.

#6: These are vintage and remind me of my children.

#7: Our Christmas cactus bloomed and it reminds me of my mother-in-law.

#8: My mother made this when she was a kid in school and although it’s broken and chipped, it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

#9: I always put my kids in matching striped pajamas.

#10: This doily belonged to my grandma Pat and it’s draped over my grandma Kate’s chair. Both of them are with me.
  • 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
Week 48: Lens Flare
Week 49: Panorama
Week 50: Street

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 50-Street

“What I want is for the two of us to meet somewhere by chance one day, like, passing on the street, or getting on the same bus.” —Haruki Murakami

This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was street photography. I waited until I had a reason to go downtown tonight and it happens to be pouring rain. And dark. I did what I could to take advantage of those aspects and find something interesting to share. Let me know if you have a favorite. I think I’m turning in #6, but feel free to change my mind.

Only two more weeks of this challenge. It’s been a big year of growth for me and I’m so grateful to those who have been cheering me on the entire time. I hope I pass you on the street one day and you stop to say hello.

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#10: I’m sitting inside this coffee shop right now working.

  • 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
Week 48: Lens Flare
Week 49: Panorama

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52 Photo Challenge: Week 49-Panorama

“The destiny of every walking man is to immerse himself in the panorama surrounding him, to the point of becoming one with it and, ultimately, to vanish”. —Federico Castigliano

This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to take a panorama shot. We were given two options—the photograph-and-stitch method or the panorama setting on your iPhone. I didn’t have the time and/or energy to learn something new this week, so I went with the easier option and used my phone.

The top image shows what normally happens when I use the iPhone panorama feature—the distorted bend and uneven spots. For the rest of these, I tried to avoid such a huge distortion. #1 is my absolute favorite and #7 was just to show you my cute Christmas decorations in my front yard.

I’m getting toward the end of this challenge and I’m ready to be done. Next week is street photography with all the examples being amazing street vendors in foreign countries. I’m not sure yet what I’ll be able to do…but I hope to end on a high note. Hope you have a wonderful week.

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  • Photos were taken with my iPhone 13 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
Week 48: Lens Flare

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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