Things to-do, so I'll write and post photos instead

This morning I bounced out of bed, anxious about the start of tomorrow’s trip. My to-do list was half written and my remaining tasks chattered in my brain, now everything is written and waiting for me to jump on them. But first, breakfast of “fancy eggs” with leeks, turkey, parmesan and dill,  and a cup of coffee. And some emails, and photo editing, and writing on my blog, because when it becomes almost crunch time, I am an expert at embracing the “almost.”

My camera often sits on my desk, ready to be picked up and connected to my tripod at a moment’s notice. I’ve embraced “the best camera is the one you use” philosophy, and know I will continue to do spontaneous self-portraiture if my camera is in my line of vision when at my desk. The other day I was waiting to go to the gym, and seized a few moments with the evening sun which striped through my window. I find the way my body conversely mimics the pattern of the patchwork quilt to be interesting.

Self-portrait

There had been tall boxes with unknown contents in my garage for quite some time, then one day the guessing game began. Not being mine, I started a guessing game. Once I pushed aside the fanciful notions of there being skeletons inside (hey, the sizing was about right) the beautiful carved wood columns were shown to me.  When the storms and floods came, bringing creek water up to the first step of my house and filling my garage, these beautiful columns were relocated to inside our home. Yesterday I utilized them as a photographic component for the first time and I have plans to continue when I return from North Carolina in about a week and a half. I consider this first photo the most obvious use of the columns, which means further exploration is necessary.

Self-portrait

With that, I must head out with my tasks for the day. Car inspection, conditioner purchasing, library book returning and potentially checking out new books and a few other tour knick knacks to pick up. And thank you card writing, because my birthday came and went and if my relatives are going to send cards to this grown up woman, I'm going to continue to hold onto my childhood manners of returning thanks.

Ya'll have a great day!

Sleek wood and smooth skin. Natural light self-portraiture

Models are light moths, they are drawn to the light.

As an artist, I am also attracted to that which I see. When I watched the morning light stream through my front door creating patterns on the wall, I immediately felt compelled to bring my tripod to the scene and compose these two photos. Black and white tends to be my standard, but on occasion a muted color seems fitting. Because life has colors, too, as much as we like to talk about black and white and shades of grey.

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 In my dining room sits a table too large for practical use, and of beautiful wood, begging to be laid upon for photos, but cracked as it is, even my small weight would not bode well for the table, so it sits in the room, taunting me with its enormous beauty. I have been watching the morning light patterns glide through the shutters and land on the floor, and have wanted to be photographed under this table for months. This is the perspective that immediately came to mind, but one from lower also must be done once I find a shorter tripod or a photographer who also has visions of sleek wood and smooth skin. 

 

Self-portraits in my home

June 2016