Living in a Beautiful World?

January 16, 2015  •  1 Comment

Normally a dry, brown plain, these fields come to life in the Spring!

 

As a photographer, I am jealous of all those people who live in amazingly beautiful places or get to travel to interesting places. I, unfortunately, live in a dry, brown, flat, dusty desert. People here complain constantly about how ugly it is. And on the surface, it is! But…for some reason, the closer I look, the more beautiful it gets. Our sunsets are amazing! We have interesting Joshua trees that no one else in the world has. We have gorgeous fields of poppies and other wildflowers in the spring (when we have rain). There are old abandoned buildings and rustic fences, and mountains in the distance.

 

A random find in an abandoned warehouse

 

Think about where you live. Are you bored with your surroundings? I think that as photographers, we are always looking for the beautiful picture, the amazing shot.  But sometimes, those pictures are right in front of our noses and we don't see them because we aren't looking with the right perspective. When you are out and about, look for interesting colors, textures, details, perspectives. They are all around you. Find an interesting person and strike up a conversation before taking their picture. Or if that is too scary, do it from a distance. Attend local events - find the lights, the colors, the action. Try looking with different eyes as you go through the day at the mundane world around you and see the beauty. Challenge yourself with new techniques! The wide angle, the macro details, the long shutter speed can produce the most interesting images. 

 

IMG_8333Light trails on the Mojave strip

 

Then the fun part begins! I love bringing those image files back home, loading them onto my computer and bringing out the details even more using Lightroom and Photoshop. Sometimes the image right out of the camera does not convey what you saw. That is the limitation of the camera sensors versus our amazing eyes.  But you can bring a lot of what you saw back to life with some digital enhancement. The vivid colors, the shadow details…To me, taking the picture is just the beginning!

 

People say to stop and smell the roses. I say, stop and take their picture!

IMG_7693-EditIMG_7693-Edit

 


Comments

CJ Wilkes (Cindy)(non-registered)
I agree - Beauty can be found anywhere if you just take time to appreciate it. These photos are perfect! Gorgeous even. Well done Kathy!!!
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