Conversations

This is a new quarter and we have started a different class. This time I have opted for Conversations mainly because it is held every third week. Having to travel 100 miles to get to class factors into the choice. For this class, we will gather and discuss our photography. Each of the six members will present a series of the photographs they have done in the three week interval. There may be an assignment for the next session or people will just bring what they want to share with the others. Critiques are gentle with suggestions for possible improvement and always some praise; all in all it is a nurturing atmosphere. I am posting the classes with the most recent at the top so scroll down if you haven’t seen it from the start!

After show and tell in the second class we got the assignment, should we accept it, of photographing a flat, seemingly uninteresting surface. Move off of the flower and take the dirt, for example. I had a great time with this task, getting a variety of surfaces from dirt through metal and finally some Styrofoam! Mason had suggested the results would be akin to abstracts and some of them were. The wood remained wood however, no mystery there. I got more pictures from this group than any of my Locations shoots.

Flat Surface

For the second discussion, I used the Scavenger Hunt list for inspiration: receding lines, portrait, soft, fast, worms eye view etc. Since we were on the road for a total of 24 hours on our trip down to California there was a wide variety of things to shot, some while moving 70 miles an hour. There is not a lot of inspiration around up here yet, still cold, damp and grey with very little blooming stuff. Most of the photos in this collection are from the trip south. Spring seems slow in coming this year.

Conversations Class 2

A second set of photos were done on a disposable film camera from a trip to the Columbia River Gorge on a three day getaway with two friends. I have always wanted to see Stonehenge and Maryhill Museum and that was the inspiration for the trip. On the day we went to both places I left my camera in the motel room; hard to believe since it usually accompanies me everywhere. I finally found a disposable camera at the Stonehenge gift store, took some pictures then dropped it on the cement. Surprisingly it proved resistant and continued to take pictures. There is not much you can do with this camera but point and shoot, however it does let you focus more attention on experiencing the site rather than looking at it through the camera lens.

Disposable Camera

Jack and I missed the first session as we were visiting our kids and new grandbaby (the first!). So my first post for this class will be the pictures of this extraordinary child.

Ojai Visit