awe

I chose this photo from the month of September for Kat's "photo-heart connection" link. Open spaces in nature speak to me. Whether it's a richly colored scene, or  monochromatic desolation, my heart swells with appreciation and awe.



<a href="http://kateyestudio.com/photo-heart-connection" target="_blank"><img src="http://kateyestudio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PHC-2013-button-150x150.jpg" border="0" /></a>

My Brownie

Here's a fun app for you: Koloid. At first, I was amused by the novelty of setting the amount of colloidion (alternative to egg white on photographic plates to reduce exposure time) and then physically moving the phone around to spread the (simulated) chemical where you wanted the development. Then, after admiring the results of some of this play, I decided to use a photo with a texture. Here, I tried out another app, Brushes, to paint my own texture so I could get the colors and placement for this particular photo. When layered (in Blender), I then can use a mask to remove the color, as on the vase and the front of the camera. I like the hazy, nostalgic look one can achieve when combining these techniques and the physical act of moving the phone assures that each shot is a one-of-a-kind.

roses of summer

The roses are in full bloom and I'm enjoying watching them unfurl, each stage a beauty. Here, I've layered the photo with a printed paper. This was taken and processed with my iPhone with the app Blender. This allows you to control which layer is emphasized and make a mask. Now if there were only an app to pass on the fragrance :)  Make time to stop and smell the roses today.

Explore

As much as I love photoshop, I love processing in my iPhone. Layering different apps is so quick and satisfying and I adore having endless combinations of treatments. Here, I've done a selfie trying to get that storybook look of exploring an unknown place. Happy Solstice, and take time to explore.

Big Basin

Went on a little walk into Big Basin from the coast today. You can see how the fog began to crawl over the landscape.

garden tour with the macro

 

Exploring the garden with the macro lens is so revealing. I normally would be interested in the colorful blooms and light, but today I clipped on my little olloclip and moved more slowly, looked more closely. This amazing guy with the pollen-covered legs was on the pistil of a calla lily. I went from flower to flower, finding surprises at each, whether insect or new bud, delighted with each. Today was a reminder to slow the pace, look more closely, and enjoy deeply.

Postcard Swap

Participating in Kat Sloma's 'Liberate Your Art' postcard swap was so fun. It's the first time I've done it, and it was exciting to prepare the cards I wanted to send and then receive others' art in the mail, one at a time. It's a lovely way to connect with other artists and enjoy the wide variety of art being produced. Thanks, Kat. I'll be sure to play again next year.