Generally pleased with this week's results. There are a great many things about photography that make it ideal for those of the introverted kind. It is a kind of voyeurism of the world, coupled with the safety of viewing moments in time from behind a lens. Blogging, on the other hand, can bring with it abject terror, for all the reasons introverts will understand. The slew of "will anyone like it?" "this is probably a waste of time" "if anyone bothers, they'll just judge me..." thoughts. What has that to do with this week? Nothing in particular, I guess. Really just a thought in line with the madness of my recent Life frustrations. Probably should go put the kettle on. I feel a cuppa coming on.
Day 1 (57): 3rd of February
At the moment I find myself in the midst of an ongoing dialogue with my inner six-year-old. Little Annie wants nothing more than to be in a snit, and just let everyone know how cross she is. Grown Up Rhiannon knows far better and realises that only bad things come of snits. Such as bad photos. Please do not let this opening salvo turn you off from the rest of the blog. Snit Mitigation failed upon arriving at the olde villa. So there is this. "That's no moon! It's a novelty garden paver!"
And sadly this. Or not sadly. The fool creatures are part of my life, like it or lump it. Same goes for evening light, I suppose.
Day 2 (58): 4th of February
Got a chance to get back to my old skill set - teaching. Do love teaching. A little rusty, but like getting back on a, errm, pair of skis after many years (not quite bike smooth). Maybe rollerblades. I miss rollerblades. Am shameless about my history with and long love of the fool things. Even that time in the seventh or eight grade I rollerbladed out the bed of my dad's truck several times and broke my retainer on a go that didn't end well. Don't even care that "blades" aren't cool anymore (were they ever?). Also learned today that I have an accent. An Idaho accent. Not even sure what an Idaho accent sounds like (I imagine like... me). Typically people tell me I have a strange accent that sometimes sounds British (but generally is just odd). All part of the Verbal Chameleon Defense Mechanism. That, and being raised by a Brit and watching too much of Auntie Beeb's programming. Thank you, Doctor Who, Sherlock, IT Crowd, Primeval, MI-5, Broadchurch, State of Play, Collision, Doc Martin, ISIRTA, Monty P, Fawlty Towers, etc etc etc. This is the same rose tree photographed before, but now it has a great single flower at the tippy top like a Christmas tree topper. So I did some variations on the thing. Witness the droplets... it rains rather a lot anymore. And the almost greyscale. I really love this effect.
The light in the little break in the rain was pretty neat. No edit needed, just the warming filter on the lens.
This one is pretty true colour. Switched to the UV lens filter this time. Then I gave it a little vignette just for effect.
Day 3 (59): 5th of February
V disturbing dream last night. At one point several horses let themselves out of the pasture in the middle of the night (a nightmare in and of itself). Then one of them locked himself in a cupboard and when I went to take him back, he was in two pieces. TWO PIECES. WALKING INDEPENDENTLY. And my boss came out of the tack room and said "oh, he does that every night" as though it were perfectly normal for a horse to separate like two frat boys in a mascot costume, running off after different cheerleaders or ice cream vans. Then I was somehow in a Bourne film that turned into an Edgar Allen Poe museum on a subway car. My life. Effed. In Dream State. Thanks, brain. On that note, got a great Poe-ian shot of Dark and Stormy clouds (and gosh look at those clouds!). Again, no edit needed (a frame because... just because).
Not sure what prompted this one. Had to stick my camera through the fence, as I forgot my keys to open the gate, and didn't even look through the viewfinder. Then edited to match the D&S theme from the other photo.
Day 4 (60): 6th of February
Not going to lie. This week is kicking my posterior. Early starts to late finishes, and back pain that would down a lumberjack (who sleeps all night and works all day). So right into the pics, then, eh? Got out on the late end of the day, and trotted up a level in the parking garage (only dodged one car in the process) to grab this shot of Dear Old Vesuvio. And a bit of the Naples area below in the waning hours of sun. Silly tree on the right kinda spoils it, but ah well.
And this is the view from said parking garage ramp. Looking up one might think one was in an old War building...so I made it look more like that.
Day 5 (61): 7th of February
Finally a day of beautiful weather. And an end to the crazy (work) week. Got another shot of Vesuvius, but this time from the top of the garage, and with only a silly cloud to spoil the shot. The sky had a great blue to it, and I needed the lens hood for the mad sunshine going on. Again a border added for balance. And it looks a bit like a postcard.
Another shot from the roof. This time toward the "downtown" area and the water. I sometimes forget how close we really are to the Mediterranean. Cannot tell from street level. Think I got the composition a little better with this one... This rule of thirds things is starting to sink in.
Day 6 (62): 8th of February
Startlingly gorgeous day. Spent the morning being impressively lazy. Then spent a couple hours outside with the Olympus. Many many shots, so had to pick just a couple. Starting with the treetop rose again. A few days on and it still looks pretty good. Loved the blue sky. Almost too bright, and rocked the hood plus UV lens filter.
Same through-the-fence rose as before. With better light and no editing. Still hood and filter.
This guy was following me around the whole time, as was his brother. Got great light and he finally sat still long enough to not get blurry face (in this shot, at least).
Day 7 (63): 9th of February
Back to total shite weather. Blowy and rainy and grey and yeck. And I have to run errands and do homework and finish this and get fuel. Homework.... guh. Why do I need a Masters again? Minor break in crap weather, and these were the result. My landlord's mother has a bit of land across the way, and right now it looks like this. Not an easy shot to get, as the wind she was a howling and there was a fence in the way. Went a bit mental with the edits at first, then took a breath and just saved the thing as is (with a silly border, but whatever).
This, sadly did not escape the clutches of Me on an Edit Binge. But it is a grim subject, so I thought a grim edit was apropos. All I really did was darken things and add a touch of grey.
I've noticed these entries've gone a bit chatty and not about photos. I'll try to make that not the case in future weeks. This week I did try. With varied success. As with the pics, I suppose. I've also discovered that I am OK with re-attacking past photos, either to get a different perspective, or just to attempt a better end result. Again, with varied success. But all part of Growing, no?
Day 1 (57): 3rd of February
At the moment I find myself in the midst of an ongoing dialogue with my inner six-year-old. Little Annie wants nothing more than to be in a snit, and just let everyone know how cross she is. Grown Up Rhiannon knows far better and realises that only bad things come of snits. Such as bad photos. Please do not let this opening salvo turn you off from the rest of the blog. Snit Mitigation failed upon arriving at the olde villa. So there is this. "That's no moon! It's a novelty garden paver!"
And sadly this. Or not sadly. The fool creatures are part of my life, like it or lump it. Same goes for evening light, I suppose.
Day 2 (58): 4th of February
Got a chance to get back to my old skill set - teaching. Do love teaching. A little rusty, but like getting back on a, errm, pair of skis after many years (not quite bike smooth). Maybe rollerblades. I miss rollerblades. Am shameless about my history with and long love of the fool things. Even that time in the seventh or eight grade I rollerbladed out the bed of my dad's truck several times and broke my retainer on a go that didn't end well. Don't even care that "blades" aren't cool anymore (were they ever?). Also learned today that I have an accent. An Idaho accent. Not even sure what an Idaho accent sounds like (I imagine like... me). Typically people tell me I have a strange accent that sometimes sounds British (but generally is just odd). All part of the Verbal Chameleon Defense Mechanism. That, and being raised by a Brit and watching too much of Auntie Beeb's programming. Thank you, Doctor Who, Sherlock, IT Crowd, Primeval, MI-5, Broadchurch, State of Play, Collision, Doc Martin, ISIRTA, Monty P, Fawlty Towers, etc etc etc. This is the same rose tree photographed before, but now it has a great single flower at the tippy top like a Christmas tree topper. So I did some variations on the thing. Witness the droplets... it rains rather a lot anymore. And the almost greyscale. I really love this effect.
The light in the little break in the rain was pretty neat. No edit needed, just the warming filter on the lens.
This one is pretty true colour. Switched to the UV lens filter this time. Then I gave it a little vignette just for effect.
Day 3 (59): 5th of February
V disturbing dream last night. At one point several horses let themselves out of the pasture in the middle of the night (a nightmare in and of itself). Then one of them locked himself in a cupboard and when I went to take him back, he was in two pieces. TWO PIECES. WALKING INDEPENDENTLY. And my boss came out of the tack room and said "oh, he does that every night" as though it were perfectly normal for a horse to separate like two frat boys in a mascot costume, running off after different cheerleaders or ice cream vans. Then I was somehow in a Bourne film that turned into an Edgar Allen Poe museum on a subway car. My life. Effed. In Dream State. Thanks, brain. On that note, got a great Poe-ian shot of Dark and Stormy clouds (and gosh look at those clouds!). Again, no edit needed (a frame because... just because).
Not sure what prompted this one. Had to stick my camera through the fence, as I forgot my keys to open the gate, and didn't even look through the viewfinder. Then edited to match the D&S theme from the other photo.
Day 4 (60): 6th of February
Not going to lie. This week is kicking my posterior. Early starts to late finishes, and back pain that would down a lumberjack (who sleeps all night and works all day). So right into the pics, then, eh? Got out on the late end of the day, and trotted up a level in the parking garage (only dodged one car in the process) to grab this shot of Dear Old Vesuvio. And a bit of the Naples area below in the waning hours of sun. Silly tree on the right kinda spoils it, but ah well.
And this is the view from said parking garage ramp. Looking up one might think one was in an old War building...so I made it look more like that.
Day 5 (61): 7th of February
Finally a day of beautiful weather. And an end to the crazy (work) week. Got another shot of Vesuvius, but this time from the top of the garage, and with only a silly cloud to spoil the shot. The sky had a great blue to it, and I needed the lens hood for the mad sunshine going on. Again a border added for balance. And it looks a bit like a postcard.
Another shot from the roof. This time toward the "downtown" area and the water. I sometimes forget how close we really are to the Mediterranean. Cannot tell from street level. Think I got the composition a little better with this one... This rule of thirds things is starting to sink in.
Day 6 (62): 8th of February
Startlingly gorgeous day. Spent the morning being impressively lazy. Then spent a couple hours outside with the Olympus. Many many shots, so had to pick just a couple. Starting with the treetop rose again. A few days on and it still looks pretty good. Loved the blue sky. Almost too bright, and rocked the hood plus UV lens filter.
Same through-the-fence rose as before. With better light and no editing. Still hood and filter.
This guy was following me around the whole time, as was his brother. Got great light and he finally sat still long enough to not get blurry face (in this shot, at least).
Day 7 (63): 9th of February
Back to total shite weather. Blowy and rainy and grey and yeck. And I have to run errands and do homework and finish this and get fuel. Homework.... guh. Why do I need a Masters again? Minor break in crap weather, and these were the result. My landlord's mother has a bit of land across the way, and right now it looks like this. Not an easy shot to get, as the wind she was a howling and there was a fence in the way. Went a bit mental with the edits at first, then took a breath and just saved the thing as is (with a silly border, but whatever).
This, sadly did not escape the clutches of Me on an Edit Binge. But it is a grim subject, so I thought a grim edit was apropos. All I really did was darken things and add a touch of grey.
I've noticed these entries've gone a bit chatty and not about photos. I'll try to make that not the case in future weeks. This week I did try. With varied success. As with the pics, I suppose. I've also discovered that I am OK with re-attacking past photos, either to get a different perspective, or just to attempt a better end result. Again, with varied success. But all part of Growing, no?
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