Sunday 27 September 2015

#52weeksofWE - 38, 39 of 52 A few of our favourite things

Consider this my treat to everyone participating in the #52weeksofWE photography challenge - a very open ended call to include the type of photography that you love best. Include your favourite shots that you have already done, and track down that content you prefer and compose some new ones.
Though my love of photography goes further back than the shot I selected for the cover photo, it was this one that really inspired me to pursue this creative medium further. There is something about fog and drift that I love, and that makes me venture forth with my camera even when I am sick (in the particular case of this shot) or push my children out of the way to snap some shots before the sun burns it away. 
What do you love? Share it with us, and consider this as my apology for having to cram two weeks into one. Though I think I have a pretty good excuse. 
Submit your photos on Flickr or Facebook, and send the picture files to me if you want them to be featured on my weekly reflections: essex.masqueATgmailDOTcom

Monday 14 September 2015

#52weeksofWE - 37 of 52, Add some flower


Just seeing my sunflowers, wilting face-down on the ground - a sunflower set? - reminds me that if we want to get a flower theme in where we still have the option of shooting them outside, we better do it soon. There is no time like the present, and there is nothing more photogenic than a good flower - or  a bunch of them. 
 Submit your photos on Flickr or Facebook, and send the picture files to me if you want them to be featured on my weekly reflections: essex.masqueATgmailDOTcom

Photographic Tale of the Week - That little voice in my head is screaming at me now

"That little voice in my head is screaming at me now" by Randi Scott
I am glad Randi included the last sentence in his description of this picture that reassures us he is just being "creative." This expression is the stuff of nightmares, is it not? 

That little voice in my head isn't so little anymore. He's loud and he's angry.

He scares me.

He's stronger in my dreams. I mustn't sleep.

What does he want? The screaming is driving me crazy. I feel so exhausted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once I had a little game
I used to crawl back in my brain
I think you know the game I mean
I mean the game called 'go insane'
Now you should try this little game
Just close your eyes forget your name
Forget the world, forget the people
And we'll erect a different steeple
This little game is fun to do
Just close your eyes, no way to lose
And I'm right there, I'm going too
Release control, we're breaking through

~ The Doors ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I told my cat that if I start acting funny - to hide in the closet and call 911
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually I'm fine. I'm just having a little fun with my creative side.

It doesn't help listening to the Doors Live album all day long.

A big thanks to Randi for a fantastic set of creative and well composed portraits that are consistently posted to Pictures with a Story. Check out the following links to the rest of Randi's photographs.
Flickr Photostream
Randi Scott Photography website

Thursday 10 September 2015

Tight Squeezed and Nautical Themed - Reflections on Weeks 34 and 35

"Nautical Themed 2" by Patrick Firth
Okay, now that I have begun to feature the photos of other #52weeksofWE challengers that I enjoyed the most in the top place of prominence, I made the conscious decision not to feature any of my own shots - three posts later I have already broken that rule. The reason why, however, is not because I enjoyed my shot any more than the other photographs. In other circumstances I would have picked another, but "Nautical Themed 2" made it on to #Flickr Explore. Don't make me explain what it is, but what it does mean is that the "favs" and "views" on the shot are exponentially greater than any of my others. 
I hope that I am not so vain as to entirely base my satisfaction with my work solely on these somewhat superficial indicators, but I will admit there was a bit of a rush when the favs started to come in as quickly as they did. But, that is enough said about that.

 Week 34 was A Tight Squeeze, whether you were a bird trying to find an appropriate spot to land, or a human trying to make your way through WindsorFest 2015.
WindsorFest 2015 by April Particelli

"Tight Squeeze" by Frank Shepley
 And ...

 Luckily for challengers, we in Windsor - Essex are anything but landlocked. Three of our four cardinal directions either run into a lake or a river. We didn't have to go far to shoot a sail or fifteen, catch a freighter, or find some unmistakably nautical coiled up rope. 
"Running On Water" by April Particelli

"3 Sails" by Frank Shepley

"Lake Ste Claire" by Laura Arce

"Lighthouse. Windsor, ON" by Paul Thibodeau
 Check out what patterns people are finding in this week's Pattern Recognition theme on the #52weeksofWE Flickr group. Also keep up with featured photos from my other Flickr group, Pictures with a Story, on Facebook, Twitter, and on other posts in this blog.

Tuesday 8 September 2015

#52weeksofWE - 36 of 52, Pattern Recognition

Face it, if it weren't for themes and patterns, life would be unlivable. Take, for example, having the #52weeksofWE theme come out on a Tuesday rather than a Monday. You will have experienced the taste of panic when patterns are interrupted, when the ordered becomes chaotic. 
Thus, take this theme as an opportunity to bask in the order you see around you - the repetition of the visual forms that our cameras can capture in Windsor - Essex - and hold off the chaos that lurks behind everything we do.
Ahem - how is that for a theme description?
Submit your photos on Flickr or Facebook, and send the picture files to me if you want them to be featured on my weekly reflections: essex.masqueATgmailDOTcom

Photographic Tale of the Week - "Merchant" of the Elizabeth II

"'Merchant' of the Elizabeth II - Susan Ogden
This is what it is all about! When I started up the Pictures with a Story Flickr group in January of 2014, Susan's photograph and story of the "Merchant" of the Elizabeth II is exactly what I had in mind. So, without further ado:

My daughter Kaileigh and her family were visiting for a week, i got nothing that appeared as work done on my house, save for a an hour or so puttying nail holes in the trim!

i used my week to show them around and give them places to explore and enjoy the last week before school begins and Lileigh starts kindergarten...and Noah begins preschool.

We visited Festival Park...a tiny island off of Roanoke Island, where there is a full scale replica of a 16th century Merchant ship called the Elizabeth II, one of seven ships in the original Roanoke Voyage. It is an interactive ship with “Pirates" on board that explain what all the things are ON the ship, should you want to know and are not afraid to ask! There is also a replica of a Native American village where the ship is docked ...also interactive and a lot of fun to explore, The Museum was tons of fun, as well...again interactive...including Elizabethan clothing to dress up in, lifting the crates onto a ship, fishing in a small boat, hunting ducks, camping as a Confederate or Union soldier and more!

This Pirate appeared to have been part of the crew. According to him you did what you needed to do and not much else! He had propped himself in front of a window for a cross breeze and appeared to be have been half asleep or had too much rum!

I learned that the crews of these ships did NOT know how to swim. They felt that they did not NEED to ...that the ship was the only thing going into the water! They did in fact have a superstitious belief about water, and that it needed to be avoided, which justified them having one bath a year! (No wonder he was sitting near the window!!! )

i also learned that they had small (very long and thin) cannon looking things attached to the sides of the ship. They were more like primitive shotguns and were used with small musket balls to fire upon passing ship sails to slow them down in order to pillage the ship! If they met resistance they would fire broken glass and other “Hazards” onto the deck of the other ship so as to cut the feet of the those on board and cause them to be too much in agony to fight. These “Merchants” were really rather nasty!!! It was amazing how very well equipped the ship was, including two primitive bilge pumps. and a brick stove of sorts for cooking...bunks with space underneath to store their goods, lanterns for light (altho how they did not burn the ship down is beyond me, with those candles swaying on the rise and fall of the sea!!!)

Elizabethan England was very apparent in the whole place, and it was quite fascinating. I do very much enjoy hands on history!


I am also happy to say the Susan, the self described "free spirited introvert" has provided some bio information for us. 
"[Susan] loves being alone, reading, and creating when i am not out exploring with my camera.  My photography can be seen on Zenfolio.com (altho admittedly i need to update that, because I am a procrastinator who works best under pressure!), on Facebook and on Flickr. I will be having a 3 month showing of my work (Photography and Paintings and some repurposed cabinet doors that incorporate my photography and are now towel and coat racks as well as repurposed vintage windows) The show will be at National Wildlife Preserve, Alligator River in Manteo, NC beginning in November...with another to follow in summer of 2016.
Susan Ogden (aka Susea)
Images Thruthelookingglass,llc

Susan can be reached for inquiries at spiritographer024@gmail.com

A big thank you to Susan for sharing her photography and her story with us. If I was anywhere near where she is doing her show I would be there. If you are, go. Come back to the blog in (less than) a week for the next Photographic Tale of the Week from the Flickr group, Pictures with a Story. Also keep up to date with my other activities and featured photographers on Facebook and Twitter.


Tuesday 1 September 2015

Low Down Fun - Reflection on Weeks 32 and 33 #52weeksofWE

"Untitled" by April Particelli
I hope taking every one of these pictures was fun for all challengers - and that the fun subject matter contained therein, while amusing, does not hold a candle to pointing, clicking, editing, uploading, and sharing on the #52weeksofWE  photography group. 

Well, what else do you do for fun? We were treated to patios (I admit I can hear the music coming from this one every Sunday, and I am assured to hear about a little place called Margaritaville without fail), riverside sorbet, and - the one that I am most jealous of - a montage of costumes from Windsor's ComicCon.
"Patio at the legion" by Keith Hawkins

"Having a delicious sorbet" by Lupita Amaya G.

"Untitled" by Shari

"ComicCon Aug 15" by April Particelli
 Truth be told, I had more fun looking at the Low POVer shots. Some of them, especially April's shot featured at the top of this post, were amazingly composed. On a selfish aside, this is one of the weeks where I have really enjoyed my composition as well.

 Trees, roots, sculptures, salt and pepper shakers, the beach - nothing was safe from our low riding cameras. The magic of seeing something even a little differently was exemplified this week. 
"Low pover" by Lupita Amaya G.

"A Good Foothold" by Frank J. Shepley

"From Ground to Sky" by Paul Thibodeau
"Untitled" by Shari

"Rocky Walk!" by Steve Biro

"Untitled" by Laura Arce

"SaltAndPepper" by April Particelli

"Spokes" by Paul Thibodeau

"Huron Shores" by Patrick Firth
 See what I mean? Fantastic.
We have escaped the tight squeeze and are now on to the Nautical Themed ... theme of week 35. It is a hot one. If you have trouble staying cool, just look at my photo of the refreshing Great Lakes water, Lupita's sorbet, or just actually grab some ice cream and take a dip.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog, or the Facebook site for updates on the photos I feature from my other group, Pictures with a Story. Also, catch the rest of the #52weeksofWE photos here.