Still Life Photography

Still Life in photography

is similar to still life in paintings.

Some preparation is needed to make the arrangement

pleasing to the eye.

It is preferable to keep the background uncluttered

and the colours harmonious.

to give the subject room to breathe 

and remembering the rule of thirds give balance 

to these types of compositions.

Contrast in textures brings in an extra dimension.

I think this is my favourite capture, I have such a fondness for marbles, both the

look and the feel of them

and they snuggle so nicely into the folds of soft, blue velvet.

and rich, dark colours

bring in mystery with a touch of exotism.

Bringing nature inside, like a branch of ivy and some cones,

incorporates something living into the picture.

During these months of winter,

I decided I wanted to try something new and creative

by doing still life photography.

I found a class by Kim Klassen

called Be Still Fifty-Two.

She talks about being mindeful, being in stillness, breathing

and incorporating mindeful movement into our day.

Heavy editing and working with layers

is not something that goes with my way of thinking or my style,

but I shall interpret the lessons

in ways that feel comfortable and harmonious to me.

My Favourite Day

"What day is it?"

"It's today", squeaked Piglet.

"My favourite day", said Pooh.

The innocent and refreshing philosophy of Pooh Bear.

Winnie-the-Pooh

by A.A. Milne

and accompanied by charming and heart-warming illustrations

by E.H. Shepard.

My favourite childhood book

and one I enjoy reading with even more pleasure

now!

What's your favourite childhood book?

Do you still enjoy it as much today?

Note:

Author A.A. Milne was born in London in 1882.

He was inspired to write for children by the nursery games

played by his son Christopher Robin.

His classic stories and poems

have been enjoyed by children and adults

since they first appeared.

Inner Journey

Energy

Presence

Structure

Equilibrium

Comprehension

Flow

Direction

Sometimes.

one word is enough...

Stepping into the Unknown

At the beginning of a new year, there's a feeling of excitement

as we prepare ourselves to tread new territory.

I know that some people really love to plan

and feel they have some control over future events.

I can understand that it could feel reassuring to want to do this.

Professionally speaking, it is necessary to plan and to have goals.

All of us need to make appointments, to plan our travels

and we need to organize classes we give or others we may wish to follow.

Besides these basic necessities,

 have you ever been tempted to just see where each moment takes you?

Letting go of wanting to know

of wanting to control

and observe which paths open up before you?

Accepting the fact that sometimes our view is momentarily hindered

by darkness.

Yet there are always sparks of light shining somewhere ready to illuminate

our way when we are ready to move forward.

The sun rises and shows us the view beyond our limited horizon

and a clear outline of things ahead is revealed.

There can be obstacles and zones of darkness

and yet by pulling back and seeing the bigger picture,

new possibilities open up.

Just imagine what it would be like to stand near the edge

of these mountain peaks and look down on the field of experiences

we are creating day by day, moment by moment.

Destiny plays a part and certain choices we decide to make in any given situation.

A picture of our year is being created

and although we may think we have planned it all,

life itself has taken over

and woven the colours and designs that we can see.

If life is the weaver

are we not the weaving?