Revisiting Abstract Photography. Part Two

Light and shadows

A flash of blue

We know what we see

or think we do!

Polka dot shadows

Shafts of light

What can it be?

It doesn't matter at all

Just enjoy the sight!

Dancing light forms

move across my line of vision

creating happiness

and put a smile on my face!

However dark things seem

Look up!

There is always the light shining in the darkness.

A world of make believe

A bold statement

in these reflections

where patterns and colours and shapes

can make us hold our breath.

A beautiful connection

Throw away the labels and just enjoy

the shapes, the colours and the strength emanating from these wonders of  nature.

Beautiful harmonies sing to my heart

Shapes and colours

light and shade

Unexpected and fascinating

Nature teases our senses

Impressionist atmospheres

created with a dancing camera

The north wind doth blow..

and my camera sways to nature's beat

Sleek and streamlined

Aqua Melody

which sings in perfect harmony

Estuary

The flowing and harmonious lines lead me forward

to my destination

just as the river flows towards the sea.

These colours and movements resonate with me on an emotional level

creating a flowing inner energy.

The lines show me purpose of movement.

The message from this and other abstract captures,

reminds me that nothing ever stands still.

it is forever moving forward 

carrying me where I need to go.

Abstracts tell me stories

They take me places where I'd never dreamed I'd go

It's an awakening of all my senses

and I feel more vibrant and alive.

***

I've just been part of a wonderfully gifted and imaginative group

of other photographers interpreting abstracts.

This workshop was facilitated by the contemplative photographer

Kim Manley Ort.

Here is the link to her class:

Going Abstract

Pause, Focus and Connect

PAUSE

Noticing the shapes, colours, lines and textures around us.

Look at things from another point of view

How does that make us feel?

FOCUS

Observing things with an abstract vision

Finding the beauty in flowing forms

without labelling them.

CONNECT

in all simplicity

In photography, I have learned to slow down

and have thus created more space in my life.

I notice more, become one with what I see and feel

and experience so much more joy because of this.

Noticing the importance of light and how it can illuminate my subjects.

Looking closely with openness allows me to connect with all the details

in line, structure and subtlety in colour.

Marvelling at how extraordinary everything really is.

Taking the time to pause, focus and connect

has allowed me to see and experience everything in a whole new way.

Something which has been of great help to me in my quest

for a more contemplative life

was doing a workshop with Kim Manley Ort

called 

Adventures in Seeing.

Please check out the link to find out more.

Where shall I go today?

Wherever I go

There I am.

So says the book by Jon Kabat-Zinn

entitled

"Wherever You Go

There You Are".

I am in the soft greys and blues of the sky

and my face is turned upwards as the pink and blue pastels 

come in at the end of the day.

and stand amazed as the clouds turn fiery red

or allow the blues to intermingle

 I soar with the bird on outstretched wings

 and still ask myself since I was a child

"How high is the sky?"

Look up at the break of day

and welcome dawn with outstretched arms.

Where shall I go today?

No need to ask...

I'm already there!

A journey into abstracts

Seeing abstracts is like turning off the switch of recognition

as we enter a world of impressions

Curves and straight lines and colour

and depth given by the space in-between.

We stop wanting to interpret

and let ourselves be amazed and touched by the unexpected.

The simplest of shapes and textures

become a lesson in visual harmony.

Shadows and solid objects intermingle and create flow.

Reflections create surreal scenes that tell us stories of the unknown.

For me,

abstracts create a journey scattered with mystery and delight

I love not knowing where they will take me next.

Photo-Heart Connection: January

The countryside is my favourite place to be.

I love the sweet smell, the open air

and being able to see the sky and the fields 

unhindered by city buildings.

Recently, when I was out walking in the country after rain,

I noticed how beautiful the puddles were with their mesmerizing reflections.

The wind was blowing gently and creating ripples on the surface of the water,

breaking up the reflections and creating abstract images.

I felt an immediate connection to these watery images

I could feel Nature's vibrations tingling with aliveness

and waking up every sense in my whole being.

Abstracts!

Who would have thought they could touch me so?

They possess an art form all of their own

and allow me to step into another dimension

like a breath of fresh air!

Joining up with others here:

Seeking simplicity

The more I move forward,

the more I seek simplicity

and notice tiny details

soft meandering lines

gentle waves

New openings...

 with soft curves and muted harmonious tones.

I have always been attracted to the harmony in nature which allows me

to distance myself from the disharmony

 sometimes prevalent in the life of human beings.

Distancing my-self

from chaos

and reconnecting

with flow.

Abstraction

Let go of labels

let go of the analytical mind!

What do you feel when you look?

Trying to work out 

what something is

limits our perceptions.

Abstract quality.

When our eyes think they recognize what they are looking at.

Leave it be!

Let yourself be carried into a whole new world

away from concrete realities.

Enter into a deeper level and pull back from wanting to call something by a name.

Just go with the flow of the shapes and the colour

and immerse yourself into the subtlety

of what you feel.

Zooming in helps us

to look at just a part of the whole

and to discover that it exists in its own right.

Shapes take on a new feeling

See what you want to see

Feel what you want to feel

without preconception...

When I look at these images

I see beauty

I feel emotion

It is not necessary to know or guess what something is

to be able to feel its essence.

When I pull away

from wanting to know

A knowing is born in me.

Word meaning:

Abstraction:

from the latin word: 'abstrare'

meaning: to draw away.

The art of withdrawing or removing something from a source.

Swirling into October!

Turbulences ahead

The wind doth blow...

Colours cascade down in vibrating shades

As delicate as feathers

from an exotic bird

Each capture is never quite the same

as the one before

The shapes change

and

do I see a hint of stalks?

A touch of green ...

Could this be nature's paintbrush?

Or abstract art?

A little of both, says she, holding the camera!

How can that be?

A very slow shutter speed, from 0.3 - 1.30s

The settings on MF (manual focus)

and lots of fun panning

(deliberate camera movement)

and

the inspirational stars of the show:

Autum leaves.