Still Lifes

Spring

Glorious Skies

Psalm 19:1- The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Aperture Comparison

 When comparing these two images, the image on the left has a smaller aperture of 10, allowing the bouquet of flowers in the background have distinctive separation between flowers and stems.  On the other hand, the image to the right has a greater aperture, meaning the depth of field is more shallow, bringing the focus more upon the flowers in the foreground of the image while greatly blurring the bouquet in the background.

Settings: Shutter Speed 1/80, f10, ISO 400

Settings: Shutter Speed 1/80, f4.2 ISO 400

Landscape and Light

Landscape photography has always been one of my favorites, as I love to travel, see new sights and take in the beautiful creation of the world around me.  One of my favorite quotes is "To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all."  I think that landscape photography in itself is the ability to capture those moments you feel the most alive, when you feel like you are truly living, the most in awe of God's breath-taking creation.  It enables a person to capture a single moment or place to which they wish to return.  It enables us to share these experiences with others.  And most importantly, it enables us to say "Look at what my God created- isn't it amazing?"

The above images are ones which I have taken this semester.  The images below are landscape photos I have taken over the last few years that I wanted to share with you.

Rule of Thirds

Image 1: Red Squirrel

Image 2: Red Squirrel

I enjoyed the rule of thirds assignment because it made you purposely think about space and alignment of objects with the space surrounding them.  I took hundreds of pictures for the assignment, as there is such as range of possibilities to choose from in regard to subject matter.  My favorites, however, were of a little red squirrel at Lake Dardanelle State Park.  He seemed just as curious about me as I was of him and posed for me, not only while clinging to the side of the tree [image 1], but also just perched in the crook of the old oak which he had made his home [image 2]. 

The other images are old ones which I have taken over the past year.  After receiving this assignment I went through my old files to find inspiration, kind of like going through Pinterest, but in this case, with my own work.  I thought I would share them with you.

Black Lab at Sunset

Springtime Dew Drops at Sunrise

Dark Eyed Junco 

Death Valley

Remnants

This is a photograph of a rock foundation at Stout’s Point on Petit Jean Mountain, all that remains of the YMCA’s College Lodge, which was built in 1928.  While fire may have destroyed the building itself, the firm rock foundation has stood the test of time and continues to remain a testament to the past history of the mountain.  What I found compelling about this place was the contrasting elements of the rock work with the light-colored mortar used to hold them in place. The rough textural component the rock work gives the image reminds me of the rough life the early settlers of the mountain had to endure to live there.  I love the sun rays beaming into the lodge through now open space which was once a solid roof.  It leads one’s eyes to the natural bluff rock upon which structure was built.   I have also included a photograph of the outside of the lodge, which shows another angle of the rock, speaking to the architectural skills used to incorporate the natural rock foundation into the man-made structure itself.  The fact that this building was constructed upon such rough terrain and the fact that it has stood for almost a century, despite fires, winds, rain and snow speaks to not only the craftsmanship but also to the endurance and durability of the architects themselves.