Single Photo Friday:: Seagull Attack!

Lookout for seagulls!

Ahh, just gorges. Haha, I mean Fort Gorges, so proudly displayed in Portland's Caso Bay.

 

It's 9pm on Friday evening and I am just now sitting down long enough to remember that 1) today is indeed Friday and 2) I have yet to post to the blog.

I took this shot today while aboard The Lucky Catch - a lobster boat that takes people on tours of Casco Bay and shows them how to catch lobster. My cousin's daughter (therefore, my 2nd cousin) was visiting Maine for the first time, and so we did a touristy thing that ended up being possibly more fun for us locals than those from away. As they got bait ready the seagulls literally swarmed us. I chose to turn my attention and my camera to the flock rather than the action happening on the boat.

I think that was the most fun I've ever had photographing seagulls.


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Single Photo Friday:: Smiles

Oh man, it's Friday already, and you know what that means: Single Photo Friday! Only I've had kind of a crazy week and haven't given an ounce of thought to what kind of photo I should share today. Hmmmm... what kind of a mood am I in?

Haha.

Well, I had a reminder today how important positive people are in our lives. I try very hard to surround myself with supportive people and a general positive outlook. I need to find a photo that reflects that, or one that makes me happy....

Joe laughing @ Chowderhead's.

Yes, I do believe we have found a winner! How can you look at this face and not smile or crack up laughing? 

Thanks, Joe for brightening my day! 

I get a dose of double happiness when I look at this photo, since it brings back memories of the visit that brought him to my doorstep. Two friends and a baby who left NYC last summer to hang out in my town and on my back porch and eat as much seafood as possible. So, I see this photo and remember the long weekend I shared with them laughing, smiling, EATING. I love how a photo is powerful enough to bring waves of memories rushing over you, creating instant happiness.

Really good stuff.

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Scaling Back: a Photographic Exercise

Choppy waters just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

On November 4 I boarded a plane in Portland, Maine to cross the country and land in San Francisco. The family was congregating in the city that my youngest cousin now calls home, so we could all attend his wedding. I was beyond excited.

First, I was excited to finally get to see San Francisco, and that the Weekend Warrior was coming with me (knowing he would finally see the Golden Gate Bridge, which he seems to have a mild obsession with, was fueling my enthusiasm). This was the final wedding of my 2009 season, only this time I was going as a guest. No pressure on me, aside from the fact that I would be required to put some serious effort into my outfit, and (*GASP*) wear heels.

Walking around the streets of San Francisco made me really thirsty.

I thought about how I would actually sit and eat an entire meal. I would hit the dance floor and dance for hours. I would hang out with my family, laughing and talking and watching my cousin have his moment. And I would get to see another photographer in action! I love to watch people who know their craft work, so this was something I was really looking forward to.

Then it came time to pack my equipment. I wasn't responsible for a wedding or portraits or film stills, so perhaps I could really scale back. I could bring just what I'm comfortable carrying on me for hours. I could finally do something I've wanted to do for a long time: One camera body, and one lens. But not a zoom lens, that's almost cheating. A 50 mm, nothing else and see what I get.

I loved how the sun was hitting this little building, begging me to take its picture.

In my twenties, before the days of auto-focus and extra bells and whistles, I went everywhere with a Pentax K1000 and a 28mm lens. I got very used to shooting close to my subjects or making negative space work in my favor. Things are different now, to say the least, but the desire to scale down and simplify is still with me. Excessive gear doesn't mean much. The important thing is to be comfortable and skilled with the gear you do have. Bringing only a 50mm lens is an excellent exercise for any photographer. If the shot doesn't work you either find a way to make it work or you move on to the next thing that might. It's an exercise in finding new ways to see (or a reminder of how you used to see, before all the auto-focus zooms came into your life).

Down at Fisherman's Wharf, in what I called 'Crab Alley'.


The end of Larkin.

Not to mention, it's a very compact and light lens making all day excursions with a camera around your shoulder much easier, especially when renting bikes. All of the photos in this post were taken on that trip, with a 50mm f1.4 lens. I'm looking forward to the next chance I get to stretch my photo brain like that.

I love the texture and color of this. Rusty metal things do it for me.

The touristy shot. I went under on a boat and across on a bike.

This little exercise stretched my creativity and left me wanting more. This is what scaling back did for me. What do you think it could do for you?

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Witness to Happiness

This is what content looks like, in case you haven't seen it in awhile. The highlight of his whole trip, hands down, making all the work to get there totally worth it.

A chance to see San Francisco is worth it anyway, and now I get to be one of those people who walks around saying "San Francisco is such a great city!" since I have finally seen it. Pieces of it, at least. This photo will remain one of my favorite moments, and a reminder of what I love about photography: that chance to witness people's happiness over and over.

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Rules to Live By

A window in San Francisco promotes one of my life mottoes.


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Foggy Mind

On a foggy November Saturday I found myself somewhat overwhelmed with technical issues and needing a break. I picked up my camera and took a walk in in the fog. My head feels much clearer now...

This fence that surrounds my yard has been falling apart, but I kind of like it that way. And when the fog rolls in, it seems to add to the appeal.

All season I have loved how the yellow leaves have been landing on and making a temporary home on my little blue car.

While inside the house I noticed how this once bright red tree was changing its look. The fog surrounding it left me standing in the window staring for several minutes. That was when I grabbed the camera and gave myself a mandatory break from the computer.

I was attracted to the very muted colors of this bush against the sky, something that often goes unnoticed next to the bright fall colors.

This yellow was calming to me. There's something both relaxing and energizing about yellow. Why is that?

I was going after the water drops, and got the added bonus of that piece of spider web in the corner. There is something so great about making yourself step away from one thing so you can slow down enough to enjoy the other things. The contrast of using computers and technology and things that are meant to speed up every process for us to watching nature slowly getting through another day is pretty remarkable. It's as if my mind forgot that mother nature works at a much slower pace. Stepping out into my yard I was almost forced to operate at the same pace as these plants. Taking in one moment at a time.