Showing posts with label freeman patterson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freeman patterson. Show all posts

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Rembrandt 2009

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I had worked on my folk art paintings
for a few days and neglected my
photography. I found that I missed
the photography and needed to get back to it.

I find there are fewer subjects outdoors
this time of year as we are really between
seasons.

The leaves are down but we aren't getting
snowfalls just yet.

I had noticed these beautiful
multi-coloured fall leaves on
a walk and returned to take some
shots.

Using my Freeman Patterson
motion technique I got some shots
of multi-coloured leaves, purple asters,
and red berries.


This image is multi-coloured leaves
against a stone wall. To me
the colours look like a Rembrandt
painting.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a generous-hearted kind
of day.

Helen.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Hedged 2009

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These images are motion shots of
a brightly coloured hedge. The colours
are reminiscent of Christmas with bright
red berries and colourful leaves.

Hope that you enjoy these images.

Have a gearing-up-for-Christmas
kind of day
Helen.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Impressionistic maple

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Well. Encountering a windy day 2 days ago and
working to capture the leaves blowing in the wind
emboldened me. I thought why not try a Freeman
Patterson technique and move the camera
while taking shots.

This is harder than one might think. The instinct
is to hold the camera still at the point of capture.
So one is moving the camera and instinctively
pausing and holding still at the shot one wants.

At any rate I got a shot I am pleased with.
I spotted this tree on a drive-by and
wanted to capture the 3 branches
overhanging the water. By moving the camera
side to side I landed an impressionistic shot.

See what you think.
Have a notice-nature-even-
for-a-moment kind of day.

Helen.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Foggy Day

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Well, I woke up to a foggy day this Sunday.
I thought "oh" "this kiboshes my picture-taking for the day".



Then I thought-well why not try to capture the fog in my
photographs.


A few shots turned out. I am particularly pleased
with the image of the trees and their reflections
in the water in the fog/mist (above).



Hope that you enjoy these images.



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Freeman Patterson in his book "the garden" writes of the mists obscuring the trees near his house as follows:
"Near dawn on early spring mornings, the difference in temperature between
the cold, frozen earth and the wamer air that has caused the snow to melt often produces ground mists. These mists which obscure the more distant trees in the woods behind my house, usually soften the entire landscape for hours. When the sun rises unseen above the distant horizon, it briefly transforms the somber. delicate greys into vibrant golds. As it ascends it gradually
dilutes these intensely warm hues to the palest creams. Finally, it emerges as a ghostly orb on a milk-white sea. Then the mists twirls itself into strands and wisps and dissolves forever".
This is a lesson for me. Embrace fog and mist rather then seeing
them as a hindrance to photography.
Helen.

Monday, April 27, 2009

More spring inspiration




Two spring images (above).
The birch tree collage combines folk art painting
and collage and was completed last year.
The iris picture is simple with appealing colours.

Below is a shot of a property adjacent to a garden
I was invited to photograph by the owner.
I find the juxtaposition of the harsh wall and window
with the delicate hyacinths in multiple colours to be
a pleasing if somewhat edgy composition.





More thoughts on spring and beauty from Freeman Patterson excerpted from

"the garden" (p.17):

"By late winter and very early spring I not only enjoy the flowers blooming in my sunroom, I need them. My sense of well-being depends on having plants living, growing, and blooming around me, especially when there are none flowering out of doors.

We grow plants, especially flowering plants, in our gardens,greenhouses and windows because they are beautiful. Beauty never requires justification, because it balances the ugliness, hurtand sorrow that are present in every human life to a greater or lesser degree.

Without beauty as inspiration and refuge, our deprived souls grow hard and cold, and often we transfer, or project, our unacknowledgedsuffering onto others, especially those with whom we live and work.

Beauty is invariably a positive factor, an enriching presence, a healing influence. It is true in music, painting and dance, of clouds in the skyand birds singing in the light of dawn ,of flowers, even humble geraniums in kitchen windows."

Have a happy-to-finally-be-spring-see-the beauty- kind of day.


Helen.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

April Flowers

For thoughts on Spring I turned to top Canadian photographer
Freeman Patterson. In his book "the garden" he shares his
strong attachment to gardening. Freeman appears to be
deeply engaged in life. One has the sense that he lives
life to the fullest every moment he can squeeze out of time.


Here is an essay from his book (P.19):

"When the leaves on trees are about the size of squirrels' ears,
when birds returning from months in the south dart around
in search of nesting sites,
and daffodils dance in gardens and meadows,
a deep sense of well-being floods over me.
Everything good in the world seems possible.

My emotional liberation is mirrored by my increased physical activity.
Lying in bed after sunrise seems incomprehensible.
Politely, but firmly
I refuse to attend meetings, particularly in the evenings.
I neglect my basement work area, disown my computer and
spend every possible moment outdoors. In short, I make room
for receiving the gift of spring.

As I wonder along field and forrest paths long covered in snow,
sniffing the breeze to savour the rich moist tang of the soil and
the drifting ambrosial hints from flowers blooming somewhere,
I observe variations of colour that appear at no other time of
year-delicate, warm and sprightly hues. I reconnect with the earth
and sense the incredible surge of creativity around me, and within me.


And I garden. I can't help it. My whole being longs to be
engaged in the birthing process. This is not a hobby but an
essential aspect of who I am. For me, not to garden would
be saying No to life itself".

Here I share some of my shots of April flowers to illustrate
Freeman's words.
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Have-a-spring-in-your-step kind of day.