Mixed Emotions

I have a few things on my mind but really being inspired by the change in weather yesterday where we had rain and lovely mist over the last of the autumn leaves.
Today the sun is out but there is also wind and I am sure that some of the beautiful leaves I have had my eye on may not be there much longer.  So, inspired by some work last weekend with my lensbaby and imagining the effect of bright blue sky (today's weather) gusty breeze moving the leaves and glorious colour I've just zipped outside, taken a few lensbaby shots with my 5Dmk11 (I usually just pop it on the smaller sensor body) because I can see some magic happening so want as many pixels as possible to play with.
AND I wasn't disappointed.  I'm going to find another 30 minutes later today to have another go.

Here is my meagre offering that's had a fast and furious edit in LR4 and Nik Color 4.0.


Enjoy!!  I certainly did.

Creative Energy

I often wondered where artists and musicians got their inspiration.  I have always been in awe of these creative souls whose productivity often astounds.  Not only do they produce beautiful work but they seem to do it so regularly.

Gradually over the past few months I've begun to realise that I might have finally discovered a few tricks of my own that help me to sift through the thoughts and ideas, the visual inspirations, the deeper tracks that run through my mind each day.

For me it is all quite connected.  Thoughts, images, ideas come and go but somehow the "dreamcatcher" or the "ideas basket" has to be with me at all times and if I'm smart, I'll lock away these small moments for a later time when I can sit and dream and imagine.  However, as a photographer I can't just pull out a pen or paintbrush and paper and "create."  It's not often that I will photograph from a setup.  My work is usually outdoors and on the go.  So it's become even more important to me to have a way of managing my creative side in photography.

So, how does it all happen??  Notebooks, notebooks and notebooks! Or maybe the notepad on my iphone ....  maybe my iphone camera to get quick snap of an idea to use at a later time.  On my computer I keep a word document that I just copy and paste into from websites when I see something that I want to keep.  My notebooks often make little sense, they are somewhat disorganised ... new headings, new pages, repeated headings, repeated ideas.  BUT .. they are all recorded in some way and as I open the notebook I carry in my bag and I open to write down an idea, I see the words from the day before and the circle of connection begins.

So, why this ramble today?  The other very important part of my creativity is being able to hang around other photographers.  They inspire me and I learn something every time I do.  It is often the time when I make the big connections in my head about new pathways and directions to take.

Last weekend my local photography club shared a weekend away just devoted to photography.  We looked for places to shoot, we talked about what we were doing, we commiserated when we missed good opportunities and we all seemed to try out a few new ideas.  And we had lots of fun!!

So maybe that's why artists often hang around other creative people???

When I returned and began to upload my images I was initially a little disappointed that I didn't seem to have that "amazing image" that we all aim for.  I had too many pelicans - I just couldn't resist??  I had too many of the same sunset - I just loved hearing the shutter click as the sky lit up??  But encouraged by another photographer I pulled out my lensbaby and used it for the first time in quite a while and between the intentional blurred images that I love to take, I bagged a couple of lensbaby shots that I quite liked.

Thanks to the group who ventured away last weekend.  You added to my enjoyment but you also added to my "creativity" and artistic intent.

A couple of images that I have been able to edit.... Enjoy!

Late Autumn Light

It's Mothers' Day and it's been glorious.  Blue skies, crisp clean air, cool enough for a coat but warm enough to enjoy being outside.

I've recently been discovering some of my older images and looking at them with clean eyes.  It's so easy to get immersed in some newer work that you lose a bit of perspective - are they really that good?  maybe not? or maybe they are.  However, I find that when images are put aside for some time, fresher eyes are often a better judge.

So what have I been enjoying?  I've really loved finding some of the older images from the local area here in the Blue Mountains.  I'd completely forgotten that some of them even existed.  One of the joys of this sort of reminiscing is that now my skills in editing are far better than they were even a couple of years ago.

I've loved working with Nik software and have made a real effort recently to dig a bit deeper and learn more about the tools on offer.  Nik Silver Efex is a great B&W help.  Because I was never a darkroom person I avoided a few of the film effects that are hidden in the palette but recently I did a couple of webinars and have found so much more that I had been using.  Color Efex is my other current favourite.  Version 4.0 allows so much more than the earlier version so I've been working my way through it slowly and finding the ability to use multiple filters in an image quite beautiful.

So, today, with the last of the sunshine lighting up a couple of my maples, I grabbed the camera determined to take a shot for posterity.

Here are a couple of my favourites - real quick and dirty shooting and a bit of lick and polish thanks to Nik.


Enjoy!!

Some days are diamonds....

Have been away for a few days and we planned a stopover along the coast on the way home.  Big plans for some photography as well as some good food.  However we have been caught up in the big rain along the east coast.  The rain has been so heavy that it's been impossible to keep my gear dry so have had to enjoy a few moments here and there with whatever subject matter was available.  The food has been brilliant so not all has been lost.  

Here is a sample ... a few impressions of Autumn on the Central Coast.

Enjoy

Reflections in the water pooled on the deck (above)

Muted and glorious - the colours of Autumn (above)

Homage to Eliot Porter (above)

Would it be more perfect if the lines were parallel??? (above)  

No chance of keeping the raindrops out of this image (above)

Writing again...

It's been so many months since I put a post here.  I've had a serious block when it came to writing.  It happens.  I've just gone with the flow and let it work its way out of my system.

Last weekend I had a chance to exhibit some of my images and trying to get an artists statement on paper was torture but ... it eventually happened so fingers crossed ....

The exhibition was fabulous.  Just a group of 8 so the exhibition was called 8x8.  We had all been working with Len Metcalf  (http://lensschool.com/) through 2011 and the images that were hung were a celebration of our growth.

Many friends, lots of locals and people wandering in to the hall as they walked by to the movies.  We even sold some work so we each now have a few dollars in the kitty to support our own photography.

So what's been happening??  Lots and lots...  I now have a market stall up and running with another fabulous photographer, Robyn Cook  (http://robyncook.photomerchant.net/home).  We have a name - Infinitiblu Photos and our newly launched Facebook page is here:  https://www.facebook.com/InfinitibluPhotos

Our new market is The Blue Bird Market @ the Alexandra Hotel, GWH Leura between 10.00-3.00   Next market date is Easter Saturday so we are busy replenishing our stock.  We've made some quite beautiful photography products and will have quite of number of images for sale as well as cards, bookmarks etc.

My website is also live.  www.shirleysteel.com  It's such a learning curve staying on top of this new direction but I love it.

Today I have posted a few of the images on the website from the Seascape Series, that I exhibited at the 8x8 exhibition last weekend.  I hope you enjoy them.

Here is my favourite.

PS  It goes to show that I can't critique my own work as no one else was particularly interested in this one??  It now looks good on my wall at home!

Printing is almost finished

With a rush of blood to the head a few weeks back I got a bit carried away and now I am heading for my first ever market stall along with two other very talented women.  When I write it like that it seems like I too am talented??  Must do that again.

We have secured a spot at the Leura First Sunday Markets, starting on Sunday 4th November and if I'm correct, I probably need to have made a few items to sell??  No worries .... it's all underway.  It's as if I am missing the stress of the final term of the school year and feel the need to be busy like everyone else rather than saunter around and tend my vege patch.

What am I selling? What are we selling?  Photo cards and matted prints - all too beautiful to resist (we hope).

We have been thinking of this for some time but never quite made the big leap into the unknown.  It's been a bit of pressure to print and present my work, but as I've been quite addicted to Lightroom 3 for some time, the actual sorting and choosing becomes quite easy.  It's as if you have this marvellous personal assistant working away in the background and when you ask them to find some of the best images you have from your last trip to Paris, back in 2007 they just do it!!  No complaining, no moody sulking, no hands thrown up in despair .... just a few seconds of computer grinding through it's memory bank and bingo, I have my best.  I've told you before how good Adobe Lightroom is but when it comes to tasks like this, it really excels.

I'm organising my wares for sale into mini collections and Dot and Robyn are doing the same.  Mine will be based around the idea of colour and movement in some of the places I love or have visited and enjoyed as well as a handful of other themes.  I can then add or delete depending on need as our sales start to soar?? Well, they will won't they?  Doesn't every novice market stall owner walk away with riches beyond their wildest dreams?

In all seriousness I did want to let people know that I'm organised to print work this year for Xmas gifts.  For me what has been an added joy is the thrill of seeing some older work be transformed by some new Apps.  It's like a real makeover.

I'm going to include a couple of sets here in this blog, however, I'm adding the more complete set on my pbase account.

http://www.pbase.com/ssteel/art_cards_


Robyn's webpage is here:
http://robyncook.photomerchant.net/home


and Dot's images can be found at these links:

http://dotradley.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotradley/

https://www.facebook.com/dot.radley


Just a little taste of what is to come.......


The Colours of Paris

Night wandering around Concord.  No tripod but overwhelmed by the visual feast.  An old image comes to life with new technology.  How many more are there hidden away?

One of the lovely old bridges over the Seine.

Have loved this green VW for years and often wondered what to do with it.  Thankyou Apple!  Thankyou Snapseed!

A more traditional edit.  I am always taken by the street lighting in Paris.  Why wouldn't you be?  I like the simplicity of this image on the cards.

I was out this morning quite early and enjoying the brisk feeling with the local workers on their way to workplaces throughout the city.

Looks like I was into lamps doesn't it?

and from The Colours of Turkey Series .....

In working on these images from Eastern Turkey, I have had its people in my thoughts.  About this time last year we travelled through the area around Van, staying overnight in Van and visiting a couple of outlying villages as well as the beautiful Lake Van.   Wonderful people.  Friendly, open, welcoming and more often than not, quite poor.  Looking at my images of the small towns we travelled through, I notice again the simple housing that will not have been built to withstand earthquakes.

A little creative edit in Snapseed.  One of the beautiful window features at Sumela Monestry over near the Black Sea.

In Sunilurfa we had time to sit and enjoy the moment in the courtyard of this beautiful setting.

And more to come tomorrow.

Thankyou for reading this far!!

Recovery Mode

Arrived back last night from 8 days in Western NSW with a couple of photo buddies.  Fabulous time, brilliant scenery and photo opportunities.

We began the trip from the Blue Mountains and headed west to Hay for our first night, then on to Mungo National Park where we stayed in the Shearers' Quarters for a couple of nights.

The first four images are taken from around Hay.  I had some fun panning and "blurring" as the car went along.

In Mungo, the history, the sense of being in a very special and ancient place was all around.  The Aboriginal people who now have responsibility for the stories that their elders know, shared with us as we walked on the Walls of China.  Impossible to fully explain the sense of significance in this place.  The Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, in which Mungo sits is a very special part of Australia.  The discovery not so long ago of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man have changed this place.  It is a area steeped in both Aboriginal and European history.  It is a place where scientists, archaeologists, local Aboriginal people, farming families and government work together.

The sands are moving quite quickly each year and every new rain and windstorm bring a difference to the landscape.

For us, to spend some time here in the silence and with nature allowed us to really begin our photographic journey.  Emus, kangaroos, birds were all about and the recently renovated old shearers' quarters were wonderful to sit and think about what had come before.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nationalparks/parkWorldHeritage.aspx?id=N0049

The land here has experienced much.  It was also a working sheep station for many years.  The renovations at the National Park Information Centre are fabulous and allow you to get a strong understanding of all that has come before.  Quite a bit of interpretive work has been done for the displays and outside, the new landscaping has provided a dignified yet informative welcome.

This emu was around the old shearing shed with a few young chicks.

One of the roos we came across in Mungo.

These emu chicks were out with their father (not shown here)

We had a long drive around Mungo and this is typical of the landscape out there at the moment.  They have had some unusually high rainfall of late.

Even though the rains have been, it is clear what the ground will be like in the coming weeks.  It has begun to recede and dry up around all the waterways.

An opportunity to wander over one of the sand dunes.  Fabulous views!  I have tried this shot a few ways but like this interpretation as, for me, it captures the simplicity and the beauty.

The mono image above was also taken on the Dunes @ Mungo.









The Walls of China (below)

Then to Menindee .....

Menindee is on the Darling River and the large lakes surrounding the area can be home to many birds and animals.  With 2 heavy rain seasons in a row, the lakes are full to the brim.  One of the women in our group has visited Menindee on many occasions and has never seen such water.

The middle of the day was not ideal for capturing photos but I found on this occasion a few nice spots that came up well as almost a black and white image.  The image below is one such image.  Taken in the middle of the day in bright sunshine, the white milky looking water against the dying trees in the lake and reeds in front, looks as if it could even be in a snow field mid winter.   I was really attracted to the blackened bottom sections of the trees as they met the water.

These next two images (below) also taken at midday in sun shows the milky water beyond the pepper tree.

In the two images (below) I enjoyed the opportunity to get a pano look.  It was a stunning vista!

And then to sunrise.  I am not a morning person, but agreed to be shoved in the car about 5.30am to drive about 45 minutes to see if we could get a nice bit of early morning light.  Even if the images weren't award winning, the moment certainly was one to treasure.    I wandered a bit away from the area where we started because I could see this lovely creamy yellow streak appearing on the water parallel to the horizon and a bit below the trees.  This is a hasty edit of one image so I could upload today.  I'm looking forward to playing with a few of these a bit later to see if I can get one to print well.

The image above is the Darling Pea in early bud.












The journey home......

In all we did about 2800kms.  Heading east again, we stopped for lunch west of Nyngan and shared the table with the Apostle birds.  They in turn shared the water bath with a few hundred bees.  Harmony in nature!

Through the windscreen heading east on the way home. (below)

The sun was gone and the fog lights were on as we headed back over the mountains.  This image below was taken about Blackheath around 5.30pm.  What a difference!