Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Mixing Elements

Another Digital Photo School Assignment:

"Your image should show two or more of the basic elements of earth, air, fire and water, not just one. "

I'm not totally sure I get this assignment....air is pretty much ubiquitous here on earth, right? Or do I need the air to somehow show up or be represented in the photo?

Bird flying over waves crashing onto rocks (That little spec is a bird that I waited and waited to photograph flying over this spot!)

Earth: Rocks
Water: Ocean
Air: Flying bird and froth on the waves



Tidepool

Earth: Rocks
Water: Ocean


Snorkeler

Earth: Rocks
Water: Ocean
Air: What he's breathing (I hope) through the snorkel!



Rockweed

Earth: rocks
Water: tidepool
Air: those puffy parts of the rockweed are small bladders containing air

Did you know rockweed is edible? I didn't until I read a little about it for this assignment.


Sue doing her homework!

I kept thinking I should be able to make a picture out of this large slab of granite with a hole cut in the center (earth and air after all). But I didn't like any of the pictures I came up with. Jim's photo of me doing my photo school homework is OK though!

This rock totally reminds Jim of the bracket we had made for my Toika loom!

Earth: rock, soil
Air: everywhere
Water: bonus water - ocean in the background!



Abandoned Granite Quarry

Earth: granite
Water: rainwater and spring water collect in this abandoned quarry
Air: sky


Cormorant drying its wings

Earth: rocky coast
Water: ocean
Air: drying the cormorant


Dog with belly full of water and a bone

Dog sculpture by Dale Rogers. (I blogged about this exhibit on Friday.)

Earth: Ground, metal sculpture
Water: Piscataqua River
Air: bone-shaped hole in the dog


Fire and Ice

I had to set up one shot so I'd include a little fire in my assignment. It's summer here, and super hot and humid at the moment - so fire is low on my agenda!

Earth: pottery, candle and glass
Water: ice water in glass (and humidity on glass)
Fire: candle flame

Phew!!

Glad this assignment is over, so I can stop looking for fire!!

The next assignment is a little more technical. I tend to skip those assignments....but I'm hereby publicly saying that I will do my utmost not to skip this one.

I really want to know more about how to make my camera do what I want....although I'm not sure I want to do the work to acquire that knowledge. If that makes any sense....

Anyway, trying to shake off my summer sloth!

Related posts:
Dog exhibit in Portsmouth
Halibut Point Visit

8 comments:

Theresa said...

Sue, I don't know if you fulfilled your assignment or not, bt the pictures had a cooling effect on me. Thank you for those lovely ocean scenes. You sure came up with better things than I could have thought of today.
My only thought, a dog peeing on a tree. HOW BAD IS THAT!
Tell Bailey that parading body parts around isn't all that gross unless it's a head. Legs are acceptable, rolling in cow pies is not.

Jennifer said...

It's still August - granted school just started around here - but as far as I'm concerned it's still summer in August!
I think you did great on your assignment and I would struggle with the air bit also. Maybe if you were taking underwater pictures and and there were air bubbles from a diver??? Maybe evidence of wind blowing is air??? There's no tellin gwhat they were thinking - but they probably enjoy being a bit mysterious to see what your creative mind will come up with!

sheilabythebeach said...

Whatever the assignment was about, you came up with some excellent photos! Your photos have brought me on vacation with you and what a treat it has been!

Life Looms Large said...

Theresa, Glad my photos had a cooling effect!! (And even at least a little glad that I didn't have the Bailey - tree idea!! Not sure I want to memorialize that in my blog!!)

Jennifer, Underwater bubbles would have been a great idea for that assignment....especially if I could have somehow worked in a snorkeling trip to the Caribbean!!

I think it's true that by having an assignment it makes me photograph things I would never otherwise think of....and those end up being some of my favorite pictures. Many of the pictures for this assignment were taken at Halibut Point - and the assignment pictures ended up being some of my favorites from that outing.

Sheila, Glad this felt like a mini vacation for you!! I think during the winter I'll like looking back at those pictures and remembering summer!!

Sue

charlotte said...

Beautiful photos, as always!

Wool Enough said...

Well, no wonder you take such terrific pix; you're really working at it.

Y'know on those first few -- if you lit a match and held it armslength in front of the viewfinder you'd have all four elements.

Life Looms Large said...

Thanks for any and all compliments!!

My photos are definitely helped a lot by being able to borrow Jim's very good camera. It does most of the work for me. Then my watered down version of Photoshop does more to help.

I kept this assignment in mind for the whole week or so that I knew about it, thinking I'd come across fire in my day to day life. But I really didn't. I should have taken a match with me to the ocean!!!

Sue

Delighted Hands said...

You are really growing in your photo skills and improving your creative attitude!