“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
― Susan Polis Schutz
Echoing my photographic attraction to nature and abstraction, this is my second attempt at painting with acrylics, it has been over thirty-five years since I last painted. I’ve also been extremely inspired by the community of artists I’ve gotten to know in the past few years.
The painting is loosely based on a few of my photos, depicting the edge of a dense forest, with dark trees opening up to a display of golden light. An effect that I named, “God Light” in a recent series of photos. At this point, there is no deep meaning hidden in the painting, that I am consciously aware of, other than a longing to be in the light, rather than darkness, the light serves to call us from darkness to enlightenment.
The main purpose of my blog will remain focussed on my photography, but I thought I’d share my journey into the world of painting as well, as it has been strongly influenced by wanting to take my photography further.
Acrylic on Canvas
11 x 14
© Ed Lehming 2017
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
― Albert Einstein
There is something magical about ice, by times. During this past week’s thaw and freezing, some interesting effects were created. Far too many to share in a single post. Ice has formed into a myriad of shapes, forms, and textures.
As I went for a long needed hike today, along the familiar banks of Duffins Creek, a moderately sized creek that runs close to my home, I was greeted by a mix of flowing open water and frozen shorelines. Most of the scenes were fairly typical and not much stood out as unique, until I came to a bend in the creek where the ice had not quite formed yet. It was at that point where it was a very firm slush and still a bit transparent, allowing me to see the blurry outlines of the pebbles below. What made it more interesting, to me, was the chunks of ice included in this natural composition, as well as some trapped bubbles. That, and the beautiful February sunlight that lit the creek bed through the ice.
As I stood there, making the image, I realized that this spot is only a few meters away from where I made my favourite Rainbow Trout image this past spring. This beautiful creek has offered me many lovely memories, and photos, over the past few years.
It seems nature never runs out of unique combinations of elements in her toolkit with which to create artworks. I’m just happy to be able to participate in her latest showing.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to beauty unfamiliar and perilous – to poetry. But also, it gives birth to the opposite: to the perverse, the illicit, the absurd.”
― Thomas Mann
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. At the edge of perception, weird things dance and howl.”
― M.H. Boroson
Every now and then, a photo surprises me. For those of you who are photographers and take interest in my camera settings, which I post with most of my photos, you will have noticed that the studio florals do not vary a whole lot. I will tweak aperture if I want more depth of field and adjust shutter speed to compensate for that.
My results are fairly consistent. I end up with a low-key, fairly vibrant image of the blossom I am photographing. Also, since my studio lights are a consistent colour temperature, I don’t adjust my settings in post and I get predictable colour results, true to the original.
An exception to this was this blossom, a chrysanthemum, if I’m not mistaken. I suspect the blossoms have been dyed to this green tone, but the lights produced an unearthly green that did not match the original. They also caused the exterior petals to become quite diaphanous, making the whole image ghost-like. It first this bothered me, but on further consideration, I thought I’d publish the image as-is so you can also experience this effect. I’m sure there is an explanation for this, having to do with specific light frequencies, which I will have to research at some time in the near future.
By the way, this image was made only a few minutes after the carnation I posted yesterday.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Kind words and tender affections will not save me from this lake of woe and misery, but they may be enough of a buoy to prevent my drowning.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
I’ll call this a ‘rescue’ from a less than wonderful bouquet. To get subjects for my floral shots, I tend to stop by local shops and pick up a fresh bouquet every few weeks. Then, I pull the bouquet apart and photograph the individual blossoms. It’s a great way to be able to enjoy photography on dull, uninspiring, and icy days.
This practice, of disassembling bouquets, has been very satisfying, but every now and then, a bouquet that looked nice in the store, shows it’s true self under light and lens, or even before then. This one started dropping petals as soon as I unpacked it, leaving many bare stems. Most of the remaining blossoms were bruised or damaged and this was especially noticeable under the studio lights and using 90mm macro lens.
Despite this ‘disappointing’ bouquet, I was able to save a few blossoms, including this beautiful pink carnation, most of who’s companions showed significant damage and wilted fringes. I’m not sure if this damage was inflicted on the bouquet as whole or if the shop had assembled a ‘seconds’ bouquet for quick sale? I’m unlikely to return to that particular store for flowers in the near future.
However, despite this incident, I am really enjoying making these photos. I’m reminded of all the beauty around us, despite the current world events that we can hardly tune out. So, please accept this little gift of beauty. Hopefully, it will brighten your day for at least a few moments.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Real Canada is where people wear sweaters for survival, not style.”
― Mark Leiren-Young
Ice, ice, and more ice. The surreal effects of freezing rain on delicate branches. Beautiful, yet treacherous in even mall doses, making a single misstep dangerous, we soon miss the effects of friction in our world.
The curious thing I’ve found when faced with this spectacle is that when everything is beautiful, it becomes difficult to separate single compositions as the whole scene competes for my attention.
Nikon D300
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 145mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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http://www.edlehming.com
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/29.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Thus the man who is responsive to artistic stimuli reacts to the reality of dreams as does the philosopher to the reality of existence; he observes closely, and he enjoys his observation: for it is out of these images that he interprets life, out of these processes that he trains himself for life.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
On these cool, blustery winter days, it’s a nice to be able to head to the studio and play with some macro photography. Under the studio lights, fine details, often missed start to reveal themselves. I find myself pulled deeper and deeper into the image, almost shocked at structures my eye did not consciously see. I chose the word ‘consciously’ deliberately, because I know that our eyes are capturing all this visual data, but our brain filters it, selectively.
The fern is a good example. Not that I sat staring wild eyed at ferns, because I had not noticed the spores (the round cones under the leave for the non-botany folks) on the underside until researching local fern varieties.
Now I sit in awe at the exquisite textures and details of this fern frond, frozen in time for me to observe more carefully.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/29.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes….Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an exploration into unknown areas.”
― Arshile Gorky
This is where is started, my fascination with photo abstractions. Back in March 0f 2012, I was hiking the shores of the York River, near Bancroft, Ontario when I noticed a beautiful reflection on the slightly rippled river surface. I made a few images and was pleased with the outcome. Then, I did something different: I cropped hem to remove the shoreline and flipped the image upside down, producing this beautiful ‘painterly’ abstract of the trees on the far shore. The slight flash of orange near the centre of the photo was an interesting and unexpected bonus.
A close friend of mine commented that it looked like a painting and I ran with that, making my first 24 x 36 canvas print, and yes, it did look like a painting then. It sold quickly and I’m considering reprinting it, larger, for my office wall, since it really has been a pivotal piece for me.
I’m thinking this may serve as the model for my next attempt at painting. Stay tuned.
Nikon D200
Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 @ 50mm
1/100 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“If you see a tree as blue, then make it blue”.
– Paul Gauguin
I posted this image to my Facebook page last week. It’s my first attempt at painting, of the non-digital type, in thirty five or so years. The last time I picked up a paintbrush to create art was back in high school and honestly, I was not very good at acrylics, favouring sketching and watercolours. Primarily because I could not get the colours right. I over processed and turned everything gray or brown. Of course, it was art class too, so it had to meet certain parameters. Creativity my my art class was not encouraged. Wow, that sounds odd, doesn’t it? And that, was the end of that. I much prefered to express myself through photography, which I was more comfortable with.
I recent posts, I have taken images that I composed with the camera that did not result in the image as I envisioned it. Some of those, I processed through digital art programs and was very pleased with the outcomes.
Last week, I went to an Impressionist exhibit in Toronto, called “Mystical Landscapes”, presented by the Art Gallery of Ontario. I’m drawn by the impressionist form and style myself a bit of a photo-impressionist, focussing on the feel of a place, rather than precision. I’ll often visit the same place over and over in different times and light, much like Monet did. I see different colours, like the Gauguin quote. I’ve seen lots of blue trees, in early evening light. You’ll notice, many of my trees in this painting are blue.
I’ve had this quote in my head for a few months now and it challenged me:
If you hear a voice within you say, ‘you can’t paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.
— Vincent Van Gogh
So, I finally felt inspired to pick up a brush to see what happens, silence that voice. If it was a total disaster, I could just toss it and go back to photography, if it was half-good, I might pursue it.
Well, the result shocked me, as I stepped away and looked back at the painting on the easel I got quite emotional. I’d found something within myself that I did not know existed. This was something created out of nothing, just an image I had made, transformed into something new. I shared it with some friends who responded back positively, most asking me why I had not painted before this and encouraging me to continue with this, which I will do. My biggest surprise was that this 11 x 14 acrylic painting was done in about 2 hours, so I think I will continue, maybe take a lesson or two, since I’m relearning brush strokes for my youth.
Life sure is an interesting journey 🙂
I’ve had a few people ask recently how I’m able to pick up the golden glow in some of my forest images. One of my recent images, “November’s Golden Litter” – Hermon, Ontario, is an example of their fabulous effect on a large scale. When conditions are just right: the right light, the angel of that light, the condition and colour of the leaves, and a contrasting background, the effect is almost magical. If you have stood on a forest trail and experienced this, you will know what I mean. It is tough to describe.
Many times I’ve seen this phenomenon and tried to capture it as a photo, only to be disappointed in the results, the surreal glow muted down to a dull orange or yellow. Over the years, and many failures, I’ve found ways of capturing the moment fairly consistently.
During one of those moments I picked up a few unsullied oak leaves to photograph in my little studio. Well, today was the day, and the result is shown above. Once again, with the right light and the right angle, I was able to reproduce this golden effect successfully in a single leaf. Now, imagine thousands of these littering the forest floor, interspersed with other yellow and bronze leaves like maple and beech, and you will understand where this stunning golden light comes from. I’m so very pleased this little experiment turned out so well.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
2.0 sec, f/29.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“There is no mundane dimension really, if you have the eyes to see it, it is all transcendental.”
― Terence McKenna
The view from my back window yesterday afternoon, as the birds returned for a feed. I posted several images of other local birds in late December and the simple chickadees, who are frequent visitors, were omitted. I began questioning myself on that. Why was I ‘editing’ what I shared? Is the humble chickadee less worthy than the bright cardinal or more elusive nuthatch? Will the photo not impress and get more likes. Have I gotten to that point? I certainly hope not. I’ve always enjoyed seeing beauty in the mundane and sharing those moments; I don’t ever want to lose that gift, especially in these superficial times.
So, as I considered the image again, and looked at all the wonderful details in this ‘common’ bird, I found myself seeing it anew. The soft pastel orange of the belly feathers, the fine details in the delicate wings, and incredible details in and around the eyes, often missed because they move around so quickly.
The other thing that struck me, and inspired the title of the photo was the size of the seeds that the chickadee choose. He’d land, pick one, and then fly away with it, as another bird took his place. Never once did more than one bird occupy the dish. They waited, swooped in, took a seed, and departed, for the better part of the afternoon. Then, the cycle stopped and none returned, even though there was still food in the dish.
Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 300mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
West Doors of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Toronto, Canada
Another view of this downtown Toronto church. I posted a photo of the front doors last week. A habit I have been in for some time now is to walk around the structure. WHile the front doors are grand and beautiful, many historical buildings have very interesting side and back doors. They tend to be a bit more ‘distressed’ than their welcoming counterparts, but this also makes them very interesting.
I do find it interesting though, that alternate doors (sorry, unintentional humour here), are not very well maintained. Less maintained may be the more correct expression here, as they are not, generally, in total disrepair. This west facing door is of the exact same design as the front doors, yet stonework is cracked and the door quite faded. I’m sure much is driven by budget decisions but, for me, it says a lot about priorities. I’m sure at one point, all the doors were equally important. After all, a lot of work went into the stunning stonework which frames the door itself. It just seems less important now. Just an impression.
“Sharing tales of those we’ve lost is how we keep from really losing them.”
― Mitch Albom
One of the treasures my father left me is this beautiful chess set. As a child I used to look at them closely, admiring the fine details of this cast iron, the white players nickel plated and the black being copper plated, chess set.
I have no idea where he got them, only that he brought the set with him from Germany when he immigrated. In my imagination, they came from some old castle or a grand house where nobles used to play with them. An unlikely source, but part of the childhood memory.
Given the marvelous details, I thought they might make a nice subject to document with a photo. It’s also a chance to play with macros settings and lighting some more.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro @90mm
1.0 sec, f/29.0, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Ice contains no future , just the past, sealed away. As if they’re alive, everything in the world is sealed up inside, clear and distinct. Ice can preserve all kinds of things that way- cleanly, clearly. That’s the essence of ice, the role it plays.”
― Haruki Murakami
The image I chose for today was made a few days ago, as I hiked through a local conservation area. I came across a log which was coated with a thick layer of ice. The temperature was just above freezing, which caused a thin film of water to form on the ice. What really interested me was looking at the ice itself and being able to see the individual ice crystals, each a miniature lens to view the wood beneath the ice.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/50 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“Everyday gratitude sweetens what appears flavorless and brightens all that appears dim.”
― Amy Leigh Mercree
The floral photography adventure continues. As I keep making these images, I’m trying a few different techniques. In this instance, the blossoms were at the end of a long stalk. Including the stalk lengthwise made the photo, and the plant itself look awkward. So, I spun the plant around and photographed it end-on.
A further challenge with this angle was trying to show the entire flower in focus and bright while allowing the light to gradually fall off, so that the blossom appears to be coming from the darkness. The challenge here is that the blossoms are very bright and the leaves quite dark. I’m also getting used to a newly acquired macro lense, which gives me far more aperture flexibility than my previous extension tube setup.
To get the entire blossom in focus, as well as most of the leaves required a very narrow aperture of f/29, but since I had abundant light, I was able to keep the shutter speed a bit faster at 1/4 sec. Still learning, but enjoying the journey.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.4 sec, f/29.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Time leaches the colors from the best of visions. The world becomes grayer. Entropy beats us down. Everything fades. Everything goes. Everything dies.”
― Robert Silverberg
Back outdoors again, in the midst of a January thaw, too much of a thaw, actually. As I set out on the trails, expecting ice, which I was prepared for, I was faced with deep, slushy, wet snow, tough to walk in and impossible to grip, even with my ice cleats. It made for a fairly exhausting hike, but I was determined to complete my usual five kilometer loop today and make some photos along the way, if they offered themselves.
The day started out moody, dull, and foggy, which inspired me to get out to photograph for of this atmosphere, but by the time I drove to my destination, the fog had dissipated, so I proceeded to hike.
Mild temperatures and showers over the past few days had knocked many of the last remaining leaves to the ground and they rested on the grainy, wet snow. An interesting effect of the moisture and changing temperatures was that many of them seemed very ‘thin’, diaphanous, as they littered the snowy forest floor, slowly decaying. The snow itself was not a pure white either, rather, spotted with particles of dirt and dust which had accumulated so far this winter. I would have prefered a pure white background, but the spots enhance the image a bit by showing through the leaf.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”
― Octavia E. Butler
This is where it all started, my work with black backgrounds, and it has taken me till now to finally photograph these wheat stalks.
I had envisioned doing this several months ago. I went out and purchased the black velvet I use for the background, stopped in a local field to pick a few stems of ripe wheat, set up my lights and made some photos, and was hugely disappointed.
So, the wheat got placed in a vase and I started photographing flowers, with much more pleasing results, and the wheat remained in the vase, till today.
Perhaps I have built more confidence in my skill at producing these images or perhaps it’s my recent acquisition of a 90mm macro lense that has given me better control over my depth of field than I have using my extender rings. In any case, it’s still not exactly as I wanted it, but I’m pleased enough with the outcome. After all, this idea of photographing last year’s wheat has opened up a style of photography that I would not have considered, had it not been for the initial failures.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro @90mm
0.4 sec, f/29.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
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or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy”
― Isaac Newton
A very simple subject today, a single carnation blossom. I’ve actually avoided photographing it as I felt I could not bring out the texture of the ruffled blossom. But, in the right light and with a bit of patience, I was able to produce an image that I was pleased with.
This is what I would classify as a mid-range macro shot. Really a 1:1, since it filled the viewfinder frame as I saw it. Getting any closer would have, in my opinion, taken away from the image. I’m still learning the finer touches of macro photography, but good composition is a key element for my in all my images, large or small. Hopefully, this one is pleasing to you as well?
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
0.5 sec, f/25.0, ISO 200
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
This week’s submission to Norm 2.0‘s Thursday Doors.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world.
Front doors of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Toronto, Canada
I still find it odd, having lived just outside of Toronto most of my life, in Scarborough as a youngster, and just north of the city as an adult, that I have not fully explored the marvelous architecture (what remains of it) of Toronto more fully. I say, “what remains of it.” because, for an extended period, from the 60’s to 80’s ,Toronto had a policy of “Urban Renewal”, during which time, many wonderful historical buildings were torn down to make way for more modern buildings, and parking lots (because the people working in these buildings would have to park their somewhere). Back in the day, the car was the transport of choice. My how the city has changed on that front, for the better, though there is still an excess of cars, do to the poor rural/urban transit infrastructure. I could write at length on that evolution.
But, in honour of brevity, I’ll include a Google Streetview link, as I often do, so you can witness firsthand the extreme contrast between this grand old place of worship and the surrounding world of glass and steel.
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein
There’s a lot going on in the world these days. Most news seems bad and you can wonder where it’s all going. Yet, within the doom and gloom that the mainstream media feeds us, there is always brightness. Days march on, the cycle of nature continues. I find myself musing on some of my images and why I made them as well as why I have held off on others.
The image above is one of those that I considered for a while before proceeding. A bouquet that I have recently disassembled and photograph contained many wonderful flowers, my ‘go to’ flowers, the ones that are, on first sight stunning. I find myself favouring those and yet, the small stem of yellow chrysanthemums was neglected. The blossoms on this stem were a bit irregular, some unopened, and the bright yellow petals were a challenge to photograph without losing detail.
So, I found myself considering all my whys and excuses for not photographing them and could not come up with a solid reason other than they did not quite measure up to what I envisioned or wanted to share. So why not, why not put them in front of the lens and see what I can make of them? Which I did and the result is above. It’s not a large detailed blossom with lots of layers and colours, yet the more I look at it, even through my personal lens of how it ‘should’ look, it’s still beautiful.
Then I go back to thinking of our world, with all its imperfections, again, through my experiential lense and I see so much beauty within the turmoil and find myself hopeful that like the chrysanthemum, it will surprise me.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
2.0 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“All your father ever dreamed of for you was to do something you loved in life. He didn’t care about fancy qualifications or fancy clothes or cars, just that you were both happy and fulfilled. He was so excited about your dreams for a career.”
― Hazel Gaynor
For Andrea, on her Birthday
One of the many joys of photography is the ability to create a gift that can be shared over the miles. In this case, a small bouquet for my youngest daughter who is away at College for her birthday.
Though I will see her this weekend, I wanted to create something for her today. One dilemma I faced today was the arrival of an ice storm in may region which severely limited my ability to get out for new flowers. So, I recycled my previous bouquet, found a suitable stem of Gerbera Daisies, and made this image. A birthday gift, over the miles. With all my love.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 200 mm
2.0 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
Here’s my contribution for this week’s Tuesdays of Texture over at de monte y mar.
Another image of a log, a part of my ongoing wood studies series, the log’s surface stripped bare by the elements, a light patina of moss forming on the smooth surface, as hemlock needles accumulate in a hollow. The blend of texture and colours make it appear, to me, like an abstract painting.
Nikon D300
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 82 mm
1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“Humans are pattern-seeking story-telling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns, whether they exist or not.”
― Michael Shermer
More precisely, the frozen edge of a local creek.
There is something special to me about ‘nature art’, the wonderful, visual creations formed by natural processes, like the patterns formed in the ice made by water freezing and retreating. Funny, as a child, I used to look for these and break them; it was fun to watch the fragile shell crack beneath winter boots in the school yard. Now, I find myself photographing them, admiring these wondrous creations.
Winter photography can also pose its challenges. In particular, the local trails have all iced up, making them treacherous, not only for me but for the equipment I take with me on the trails. A bad tumble could be costly. This year I got smart and bought myself ice cleats which has made a night and day difference getting around and I wonder why I had not done this in prior years?
So, despite the cold weather and lack of new snow, I’ll be heading out for a few short lunchtime hikes to take in the wonder nature has to show me.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 135 mm
1/13 sec, f/8.0, ISO 100
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.”
― Roy T. Bennett
Shine, it’s what they do, is it not? On another gray winter day, I enjoy being able to create these images and hopefully, brighten others’ days as well. Creating these studio images of flowers has become almost second nature to me. They are so enjoyable to make and then look at, long after the flowers have wilted and withered away, and I wonder why I had not done this before.
Then the answer comes. It was not till I got involved in a Cee Neuner photo challenge back in the summer that got me focused on “Isolation” that I had even considered doing this kind of work. Oh yes, I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but once I had figured it out, it be came easy to create these images both in the studio and in the outdoors. So, I hope you enjoy this bit of “Shine” in your day. A special thanks to Cee and my fellow photographers for the inspiration to try something new.
Nikon D800
Nikor 24-70mm f/3.5-4.6 @ @ 35 mm (with 20mm extension tube)
2.0 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
― Ansel Adams
Yes, I know, “What an original title”. Yet, I’m often stuck for a title and am loath to fall to such tactics as “Unnamed #314”. Every image I make leaves an impression on me, it is a small interpretation of who I am, my experiences, emotions, and how I see the world; by being a new creation, it further adds to that experience. I recall the moment when it was made, why I made it, how I interpreted and composed the image, and what my impressions were when I first compared what I saw with my eyes with what the camera interpreted it as.
Sometimes, the image title is obvious, sometimes I need to look at it a while, comparing various descriptions till it makes sense to me, fits into my world. Often, It’s just the name of what I have photographed, especially if it’s a place, or object that stands alone and does not have further layers of emotion tied to it. In those cases, it’s just an object, whereas in other cases, it’s an impression, a moment, the outcome of a thought, of myself.
This time, I saw a fist full of red flowers, Peruvian Lilies to be more precise. They represent another element of a bouquet I pulled apart so that I could photograph the individual flowers and enjoy their individual beauty, which can often be lost in a bouquet.
So, there you go, a short visit to my thought process, when it comes to naming my images and making art. It really is an extension of who I am
Nikon D800
Nikor 24-70mm f/3.5-4.6 @ @ 35 mm (with 20mm extension tube)
2.0 sec, f/25.0, ISO 100
Hi Resolution image on 500px
For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com
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Ed Lehming Photography 
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