Home

Photography Workshop Update 2

The thing about really creative and inspiring workshops (retreats) is that you come home full of excitement but are completely unable to relate the full impact of the event to others. This is the case in trying to tell you about this week-long workshop. Please accept my word that I was inspired, encouraged, and reaffirmed. Regardless of how my photos turned out, my improved creative spirit was worth going and learning from these two amazing men.

On the second day of the workshop André took our half of the group into the nearby Fundy National Park. We stopped at a waterfall, a stand of fading trees, and a bluff overlooking the Bay of Fundy. We were encouraged to carefully compose our shots and try to utilize the techniques we were learning. Here are a few results from my second day of the Freeman Patterson and André Gallant workshop in St. Martins, New Brunswick.

At the falls I composed this simple photo of a twig of turning leaves. The photo with the steps was composed as a wide angle shot leading the viewer to my classmates on the viewing platform.

I was in the process of doing double exposures and I accidently took the photo of the falls flowing onto the deck. It's not a great photo, but the angle of the water and the angle of the deck boards created a really interesting effect, so I decided you might like to see it.

The last photo I'm sharing from this location is an abstraction of the falls.

The final three photos here are shots of trees along the road. There is panning and multiple exposure on the first two.

The last one is a particular favorite because it is only a hint of what it was originally. It has the feeling of trees on a bank reflected into ice or water, but was not the case. I'm just sayin'...

3 comments

Photography Workshop Update

I'm HOME! My week was amazing and while I wish I could have blogged everyday, there were two major obstacles that prevented it. First, there was no internet in my room and so that was a challenge. The other, and more important reason, is that the workshop kept me so occupied and inspired that I simply couldn't stop to post. However, I'd still like to share the event with you so I will put together a delayed series of blogs to give you the full idea.

In the afternoon of Day 1, Andre Gallant taught us to do a technique called "panning." The objective is to move the camera while the shutter is briefly open to get impressionistic effects. Here are some examples of my first efforts at doing panning. The first photo is of a stand of sunflowers. My evaluation of this photo is that the composition is fine (two strong rectangles). However, the panning doesn't give any real impact the the sunflowers.

Here are a couple of photos that I really love of ferns. You can tell the difference in the effect. I like both but the more blurred one is appealing to me because the ferns remind me of fossils.

The photo of the sea gull was captured by following the bird in flight. I really like the woven texture created in the background.

Below are a few more photos I took late in the afternoon of our first day. I was getting my feet wet with new techniques. Keep in mind, these photos are intended to be artistic expressions and not documentary photos. In other words, they are blurred on purpose... I'm just sayin'...

2 comments

New Brunswick - Day One

Today was the first day of the Freeman Patterson/Andre Gallant workshop in New Brunswick. Yesterday afternoon I found an opportunity to take some photos. Here's a sample from the pre-workshop afternoon.

Then, our first assignment this morning was to set the tripod in one spot and take as many compositions we could in a 2 hour period. Here's the ones I'm olkay with showing. It was a challenging exercise. I was positioned between two cars.

The two images above are for evaluation at the workshop.
The following photo is what I think to be the best of the day. It's all a reflection on the hood of an automobile.

I was taking a lot of photos - thinking I was doing pretty well. But I discovered differently.... I'm just sayin'...

4 comments

Brits and New Brunswick

I'm writing to you today from St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada. I'll explain why I'm here in a moment.

This week I had the great pleasure of presenting one of my two-day seminars to a group of nearly 40 British quilters who are touring the Southwest USA. They started in Sante Fe and proceeded to the four corners area of Colorado. Then they arrived in our neck of the woods for the seminar. I've never done anything like this in La Veta, but thankfully we have our small theater (Francisco Center for the Performing Arts) where we could accommodate them. It worked so well that I'm thinking about doing this once a year. I'll keep you posted.

The tour group is headed by P and Q Tours. P and Q is a British quilting magazine - British Patchwork and Quilting. Judi Mendelssohn, one of the editors of the magazine, was the leader of this tour and it's always a great when I get to visit with Judi. Thanks ladies for the fantastic two days!

The event ended with a dinner at the La Veta Inn and I made it home about 8:30pm just in time to pack to leave early - early meaning the alarm went off at 2:45am so I could make my 6am flight!

Where was I going? Well, here... New Brunswick, Canada! I'm here to be a student for a week. I'm taking a photography workshop from Freeman Patterson and André Gallant. The event doesn't start until this evening, but I had to arrive a day early because I couldn't get a later flight and arrive on time tonight for the opening event of the workshop. That's really not so bad because it has provided me with a leisurely/restful day before the workshop starts. I've already been out this morning taking photos.

For me, photography is a great way to compose quickly. This relates to my quilting in the fact that in both cases I'm thinking like an artist. Of course my goal is to follow the principles of design to make good art, but I also want to be a better photographer and improve my knowledge of what the camera can do for me. I've wanted to be a student for many years, and this is the first opportunity I have taken in over 20 years to be a student. So, I'm being a student! Yay!

Below are photos I took this morning (prior to the workshop) on the grounds of St. Martins Country Inn where I'm staying. Follow along this week to see if you can tell if I'm making any progress.

I hope I'll make a good grade... I'm just sayin'...

4 comments

Home Sweet Home - Kinky Turtle

I'm home! - but not for long! Big shouts and whoo-hoos to everyone I saw in Australia and those who were so involved in making the trip happen, both in Australia and here at home.

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE my iPad? Well, I do! I have a painting app on it called Inspire Pro. I used it to create my very own Aboriginal inspired painting. Check it out!

After posting on Facebook, I promised an explanation of the "Kinky Turtle" phrase. Years ago a friend who knew her way to a destination in NYC was told by her sister to "Lead On!' My friend mumbled "O King Eternal". There's a hymn, Lead On O King Eternal. Anyway, the sister thought she said Kinky Turtle - so, ever since then, the Kinky Turtle is the one in charge - whatever it is - such as navigating, choosing a restaurant, planning a trip, organizing a quilt show, etc. Raise your hand if you get to be the Kinky Turtle sometimes.

Michelle Pierson (third from left) had these t-shirts made for us (Justin, Helen Godden, and myself) that say "Be the Kinky Turtle." She was most definitely the Kinky Turtle of my event in Perth.

It's always crazy coming home after being away. Of course there are tons of things to catch up on, but in this case we are sailing in gale force winds preparing for the arrival of 40 British quilters who are coming to La Veta as part of their Southwestern Tour. Thursday and Friday I'll be giving my two-day seminar to our friends from across the pond.

Major thanks to Bernina in Australia (Otto and Penny too!) for sponsoring my performance at the Gala Dinner during the Australian Machine Quilting Festival. Tracey Browning and Sharon Parkinson (festival organizers) have a great thing going for machine quilters down under. Whoo-hoo!

On Saturday, I fly to New Brunswick, Canada to take a phototograpy workshop. I've wanted to sit in the student's chair and this is my chance. The workshop will be six days and I hope to learn a lot about photography - a hobby I really enjoy.

I think you'll agree - I need to stay a bit busier. No more lazing around - I'm just sayin'...