photomaniacanada

Views of a Daylily

Posted by Ellie

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Next time you're in a garden, try a little experiment. Walk all around a flower such as this daylily. Look at it closely from every angle and see how the curve of every petal, each stamen, the pistil are all set just so one folding into another, rising out of the whole. See how the colours subtly blend, from the secret, deep almost hidden centre to the airy light softness that reaches out of the protective cup into the bright sun. How this colour is perfectly complemented by the leaves, the stem and buds. Nothing looks awkward or out of place. Nothing jars or shocks the senses. How much more beautiful can it be?

Then blend all of those views into this image of a daylily.

My posts are all on my blog: https://www.elliekennard.ca .

#hqspflowers +HQSP Flowers curated by +Melania Pierce +Kanlaya Chungsangornpornsuk +Wayne Lu +Iva Pas +kaatje jansen
#hqspphotoart +HQSP Photo Art curated by +Paul Howard +Anja Wessels
#bellesphotos +Belles photos by +Jean-Louis LAURENCE +Claudya Bonnet
and for #PhotoManiaCanada curated by my friends +Giselle Savoie +Mark HELM
#floralfriday +FloralFriday by +Tamara Pruessner +Beth Akerman +Kiki Nelson +Eustace James

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Paeony and Fly

Posted by Ellie

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Sharp Focus on Blur : 7

Plus Post Week 7 Blurs and Unsharp Photography:

Toys 'R Us

This is a mentorship all about having fun (the title includes the words 'Guided Play' after all). So we have been pushing ourselves to have more and more fun every week. The pushing happens when we step outside of our comfort zone and try new techniques or experiment with the ones we already know. This week, though, the word 'play' took on a whole new meaning as we were guided to a box full of toys – and not virtual ones, either! We were told by our fearless leader Alex to go out and have non stop fun with the toy box contents. I am not going to let you in on the secret of what was in that box (don't want to spoil the surprise for you if you get accepted to a blur mentorship in the future, as I hope you do) but I can tell you that it didn't involve spending any money! And the best part? We now have those toys and more and can carry on playing for as long as we want! What a great gift we have been given.

This was the penultimate week, we are almost at the finishing starting line. Starting because we have been prepared to go out and continue to develop and grow and, yes, play with everything we have learned. But more about that next time.

Thanks to all in the mentorship – +Alex Lapidus and assisting alumni and other students alike. All have been a terrific inspiration, help and encouragement to me. And of course to the +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers that make all this possible, as a free program.

This is all passing so quickly, but now that the toy box has been opened, with so much overflowing, it can never be closed again! I am having too much fun playing to want to stop.

Are you not able to comment on Google+ because you don't belong? Would you prefer to comment on my blog? It's right here with all my G+ posts on it: https://www.elliekennard.ca .

For these active and responsive themes (thanks for the support given by their curators).
#hqspflowers +HQSP Flowers curated by +Melania Pierce +Kanlaya Chungsangornpornsuk +Wayne Lu +Iva Pas +kaatje jansen

#bellesphotos +Belles photos by +Jean-Louis LAURENCE +Claudya Bonnet

#PhotoManiaCanada by +Giselle Savoie +Mark HELM

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The Essence of Rhododendron

Posted by Ellie
Essence of rhododendron

Sharp Focus on Blur : 4

Plus Post Week 4 Blurs and Unsharp Photography: Guided Play 2015 by +Alex Lapidus

This week was one of the most creative ones that I have enjoyed for a really long time. From the initial lesson post by our mentor Alex, through the additional material shared by alumni and fellow classmates, it was an exciting period of learning, trying, testing and discovery as I felt myself pushing the envelope of my own personal vision. In this image I used a multiple exposure technique that did not involve any work in Photoshop, but was done in camera. I decided to photograph all around this single rhododendron bloom to show every aspect of the unfolding beauty. I took many like this, finally getting one that I felt really captured the essence of the flower. I liked how the technique darkened down the distraction of the green leaves in the background, showing still the fine details of the marking on the petals and the definition of the opening buds.

Without the mentorship experience, I might well eventually have discovered the fun and creative potential in this and the other techniques that I have learned. But maybe not. I tend to be a bit stuck in my tried and familiar methods, so this environment has really helped me to blossom and show me more sides to my own creativity.

If you ever have a chance to join one of these mentorships, do not pass it up. You will not believe how much you will grow as a photographer from the experience.

With special thanks to my fellow students as they continue to inspire me and to the +G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers with +Robin Griggs Wood +Ron Clifford and Alex Lapidus (again) who with their wonderful program of free mentorships make all this possible.

Are you not able to comment on Google+ because you don’t belong? Would you prefer to comment on my blog? It’s right here with all my G+ posts on it: https://www.elliekennard.ca .
#multipleexposure #nophotoshop

#hqspflowers +HQSP Flowers curated by +Melania Pierce +Kanlaya Chungsangornpornsuk +Wayne Lu +Iva Pas +kaatje jansen
#PhotoManiaCanada by +Giselle Savoie +Mark HELM

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Where to Put it All?: 'Snowva Scotia is closed until Further Notice

Posted by Ellie
A very snowy scene of high snow banks on the left, thick snow in the dip between and a high bank beginning to be built on the right side. A green tractor, looking very small is in lowest part, still on top of snow, with a bucket pushing snow up to the right snow bank. The left snowbank is about 4 times the height of the tractor with the man sitting on it. There are large trees to left and right.

So now we don’t have anywhere else to put the snow, except to start filling up the parking area by the studio. But this was from yesterday’s storm. What to do with what is expected on Saturday and into Sunday? There are more severe weather warnings.

Bus service is suspended in Halifax until further notice. There is a parking ban in place so, if there is no bus and you can’t park, I guess everything will stay closed. I was advised by a recorded telephone message just now that fuel delivery in our area is being restricted to emergency locations, such as hospitals. So the empty propane tanks in the workshop will remain empty.

On another note, Future Shop is to close in New Minas permanently tomorrow night. If a store closes but there is no one there to notice as it was closed due to the weather anyway, does it still count as a closing down?

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