Kat Eye Studio

Archives for January 2012

by

Unusual Weather

While some of you live in places where you get tired of the snow in winter, I don’t live in one of those places. In the Willamette Valley of Oregon we rarely get snow. It’s mostly rain, rain, rain.

But on Sunday morning, we woke up to snow on the ground and big, fat flakes falling. I could not miss this photo opportunity, so my son and I went out and put fresh tracks in the snow. In a short while the snow stopped and the sun came out as a break in the clouds moved through, creating some lovely photo opportunities, like the one below.

The snow came and went for a day or two and now we are back to rain. Serious rain. This is a good thing, since we have had a very dry winter so far. Dry and clear is nice for the humans here in the winter, but not so good for the land. I don’t mind the rain right now, it’s been a while and I like the sound of the rain outside while I’m safe and warm inside.

Somehow though, it’s not as exciting or as magical as waking up to the world covered with a quiet blanket of snow.

by

Getting Creative

This weekend I had the fun of getting creative with my camera. I took a “Creative Camera Techniques” class at Newspace Center for Photography in Portland. The class involved a lot of techniques for getting blurs and images that are more painterly and less literal. It was fun to get out of my comfort zone, and even more fun to go with a couple of new photography friends from my area. It’s so nice to have local photography friends!

Here are a few of my favorite images from the day…

Creating blur with long exposures.

Moving the camera during a long exposure created "shelves" of light.

Plastic over the lens creates neat effects.

Painting with light. A projected screen saver is behind, creating a silhouette.

Painting with light to create a silhouette.

By far, my favorite was the light painting. There were so many possibilities I could see for this technique, especially in the dark of winter. I left the class with an arsenal of new, fun techniques to explore. Most techniques I had read about before, but hadn’t tried. It was great to have the nudge to try something new. I’ve always been a big believer in play and experimentation as a tool for learning and creativity but have been too busy doing other things. The class reminded me how important it is to let go and just play!

How about you, have you been out playing with your camera lately?

by

Evidence of Love

It’s here! Today I’m sharing a new portfolio, Evidence of Love. I started this project early on in Italy, with this picture from Bergamo. When I took the photo, I didn’t see the heart, I was so focused on the texture and lines. The graffiti seemed to magically appear when I edited the photo later. From that moment on, I kept an eye out for graffiti hearts and other Evidence of Love. I looked for images that showed both the emotion and a sense of place.

Don't Tread on my Heart

The new portfolio is a compilation of these images, capturing Evidence of Love from around Italy and other places in Europe. It doesn’t seem to matter where you are, you will find these declarations of love hidden somewhere. Love is a universal emotion.

Penciled In

I wanted to release this portfolio in advance of Valentine’s Day, so that you can use them to express your love too. Let’s take Valentine’s Day beyond the “couple” holiday and express love to everyone in our lives we care for, including close family and dear friends. What better way to make a heart connection? The images are available in my RedBubble shop, where you can purchase greeting cards, postcards, prints or even a calendar. Love-ly inspiration for all year long!

Which one is your favorite? I’d love to know!

by

Weekend Away: Powered by Orange

Since orange became my power color while living in Italy, I love the idea of being “Powered by Orange.” Here in Corvallis, home of Oregon State University, much of the town sports these “Powered by Orange” signs in support of the university whose colors are orange and black. A fun discovery upon moving back here!

And I just noticed, another window image! They are popping up everywhere for me these days.

For “Weekend Away,” I take a little blogging break and share random photos captured in my travels.

by

Weekend Away: Stone Garden

Even though Dubrovnik, Croatia is a city of steps and stone, you find gardens springing up in all sorts of places, like this side “street” of steps leading to the top of the city. The light you find in narrow alleys, that filters down onto plants like this, is some of my favorite light for photographing.

For “Weekend Away,” I take a little blogging break and share random photos captured in my travels.

by

Exploring with a Camera: Windows

It’s no secret that one of my favorite subjects is windows. Since returning home from Italy, I’ve noticed that I gravitate toward images of windows as much or maybe more than before. Noticing this has caused me to look closer at how I use them, why they interest me so. For this installment of Exploring with a Camera, let’s dive in and see how and why windows are such an appealing subject.

Source of Light

Windows are important to our existence. The let in light and air, while protecting us from the elements. As photographers, windows are a fabulous source of light when we are indoors. Each window, each time of day will bring a different quality of light to our photos. How often have you captured something with your camera, because you saw it sitting next to a window, in the light?

But windows go well beyond a source of light, to become an integral part of the composition and subject of a photograph. The image below is a great example. The window is the source of light, illuminating the table, but also a critical design element balancing the composition and interacting with the other items in the frame to tell a whole story.

Design Elements

The shapes and lines of windows make them an amazing design element in our photographs. They are usually square or rectangle, and we can decide how we incorporate them inside the square or rectangle frame of our photograph.

In the image below, the shape of the window replicates the shape of the frame. The contrast in color of the window gives your eye a place to focus and rest, while taking in the texture and layers in the wall. I see the texture as the subject, but the window “grounds” the image, giving the texture something to hold on to.

The window in this image is mainly used as a design element. Not only the color contrast, but the shape provides a strong, ordered contrast with the curving and disordered elements of tree, sculpture fragment and uneven texture in the wall.

When you see windows as a shape or a design element, you can see interesting uses for them in your images. Windows become the perfect subject to explore the use of repeating shapes as a dominant element, as in this photograph from late night in Venice. The repeating pattern of the window through the frame provides a separation between the working gondolier at the right and the rest of the empty gondolas on the left. (Visit Exploring with a Camera: Repeating Patterns for more on using repeating patterns in your photos.)

In this photograph from Madrid, repeating shapes plus the point of view reveal the use of windows as a design element to create lines. The strong linear perspective is completely created by the lines of the windows. (See Exploring with a Camera: Linear Perspective for more.)

Backdrops, Frames and Shelves

I find my use of windows in my photographs goes way beyond simple design elements. Windows are an integral part of many of my photographs, interacting with the subject as backdrops, frames and shelves. In the photo shared at the top of this post, the window serves as a shelf that holds the main subject – the colorful flower pots. In addition, the window frames the subject, creating separation from the contrasting space, texture and color around the pots.

Here is another example of a window used as a shelf, to hold the cupcakes. You can’t see the whole window, but you can feel it is there. A second window becomes a backdrop and frame for the person inside the building.

The window in this image serves as a frame for my son, looking out at the world.

In this self-portrait, the window is a backdrop for me. The framing and brightness provided by the window brings your eye to where I am sitting first, making me the focal point.

Reflections

Since windows are usually made of glass, they provide an excellent source of reflections. My recent favorite photo of the window in Ashland is an example of using the window as a source of reflection, but the window also serves to frame and bound the reflection within the image.

Window reflections can also create complex interactions within the photographic frame. They can reveal things that are not visible otherwise; the reflections create layered images by showing both what is reflected in the window along with what is seen through the window. The window reflection in this image shows a slightly different perspective of my sons face, while also layering it with what is outside and providing a frame.

You can find more on using windows as a source of reflections in Exploring with a Camera: Reflections in Glass.

Psychological Barriers

Windows can have powerful emotional impact in our photos, by creating a strong feeling of being on the inside looking out, or on the outside looking in. There can be a sense of separateness, longing, mystery or even protection created by windows in our photos. They are a useful storytelling element, both to express our own feelings and to draw the viewer in. This image below captures a story. It makes me wonder who lives on the other side of that window, with the colorful pots.

In this image, I am both literally and figuratively on the outside. I want to experience the warmth and companionship felt through the window, not just the warmth of the lone candle that is immediately accessible outside.

Does Stevie the cat long to be part of the outdoors or is he protected from the dangers of the outdoors by the window? You can decide. Either way, the window provides a boundary to explore, along with providing a frame for Stevie to sit within and light to the image.

By writing this post I may have discovered why windows show up in my photographs so much… there are so many different ways to use them! Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve discovered, just by doing my own image review:

  • Windows are a fantastic source of natural light, when indoors.
  • Windows are the perfect design element to explore shape, line and repetition.
  • Windows can serve as backdrop, frame and shelf, interacting with your subject in interesting ways.
  • The glass in windows creates complex layers through reflections.
  • Windows are a storytelling element, creating psychological barriers that can evoke strong emotion.

To view more of my window images, you can visit this set on Flickr.

What other uses of windows do you have? How do they show up in your photos? Share with us! The link up will remain open for two weeks. I look forward to seeing your interpretations of one of my favorite subjects!


Upcoming Events