Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Bringing It Forward

Whatever It Is



Halloween is less than a week away, but I am prepared with the same decorations as last year, (all three of them). I have the jack o’ lantern, the all purpose crow, and a ceramic ghostly-pumpkin-snowman, (not shown here).



I stuck the bird on my straw hat for an event here at the Treehouse where people were wearing whimsical hats. Like the time my friend, Jan Collins, stuck a fake canary in her hairdo in 1978 when we went to dine at a fancy restaurant, many people never noticed the crow, at first. I suspect some never did.

Good Pictures



Sometimes, if I am lucky, the light, color, shadow, and other circumstances, all meet at the very moment I press the shutter, ( I wonder why it isn’t called an ‘opener’ since the device, ‘opens’, to let in the light ), and somehow the result is stunningly expressive and vibrant, ( like the pink rose above ). Pictures like that, require very little editing, if any.




The picture of the bee, (above), gorging on nectar was one that benefited from some post production to show nectar dripping from it’s proboscis as it was rising from the honey colored rose.

Food Foto



I wondered how I could express the spicy curry flavor of this lamb vindaloo I had for dinner a couple of nights ago. I tried an effect called burnt edges that seems to do the trick.

Most Colorful Hat



Dorothy, the lady who’s garden produces many of the flowers I photograph, won the ‘most colorful’ hat at the Treehouse Mad Hatter party today. She asked me to take a picture of her and her hat to send to her kids. I did.

I found a new application that is designed to add the effect of a speeding car, or action sports photo enhancement, but I found that by adjusting it a little differently, I can get other types of images to state their messages with impact.




Dorothy’s hat and this LMP Trio rehearsal picture make a clear statement with the specific areas of focus that become possible with the motion focus application. What a great time to have the opportunity to do photography.

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;
(This was filmed with a couple of the new iPhone 4s smart phones)




Illumination

Sunday, October 23, 2011

In The Pink

Thursday



I know I am a little tardy with Thursday’s post, however I will attempt to bring my thoughts and imagery back together soon. In the meantime, there are a few items that are rattling around in my head that I would like to share with you.



Friday, I drove to the bay area to shoot some video, and to play music with Marian and Leona.

The video is of Huey White doing his Swami Salami magic and ventriloquist show at the Pinole Senior Village. Marian was invited to be part of the act, and she also agreed to be my extra camera person. Thank you Marian.



I checked out the footage from the three cameras, and the separate sound recordings when I got back Saturday afternoon. It all looks and sounds pretty good. Now I just have to cut it up into little pieces and reassemble the best parts into a dazzling promotional DVD.

The LMP Trio



Marian’s neighbor and long time friend, Jim, took some pictures of the LMP Trio as we played a few tunes Saturday morning. Thank you Jim.

The music was uplifting and empowering, as always when Leona, Marian, and I get together with some wonderfully written songs.



The LMP Trio will be playing in Piedmont on the 31st. I shall be driving down again next Sunday.

It’s actually a pleasant trip, and most of the ride is a form of meditation to me. The only distractions are the occasional, but usually brief, encounters with some drivers who have a deficiency in spacial relationships and comparative velocities as pertains to sharing a highway with other moving objects.

I suspect those drivers are the same people who have difficulty to sharing the planet with other life forms. I consider ways and means to enlighten them in passing, but soon the puzzle fades away in my rear view mirror, the music in my head fills my consciousness, and I regain a meditative state of harmony. Thus, I find the drive to be very refreshing.

The Phil Seymour Band


The Phil Seymour Band - (Photo -  Al Labelle)

I received copies of pictures that were taken by Al Labelle during the October 6 party at Redding Fitness. I like the pictures. The band looks good.

The Phil Seymour Band plays again on November 5th for a Shasta Blues Society event.

And, speaking of fitness;

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;




Pedal Pushers

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Sometimes Amazing

Always Delightful



This big beautiful pink rose appeared on another one of the scrawny little driveway rose bushes. Not only is this rose exquisitely, stunningly gorgeous, but it is nearly as large as the bush it is growing on.



As if the blooming rose isn’t enough to delight, it has some more on the way. The deep, rich color and shape of this bud promises to deliver a treat to the senses in as soon as a day or two.



The other side of the driveway has become active again, and what fascinating shapes I found when I looked closely.



I couldn’t begin to tell you what these things are called, but they keep developing and changing shape over time.



All I know is some of these flowers sure get my attention and tickle my imagination.

I took these pictures on Saturday afternoon when I returned from the Occupy Redding demonstration. For the background with these images, I used the flip side of my Greed is a type of Insanity sign from the event.

The demonstration is one in a series that will continue for years if necessary until there is some sort of social justice, ecological conservation, consequences for the greedy instead of poverty for those they exploit, and a return to democracy in the United States.

I wrote a little about the rally and included a few pictures. If you would like to see how the demonstration went, you can go there, HERE.

When I got home, I needed something to take my attention away from my back, so I washed and cut the strawberries I got on sale from Raleys.



I put the strawberries over ice cream, added some sliced banana and some whipped cream. It provided the perfect temporary relief I was seeking. The simple pleasures of life can be a treat.

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;

http://bcove.me/jj86yv0t


I Hope This Works

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Ever Unfolding

Always Enlightening



Is a misunderstanding simply a result of an information deficit?



If a sociopath cant feel right and wrong, would reading about it help them to understand what compassion feels like?



I guess I am reacting to the brutish lack of concern for others that seems to be a character trait of the current batch of republicans, (and a few democrats), in the state and federal legislatures.



I am astonished that the republicans can’t come up with a qualified presidential candidate. Is it because an intelligent, dignified, statesman isn’t willing to sell his soul to the party’s corporate owners?



Fall is beginning to show it’s presence in the changing of a few leaves and a couple of degrees cooler nights here in Redding.

I got a Facebook message from a DJ in Jackson, Mississippi who said the streets there are covered with ice.

I also got a Facebook message from Occupy Redding, reminding me to show up around noon at the Chase bank on Cypress, tomorrow.



I will be joining some other people who have absorbed enough information to comprehend that the present course of our financial institutions is eroding the very foundations on which our country grew to become a great democracy.

I like to think that if enough of us, in towns and cities across America, stand together and demand that our President do what we elected him to do, we might put a stop to the corporate takeover of our government.



So I will mill about in front of the Chase bank, with the others who feel the need to stand for what they feel is right, (or stand against what they feel is wrong).

I printed up a homemade sign to carry with my message;




Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;





Love Is Divine

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Pretty As A Picture

Imagine That



The plan was to take a sequence of still pictures of the moon rising above Lassen Park and stick them together to make a moonrise video. It turned out nice, even if not according to plan. Spontaneity seems to present me with wonderful results.



I set the camera on a tripod on the trunk of the Buick that I parked by the Treehouse dumpster, so as to get the ideal angle for the moonrise. I took many pictures as I waited, and waited. Just on a whim, I looked around the tree that framed the left of the picture of Lassen Park and saw that the moon had already risen behind the tree.



Earlier in the afternoon, I walked around behind ‘A’ building and took a few dozen pictures of flowers and vegetables, including the tomatillo pictured above.



There were a lot of little fuzzy butterflies that let me get some really fun closeups.



It seemed like an all around, mighty fine day to me. I got a chance to mix a couple of the songs from the band playing at the Redding Fitness event last Thursday. This was a good thing because I had pictures from the arboretum Saturday, that were waiting for my song, It Had 2 B U. The song and slide show are;

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;




Growing

What A Place

What A Moon



It was a perfect evening for the International Observing The Moon Day/Night. The pale gibbous moon rose into the blue sky above snow dusted Mt Lassen right on time. I, on the other hand, was a few minutes late and couldn’t convince the moon to go back down to just above the mountaintop. I will just have to be more alert tomorrow.



Of course, if all else fails, I can make an image of the moon rising anywhere, anytime, but I do like to get the natural photo every now and then.

Shasta Saturday Eve



One of the many enjoyable ways to spend the Columbus Day weekend is floating on a houseboat, spending the days roaming the lake and the nights at anchor in one of the many ‘private’ coves.



For me, this area is a photographers dream. The moods of the mountains and lakes are constantly changing from minute to minute as well as day to day. I can take pictures of clouds on a mountain, come home and load the pictures onto the computer, go back outside, and the clouds will have disappeared.



Then there are the digital photo editing programs too fool around with, too.

The Arboretum



I went to the Sundial Bridge the back way, through the McConnel Arboretum, on my way to the Occupy Redding gathering. The event was scheduled to occur from noon to 4p. I didn’t head over there until around 3:00.



This was my first visit to the Arboretum It was so fascinating and photogenic that I just wandered around taking pictures of the flowers, ponds, trees, and immersing myself in various groupings of trees, plants and shady atmospheres.



By the time I  got to the rally, it was pretty much over. There was a guy just holding his guitar, and a handful of people talking amongst themselves, sharing their points of view.
 


I pointed my view back into the wonderful world of plant filled serenity that I felt in the arboretum. They have a plant sale there this weekend. I may return and see if there is a plant that wants to come home with me.



Occupy Redding has another event scheduled for next weekend at Chase Bank. I noticed on Facebook that I know a few of the people who will be going. This may turn out to be a powerful statement to our elected officials, as well as to the 1% who would choose profits over the health and welfare of the American people.



There be goldfish in these waters. I have some closeups of the fish, and a whole lot more pictures to show you in a slide show of the arboretum, but I didn’t get the music mixed to my satisfaction, so I will have to use another photographers beautiful stop motion flower video. It is really wonderful, magical, and beautifully composed imagery from halfway around the world.

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;




So Much Beauty

Friday, October 7, 2011

Mooning Saturday

All Over The World



Really. You can join with people all over the world who will be looking at the moon, on Observe The Moon Night.

Keeping Up To Date



I have accumulated many ‘keeper’ images over the past couple of days. If I don’t write a blog post, the pictures that I have prepared for this blog just sit on the desktop until I either throw them in the trash because I have new ones for the topics, or I put them on here whether they support the words or not.



The rainstorms that fell on Redding earlier in the week, brought snow to the mountains. I took pictures between storms, (above), and today, (below), after the storms.






Of Course, There Are Flower Pix








Bridge Views



I went down to the Sundial Bridge this afternoon and walked halfway across the bridge and back to find out if I might be physically capable of walking all the way across, (and back). An ‘Occupy Redding’ demonstration starts on the other side of the bridge tomorrow at noon, and I hope to be able to participate.



It’s just one of thousands of events across the country that have grown out of the Occupy Wall Street protests.




Shasta Snow



Mt Shasta didn’t fully clear the clouds today, but one could see that it got a nice dusting of snow from the recent storms.

Today’s Relatively Appropriate Song;




Spacious Skies