I don’t typically post multiple times a day, but this is important. Today on the way home I saw it. It was there in the woods waiting for me…
The first of many…
Today the first dogwood made it’s appearance in the woods. Spring is officially here.
Carry on.
You know the song.
Since Thanksgiving you’ve heard it a hundred times. Listening to the lyrics it’s not explicitly about Christmas, but it is from a movie we watch during the holidays. The list in the song is not my list. I’m not big on whiskers – I prefer the rest of the kitten. I don’t think I need mittens when using a kettle – it’s all a bit disjointed. Lyrically it’s genius – in practical use it’s not my cup of tea.
So what would my list be? I decided for my 100th post to share the list of things that inspire me behind the lens.
Raindrops on…
Anything.
Naked Lady in the rain.
You can see my house inverted in this raindrop.
A newly opened dogwood drenched in the rain.
Lilac buds shining after a shower.
I love redbuds – the first color of spring.
I’m not so much into bright copper kettles, but I am fascinated with…
Rust.
This is the rust and patina on my copper fire pit.
This hay rake was in my woods when I bought the house – every surface is beautifully rusted.
This padlock was on the jail in Midas Nevada. The lock spoke to me more than the shack it was attached to.
I don’t even know what schnitzel is – it sounds odd to me. I know it’s odd to love…
Dandelions.
I like the delicate structure and I like to find a way to look at them in new ways.
The structure of the actual flower is pretty amazing even before it goes to seed.
The substructure is so intricate. I shot this with a manual macro lens from the 70s.
I grew up in the desert so the idea of sleigh bells is foreign to me, but door bells make me think of home. I have a strong bent towards…
Sentiment and Kitsch.
I love kitsch and I love it unusual places. I have had lawn flamingoes in the front lawn of every home I have ever owned.
These are my Grandpa’s keys. I love shooting things that belonged to someone special.
My Grandma taught me about purple glass, I love to shoot things that are transparent and have color.
My great-grandfather carved this out of a peach pit. I love the surfaces of handmade things like this.
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes. I like snow, but not so much for its photographic opportunities. I prefer…
Spring Flowers
Crocus – the first color on the ground, often before the grass starts to green up.
Cherry Blossoms opening skyward captivate me.
Daffodils have amazing color before we even notice them.
Lilacs open as the sun hits them – here for too brief a time.
Hyacinths – My garden fairy planted a few of these a couple of years ago in a spot were there was once a cistern. I love them.
Cream colored ponies and dogs biting. I’m not too far off here. I love the company of…
Dogs.
Sunshine is my Goldendoodle. He’s a lovely goofball and is a bit camera-shy, I like to catch him when he is unaware of me.
These are my brother’s pointers – I shot this one Christmas when Vegas had a rare snow. I loved the sheer joy the pups exuded as they ran in the frosted desert.
These are my two female terriers. They hate each other’s guts unless they are sleeping – they are precious when they sleep.
This is a pup I met on a trip – I love that he was interested in my camera. Curiosity is a favorite thing to capture in an animal.
Zipper was my first Kayak dog – he was so relaxed on the water.
Brown paper packages, blue satin sashes, silver white winters – there’s a lot of color in this song. I love color and am drawn to vivid colors. One color draws me more than all the others.
I shoot anything that is…
Orange.
The color of this car drew me to it – hundreds of cars and this was my favorite.
I’m pretty sure I chose this hard drive for that orange bumper.
In the shop where I work I see lots of color, but this set of mixers caused me to go get my camera.
These Tiger Lilies grow wild around the Ozarks. I have them pretty thick in the spring – right at the edge of the woods.
This sunset was so vivid that I missed an appointment when I stopped to shoot it.
Now that winter is here and it’s a grey day, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so … bad.
The dogwood is a favorite of mine. It shows itself early. Before the leaves of the surrounding trees have fully opened they appear like clouds suspended just below the treetops. The open and spread their wings, and then they are gone.
Throughout the summer, the dogwood simply disappears. It’s green leaves blending into the canopy. Only it’s dark twisted trunks give it away. For months they hide as spindly trees in forests of mighty oaks.
In the fall they fight to hold onto their green…
Giving into the transition slower than the rest, fighting the good fight…
Until only red remains and they alone are at the peak of their color. As the others start to fall, they take flight.
Bursting with color as the sunshines right through their translucent leaves.
Holding on long after the others are gone.
The first and the last.
What’s so special about dogwoods? I grew up in Las Vegas and I remember my mother making a sprig of wood pulp dogwoods when I was a kid. It sat on the top of our TV. She always told me how lovely they were – her favorite flower. Me, I thought they were boring. Just a white flower with 4 petals, nothing special. That lonely sprig in a vase on the TV did little to convince me that they merited the awe in my mother’s voice as she recalled her childhood among them in the woods of Virginia. Just another thing my mom and I disagreed on.
About 10 years ago I relocated to the Ozarks. The first spring was amazing to me – the variety of wildflowers, the shades of green, the wildlife, the water – and the dogwoods.
A canopy of delicate blossoms afloat in the understory of the forest – serenely suspended between heaven and earth. Glorious – and another thing my mom was right about.
Wish I had the chance to share these with her.
This one’s for you mom – miss you…
the eff stop 