Vision

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Scott Thomas Photography

As I am reading Within the Frame by David duChemin this month, I am starting to think about and work on my vision.  During my photowalk around the Village of Liverpool earlier this week I took a little extra time when looking through the viewfinder.  Asking questions beyond the technical (focus, aperture, shutter speed) to see if what I was photographing is what I wanted to communicate.  Let’s see how I did.

A flower display in front of a lawn and flower shop in the Village of Liverpool, New York.

What does this photo tell you?

I added and subtracted elements in this photo by moving and using the Nikon 18-200mm VR to zoom in and out until I was satisfied I told the story as I saw it. I could tell you what that story is.  However, I am more interested in what you think the story is.  What does this photo tell you?

This next photo I didn’t happen upon as I did the one above.  I’ve seen this structure my entire life.  I wanted to tell you something about it.  Everything you see I had thought about before I set up my tripod and waited for the Sun to drop below the horizon. What does this photo tell you?

Heid's of Liverpool in the Village of Liverpool, New York.

How about this one? What does it say to you?

There is no right or wrong answers just your thoughts.  Thank you for your time!

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Weeping Willow

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Scott Thomas Photography

I have a love/hate relationship with weeping willow trees.  My home growing up had a large willow in the backyard which my friends and I enjoyed climbing and taking solace in its shade on hot summer days.  The fall brought hours and hours of racking and picking up the small sticks the willow dropped.  The first house I owned had a huge weeping willow in the front yard.  It kept the house shaded in the afternoons and my girls would play in among the long leaves touching the ground. Those darn sticks kept me busy after every wind storm, however.

My current home does not have willows nearby so when I visited the Onondaga Lake Park near Syracuse, New York last night, this majestic weeping willow caught my eye in the warm light of the setting Sun.  Willows are the first to leaf out each year so they stand out until the rest of the trees follow suit in early May.

A majestic Weeping Willow tree found in Onondaga Lake Park near Syracuse, New York. Willow trees require a lot of water as some species grow up to eight feet a year.

A majestic Weeping Willow tree found in Onondaga Lake Park near Syracuse, New York. Willow trees require a lot of water as some species grow up to eight feet a year.

Maybe later this summer, I’ll return to this tree with a book to sit in it’s cool shade as sounds of the lake and kids playing nearby take me back to the days of my youth.

Branches of a Weeping Willow reach out over Onondaga Lake near Syracuse, New York. The shade of willow trees have protected many a reader like this author from the hot summer Sun.

Branches of a Weeping Willow reach out over Onondaga Lake near Syracuse, New York. The shade of willow trees have protected many a reader like this author from the hot summer Sun.

Posted in Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

View 120: A Dog Lives Here

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Scott Thomas Photography

Visited with my niece and her family for Easter.  Late last year they had to put down their beloved dog of many years.  However, their home still showed signs of a canine presence.

A feeding time schedule was still being used. What is that below the sign?

A feeding time schedule was still being used. What is that below the sign?

Tasty dog treats and they were not stale. I wonder...

Tasty dog treats and they were not stale. I wonder...

Meet Bruno, a pure American mutt, who is a big and lovable soul. Cared for by my niece, her husband and two young sons.

Meet Bruno, a pure American mutt, who is a big and lovable soul. Cared for by my niece, her husband and two young sons.

Bruno is a bit challenged but I am told he is improving.   My grand nephews who you last saw with Winnie the Pooh in Walt Disney World, play with and enjoy Bruno. Though Bruno is much stronger than they are, he is gentle and loves to frolic with them in the backyard.

In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.

Bruno has found his home. 🙂

Posted in Animals, Weekly View | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Free Creative Education

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Scott Thomas Photography

Click Here for FREE Creative Education WebinarsChase Jarvis announced creativeLIVE.com, the world’s first LIVE creative education Internet channel this week.  For photography, there are courses from professional photographers David DuChemin, Zack Arias, Scott Bourne, Art Wolfe and others.  And…it’s all FREE! Yep, instead of paying hundreds of dollars to attend a seminar from any of the creativeLIVE instructors, you can watch a live webinar for FREE.

I will be taking Scott Bourne’s three session course on Aperture 3 in May.  Art Wolfe’s 3 session course on The Creative Eye starts on April 20th.  The author of the book I am currently reading, Within the Frame: A Journey in Photographic Vision, David DuChemin will be hosting a 3 day weekend seminar about Vision-Driven Photography in June. Interested in Studio Photography?  Zack Arias will be leading another weekend seminar on that subject.

Click Here for a complete list of creativeLIVE’s Spring courses.  You’ll see there’s more than just photography courses with more to come later this year.

Okay, you are asking yourself, what’s the catch?  The courses are free if you watch them live.  If you miss or are unable to watch a live session, you can purchase it later.  You may want to buy them anyway so you can review them on your iPhone, iPad, iTouch or computer anytime.  I think this is a neat concept and hope some of you will give it a try.

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More YesButs

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Scott Thomas Photography

It has been almost a year since I shared some YesButs and now I am back with more YesButs.  YesButs is a photo blog full of witty titles for street photography in and around London, England.  You should check it out after you see my YesButs.

Mind Your Own…

George Mason?

Solar Energy

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