Washed Up

Posted on January 28, 2014 by backyardsisters

By Susan Greene
Taking a walk along the sea shore, with eyes cast down, encountering the multitude of items washed up on the sand can get the curious wondering. “Where did that come from?”, “is this flotsam or jetsam?” and more questions will flood the inquiring mind.

Seaweed and sea shells, even though an expected sight, will trigger pondering of the places they’ve been. What happened to the rest of the plant or the sea creature that once called a shell home?

How far have these bits traveled?

Philosophically, how did these end up in this location, at this time, in this shape at the same time as I?

Seaweed, according to the NOAA website, is “utterly essential to innumerable marine creatures, both as food and as habitat, they also provide many benefits to land-dwellers, notably those of the human variety.” It also comes in many shapes and sizes.

Finding myself tangled up in seaweed thought, I stumble upon something unexpected.

A mussel shell like a tiny bowl full of water, even though the tide is out and everything in the immediate vicinity is dry makes me curious, but not as curious as this…

If only it could talk, what stories would be shared of its journey and ultimate arrival on the sand in Redondo Beach, California?

Spotting sea glass on the local shores is not an everyday occurrence and when it does, I view it as a gift, and also start wondering: how long was it in the sea? what type of bottle was it? how did it break apart?

In the absence of concrete answers, let your imagination run wild. The rope is from a colorful fishing vessel off Mexico. The glass is from a Japanese saki bottle and has been in the water for 25 years. The seaweed has floated down the coast from Alaska before getting caught in a current and deposited on this shore all the while playing host to many sea creatures. You get the picture.

Visit the NOAA website if you would like to learn a bit more about seaweed regarding some of the health properties and benefits to humans and sea creatures.

I will be at water’s edge creating back stories for the lost and found.

~ Susan

We’re Walking, We’re Walking

Posted on January 14, 2014 by backyardsisters

By Susan Greene
As the minutes tick away, our carpool slowly cruises down the coast in our neighbor’s VW van. Their mother keeps her eyes peeled for the telltale spout of the California gray whale. Upon spotting one, she pulls over urging careful observation. This was my first introduction to the annual migration. The whales would surface several times spouting sea mist and then take a deeper dive indicated by the appearance of the fluke. The fleeting moment was gone, as was the chance to be on time to school. Every winter, I recall the thrill in her eyes. While I certainly did not appreciate the majestic creatures because I associated them with tardies, that is no longer the case.

It is exhilarating spotting one of the large creatures on its way to Mexico, especially when, on the rare occasion they are close to shore.

This one seemed to want to ride the wave. Every winter, since those carpooling years, I keep my own eyes peeled on the horizon from late December through March hoping for a sighting. More common but still exciting is spotting some bottlenose dolphins swimming in the surf.

The dorsal fin popping out of the water is the first and sometimes only sign. If your lucky, you will see a head pop out of the water.

Presenting the opportunity to see their smiling faces to anyone fortunate enough to be in the vicinity.

Inevitably, they will head back out to sea.

Saying “goodbye” with a wave of the fluke.

A dolphin sighting always elicits ooohs and aaahs from lucky walkers, joggers and/or beachcombers. I have begun a quest for catching dolphins in all their glory. I am hoping to capture at least one jumping and more of their behavior. I will be devoting at least a day a week for taking my camera to the beach, zoom lens attached, with dolphins in my sights, and if I spy a whale or two, all the better.

Click here to read and hear a story from NPR about a recent “traffic jam” of whales off the southern California coast.

With eyes on the horizon,

~ Susan

Putting Pen to Paper

Posted on January 7, 2014 by backyardsisters

By Susan Greene
Wrapping and packing up the holiday accoutrements, produces, in me, a conflicting sense of sadness and excitement. Sadness for the end of the holidays and the joy of spending extra time with family and friends yet, excitement in the start of a new year. The house appears barren when the holiday decorations are gone but an opportunity to take a fresh approach to the everyday decor presents itself. With the new year, comes a chance to re-evaluate and set new goals for the next twelve months, a blank piece of paper to fill as you wish.

This year, the backyard sisters are using literary terms as springboards for stories, photos and teaching; maybe even some food.

Sharing thoughts, experiences and emotions with others, through writing, is an art. The writer of the sisters will provide the terms and offer her insights while I will supply a photographic interpretation. I am excited to see what the “writer sister” of the backyard sisters has up her sleeve for challenging and sharing with us.

My tools are ready for the inspiration. Writing is an important part of how we communicate and to write well is a gift. Our backyard father has been sharing his memories of growing up through an ongoing book titled “Jaunts with the Memory Elves”. Each year at Christmas, for the past ten years, he gifts us with the addition of a new chapter. These are priceless gifts and I am grateful for the ability to experience, through his narration, not only our grandparents as parents but also living in New York and driving and moving cross country.

My fingers are ready for typing and my pen to be put to paper.

I am anxiously awaiting the first term, sister . . .

~ Susan

How Shallow is your Field?

Posted on December 10, 2013 by backyardsisters

The halls are being decked, the tannenbaum’s lovely branches are becoming adorned with lights, beads and ornaments and the spicy aroma of molasses crinkles cookies baking in the oven is filling the house. The perfect time to grab the camera and capture some of the details. This week we are exploring shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field will be achieved by using a large aperture which is represented by the smaller f-stop numbers. Using an 85mm f/1.8 lens and opening the aperture to its widest or almost widest, is my method of focusing on a specific area or item in a scene.

With the aperture open to f/2.8 I can focus solely on the mug and blur the books or…

focus on a portion of the books only and everything else will blur. If you want to isolate your subject from the other elements in the photo this is an excellent method. Shutting down the aperture to f/8 will allow you to achieve focus in most of your scene.

At f/1.8, the focus is on the top book and cider inside the mug; at f/7.1, all the items on the tabletop are in focus.

A shallower depth of field can be used to isolate ornaments on the tree.

Also, using a large aperture enables focusing on one item in a group.

Which depth of field is used is based on what you are trying to communicate in your photo. With people gathering to celebrate at this time of year, there are many opportunities for experimenting.

~ Susan

Searching the Depths

Posted on December 3, 2013 by backyardsisters

“I can’t believe it’s December! Where has the year gone?” These phrases are uttered often at this time of year. Personally, I can’t believe we have arrived at our last month of focusing on a photographic term. It seems like only last week we were compiling the list, challenging ourselves to concentrate on one subject a month. Wrapping up this photographic term-of-the-month year will be a closer look into depth of field.

Depth of field refers to the range of distance in an image where objects appear acceptably sharp. Sometimes, a photographer chooses to keep most of an image sharp which is known as deep depth of field. Other times, just a small part of the photo is kept sharp, thus emphasizing the subject by separating it from the background and foreground by making them blurry or indistinct, this is known as shallow depth of field.

One of the main methods of controlling the depth of field is the aperture. The aperture is the opening in the lens which lets light in and can be adjusted, becoming larger or smaller. The larger the aperture, represented by a smaller f-stop number, the shallower the depth of field. This week I am contemplating deeply. Deep depth of field is achieved by using a smaller aperture, a larger f-stop number. The f-stop for the photo above of Griffith Park Observatory on the hill was f/8. In the next photo, the f-stop was 13.

The kite surfers are at varying distances from me yet they are all reasonably sharp.

An f-stop of 16 enables the water’s surface to be sharp in the photo above.

It can be beneficial to occasionally sit back, entertain deep thoughts about what you are trying to communicate with your photos and whether the use of a deep or shallow depth of field could be one of the methods of accomplishing your goal.

This week will find me out in the field,

~ Susan

Shadow Study

Posted on November 19, 2013 by backyardsisters

As we examine shadows and their use in photography further, today I am offering a few photos which capture shadows for different purposes. Shadows can add dimension to an image.

In the winter, the surf will sometimes be very large, for our area, and cause erosion of the sand leaving a sharp drop off winding its way down the shore. The shadow reveals the path.

The shape of the arches is repeated by the shadows on the ground.

Shadows are functional also.

The shadows of clouds on the ground, in landscapes, is a favorite of mine.

Still looking on the dark side,

~ Susan

Prints in the Sand

Posted on November 12, 2013 by backyardsisters

Walking in the sand, head down, lost in the search for textures, it struck me. No, not a bird dropping or any other such beach related object, but the idea that the sand at the beach, is like a mini sand dune and the texture of the surface is revealed through shadows. The indents and dips created by the movement of man, animal and machine traversing from path to shore produce patterns and reveal clues to the activities of those who have tread before.

The smooth sand is as smooth as a blank canvas and has no shadows but add the imprints of feet, tires, rolling balls or dragged surfboards and an image is exposed.

The sand above was stirred up by a machine but only partly disturbed, the rest remains smooth except for the tell tale sign of a visit by a seagull.

The deeper the imprint the darker the shadow.

There seems to be evidence of a dog having been in this section, maybe chasing after the bird.

A barefooted stroller as well as a sneaker clad one and a seagull left evidence of having passed this way.

Later in the day, the shadows are longer and the textures even more pronounced.

Try a texture revealing shadow hunt yourself. It offers another way to see the world around you.

~ Susan

Shadow Play

Posted on November 5, 2013 by backyardsisters

This month, we are turning to the dark side, shadows that is. We will explore shadows’ effect on your photography; either as a subject or using them to create mystery, add texture and highlight forms. Using a shadow as a subject, can add interest and mix things up a bit in your photography. Tennis season is winding down and I have been photographing the girls in action quite a bit. I noticed the position of the late afternoon sun during the matches causing long shadows to be cast from the players.

It creates something different from the usual tennis action shot. Here is study of a serve in shadows. First the toss,

next, the swing,

and finally, the follow through.

Part of the original subject can be included in your photo,

or both the original subject and the shadow.

The shadow selfie is one unique way to capture a special time.

All month, I will be singing “Me and My Shadow”, the children’s version. In case you haven’t heard it before, you can click here.

Keeping an eye on the shadows,

~ Susan

walking on the red side

Posted on October 22, 2013 by backyardsisters

Red is associated with love, power, passion and energy. The color red sure grabs our attention. It’s no accident many street signs are red as well as the traffic light for stop. When red is used as an accent color or subject color in photography, it grabs the viewer’s attention and draws them into the photo. At this time of year, even in southern California, there is a little extra red out and about – some of the trees have begun turning red. It is with red in my eye and camera in hand that I head out on my daily walk. The trees, on fire with different shades of red leaves, are real attention-grabbers.

With zoom lens at 300mm aiming up into this tree, I fill the frame with the signs of fall. Then looking down, I can’t ignore this lone one so beautiful in its solitude.

Walking along a pair of red shoes has been left on the curb – that doesn’t happen everyday. I am in luck, this “I spy red day”, to stumble upon such a find.

When I am consciously looking for red, I realize how easy it is to spot.

Even when the red is a small part of a larger whole. Something red in the sand gets my attention, from quite a distance away I can’t make out what it is. It is another gift…

rose petals are scattered about. I am beginning to think there is a little red elf going ahead of me planting these items in my path. I wonder, are there always so many random red objects on my walk that I just haven’t noticed before or was this red photo walk meant to be today? While down on the sand, I decide to include orange-red and capture the lifeguard flag.

The grape leaves right in my own yard are changing with the seasons too.

These flags stand out among a sea of green trees and gray roads.

After this walk, I am seeing red. It’s hard not to.

Try looking for the red around you this week and incorporate a splash of it or use a red object as your subject in your photos and see what direction your creativity takes you.

~ Susan

Into the Blue – Waves

Posted on October 15, 2013 by backyardsisters

There are many different shades of blue, 62 according to Wikipedia. There’s sky blue, deep sky blue, cerulean, baby blue, and, as a September baby one of my favorites, sapphire blue; just to name a few. The ocean has a dynamic color quality. The shades change and vary on different days and even at different times of day. Add to that variety the constant motion of the waves and you end up with a dazzling display.

I went to the shore with the intent of freezing the waves in motion. That moment right before they break when the water becomes translucent and the light shines through is my target.

I was struck by the added delight of the different shades of blue on display. It was late afternoon and the sun positioned behind the waves making it’s way towards the west and the horizon.

Sometimes, the sun’s beams shone through the waves.

Other times, the water appears like glass. The blue of the waves changing as it makes its way to shore.

When shooting towards the sun the blue is lost a bit in the glare.

Aiming away from the sun the blue is most apparent. Capturing the waves,

at the moment they are about to break,

is never the same twice.

The waves, even though not particularly large this day, possess a power. For me, it’s the power to mesmerize and lead to a relaxing meditation on their constant roll to shore. Then, the challenge to catch, with a photo, the split second in the cycle of one wave and ponder the array of blue hues present there. Other days, it’s the call to grab a boogie board and harness the power for fun.

This October if you are a fan of baseball and a certain southern California team, there is another shade of blue to get excited about – Dodger blue! Yes, it is one of the 62 shades listed in Wikipedia.

Go Dodgers!

~ Susan

backyard sisters

Saving ordinary moments from the brink of oblivion

Tag Archives: photography

Washed Up

We’re Walking, We’re Walking

Putting Pen to Paper

How Shallow is your Field?

Searching the Depths

Shadow Study

Prints in the Sand

Shadow Play

walking on the red side

Into the Blue – Waves

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