Week 38 - 2014 in Images

Day 260

Between September 13 and 21st I managed to get out and about with my camera a lot. I probably captured more than 600 photographs in that time. That is a lot of post processing on the computer and I am by no means done. A lot of the early returns have been featured on Binford-Bell Studio Facebook page and my timeline there. Let's face it when you take that many photos it is hard to post just one a day. And not all of them are winners either.

Since I started taking my photography seriously I have become a lot more ruthless about deletions. Which is good when you take a lot of photos.

The 13th was Trinidad, Colorado and their Autocade Parade. Do not know if any will make photo of the day from those. More fun than serious. But I love the antique cars from that day and two are in this week's offerings. And then there is my friend Susan's garden. It offered up a great many treasured photos. Saying a lot for someone who didn't do a lot of flowers in years past. Two of those photos are in this week. And, of course, the buffalo. Over 400 photos of buffaloes and the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge. So expect more birds and buffalo in the coming weeks as I get too them.

Day 261

I love hollyhocks. Like that is a surprise. But they are not an easy flower because of their depth. And that they are, because of their height, easy foils of any breeze. Shoot fast and lots and take your pick. And I also like grill work which comes with its own issues. Like what is reflected in a nicely polished grill. Old and rusty wreaks, another favorite, are so much easier in that respect.

Day 262

So back to Susan's garden. And flowers. And butterflies. As I have mentioned before I am not a great lover of the tripod. Seems like much too much time is spent adjusting the equipment while winning photos go slipping by. I would love to do a cartoon of a photographer fiddling with his tripod with mating elephants unseen behind him.

So the photo below was hand held. Mind you I lean against posts and back against walls and squat to create body tripods with elbows and knees. And hold my breath longer than is probably good for me. The photo below took advantage of the post leaning technique. Remember the breeze mentioned in the hollyhock photo above. Butterflies are also rather tossed about by the slightest breeze. And they are not fond of movement of photographers. I used a long lens to stay out of its field of vision.

But you could have blown me away by the clarity and sharpness of this photo. I think I could have lied and said I used a tripod. Just a fast shutter speed and zen breathing techniques and that post I mentioned. Who knew butterfly eyes looked like they have pupils.

Day 263

Zen breathing and butterfly eyes made the following photograph much more appropriate. I am also a worshiper of agave, one of the few non-Euphorbia in my studio though not this one. Wonderful form and texture. But mostly I marvel at how the new leaves are rolled up with the thorns leaving patterns after they are open. Who knew it was a relative of asparagus. 

Day 264

So many other pictures to process of the day in Trinidad that this colorful wall got left neglected. It was a photo I took before the parade started and one of the last to process. Every once in a while when I am culling through photographs I find another photo like this. With contact sheets, strips of negatives, and film it was not as easy to just delete a picture from your files. I sometimes toy with the idea of an external hard drive for the last deleted photos. Those first off the desktop are true losers.

Day 265

First pass through the buffalo photographs were in color. The grass was so beautiful. Then I began looking for photos which would lend themselves to black and white. Supposedly you need noisy sky or no sky. And I like shallow depth of field so the textures of the main subject stand out. Like with flowers I am just a student.

Day 266

Practice, practice, practice.