Week 13 - 2015 in Photographs

Day 85

I used to be a binge photographer. In the days of film cameras I was the one who could not remember what was on the roll in the camera. This is the fourth year I have participated in 365 Days of Photography. It has made me more conscientious about taking strictures, broadened my range of subjects, and made me a better photographer I believe. And then there are the weeks where I take the camera with me and cannot seem to find a single thing worth photographing.  Until Monday of week 13 that was the case.

Fortunately I had stockpiled some photos left over, as it were, from the week before. That is the case through 89. In fact, I am not entirely sure why I posted that particular photo for that day. I took it because of the contrast with the red willow branches and the grey of the ice.

Day 86

I took day 87 because I liked the patterns of the ice on the partially melted pond. And the red willow picture was just to the side of this one.

Days 85 and 88 were left over from my trip down to Las Vegas to try to get a glimpse of the Longmire cast shooting the funeral.

Days 86, 87 and 89 were on a day I forced myself to take some pictures because my folders for this year's 365 day challenge were empty. After my first year I realized I was going to get totally lost if I didn't organize my photos. Ergo sub-folders in a yearly folder. Copies of pictures from upload folders. Not every photo makes it to the daily challenge. But I also post on my Facebook profile page just for fun, and on an elate photography group I belong to, and Memories and Photographs of New Mexico. It was that last site which got me in trouble this week. More later on that.

Day 87

Day 88

Day 89

Thankfully the weather changed and I was inspired. I also found a road I had not traveled before in my neighborhood. Combined with a bit of spring fever, and a promise to get out of the house on something more than errands and pet sitting jobs, I went out and made up for almost five days of not taking a picture.

There were clouds. Everything looks better with clouds. At least New Mexico clouds. When I lived in the east I was not fond of eastern clouds. I like the big fluffy things with sky peaking through and a hint of possible thunderstorms.

Day 90

Even the barren aspens I have looked at all winter (and photographed) look better with clouds. Actually the aspens are not all that barren right now. If you are a frequent visitor you probably notice they look fluffier. That happens when the begin the budding process.

Road to Black Lake

So back to how I got in trouble with posting a photograph on Memories and Photographs of New Mexico. I posted the photograph above in the unedited version to that page. It was an immediate success and has almost 700 likes currently. It was going to be day 91. But with the traffic it was getting I did not want to repeat myself. So I edited a photograph taken from the same place. Editing included cropping out the road, cloning out the back of the road sign and doing it in black and white for day 91.

Meanwhile everyone is raving about the effect of the road to the photo. I have to agree. It is all a learning curve or in this case a curved road. This had been a new pull out on highway 434. Previous spots to photograph this valley and the mountains beyond get the road curving the other direction, because just over that hill by the road sign it curves to the right.

Day 91

Ansel Adams said the secret to photography was standing at the right spot. I would add on the right day at the right time.