*Project 52* Volume 2, Week 3 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Yellow.....the color of sunshine, lemonade, happiness, and vibrant energy. For some, it can also be agitating; it's no accident that it's often used in warning signs, as it is highly visible, especially when seen against a black background. Personally, I like it. I would say that I generally feel happy when I see the color yellow. More info nuggets on the third color in the rainbow can be found here.

This week's image is a top view of a martini glass full of Craspedia, aka 'Billy Balls' or 'Billy Buttons'. I think these are fun accent flowers for a bouquet of large blooms, but I also like them by themselves. I discovered them in the floral department at Whole Foods years ago, and they always catch my eye with their distinctive appearance.

As always, until the next post—
Enjoy!

*Project 52* Volume 2, Week 2 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Going in rainbow order made the most sense to me to begin Volume 2, so obviously 'orange' is next for *In Living Color*.

I remember a recent conversation with my younger son in which he said something about orange being a bit bitter because it wasn't quite red, although it was close. I'll likely revisit that with him and edit this post as necessary. According to Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning, orange "combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow," among other positive associations. I agree with both my son and Color Wheel Pro (which should not be a surprise to those who know me well).

Here is this week's image......

Until next week—
Enjoy!

*Project 52* Volume 2, Week 1 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Oh, my poor, neglected little blog.

I did pretty well for the first half of my first Project 52....and then I let myself get distracted. For a year and a half. It's okay though. This blog is not vital, but a creative outlet for mostly personal work that sometimes gets attention, and sometimes does not. It simply sits and waits patiently for me when I'm busy doing other things.

Anyhow, I got the urge to start back up where I left off, and the theme I chose for (what should have been) Part 2 is....

*In Living Color*

Colors found in nature.

I even have the first few images ready to go. So without further adieu (and before the first week of 2016 officially becomes the second week of 2016), here is my first image for *Project 52* Volume 2:

(now let's see if I can keep up with this on a weekly basis this year.....)

Until my next post—
Enjoy!

*Project 52* weeks #25 & 26 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

2014 was officially halfway over this week. I am not above remarking how quickly this year is flying by, either. Without further adieu (since I still need to post my final two Project 52 submissions for the Letters of the Alphabet).....

Week # 25: Y is for Yawn
This is the only deviation from the norm for the first half of the year in that I included two separate images to create this piece. I wanted to include both of my boys in this one, so I did!

Week # 26: Z is for Ziegen Bock
I think that completing the first half of the year calls for a little refreshment.....

I've already started on the first image(s) for the second half of the year....to be revealed sometime within the next week! Until then, have a safe and happy Independence Day!

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*Project 52* week #24 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Week # 23:'X is for X-ACTO'
The letter X proved to be a challenge.....there just aren't a whole bunch of words, relatively speaking, that begin with X that are in line with this project. I looked for a Dos Equis beer in the fridge, but alas, we had none.....so an X-ACTO knife had to do. How do you like my X-ACTO lettering?

So there ya go. 24 down and two to go for the first half of 2014.

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*Project 52* week #23 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Week # 23:'W is for Worth'
What is the difference between value and worth? According to Mr. Webster, they are synonyms for how much money something will fetch. Either way, most would agree that these three coins (well, two of them technically being game tokens) have very little of either. The tokens actually claim to have no monetary value at all. The grime-covered penny would most likely be passed over if spotted on the street, rendering it effectively the same.

But what about the materials used to make them? If I am not mistaken, today it actually costs more to mint a penny, currently made mostly of zinc and a small percentage of copper, than its cash value. The game tokens are likely to be made of brass or an alloy including brass. Had these objects been made into something both unique and beautiful by an artist or artisan, their value could possibly be exponentially higher. So it is safe to say that the form something takes may determine, at least in part, how much it's worth.

I could easily segue into why professional photography is so expensive (nutshell: it's the image so lovingly rendered upon the paper that provides its value, not just the paper and ink/emulsion). For the moment, suffice it to say that these three small, round, worthless metal thingies were worth something to me, at least for a moment, when I carefully positioned them side by side for their group 'portrait'. Incidentally, it was no accident that I chose red to anchor them.....the first color in the rainbow is said to stimulate energy and conversation, among other things. It's an attention-getting color, and I wanted to bring attention to the concept of worth, and how we humans assign it, often arbitrarily.

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*Project 52* week #22 / Austin, Texas Photographic Art

Week # 22: 'V is for Vase'
How to take a banal object and make it interesting....for starters, choose one with some style. This vase is minimalist for sure, but there is enough to it to make it interesting. I love the muted colors....the rough, sanded finish topped off with a glossy white flourish at an unexpected angle....and the feminine curve in the middle. This vase would scream for flowers, if it were a screamer....I think it's the kind that gently attracts attention with a mere whisper.

I filled it with some beautiful yellow roses leftover from Easter, now dessicated and full of texture. I love dried roses as much, if not more, as fresh ones. They are marvelous subjects to photograph, particularly up close. I set the rose-adorned vase on my garage floor during mid-afternoon, just before the sun flooded it with too much light. It's one of my favorite places to photograph many things because the light is so easy to work with and it's just so pretty.

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