We are only 15 days into the new year and already I am longing for spring. Living where I do, our winters are short and I can only imagine how those of you in colder climates dream about the coming of spring at this time of year, even though it may be a long way off.
I have been in a photographic funk the past couple of weeks since the Christmas decorations are down and I've been thinking there wasn't anything around worthy of a photograph. Then a friend invited me to go to our local botanical gardens for a morning of shooting. Although it is a place I love to go in the spring when all the cactus are in bloom, I wasn't optimistic about what there would be to shoot there in the middle of winter. But off we went, cameras (and my pessimistic attitude) in hand. Twenty feet inside the entrance gate, I spied the cactus above, just beginning to bloom and my heart soared! And this quote came to mind:
"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" ~Shelley
I can't say that spring was bursting out all over, however. It is a little early for that, even here in the desert. But once I got my photographic muscles warmed up shooting that cactus, I began to look for other things to shoot. I started to look for shapes rather than color and once my eyes stopped searching for color in the landscape, I found these:
The moral of the story is -- there is always something around to shoot, even in the middle of winter, if you are looking. So get out there, bundle up if you have to, and find the promise of spring (if you can) or just delight in the beauty of the weather that you have. And please share what you capture with us in our Flickr pool. We would love to see what winter (or early spring?) looks like in your part of the world.
14 comments:
Do I detect someone else who's word is simplify? With that word as my focus this year, I love the way you illustrated it here. When you couldn't find your initial goal, you simplified it down to finding shapes, and look at the results!
Great pics and I enjoyed this post!
You are so right Terri - there IS always something to photograph if we only look. I love the photo with the purple flowers. Spring is a long way off here in NY, but I am determined to find the beauty in what we have now - even if that is grey, bare, and drizzly. hahaha
And, ooops, the above comment is from me Terri :)
Yes, I'm always amazed at the things I find when I let go of expectations. I'm so glad to have my day out last Friday, but sadly it's back to the winter doldrums and temps in the low 30's - cold for us here. I even bought some flowers to photograph but can't find any good natural light in my house either! haha
Love what you found there!! xo
I'm an odd duck!! I'm definitely enjoying the winter! I love the cold, the snow, and the amazing shapes that appear when leaves and bloom are gone! You found some amazing shapes and colors in your outing! A great reminder for all of us to look a little closer! It's out there, nature's beauty!!
I love the subtleness of winter too, Cathy, and how it forces you to really look to find nature's beauty. If only it didn't have to be so cold!
Thanks, Kim. I think you and I will both be glad when this strange winter cold spell is over and we can get back outside again.
Oh, Carol, my word should be "simplify" every year! I'm not usually good at that, but when winter forces a photographer who loves to shoot flowers to find something else to shoot, simplicity is necessary!
Judy, I remember when I lived in New York how long the time between the holidays and spring was! Coming from a place where the sun is almost always shining, it was a huge transition for me. I wish I had been more of a photographer back then -- I might have been able to cheer myself up shooting what I had rather than longing for what I had left behind. Good luck finding some beauty in the grey, bare drizzle! Maybe you should go back and reread your post from last July about shooting in the rain!
I usually love winter, but this year has been particularly glum. Maybe it's time to re-focus! Thanks so much for these encouraging colors!
Is that the cactus in the first image? I can see why it would inspire you! I love the idea of using shapes for inspiration. Shapes are such an integral part of photography but we tend to be blinded by color and light and forget what new discoveries shapes can bring to us.
As for the weather ... we can't change it. Why do we (I) complain so much?
Hi, Jan! So great to see you here! It looks like the weather all over the country has been crazy this winter. Our winters are usually lovely but it has been cold, cold, cold! But before we know it, it will be spring again. That's the great thing about nature -- always changing!
Yes, that's a cactus with the purple flowers! You can imagine my surprise to see it blooming so early! I agree about not being able to change the weather, but we always seem to have something to say about it!
beautiful shots terri! love the collage and word art. although winter has never been my favorite, i'm learning to appreciate the quiet and stillness. even the lack of color. and you're so right about looking for shape. even without the color of the season there is still so much to see. love that about photography. thanks for sharing! :)
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