Abby, 7 Years Old

Abby, 7 Years Old, 2015

© 2015 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Must you?  I'm trying to take a nap!

Abby, 5 Years Old

Abby, 5 Years Old, 2013

© 2013 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

The lovely and stately Abby, on the occasion of her fifth birthday.

When the sunlight hits just so, her eyes look like moonstones.

Red-winged Blackbird I

Red-winged Blackbird I, 2011

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Artistically, I most admire photos with a shallow depth of field.  The focal point of the composition pops because visual background noise has been minimized.  When I get the depth of field right, my photos look more professional. 

Here, I got lucky using my auto settings.  At the time, I hadn’t learned how to consciously use depth of field to my advantage.  Now, I keep my digital camera set to Aperture Priority so I can change the f-stop settings on the fly.  Occasionally, I even bracket several shots, using different f-stops to help get the shot I’m looking for.

Eagle-eyed Grackle

Eagle-eyed Grackle, 2011

© 2011 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Obviously, it was an overcast day when I took this picture, but if the light had been brighter, I doubt I would have captured the beautiful and stately eyes of this Common Grackle.

Red Rocks of Sedona

In my last post, I featured some of the artwork that can be found at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona.  I thought I’d also share a few sample shots of the magnificent scenery that surrounds the chapel.



Cathedral Rock, located in Coconino National Forest.



The two rock formations at the far right are known as the Two Nuns.  The third rock formation from the right is called the Madonna and Child.

View Toward Eagle Rock, Sedona, Arizona, 2012

This is one of my favorite shots.  The sun was behind me, so the lighting was just right, and the color turned out perfectly.

I recommend using a polarizing filter, as was used here, to help achieve this kind of vivid color.  I also adjusted the standard picture style on my camera, increasing contrast by one and saturation by two.

All photos © 2013 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Abby, 4 Years Old

Abby, 4 Years Old, 2012

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Abby the Tabby turned four this month, and this is her birthday portrait to mark the occasion.

She’s giving me the stink eye because I lured her into position by running the faucet, but didn’t run it at the trickle she prefers for playing and drinking so I could maintain her attention long enough for the shot.

Contrail Sunset

Contrail Sunset, 2010

© 2011 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

This was another instance of being in the right place at the right time with my trusty camera.  All the elements were in place for a spectacular sunset on this early November evening, and I almost couldn’t have taken a bad shot if I had tried.

I thought this picture was a good example of the photos I took at the time, as I caught a representative aircraft in the shot, the cause of all the contrails in the sky.

Alien Fruit

Alien Fruit, 2010

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

On a glorious late-October day, I was walking the neighborhood, testing my new polarizing filter.  These perfect, bright red tree berries against the deep blue sky, the colors made more vivid by the filter, called to me.  The combination of intense color, unusual angle, shallow depth of field and isolated subject matter made the image look otherworldly to me, hence the title of this photograph.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia, 2010

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

I couldn’t resist photographing this fuchsia, with its vivid colors and elaborate folds.  These exquisite flowers remind me of Georgian ball gowns, complete with panniers and furbelows.

It's Abby's World

It’s Abby’s World, 2012

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

I’ve always enjoyed seeing the studio mates of my fellow art bloggers (see here, here, here, here and here).  I hadn’t intended to share photos of my studio mate, but I couldn’t resist taking and posting this picture of Abby the Tabby today.

Viola

Viola, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

A couple of years ago, I finally remembered to photograph an out-of-the-way patch of violas while they were in bloom.  The viola is a humble plant, and some might consider it a weed because it’s so aggressive, but I always enjoy seeing these pretty little flowers in the spring.

I like how this photo showcases how elegant this modest plant can be.  I also like how the violets and blues of the single viola bloom pop against the rich green of its leaves.

Harbingers of Spring

Harbingers of Spring, 2012

© 2012 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

The complements yellow and purple comprise one of my favorite color combinations.  The colors are so intense here because I was experimenting with the saturation setting on my camera.

In most of the photos I took with a high saturation setting, particularly those taken in strong sunlight, contrast was lost as analogous colors blended together.  Shot in the shade, this photo was one of the few I thought was a keeper.  Now I know just how far I can go with the saturation setting on my camera.

Clematis Mrs. Cholmondeley

Clematis Mrs. Cholmondeley, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

I’m fascinated by stamens.  They come in an endless variety of sizes, shapes and colors, and are beautiful in their own right.

The clematis showcased in this photo is from my parents’ garden.  The plant shows itself to best effect in the spring, when it exhibits an incredible profusion of flowers, each the size of my hand.  Just gorgeous.

Paniculata

Paniculata, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

On a day that I was bustling around the house doing chores, I walked out to my patio and saw this absolutely perfect panicle, made lovely by a solitary blossom.  It stopped me in tracks, and I thought, “Well, I need to get a shot of this right now, because it won’t look like this tomorrow.”

Capturing transitory moments like this reminds me how rewarding it can be to just stop and really see the world around me.

Dame's Rocket

Dame’s Rocket, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Sadly, the patch of dame’s rocket I photographed a couple of years ago was destroyed last year to make way for an apartment complex.  On the other side of the street, where more dame’s rocket was growing, the land was plowed under for a pumpkin crop.

The patch on the side of the street with the apartments looks to be gone forever.  I’ll have to wait until this coming spring to see if any of the dame’s rocket survived on the pumpkin side.

UPDATE:  It’s May 2012, and the fate of the dame’s rocket is much better than I’d feared.  Some of the flowers were destroyed on the side of the street where pumpkins were planted, but many of them remain.  On the other side of the street, construction of a new access road revealed an abundance of dame’s rocket still thriving in the thickly wooded area behind the apartment complex.

Veronica

Veronica, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

This photo isn’t the best technically, but I like it for its content.  It features a color combination I find pleasing (purple, brown and green), the diagonal orientation of the flowers guides the eye through the composition, and it showcases the unusual, gradated petal markings of these pretty little flowers with the sophisticated name.

Agave Victoriae-Reginae

Agave Victoriae-Reginae, 2010

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

On its surface, this is a photo of a Queen Victoria Agave, taken at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.  I was drawn to this lone little plant by virtue of it seeming to grow out of a rock.  The little stream of water emerging from the crevice only added to what I found to be worthy of a photo.

From a compositional point of view, it occurred to me how much I’ve ingrained the rule of thirds.  The photo wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting if I had placed the agave in the center of the frame.

Upon closer inspection, it struck me how much this composition embodies Japanese aesthetics:  simplicity, asymmetry, tranquility, understated beauty, subtle grace, humility, etc.*  It’s an aesthetic I would like to incorporate more into my artwork.

* Japanese Aesthetics; Japanese Aesthetics, Wabi-Sabi, and the Tea Ceremony; Presentation Zen

Cosmos

Cosmos, 2009

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Not too many people plant cosmos in my area (a pity), but I was lucky enough to come across a small bed a couple of years ago.

The lighting was just a tad too low when I took this picture, and I remember it was a bit breezy that late-summer day, so getting an in-focus shot was a challenge.  But I liked the photo just the way it was and didn’t change a thing.  The position of the cosmos happened naturally, and they look so otherworldly, as if they’re floating in the air on gossamer petals.

Goldenrod Feast

Goldenrod Feast, 2009

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

Many of my best photographs come to be by virtue of carrying my camera with me when I take a walk.  You never know what you’ll find along the way, even if you often take the same route.

On a fine summer morning, the goldenrod was in full bloom as I walked along the wetlands that are located near my home.  I happened upon this bumblebee going to town on one of the goldenrod plants.  Bumblebees, at least the species in my area, couldn’t care less about your presence, as long as you leave them alone.  They just go about their business, and this behavior allowed me to get really close to the bee in this photo.

At the time, I only had a mid-level point-and-shoot camera, but I was able to get a good shot with it that day.  I love the bright yellow of the goldenrod against the clear, cerulean sky.  The bee looks like it’s wearing a rich mantle of fur and sparkly bronze lamé.  I also got the depth of field just right without even trying.  Point-and-shoots do have their moments.

Monarchy

Monarchy, 2009

© 2010 Susan M. Lohse.  All rights reserved.

My original intent for this blog was to share my artwork.  Initially, I mostly used photography as a means to an end; that is, as a tool for the artwork.  However, somewhere along the way, photography became an important means of artistic expression in and of itself.  So, with this evolution, I’ve decided to share some of my photos here.

Like so many photographic opportunities, the situation that allowed me to capture this beautiful Monarch butterfly was a serendipitous one.  Having been planted in several flowerbeds in the middle of a parking lot, the purple coneflower was in full bloom, and I wanted to take a few photos for reference.  As I was shooting the coneflowers, I noticed this butterfly flitting among what appeared to be some kind of milkweed.  I was able to take several shots of her that day, and thought this one was the best.

It’s such a joy when situations like this arise, especially since there aren’t as many Monarch butterflies around as there were when I was growing up.

If you’d like to support the declining Monarch population, please consider planting milkweed in your garden, in as large a mass as you can in bright colors.  Many species of milkweed serve as a food source for Monarchs, and it’s where they lay their eggs.  Milkweed attracts several other butterfly species, as well.  And don’t let the name fool you:  Milkweed is a very attractive perennial that comes in a variety of beautiful colors.