Abstract flower painting . . .

Good morning, and happy Tuesday!

I'm behind, again, well maybe I'm just not ever not behind? Is that to many double negatives?

*** (insert smiley face here) ***

I had fully expected to get this post done last night, or better yet after my metals class yesterday,

but I stayed all day...and playing with fire and glass and saws, well that tends to wear a person out.

In a good way, a very good way....I slept well last night!!

Last week I shared some fun stuff I'm doing with my lens, painting with movement. But I've also

found that I can get a "painted look" without movement as well. I love flowers, I love the way they

look, the way they feel, and smell and I just love taking pictures of them. Since I never planted any

cool season flowers in my garden, I've been enjoying the $4 specials at the grocery store and we've been

spending quality time together on my front porch. I've been playing with my 40mm macro lens with a wide open aperture to get lots and lots of blur.

I think when we first set out on our journey with our camera, I know this is true for me, we are happy to get photographs that are half way decent and NOT blurry, as in in focus. I didn't understand aperture, speed, and ISO and how any of it worked together. I just knew I had a new camera and wasn't getting results like others, like I wanted. And then after much practice I was beginning to get the shots I was looking for AND with some added bonus of the beloved bokeh, but I was just using my camera as a tool to record.

Revelation number two: My camera is a tool that can help me "create" rather than just record. It's taken me some time to realize my photographs don't have to have anything to do with exactly what the subject looked liked at the time, but rather about a creative vision based solely on my heart and my experience in that moment. And you know I'm all about the moment.

I'm just letting my heart create, rather than thinking too much about any of it . . .and taking full control

of the camera. Because so many of the times, "Nicki" just doesn't see things the way I do! lol

These were all taken on my covered front porch at different times of the day, in indirect light, on cloudy, sunny, and or overcast days.

{ Kim Klassen textures: Camomile, minus 43 and Oh my }

(Sooc), and slightly cropped

Added some textures to give the feel of a canvas.

(Sooc) and cropped.

Kim Klassen warm sun 

Slight exposure adjustments, love this the way it is with the dark and muted background.

(Tones on Tuesday)

But I had to play - I was going for a an old painted look here.

I don't think I've ever gotten my moneys worth out of anything like my $4 finds at the grocery store, or killed so much time! But I have been having fun...You really don't need a macro lens to try this. Just grab a lens, one that you can switch to manual focus, find some good light and really pay attention to your background.

Ready...set....click! And P.S. - things just might get a little foggy on Thursday, just sayin'!!

Have a great day...

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday,  Tuesdays Around the World, Tones on Tuesday

Festival of Lights . . .

I had been wanting to go to the festival of lights since Thanksgiving, but

it just seemed that there was always something going on. Well, we finally made it this past weekend,

us and about a million other people too!! ; )

And it was free . . . 

All you had to do was park in a parking lot, board a school bus, and they drove you there.

Doesn't get any better than that.

I did take my tripod, but really was only able to use it for several shots, as there were just too many

people. So, I improvised and played and had some fun!

It might have been more like a cattle drive! This was one of the many tunnels of lights we walked through.

A different view, minus all the people  . . . not sure how I got so lucky with that!

I did use my tripod for this one . . . can you see the silhouettes of all the people? I just loved the branchy reflections in the water on this one, something else I have been a bit obsessed with lately.

And another silhouette on the left....

This castle seemed to be quite the highlight, and although there was no way I was going to get them (my kids) to stand inside the castle, I managed to get just this one of them standing and looking on as a silhouette.

 Another reflection, with more silhouetted people.

Then I decided to have a little fun, in manual focus, zooming in, and out with my camera as I clicked.

The fist one is just bokeh love, and the ones below it were done in manual focus creating bokeh first and then zooming either in or out while taking the photo.

And when I got home, I painted with the light from my tree with a slow shutter speed.

On this one I made a circle and then tried to fill it in, not too bad for painting blindly. 

I have been doing a little experimenting with painting with my lens during the day as well. It sure takes some

practice to make it look intentional and not accidental as there is a fine line between purposeful blur and I had no idea what I was doing. Between how fast and how much movement I can put into it to get the look I want. I'm linking in with Kat over at Kat Eye Studio and her December Exploring With a 

Camera: The Lights of Night...come on over and join us, there's still time.

See ya there -

Love, Kim

XO