Image: Hannah A Keene 2020
Tag: Colors and Letters
Alighting Pelican
Lights!
Funny You Should Ask
All images ©Hannah A Keene 2020
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #109: Under the Sun
The Day After
Image: ©h.a.keene 2020
Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #109: Under the Sun and Colors and Letters: Start with the letter D.
Iridescence
Ferns
Posted for CitySonnet’s Colors and Letters Challenge – May 31: Fern
Tree Blossoms
Though I didn’t know it at the time, I took advantage of an Olympus promotion at our local Looking Glass Photo and Camera just two days before before the Shelter In Place order came through for our seven counties here in the Bay Area of Northern California. I walked out of the store having upgraded my OM-D 5 Mark II for an OM-D 1 Mark III, as well as upgrading two of my lenses to the better built Pro category. I had gone into the store the day before the promotion so I could handle the newly released 0M-D 1 Mark III and test it out. That evening a close friend had encouraged me to take the plunge mainly because the OM-D 1 III was so much easier to hold and handle with my worsening inflammatory arthritic hands. But she also encouraged me because I spend a huge amount of my limited energy day doing photography in one way or another. It’s what I do. It’s what gets me up in the morning on a physically challenging day. Most of all, it’s because photography is one of the things that gives me immense joy.
I have thanked my friend, Anne, a million times. Even with the Shelter In Place order, I am able to take some photographs whilst taking the necessary walk with my dog each day (wearing a mask and keeping 6 feet away from other dog walkers). And I am absolutely amazed at the difference in the quality of the photos from the upgraded camera and lenses. AMAZED. It is giving me joy each and every day. And one of the great things about photography right now is that much of the work occurs in the editing afterwards. Which of course, needs to be done inside. It seems to be to be the perfect solution.
Most of the photos I have been posting have of course been older ones, taken with the older equipment before the Stay At Home order, or taken quickly on the fly with my phone. But here is one that I took today with the new camera and lenses. I was thrilled to have been able to capture the ethereal nature of the blossoms.
Posted for CitySonnet’s Colors and Letters: April 28: Misty Rose.
The Tale of a Seagull and a Mussel
In Seven Acts
Act 1: Bringing up a mussel.
Act 2: Ahhh, good…..food.
Act 3: Whoops!!!!
Act 4: Oh dear!
Act 5: Nothing for it…….
Act 6: Hmmm…. couldn’t find it.
Act 7: Oh well…. I’ll look somewhere else then!
Colors and Letters: Water Blue.
Photo a Day: Animals.
Beauty and Isolation
Maria, at CitySonnet, has two challenges for March 19th: Sapphire and Cheerful. Her March challenges were planned and written, of course, before the world had changed with COVID 19. The sky in this photo is indeed sapphire, and the tree busting into bloom would normally be cheerful. Indeed, this photo has a serene feel to it, almost as if the streets were emptied just for the shoot, and the four pedestrians were perfectly placed and clothed. There also seems to be the proper placement of red – the stop signs and two out of four shirts on the people. The sunlight is even hitting the westward face of the tallest building.
But this photo was taken yesterday at 5:34 pm. The street should be bustling with people going home or to Whole Foods, and walking their dogs or pushing strollers for a last outing before dinner. The curbs should be lined with parked cars and the parking lot beyond the stop sign on the lower left should be full.
We here in the San Francisco Bay Area are in “Shelter in Place” mode (more on that later), which isn’t a full lockdown, but we are to go out only for necessities such as groceries, necessary doctor’s appointments, or letting our dogs tend to business, and we should not linger.
This isn’t easy, but each day as I walk outside, the beauty of spring causes me to draw in a deep breath, relax my shoulders, and appreciate what we have. Thank goodness I’m not going out in the pouring rain, for instance!
And in case you are wondering why I have so many pictures of this tree and these buildings, it’s because I pass them every day in my walk with the dogs. It’s the prettiest route for our short outing.
Please take care, everyone.
Zebra's Child 