shiny stuff

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to call this post Reflections or Shiny Stuff. As you can see, my campy sense of humor won out.

I’m taking a photography class this spring. Not so much to learn about composition but more to learn how to make better use of my equipment. I’m using my cell phone and my Nikon. Neither is one of the most remarkable of their class, but they still have plenty of options, bells and whistles that I don’t utilize as much as they should be.

Ooooo, shiny pretty stuff. And who doesn’t like rainbows and unicorns?

This week’s assignment was to take photos of reflections and do some shallow focus assignments. Well, after trying to figure out how to make use of windows and mirrors, I nixed that idea. So what next?

The chef spoons in the camping department

Grocery shopping at the neighborhood big box store. They should have plenty of shiny stuff. Actually I was looking for those big round mirrors that they have mounted at the tops of columns and aisles. Guess what? They’re not there anymore. They probably rely solely on cameras these days.

As I walked around the store, I was tuned into shiny stuff. This is what caught my eye. I whipped out my phone and took pictures here and there. I think security was watching me but this isn’t the first time I’ve taken photos in the store. The fruit and vegetable aisle is striking with all the colors. And one time I even set up my plein air easel in the flower department outside during Mother’s Day weekend. People kept thinking that I worked there.

The remainder of my photos were from a couple of walks in the woods. Capturing the reflections in the creek, seeing through the surface, focusing on leaves and branches.

If you’ve wondered where artists get our ideas, this is the convoluted path we take. One thing leads to the next and then to the next. I’m not using any of these photos as inspiration for future paintings…at least not right now. Maybe I’ll come back to them in a month or a year or several years. I guess the whole inspiration thing just means to be prepared, keep your eyes open and your camera handy. Today might be the day of the BIG IDEA!