Let Your Backbone Slide

Symmetry can be calm and soothing. Today's challenge was to make a photo featuring symmetry, either in subject or composition.

Today I enjoyed my bi-monthly 45 minute massage therapy session and after working many long hours of late, my back, neck and shoulders really needed it. My massage therapist, Leslie, is awesome! What she may lack in stature, she sure makes up for with magical hands! I took this photo of a model human vertebrae while in the therapists office. I love the way the desk lamp (the only light source available in the room) was shining on the model and how it cast some interesting shadows really adding to the depth and dimension of the piece. 

For some strange reason, whenever I see vertebrae such as this or hear the word "backbone"...I always think of this old school hip hop song by Maestro Fresh Wes:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzull7scV2Y

Mags.

It's All Fun and Games.........

Today I went down to The Exhibition (aka "The Ex") to take in my first professional soccer game between Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls. Sadly, our team was massacred by a score of 4-1. Ouch! Afterwards, we walked around the grounds at Exhibition place taking in all the sights and sounds of the CNE. It was a visual and auditory feast with flashing lights, ringing bells and game hosts yelling into their mics trying to lure you out of your money to play their games. This shot is of the ring toss game. The object is to toss the red rings onto the bottle necks. A special prize is awarded if it lands on one of the golden bottles.

Mags. 

Sometimes I Have Some "Grate" Ideas....

Today's challenge was to find a repeating pattern and make a photo of it.

Feeling quite disappointed with the work I've turned out the past few days, I really wanted to create an interesting photo today. I knew I wanted to keep it simple and to the point but yet artistic and interesting. I was shredding cheese while preparing dinner this evening and thought that the cheese grater was an excellent example of repeated patterns and would make a simple yet interesting shot. I tried to create a bit of drama with the lighting to keep the focus on the cheese grater. After 100 or so shots, I decided to use this one as I was able to capture the repetitive patterns effectively on two sides of the shredder. What a "grate" idea this was, no?

Mags.

Bright On White

Came across the siteThe Daily Shoot today and ended up finding inspiration for today's picture. Each morning, the site publishes a new "daily assignment". Today's assignment was to make a photograph that's all bright tones or dominated by white......I came across these bright binder clips and thought that they would be a great way to convey that "bright" theme. What do you think?  

Mags.

Texture

Texture is perceived surface quality. There are two types of texture: tactile and implied. Tactile texture (real texture) is what we are most familiar with. It is the way the surface of an object actually feels. Examples of this include sandpaper, cotton balls, tree bark, animal fur, etc. Implied texture is the way the surface on an object looks like it feels. The texture may look rough, fizzy, gritty, but cannot actually be felt. This type of texture is commonly used by artists when drawing or painting.

I liked this photo because it depicts a few different textures from the roughness (and smoothness) of some of the river rocks and also shows the prickly leaves of the weeds growing through the rocks.
 
Mags.

Form

Form is any three demensional object. Form can be measured , from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark. There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes and may be enhanced by tone, texture and colour.

This shot was taken from a bouquet of roses that I received from my college graduation ceremony earlier today.

Mags.

Shape

A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space next to or around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, colour, or texture. Shapes can also show perspective by overlapping and can be geometric or organic.

 

Hardly an interesting picture but was running out of time to search out something creative and fun to shoot........

Mags.

Symmetrical Balance

Symmetrical balance is mirror image balance. If you draw a line down the center of the page, all the objects on one side of the screen are mirrored on the other side (they may not be identical objects, but they are similar in terms of numbers of objects, colors and other elements. Sometimes they are completely identical (often seen in architecture).

 

A good example of this can be seen in this hosta leaf found in my side garden. You can draw a line down the middle of the leaf, and everything on either side would be mirror image.

Mags.

Asymmetrical Balance

Asymmetrical balance occurs when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. In this case, we can say that the two small darker glass insulators weigh more heavily than the clear larger one thus creating more of a heavier feel on one side of the photograph.

 

I used glass insulators for my picture today. They were first produced in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines. As technology developed, insulators were needed for telephone lines, electrical pwer lines and other applications. People started to collect these in the mid-1960's. I bought them many years ago at a garage sale. I loved the uniqueness of them and thought I'd group them together as a display. Truth be told they make awesome doorstoppers.....

Mags.

Radial Balance

I came across a school project that I had completed a few semesters ago in my Design Fundamentals class and thought it would be fun to see if I could apply these principles to everyday objects. While working in the garden early this morning, I came across a perfect example of "Radial Balance" with this blooming Lanai Blue Verbena.

Radial Balance is where all elements radiate out from a center point in a circular fashion. It is very easy to maintain a focal point in radial balance, since all the elements lead your eye toward the center.

Mags.