Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Winter Blahs







I've never been a fan of winter. In fact, bitter cold and wind can usually cure me of any desire to go out and take pictures. However, I am a member of three photo sites on Facebook that have a daily photo challenge. So usually my first thought is what to photograph. I like the idea of "every day" photography, but I don't have young children or grandchildren nor do I live in a particularly interesting place. Luckily there are some nice areas not far from my house, but even those areas have limitations. I'm not a fan of suburban scenes. How many pictures can you take of the same place and still make them fresh and new? This year I decided that no matter what, I would take NEW pictures only for my photo challenge sites. That's forced me to think. 

I was at a consignment shop that I like and found these old ballet shoes: 

 They are very worn and apparently once belonged to a little girl - or a young girl with small feet! (When I was a little girl, I took ballet lessons for a very short time. I'm not sure why my parents stopped sending me. Perhaps the ballet teacher told her I was hopeless! 

For years, I drew "stories" on any paper I could find including inside my picture books that were nothing but ballerinas. I grew very tall and on the big boned side. (Although my doctor described me as having "medium bone structure" whatever THAT means.) I was also clumsy, unathletic and not in the least elastic. In sure, I am as far from a ballerina as you would likely see. 

Still, I wish I had continued - at least for a while. Perhaps it would have taught me grace - something I sorely lacked and still do. Years ago I knew a woman who took ballet lessons in her 30's. Watching the way she walked and carried herself was interesting. I don't know if she continued them or not.)

We went to the Paul Strand exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the 26th of December. It was magnificent and inspiring. It made me feel pretty good about my own photographic eye in many ways because I tend to seek out details & oddities just as he did although I'm nearly as well traveled. However I did like THIS splash of color on this house in Philly that is apparently owned by artists.  



Plus we DID discovered no only where the old Philadelphia water works is, but also that there is parking. Alas! We had planned to go again,yet when we did, it was bitterly cold. So, for now, I have to be satisfied with this view. It's not bad, but I need to get down closer to the water. 

 
Some would say it's picture postcard perfect. Perhaps that's the problem. I'll bet it's pretty there about now with all of this snow, but I"m not going anywhere! 

A day trip to Lancaster County as well as a corner of Chester County, yielded some good backroads stuff including this really awesome tractor: 


But mostly, it's about trying to find photographic expression at home. I think I had some success today. I'll know as soon as I load the photos into Lightroom. Meanwhile, snow has been falling all afternoon. It's supposed to be 1-3 Inches, but it sure looks like more than that already. This is the second snow this month, better than last year when it seemed like it snowed constantly. It's pretty, but I hope it melts. And yes, I'm looking forward to spring!