In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Happy Place.”
My happy place is a state of being — the culmination of numerous factors. A breath of fresh air in sun or snow. Freedom to run through the woods, twisting along a skinny trail. A beer and a dance floor with great live music, or a slow sunday with a cup of hot coffee.
Of course looking through a viewfinder is often a happy activity for me.
Above: Expect more of a “fishing perch” than a “fishing hole” when dip-netting the Copper River in southeast Alaska. Spirit Mountain pokes above the big and fast glacial-fed river that’s full of silt and very cold. Copper River Reds, the salmon in the net, are some of the most sought after in the world.
The river is also an excellent of the Weekly Photo Challenge of boundaries. Rivers are some of Earth’s most common boundaries. For the fish in my net it is a boundary of left and death, or for a person if they fall in.
Sometimes sweeping is necessary — a time- and labor-intensive technique during which the fisher sweeps the net with the current, resets and repeats.
Even when fishing is done much work is left to be done. Here a king salmon is butchered.
Above: Water on whimsical cherry blossoms.
Dreamy is the current Weekly Photo Challenge. To me, dreamy conjures feelings of contrast. Dreams are often simultaneously crisp and cloudy. Things that don’t make sense feel true. Entire dreams can be vague narratives shrouded in mist, except for one hyperreal detail — perhaps a pair of eyes.
In these photographs a shallow depth of field helps create a dreamy and uncertain aesthetic.
Above: A full moon and city lights are reflected in Green Lake, a suburb of Seattle. April 13, 2014.
The weekly photo challenge is nighttime. A perfect opportunity to share a serene scene in a Seattle suburb.
I’ve been posting photos from a recent road trip, which fits perfectly with the weekly photo challenge, “on the move.” This iteration is going to travel a large distance, between Vancouver, BC and the Oregon coast.
All the pictures show movement somehow – often other people in their daily routine dotted throughout pictures.
So here’s round three of iPhone pictures. I also find my iPhone is very handy while on the move – small, very quick to access camera and also very quick to share. Soon I’ll be back to my posts about Europe.
Above: Piano lessons at night through a window in the University of Washington district. Shot on a Kodak Retine IIIc, 35mm film.
Windows, the current weekly photo challenge, can mean many things. Look in or out a window to see opposites. Eyes are windows. A window of time carries heavy implications. Windows are simultaneous openings and reflections. Insight into others and self.
Throughmylens posted two wonderful windows to look through – one in British Columbia and one in Italy.
Im excited to feature film frames this post. I have been neglecting film recently, so it’s good stimulant to shoot and process more. Two are film, the abstract black and white and the color frames are film.
Above: A quiet and foggy beginning to the 2013-2014 season at Skiland. December 7, 2013 at 10:12 a.m.
December 7, 2013, marked the start of the downhill season at Skiland – the farthest-north chairlift in North America. Opening day is often a mad dash; wake up after a party; corral people, some gear, and grub; then try to get there for first run at 10 a.m., because last run comes quick at 2:30 p.m.
This year was relaxed, waxed boards the night before and went to bed at a reasonable time. The next day lots of clouds made visibility difficult, but unseasonably warm temperatures – over 10 degrees fahrenheit – complemented a snowpack that hide reasonable numbers of rocks!
Not much lifts the spirits in dark and typically cold December then an early opening at the downhill. Here’s a few examples of rapidly-changing light from the chairlift.
The photos are dated, but the weekly photo challenge of “community” is a good opportunity to post them.
A costumed community of musicians and dancers joined together the Saturday after halloween for some dancing to Steve Brown and the Bailers. These like-minded people – in spirit, enthusiasm and search of enjoyment – joined together for the night to make a very welcoming community.
Hope my fellow wordpress community and beyond enjoy!
Above: The grand Château de Versailles as seen from the gardens, July 12, 2013.
It’s time for more images from the extravagant Château de Versailles. If you missed either Part One or my Hall of Mirrors post check them out for more history and a more complete tour. This post fits in particularly well with the Weekly Photo Challenge – Grand.
Above: A leashed cat sits on a chair in downtown Seattle, Washington.
Unexpected is the current weekly photo challenge, and what a great challenge it is for photography. Photographers live for the unexpected, I constantly scour scene and surrounding looking for good light, an event or the unexpected.
As the saying goes, “expect the unexpected.” Fantastic advice to increase success in any endeavor. When it comes to photography “expecting the unexpected” often means a split-second reaction – always have a camera ready. It can also mean working a scene longer until some action develops – be patient.
My images from the unpredictable streets of Seattle; juxtaposed birds and early-bird special sign, a young woman stretching on drift wood on the waterfront, gorgeous light cascading into Pikes Place Market, and a row of neatly arranged lunch boxes in a barren entryway.
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Far North Light 