July Image of the Month

July was a great photo month! It started with a photo of a rose bud just opening, with a few drops of water on it. That ended up being one of my finalists, and it just got better and better. On the 4th I got the backlit white peony shot that became the bar other photos had to aim for. By the end of the month I had a list of about 2 dozen to take another look at and think about.

This month turns out to be a case where the parameters I set for myself determine the outcome. For example, just the other day I got a shot of a deer with all 4 legs off the ground. If I thought of myself as a wildlife photographer, that would be a no brainer image of the month given the other choices.

Then there was the dragonfly. If I thought of myself as an insect photographer, that would be an obvious choice, though some of the bees might put up some stiff competition.

If I was a macro photographer, one of the hens and chicks would be it, though which one might be a tough choice. Then again, the bees might show up here as well.

If I were solely a flower photographer, I'm spoiled for choice.

No landscapes to speak of this month. A few sunsets, but with the smokey haze I haven't been in the right place at the right time for anything spectacular.

So what kind of photographer am I? When I bought the camera I thought I'd be doing landscapes, sunrise/set, and flowers. I've done lots of those, but mainly flowers lately. The macro shots are all kinds of fun, and doing cats is a professional challenge. Now that I'm retired I should be out doing more night photography but it's nice to do it with a buddy. (hint, call me!) I didn't think I'd be doing sport photography, but there's more than 2000 of those, and it's surprisingly fun.

There's still lots of things I want to try, and there's all kinds of room to grow. But mainly I want to take photographs that aren't just a photo of a person, place, or thing. As best I can, I want to elevate those into being an art photo, something that someone would want to hang on their wall nice and big. I've succeeded in a few cases, and there are a couple more potential sales in the works.

That said, I can only choose between the photos I actually take, and there can be only one. So here we go with the runners up.

I love this little dragonfly. It landed on my leg while I was shooting flowers, and hung out while I changed settings and focussed in. Before this afternoon I would have said this is a once in a lifetime shot. However during the shoot in Fish Creek, I've got several of different dragonflies, though it's a pity I had the wrong lens on the camera. I haven't edited them yet so I don't know what I've got. One of them is bright red. I'm seriously thinking of taking the macro lens and extension tubes back there and cultivate patience.

As I mentioned the other day, I just held the button down as he started walking, and one of them is this. Ka-boink! It's been suggested there's still room to crop in a bit more, and I might play with that.

I love this begonia blossom in this light. From an art perspective it's a bit monochromatic and not that much contrast, but the subtle variations in colour and texture just do it for me. It would be so cool to see as a wall print, instead of just painting a wall that colour.

And the winner! I wasn't quite sure how the light would filter through the blossom of this white peony, and was thrilled. The light comes through, but doesn't wash out the texture of the blossom. The light yellow brings up the warmth of the sun in contrast to the delicate shades of white, with a bit of pink showing at the heart. Seeing this opens my eyes to looking for different angles to shoot from.