173: Favorite Spot

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It’s my first time at this specific spot, but a favorite nonetheless. In my free time I hike the many trails local to my area which led me along a small pond’s edge where nature had mottled a full frame!

Nature's Mottling © 2013 NATE METZ
Nature’s Mottling © 2013 NATE METZ

rank: 20 of 22
1/40 sec, f2, ISO 64

Again, I’m rather disappointed with my ranking. That is until I remember I snapped this in passing on my iPhone and did not spend a lot of effort in capturing a favorite spot on the trail. It’s a classic yield for effort, thought, and planning. Onwards!

Magnolia Dream

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Bored one afternoon this spring, I pulled out my 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR that I haven’t used since I first bought it 5+ (?!) years ago to test it out. I thought, erroneously, that it would only be good when out scouting birds or taking tourist type shots that I could zoom up onto monuments and so forth. And that is precisely why I hadn’t been using it, focusing instead on my prime lens to capture a nice bokeh and shallow DOF for my translucent light studies. I have had a lot of micromovements in some of my throwaways, so I decided to play with the VR by standing 7-10 feet away. These are the shots I came up with:

Magnolia Dream © 2013 NATE METZ

MEMES

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I’ve tried my hand recently are creating internet memes. I often post images on Facebook with inspirational thoughts. So, I thought why not put the text on the images and share it about!

As I see it…

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Lines on the wall © 2012 NATE METZ

Lines on the wall © 2012 NATE METZ

Lines on the wall © 2012 NATE METZ

I was perusing some older images in my pictures folder with a friend this week and talking about my photography style. We agreed it was different and not necessarily the sort of images that people gravitate towards. She said it was great that I was able to see the unseen. I love to shoot the things that most of us just walk by without a second thought because those moments of light are beautiful. Much of my shooting is haphazardly unplanned: I go out with my camera and explore to find moments of beauty. These images of the lines on the wall are the perfect example. The sunlight streamed in through the shutters at this angle for but a moment before sliding onto the floor in a blurred distortion. I like the layers of different lines on top of each other.

I find our world to be amazing and interesting. I walk about with a sense of wonder all the time. And those who walk with me often see me crouching, squatting, and otherwise contorting with a camera in my hand because I saw something that caught my eye. It is a constant visual unrest, but a gift nonetheless.

Don’t forget, I have a collection of moments of beauty in my exhibit this June: SUMMER STREETS!

Delmarva on View

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LLphotocontestPoster1

I was in Starbucks this week and got super excited when I saw a flier on the community bulletin board for a local photography contest. It’s called Delmarva on View: Delaware, Maryland & Virginia in Photographs. Proceeds benefit the Lewes Public Library in Lewes, DE. If you live in the tri-state area I suggest you check it out!

What I think is really cool is the professional and amateur entry levels, and the wide range of entry categories like Growing Delmarva: Agriculture & Farming and The Good, The Bad, The Nor’Easter: Four Seasons. I have selected three images from the past 12 months for the seasonal entries covering autumn, winter, and spring. You’ll have to wait until after June 18th when the judging is complete so I can show you the images I selected. I didn’t choose any summer images I like will be part of my exhibit at the Newark Arts Alliance for Summer Streets.

I’d love to hear what you think of the photo contest and the take on themes! Comment below!

Crystal Vision

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Crystal Vision © 2013 NATE METZ

Winter has finally relaxed its tight grip. Most mornings I’d find my car frozen over with frost, so I used the few moments waiting for the defroster to capture these Crystal Visions.

Damn Good Advice – TWELVE

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This post is a two-parter. The supreme court was presented with a case this week challenge benefits for gay couples. It’s part of a larger political struggle for equal rights for gays and gay marriage. Social media was inundated with red “equals” signs in support of gay rights. As a gay man and philosopher I do have some very strong opinions about the subject. But, that will not be the discussion here. Lois’ advice hits me strong. What is the point in having these strong opinions if I can’t articulate them? How could I ever expect to enter a discussion or dialogue with anyone on the subject? When I added this symbol as my profile picture of Facebook, I couldn’t say why I felt the need to post it. Even now, a few days later, I can’t clearly state my exact opinion. Again, I default to a symbol to demonstrate:

equal rights

So what about THE ART? I know you’re asking it. Gay marriage is rather off-topic for the blog. Here’s why: the inner turmoil to find words to describe my feelings, to describe the red equals symbol, and the befuddled desire to express emotion is the same pattern of confusion I find when I show new work. The nerves and anxiety still throw me even though I know inside why the work is important, why it’s good, and why I want to share it. My work, though, does not incorporate universal symbols shared through social media. It’s up to me to articulate passionately and succinctly my ideas. I’m gearing up for my first exhibit in June and it is nigh time I start gathering my thoughts on the key images.

Note: I so greatly appreciate how I only look at one entry at a time from the book. And, each time I open it to write my next reflection the advice is so on-point with my art career. If I haven’t yet said it, I do recommend George Lois’ Damn Good Advice as a touchstone for your own personal reflections.