“all the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.”
― leo tolstoy, anna karenina
“some days seem to fit together like a stained glass window. a hundred little pieces of different color and mood that, when combined, create a complete picture.”
― maggie stiefvater, shiver
you've most likely heard some variation of this saying, "the worst day ______________ is better than the best day working". insert photography here. even on days when i come up with absolutely nothing, and i have more often than i'd like to admit, nothing beats getting outside with my camera at the ready.
it doesn't matter if i'm in rural surroundings or urban surroundings. there is a sense of "i was made for this". hiking a strenuous trail? i was made for this. strolling along the glow of city lights on the river? i was made for this.
it's a bonus when a scene materializes that, to me, is worth making an image of. sometimes it bursts onto the scene. sometimes it meanders its way out of the background into the foreground. sometimes it is altogether and whole. sometimes it is bits and pieces that i try to make sense of and put together. either elicits from myself a sense of wonderment and joy as i seize the moment.
light and shadow have several facets that can add meaning to a scene. one of my favorites is mood. mood has the ability to make a powerful statement in an image. it can take an image or story in an image up another level. let's take a look at a couple here.
what is the story and mood happening here?
for me, this is a story about a farm machinery that, if it had animate propensities, longs for the outdoors. longs for the tilling of the soil. longs for the companionship of the farmer who rode it. a farmer who took care of it as if it was his/her own family; which, in a sense, it was. this tractor most likely was a linchpin of many a season of planting and harvesting. the slightly open door in the background with the inviting outdoor light beckons him. but...here he sits. once he earned his keep; now he sits in the in-between moment of light and shadow. his light, hopefully, will never be completely extinguished. he'll be sitting, waiting and hoping; waiting and hoping for the day that may or may not come. when someone will love him again and give him new purpose. maybe not for the hard work of the years before but for the chance to shine going forward as a refurbished memory of the past.
well, that what's story and mood that comes to me when i look into this image. what about you?
here's another image....
what are you feeling; what mood(s) emanate from this image as your eyes stroll through the image? what is formulating in your mind as to the story behind this second level story barn? see the couch partly hiding in the darkened right corner by the back opening. what's going on with that? see the food dish by the left in the foreground. perhaps this was a playground for cats and dogs back in the day? follow the path leading into the light and the back portion of the barn. visit the dark corners. look at the weathered beams and frames. look everywhere.
now, dream what might have been. out of all these different pieces of colors, moods, materials, physical objects, light, shadow, etc., visualize what the story is here. it doesn't have to be sensical. it could be fantastical. i have my story as the creator of it but that doesn't mean it's the only story. for this blog, i'm not going to share my story but i'd love to hear in the comments section your story of this image!
that wraps up this theme of light and shadow that i've been touching on for the last few blogs. incredibly enough, i did manage to reach my goal of sharing every other day for this series! i'll be going back to weekly or bi-weekly blogs for now. i hope you enjoyed this divergence from my normal output.
i'd love to hear your thoughts on the overall series or a specific blog and its related images. i read every comment and reply to them.
these two images are available for purchase. they will make great display pieces for your home and/or business. they will also make special gifts for that special person(s) in your life. you can find them in the store or contact me using the form below and let me know what you would like and in what media(s) if you don't see that particular media in the store. my store currently features greeting cards and metal prints, but i also offer traditional prints, slate and more that someday will be added to the store.
i'd be grateful if you would share this blog (and the other two in the light and shadow series) with others. just right click on the url address above, copy and then paste in an email and/or in one of your social media accounts. if this is your first time reading my blog or if you've been checking them out for while and find them enjoyable, keep checking back every week or two. at some point, i will offer a subscribe option to receive them when they are posted. all you will have to do is enter your email and i'll take care of the rest.
thanks so much for your continued support by reading my blogs and perusing my website. be sure to check out my june 2021 promotional special as well! there are many beautiful matte prints to be had for a 40% discount. as well, i offer free wallpapers for your phone and desktop that you can download. this is a new feature and will be added to regularly. links for both can be found at the top of every website page.
i'll see you next time with "more images from a quiet world"!
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