Purdy Nature

 Haley here. This lovely post by Jen was actually posted on April 26, 2011. Blogger! *shakes fist*

Hi, guys!  We're back to our (kind of) regularly-scheduled programming.  As stated in the previous post, both Haley and I went though some exciting real life stuff last week, but things have simmered down enough for us to resume the awesomeness....ness.

But, anyway, I'm excited about this week's theme: nature photography.  I love nature photography, though I will admit that it's not one of my strongest points (though I am working on this and have improved quite a bit).  It's fun to go outside and capture what's buzzing about or invasively growing in your garden, and though I'd probably brutally murder both when invading my personal bubble, I aim to improve both composition and "interestingness" in my future study of nature photography.

To demonstrate:

Seahorse - Chattanooga, TN (2011)

Okay, so this one wasn't taken out in the wilderness, obviously.  The Chattanooga freshwater aquarium is filled to the tank with squishy aquatic things, and this little guy was particularly prone to modeling.  I particularly like the lighting in this photo, as the incredibly dark background and the glowing white of the seahorse lend an almost black and white feel to the composition.  The fact that the seahorse's body is partially concealed also provides a nice contrast to the rest of the dark aspects sprinkled throughout.  What I like about this sort of nature photography--one that involves a living, breathing animal--is the timing.  Animals do not give a damn whether you want to take a picture of them at a certain angle, and they'll move right along with their business (I'm thinking this is their way to, you know, "stick it to the man," or something).  Now, seahorses aren't fast-moving horses of the sea (they're definitely not mustangs, amirite?), but it is sometimes irksome to capture a moment in dim light.  Still, this photo came out quite well, and I am pleased with the overall composition.

Dead Rose - Athens, AL (2011)

Next up on our agenda is a pretty, dead (or dying, rather) rose from my backyard.  This past winter in Northern Alabama was especially frosty, which is great for us Southerners who like a bit of snow every now and then.  Another great aspect of the snowfall on this particular day was that it was also sunny outside--which contributed to awesome lighting and even better colors to certain objects, such as this rose.  I love Ernst, my DSLR camera, because it is able to capture lighting, color, and clarity to an alarmingly great degree, and this photo benefitted from it.  I like the composition of this photo, actually, because the flower, in its droopy...ness (give me a break; long day at work), takes up only the top half of the photo, leaving room for the white background to play off of the vibrant pink of the dying rose.  Awesome?  Yeah, I think so.  Besides, it's purdy.

So far, these are the two photos I am particularly fond of when considering nature photography (that I haven't yet shown in another blog post).  Studying nature photography is beneficial in many ways, as it not only encourages one to more critically observe his/her surroundings, but it also makes one go out and be active in ye olde wilderness.  (Or, in one case, go to an aquarium, which IS getting out there.)  I look forward to further developing my nature studies, especially now that the mountains 'round here are in full bloom.

'Til tomorrow!