Album 365 Project from Janet Brien

365 Project: December Collage

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 04:48:15 +0000

This is the last picture of my 365 Project, the December collage. What a crazy challenge. Now that it's over, I'm kind of amazed that I was successful, given all the issues that could have gotten in the way. I am going to take a very short break from photography. It won't be long, but I want to do something else for a while, just to refresh myself. I'm not burned out at all, but I would like to have a couple of weeks where I don't think about taking pictures. I plan to post images here, but I'm going to put photography on the back burner for a little while. I have work projects and other things going on, so it will be nice to have this committment off my shoulders to concentrate on other things.

Hooray, I'm done with my 365!! :)

[Storytime!] 365/365: "The discipline you learn and character you build from setting and achieving a goal can be more valuable than the achievement of the goal itself." ~ Bo Bennett

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 05:02:04 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture in a note above! :)

You can also find me on Facebook!

I can hardly believe that this day has finally arrived. #365 of 365 of my amazing photography project, and I have arrived overjoyed and also a bit relieved. I MADE IT!! To all of you out there who have completed this project, I SALUTE YOU!!!! It was not easy! But it was everything I could have hoped for, and more.

My biggest hope was that I would learn to be a better photographer, and I believe that I am. I'm able to get the picture I want much easier now, with much higher quality on a more consistent basis. I understand my camera's distance vs. depth of field vs. size of object. I wanted to learn more techniques and to become more confident, and I've achieved that too. (For example, when I began this project, I rarely used our macro flash--now I rarely leave the house without it!) I am more observant, a better judge of good subjects, and can see potential where I couldn't before.

This project forced me to be incredibly disciplined, and to never ever lose sight of my goal. I carried the daily chore with a happy bounce in my step, comfortable with restricting the time I spent taking pictures so I didn't burn out. I was careful to make sure I had enough time each day to take, process, and upload my picture(s). It helped to have a 100% supportive husband, who was there every day to encourage me and to remind me about time if I was side-tracked with something else.

I went into this project armed with the knowledge that burn-out is the #1 killer of a 365 Project, so I was very careful to set limits to keep my passion burning every day. I read about the pitfalls from other people who've taken part in this project, and planned for months before I started, because once I set out to achieve a goal, I absolutely will not be stopped from achieving it. In the end, I never missed a day, and on the one day we had no internet, I emailed my picture to my husband's phone and we uploaded it to my account! I have to say though: I only had a part-time job doing freelance projects during the year, and I simply do not know how anyone can do this project with a full-time job. Those people are incredible!!! My hat's off to you crazy people! :D

I want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have followed along with me on this wonderful adventure. The support and encouragement, your kind words and super comments have meant so much to me. I am humbled. Along the way, I've made so many friends, and I've learned from your photography, seeing what you do, and trying to emulate some of the mind-blowing pictures that I see every single day. Without a photo site like ipernity (and previously, Flickr), I would not be half the photographer I am today. Thanks to all of you. I am blessed to know you all. :)

Finally, about today's picture: I thought about what I should do for my last picture. I wondered if I should go somewhere special and try for something scenic and stunning. But then it hit me. I began this project with a little snow-covered mushroom, and because mushrooms are one of the subjects I'm most well-known for, I thought a mushroom would be perfect for my last picture.

I decided to go out alone so I could spend time thinking about this project as I walked, reflecting on how much has happened to me as a photographer through the year. I bundled up because it was cold out--but not below freezing, happily--and made my way slowly and carefully up the muddy, steep and slippery trail to our ridge. Even though I knew I planned on finding mushrooms, that didn't stop me from capturing the many lovely and wonderful things I found along the way. Wonderful miniature circles of white fur-lined orange fungus, stunning PURPLE shelf fungus, and beautiful droplets glistening on cedar and pine branches were some of the things that caught my eye.

And of course I found mushrooms! Wonderful chocolate beauties with lovely bokehlicious backgrounds, and a tiny pair clinging together with a droplet of water holding them together, and I also found one with a cute little hat! I was very happy with the mushrooms I'd found, but as I neared the end of the trail, I noticed a tiny blur of white on a moss-covered Oak trunk, and after taking two steps further, I slammed on the brakes and backed up. "What WAS that?" (See what I mean about being more observant than ever?) I knelt down at the same time as I began to coo in joy. "Oh MY!! Look at this happy family!!" I could not believe my luck, for this sight was exactly what I had hoped for but could not possibly expect. The tallest of these mushrooms is just 1/2" tall, and I carefully pulled a few bits of moss away to show these beautiful white mushrooms off to their very finest. It really is amazing to me because it's freezing cold here and has been for many weeks. And yet, these resilient mushrooms have grown as happily as if it was much warmer! I had to shake my head in wonder at my good fortune to find this perfect family to showcase for the very last picture of my 365 project. I am overjoyed. :)

I have one other picture today for New Year's, and the image was taken this afternoon! Enjoy! :)

Robert "Bo" Bennett started "Adgrafix", a graphic design firm, right after graduating Bryant University in 1994, with a bachelor's degree in marketing. In 1995, he sold the graphic design business, but kept the name for his webhosting company. As a self-taught programmer, Bo created one of the first (perhaps the first) affiliate systems and web-based webhosting interfaces in 1996. He built Adgrafix to a 5 million dollar revenue a year business, then sold to Allegiance Telecom in 2001.Amazon: Bo Bennett

364/365: "What is art but a way of seeing?" ~ Saul Bellow

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 03:39:21 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture in a note above! :)

Today I took a walk into part of our lower forest with a plan in mind. I was hoping to find the one fern plant which I know of there, and it grows on the side of the seasonal stream bed. Our lower forest looks very different than it once did, because I spent months clearing buck brush and dead trees out, piling them up into habitats for animals. Now, instead of being an impenetrable, ugly mess, the lower forest is open and beautiful, filled with Oak, Manzanita and Madrone trees.

So when I found a very large, mossy tree on the ground, I was quite surprised. Following my eye down the trunk, I saw that it had broken off the base of the tree about three feet up and looked as if it had been dead for a while. I walked up to the trunk and peered inside. At first I didn't see anything but a leaf, but moving my head, the light reflected on droplets below, and straining my eyes in the dim light, I could see the droplets suspended on an invisible web! If I could get my camera to focus on the droplets, my flash would light up the scene and I thought it might just be awesome! It took me a bit of time to find focus, but eventually I was successful, and got a bunch of different apertures to choose from. I hoped that the 2.8 images would be clear because the illusion of droplets floating in the air would be just that much more cool. And...they worked out!! HOORAY!! As it turned out, I have done almost nothing to this image except cropping and adding a very slight vignette!

Saul Bellow (10 June 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only writer to win the National Book Award for Fiction three times and he received the Foundation's lifetime Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 1990. Wiki: Saul Bellow

Explored on December 31, 2013. Highest placement, page 6.

363/365: "Life is a series of experiences that make us bigger, though sometimes it's hard to realize this. The world was built to develop character. We must learn that the setbacks we endure help us in oin our marching onward." ~ Henry Ford

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 04:01:31 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture and two notes above! :)

I can't believe that there are only two more days after this one for my 365 Project! It's just incredible to me. I've lived with this project every day for a year and to think that it will soon come to an end...I'm just stunned by the thought!

With the end of this project just around the corner, I am finally wrestling with the burden of this commitment. It's not something I allowed myself to think about and now I find myself looking forward to not having to be consumed by this every moment of the day. However, that being said, I'm still as excited about photography as ever, and going out today was such fun!

I went over to our dry seasonal stream and walked along it, pausing now and then to peer carefully at the things that caught my attention. A cool mushroom, frosted diamond spider web necklaces, and then, these incredible droplets on wild honeysuckle leaves. I got many super pictures, but this one was my favorite because the droplets are marching along the edge like little soldiers! :)

I was also amazed to see the unusual frost formations on various plants like Oak twigs. I took lots of pictures of this unique, needle-like frost, and you'll see my picture as my second entry today. Enjoy! :)

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Contrary to popular belief, Ford did not invent the automobile nor did he invent the assembly line. Ford however was the first to develop and manufacture the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford to buy. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from a relatively unknown invention into an innovation that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout most of North America and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to control the company permanently. Wiki: Henry Ford

Explored on December 29, 2013. Highest placement, page 5.

362/365: "Art takes nature as its model." ~ Aristotle

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 05:02:14 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

What a frosty day it was! Frozen fog, mist everywhere, and frost covering the world! I took a quick walk outside to look around and found these dried weeds covered with nature's jewelry, and I thought to myself how much it reminded me of fireworks! (I have been buried in too much to do for weeks now, I'm so sorry for my lack of commenting!)

Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC)was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. Together with Plato and Socrates (Plato's teacher), Aristotle is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy. Aristotle's writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy, encompassing morality, aesthetics, logic, science, politics, and metaphysics. Wikipedia: Aristotle

Explored on December 29, 2013. Highest placement, page 9.

361/365: "Direct observation of the luminous essence of nature is for me indispensable." ~ Robert Delaunay

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 04:39:39 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture above in a note! :)

It wasn't horribly cold today--just about freezing, but sometimes it feels extra cold. I'm not sure why. It wasn't windy, but the cold just went right to the bone! However, that certainly didn't stop me! I wandered up onto our hill and soon found droplets on lichen that had me fascinated. Many were frozen and I looked for lichen that had just the right frozen droplets, positioned so that I'd be able to make them stand out, and I looked for distance from other subjects to create a solid, low-key background. That was a challenge because this type of moss usually clings closely to the branch it's growing on, or there are clusters all together. But I was able to find a few that were just right! :)

Robert Delaunay (12 April 1885 – 25 October 1941) was a French artist who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. His later works were more abstract, reminiscent of Paul Klee. His key influence related to bold use of colour, and a clear love of experimentation of both depth and tone. Wikipedia: Robert Delaunay

360/365: "What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern by your past."

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 02:16:55 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

It was a cold and misty day today, so I took the dogs out into our larger meadow and looked around for interesting subjects to photograph. I found some tiny spider web strands and neat droplets clinging to various plants, but I really liked the droplets on this dried foxtail because they remind me of crystal balls! :)

Śri Sathya Sai Baba (born as Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was an Indian guru. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, who was also considered by his followers to be an avatar, spiritual saint and miracle worker, and who died in 1918. Wikipedia: Sai Baba

Explored on December 27, 2013. Highest placement, page 9.

359/365: "To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." ~ Reba McEntire

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 05:56:07 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 more picture above in a note! :)

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday season! I am overwhelmed by all of the warm wishes, email, greetings and cards sent by everyone--I don't even know where to begin when it comes to replying!! Thanks to each and every one of you for helping to make my Christmas so joyful!

I went up on the hill for about 15 minutes today, and my plan was to find a mushroom to share for Christmas Day. I found one almost immediately, and you'll see it as my second image for today!

I was about to head back to the house, but I found my mushroom so quickly that I thought I'd look around for a few minutes more. I saw a dead manzanita tree with its branches spread out on the hillside, and as stood wondering which way would be the easiest to get around it, I saw something pale on the ground under one of the branches. There I found a couple of bones, probably from a deer, but I can't be sure. What got my attention was the beautiful moss growing on the end of the larger of the two bones. I wondered, "Could I find a way to photograph this bone so that it looks interesting and not gross?" I realized that if I focused on the moss and let the rest of the bone fade away into bokeh, it would be a unique image which I hope would capture everyone's curiosity and attention as it did mine! :)

Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955) is an American country music singer, songwriter and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band,[1] on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. While a sophomore in college, she performed the National Anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma City and caught the attention of country artist Red Steagall. He brought her to Nashville, Tennessee, where she signed a contract with Mercury Records a year later in 1975. She released her first solo album in 1977 and released five additional studio albums under the label until 1983. Wikipedia: Reba McEntire

358/365: "Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more." ~ The Grinch (Dr. Suess)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 04:15:15 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

You can also find me on Facebook!

I would like to wish each and every one of you a joyful, wonderful day, surrounded by friends and family. May your next year be better than ever, and may all your wishes come true! :)

It has been such a gift to me that I found ipernity and all of the wonderful friends that I have made here. Your support has been so fantastic, and your encouragement has helped spur me on in my less inspired days. I have become a better photographer because I've gained insights from seeing what you do. Every picture that I feel proud of is a reflection on the images I have seen from all of you.

Thanks to all of you, and here's to another year of the same! :)

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist. He was most widely known for his children's books written and illustrated as Dr. Seuss. He had used the pen name Dr. Theophrastus Seuss in college and later used Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone. Wikipedia: Dr. Suess

357/365: "As long as the world continues to be strange and interesting, I still want to take pictures of it." ~ Moby

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 04:36:07 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 more pictures above in notes! :)

It was raining off and on today, so when it stopped, I immediately took the opportunity to go out and find my Picture of the Day. I returned to the same area of our upper forest as yesterday because I realized there is a lushness there which promises endless wonderful discoveries! I only went about 200 feet from the house, and there I found all kinds of mossy stumps and Oak saplings which begged closer inspection.

First I found some Pixie lichen, but they weren't quite right. Then I found a lovely little mushroom under the lip of a log, and got some nice images. Then, I was carefully sweeping away leaves when I saw the leaf in the picture above! WOOT!! Look at those tiny wasp galls!! I did some looking on the internet but wasn't able to find out what kind these are, but they're a brand new discovery for me! So interesting to look at, like something from another planet. If you don't know, a wasp gall has the egg of a wasp inside, which will grow as the gall grows larger, and eventually the adult wasp will emerge from the gall! You can see the escape hole in the inset image above! Totally fascinating!! :D

Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known by his stage name Moby, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, DJ and photographer. He is well known for his electronic music, vegan lifestyle, and support of animal rights. Moby has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Allmusic considers him "one of the most important dance music figures of the early '90s, helping bring the music to a mainstream audience both in the UK and in America". Wikipedia: Moby

Explored on December 24, 2013. Highest placement, page 6.

356/365: "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." ~ John Burroughs

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 06:00:30 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Just one picture today, I have been so busy with a million things going on! I found a few minutes to spare and walked up on our hill, just a short distance from the house, and when I looked at a mossy stump , I found this mushroom peeking up at me! It amazed me that there are lots and lots of mushrooms even in this cold season!

John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress, John Burroughs was the most important practitioner after Henry David Thoreau of that especially American literary genre, the nature essay. By the turn of the 20th century he had become a virtual cultural institution in his own right: the Grand Old Man of Nature at a time when the American romance with the idea of nature, and the American conservation movement, had come fully into their own. His extraordinary popularity and popular visibility were sustained by a prolific stream of essay collections, beginning with Wake-Robin in 1871. Wikipedia: John Burroughs

Explored on December 23, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

355/365: It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 05:20:27 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 pictures above in notes! (One of them is a close up of the fungus I photographed yesterday and completely forgot to upload the inset!)

Although it was supposed to rain today, it was still dry when I bounced out of the house, eager to step through "Alice's looking glass" and explore the tiny world.

I didn't have to go far. Just over to an Oak tree about 50 feet from the house, in fact. First I found the acorn cap in the second picture I'm sharing today, and when I was done getting various angles, I looked up to find the cap above, balanced between two twigs! (No, I didn't place it there!) It was one of those things where I thought, "Oh, that's neat!" but then I realized how special it was, and knew it would end up being my Picture of the Day! :)

David Royston Bailey, CBE (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer, regarded as one of the nation's best. He became a photographic assistant at the John French studio, then photographer for John Cole's Studio Five before being contracted as a fashion photographer for British Vogue magazine in 1960. Along with Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy, he captured and helped create the 'Swinging London' of the 1960s. In 2012, the BBC made a film of the story of his 1962 New York photoshoot with Jean Shrimpton. Wikipedia: David Bailey

354/365: "Anything becomes interesting if you look at it long enough." ~ Gustave Flaubert

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 03:14:15 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 pictures above in notes! :)

I was so busy today that the day flew by, and I suddenly looked up in shock to see that the sun was nearly down! Eeek!! I dashed outside and knew I needed to get my Picture of the Day right away if I intended on an outside image, as darkness was quickly closing in and the thick clouds above were heavy with impending rain.

For me, finding a nice subject usually requires me to "become one" with my surroundings. I need to slow down to feel the world around me, and I need to relax in order to see the natural beauty that reveals itself as I slip into the moment. When this happens, my senses become keener and I notice things I wouldn't normally. This "zone" is very special and makes me feel like I'm part of the natural world, as opposed to being just an observer. However, being in a hurry doesn't work, and the problem today was that I was really racing against time, so it was a challenge to keep myself from rushing. My solution was to race down to an area in the lower forest where I thought I might find something special, and then I stopped and just looked around, moving forward slowly and keeping my eyes open as I began to sense the forest.

I made my way towards the little footpath that the dogs and I walk on and then I saw a stump ahead, which made me smile because I remembered there was something special on it. Walking up to it, I found several polypore bracket fungi adhered to the old Oak stump, and I was again fascinated by them. If you look at these from any distance, or from above, all you see is a beige, boring lump. But if you crouch down and get really, really close, you will see that there are coral-like pores all over the underside! (see the inset image for a close-up) This particular fungus is especially interesting because the right side that looks like wood is actually old, dead fungus! I don't know if it died from something or if it's the previous fungus and this fungus is growing on top of it. Really cool to find and a neat Picture of the Day! I took several pictures and as I stood up, it began to rain. I made my way back to the house as it got dark and stepped inside just as it began to pour! What timing!

Gustave Flaubert (French: [ɡystav flobɛʁ]; December 12, 1821 – May 8, 1880) was an influential French writer widely considered one of the greatest novelists in Western literature. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary (1857), for his Correspondence, and for his scrupulous devotion to his style and aesthetics. The celebrated short story writer Maupassant was a protégé of Flaubert. Wikipedia: Gustave Flaubert

353/365: "Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found." ~ James Russell Lowell

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 04:11:07 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 picture above in a note! :)

Today it was much warmer than it's been for weeks, about 35°F, oh my! :D It's amazing how long the snow has stuck around, since we got nearly 4" about two weeks ago but none since. It's been cold enough that it hasn't melted in the shady areas, which I like because it's pretty.

I went out without the dogs today and headed down to our dark and shady lower forest. I really hoped that I'd be able to find some mushrooms, but quite frankly, I was pretty sure there was no chance because it's been so cold. So instead, I thought I'd just cruise around and check things out.

Crossing the tiny, seasonal stream that's dry, I approached a fallen oak tree that I'm very careful around. You see, the top half of the dead tree broke off and fell to the ground, but it was caught in two younger trees on the way down, and this monstrous thing hangs precariously in the air, with much of the weight held up by its dead branches that fork the ground like legs. The two, much smaller, unfortunate trees which have been holding up the rest of the weight are strained and groaning under the mass. It is only a matter of time before gravity wins and the 3-foot thick, 10-foot long trunk come crashing down. So, I am careful to keep my distance.

Today I approached warily to look for interesting subjects to photograph. The first thing that caught my attention was an interesting insect egg case which looked similar to a praying mantis but wasn't the same...very fascinating! It was adhered to a pair of poison oak stems clinging to the main tree trunk. (I will show pictures of the case another day. :) After that, I continued peering around, looking at the branches, the trunk and the leaves. When I followed the main tree trunk down to the ground, I saw a patch of snow at the base of the main trunk. Then I did a double-take because I could hardly believe my eyes! Smack-dab in the middle of the snow was a mushroom poking a hole through and looking around! MY WISH WAS GRANTED!!

The fact of the matter is that I've been hoping to find exactly this sight since I began this project. I have a tiny, snow-capped mushroom that is actually my very first 365 image, but I have always wanted to find the opposite: a mushroom in a field of snow. And today I found it. It's a dream come true and I'm so happy I can hardly contain myself! :D (I am also including another picture to show the mushroom at a slightly different angle so you can see the hole it's poking through!)

When I worked my way around to the opposite side, and got the picture you see here, I saw a flash of beige on green and took a look: NO WAY! ANOTHER ONE!! On one of the branches that was holding up the massive trunk, a wee mushroom was growing in a sea of moss. HAPPY DAY!!! And in fact, there were even more mushrooms on the ground, but I already had pictures of these two and it would have taken a lot of work to clean up the area. More importantly, it would have meant spending a lot of time near this potentially deadly area, and there was no reason to put myself at risk. Literally, this trunk must weigh hundreds of pounds--and I don't want to be around when it falls!

James Russell Lowell (/ˈloʊəl/; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets. These poets usually used conventional forms and meters in their poetry, making them suitable for families entertaining at their fireside. Wikipedia: James Russell Lowell

Explored on December 20, 2013. Highest placement, page 5.

352/365: "There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are." ~ Ernst Haas

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 04:29:33 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 picture above in a note! :)

I've had my eye on the pine tree next to the house for weeks now. Every day I see frost on the needles and I am dazzled when I look closely. I've taken a few pictures but not too seriously because on each occasion, I already knew what picture I'd be using for my Picture of the Day, and I could tell that these pine needles would need "first billing" when the time was right.

With my crazy schedule as of late, I really have to shake my tail when it comes time for my daily photo session. If possible, having an idea of what I'll be photographing is very helpful for speeding up the process when I'm too busy to just drift around, so today I got my camera and went right to the pine tree. Oh my. So much to see, so many interesting angles! There was frost on the pine needles and frozen droplets too, and I managed to get quite an assortment of neat images. I don't have time to share more than two of them tonight, but this one is my favorite! The second picture is a perfect pairing, showing one of these frozen droplets close up and from the side, where you can even see the trapped air bubbles inside! SO COOL and amazing to me that it's possible to show such tiny, beautiful scenes in a full-sized image to share with all of you! :)

Ernst Haas (March 2, 1921 – September 12, 1986) was a photojournalist and a pioneering color photographer. During his 40-year career, the Austrian-born artist bridged the gap between photojournalism and the use of photography as a medium for expression and creativity. In addition to his prolific coverage of events around the globe after World War II, Haas was an early innovator in color photography. His images were widely disseminated by magazines like Life and Vogue and, in 1962, were the subject of the first single-artist exhibition of color photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He served as president of the cooperative Magnum Photos, and his book The Creation (1971) was one of the most successful photography books ever, selling 350,000 copies. Wikipedia: Ernst Haas

Explored on December 19, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

351/365: "The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity." ~ Ayn Rand

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 04:47:40 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I went out today feeling rushed and frustrated, not in the mood to look for pictures, but knowing there was something special going on outside. Things were frosty...but...everything was extra white, and that spelled something different. I was right. The frost was particularly long and extremely fine, which you can just see on the droplet and leaves. I spent more time than I could afford taking pictures because this was a rare frost and I wanted to capture it in as many images as I could to process later. I'm really glad I did because I found some very cool and amazing sights!

This frost-covered droplet is dangling from the curled, dried leaves of a teasel plant. Amazingly, I was able to get the frosty droplet and leaves in perfect focus with a teasel dropping away into bokeh behind! For me, that's insanely lucky, because something usually always messes up that kind of an attempt. But today, everything lined up just right! :)

Ayn Rand (born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum; February 2,1905 – March 6, 1982) was an American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, Rand moved to the United States in 1926. She had a play produced on Broadway in 1935–1936. After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful in America, she achieved fame with her 1943 novel, The Fountainhead. Wikipedia: Ayn Rand

Explored on December 18, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

350/365: "Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness." ~ Richard Bach

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 05:55:16 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

2 more pictures above in notes! :)

It was just below freezing today so the frost stayed around, which was very pretty to see. I initially planned on finding something like frosted grass for my Picture of the Day. However, when I stepped out the front door, I noticed the mesh "cage" that I have around our metal feed trough (which I use for a large planter) still had snow and frost on it. I wondered if there would be a nice picture there...

I did find a wonderful frosty subject to photograph on the mesh itself, and though I originally planned to make it my Picture of the Day, one look at my Irish Eyes plant instantly shoved that picture to second position! This particular flower was hiding near the ground and I almost missed it. One of the things I try to do when taking pictures of a subject is to walk all the way around it, and that's how I found this flower! :)

Every time I see this plant, it makes me smile with happiness. My friend Robin gave me an Irish Eyes seedling back in April, and it grew large enough to flower by July, and continued to flower all the way until the flowers FROZE some weeks ago. What a productive, wonderful plant!! On top of that, the flowers which were in bloom are now dried and stunning, adorned with frost and a wonder to behold. I've taken so many pictures of the countless blossoms since July, and once again I am just amazed at how beautiful the flowers are! :)

Richard David Bach (born June 23, 1936) is an American writer. He is widely known as the author of the hugely popular 1970s best-sellers Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, among others. Bach's books espouse his philosophy that our apparent physical limits and mortality are merely appearance. Bach is noted for his love of flying and for his books related to air flight and flying in a metaphorical context. He has pursued flying as a hobby since the age of 17. In late August 2012 Bach was badly injured when on approach to landing at Friday Harbor his aircraft clipped some power lines and crashed upside down in a field.Wikipedia: Richard Bach

Explored on December 17, 2013. Highest placement, page 8.

349/365: "No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish." ~ John Ruskin

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 03:23:54 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I want to apologize for being completely offline lately--my current projects and other stuff has me totally tied up. I apologize, and look forward to getting back to my regular schedule! :)

Because I was buried in work and a million other things today, it was after sundown before I had a moment to take pictures, so I decided it was time to feature a cool pair of carved Angelfish that we display in our livingroom. I love the character of these two and whenever I see them I am reminded of the amazing Queen Angelfish I have visited when scuba diving!

John Ruskin (8 February 1819 – 20 January 1900) was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political economy. His writing styles and literary forms were equally varied. Ruskin penned essays and treatises, poetry and lectures, travel guides and manuals, letters and even a fairy tale. The elaborate style that characterised his earliest writing on art was later superseded by a preference for plainer language designed to communicate his ideas more effectively. In all of his writing, he emphasised the connections between nature, art and society. He also made detailed sketches and paintings of rocks, plants, birds, landscapes, and architectural structures and ornamentation. Wikipedia: John Ruskin

Explored on December 16, 2013. Highest position, page 6.

348/365: "Art will never be able to exist without nature." ~ Pierre Bonnard

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 05:07:04 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 picture in a note above ! :)

Steve and I went to Medford today to do our weekly shopping, but we had so much to do that I decided not to bring my camera, and instead waited until I got home to go out and find my Picture of the Day.

It's been such a dry autumn that our seasonal pond has only a tiny bit of water in it, but there was plenty for a pretty image, so I took Zoe and Moosie with me (not a chance, Molly the Muck Monster!) and since it was almost dark, I made a beeline for our miniscule pond.

It's been warming up and most of the snow has melted. The frozen pond is largely thawed out, but still has a rind of ice a layer of snow and a coating of frost. Just what I was hoping for! On the surface were lots of leaves, and with the combination of melting snow and sparkly frost, it was lots of fun getting a nice selection of images. However, when I got back to the house and looked them over, my very favorite one is this one, which was the very first image I captured! :)

Pierre Bonnard (3 October 1867 – 23 January 1947) was a French painter and printmaker, as well as a founding member of Les Nabis.Wikipedia: Pierre Bonnard

347/365: "Nature's own masterpieces will never go away. If I'm able to cast just a few of them in favorable light & convince you to look at them again with greater appreciation & a fresh perspective, I have succeeded as an artist.

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 06:26:20 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 picture and a note above ! :)

Holy cow, it was over 30 degrees outside today! Finally, the snow is melting and the icicles are dripping away. The sound of snow and ice falling from the roof sometimes has us all horrified by the violent crashing!

This afternoon I went out with my camera, totally unimpressed by the messy landscape. Slushy snow, sloppy mud, dead grass...what ever could I find for a picture? So I told myself, "You know, there are a million amazing pictures right here in front of you. All you have to do is take the time to see them." Sighing deeply and very uninspired by the dismal scene, I had to admit that this advice was solid. After all, so many of you pros would find an amazing picture instantly!

I stopped and looked around me, trying to find something interesting. Ah ha! Some cool lichen encrusting a rock! And then more! But I didn't know if those pictures would be good enough to please a wide audience. But now that I'd found some success, the world opened up once again and the air twinkled with magic. I saw a flash of color and looked down as I passed a leaf laying in a puddle of melted snow, one edge lit up by the sun's rays. I nearly kept walking, but then I remembered that there was a huge potential for a lovely bokeh image if I could find it.

I studied the leaf and loved the texture of the veins, glowing warmly like panes of stained glass, and took a couple of pictures. Reviewing the images, I changed my angle and got lower, and lower still. THERE...the light hitting the water and snow, with the green moss in bokeh behind... that was exactly what I knew was there, and I just needed to look for it! :)

Idaho artist Scott Christensen is one of the most well-respected landscape painters in the country, and his understanding of light, ability to achieve pure color, and reverence for nature also make him a highly sought-after instructor. www.artistdaily.com/blogs/pleinair/archive/2009/04/09/en-plein-air-a-conversation-with-scott-christensen.aspx