Here are seven more shots from this week for all of you who are skipping the daily upload. Hope you enjoy them! Remember, don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. I almost forgot. I’m going to start naming my favorite and least favorite shots of the week. This week, my favorite photograph is the night shot from Bellingham. I love the light I captured. My least favorite is the photo from today of Keeley under a blanket. I really didn’t have enough light to get the shot I wanted.
We’re starting and ending the week with Keeley’s pictures. We shared one at the beginning of the week because she looked so adorable while being fed, but today’s photo focuses more on yesterday. When Keeley travels, she feels excited (and a bit anxious), which makes her pretty hyper while we’re away. Once she’s home, she collapses and sleeps through just about anything (except when I’m rattling her treat container ?). That was the case today. She was so exhausted that when the blanket on the couch fell over her head, she didn’t even bother to move.
Tonight, we are in Bellingham, Washington, which is about 90 minutes north of our home. We came up to meet our forever neighbors, Jayesh and Lisa, to see “An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes and The Princess Bride.” Jayesh and I share a passion for the movie The Princess Bride, and we were thrilled to see the film in a theater (which is unusual for a 35-year-old film) and then participate in a Q&A with Cary Elwes, who played Wesley. Afterward, we went to dinner, and when we returned to the AirBnB where we had left Keeley, I realized I had forgotten to take a photo. So, I went for a short walk and captured this shot, which was much better than I deserved. I love the shot—it’s all about the light.
This year, in my 365, I haven’t done any street photography. So, I remedied that today in downtown Redmond. This friendly gentleman was walking down the street with his umbrella and phone. It’s unusual because not many of us in the Seattle area use umbrellas. I do carry a big one like this when I take long walks on rainy days.
I have been searching for ideas for what to shoot in this 365 project. Yesterday, I came across something from DPS (Digital Photography School) that suggested incorporating a piece of your camera’s tech that you don’t use often as part of the project. Another article recommended using equipment you typically overlook. A third article proposed various types of self-portraits. I combined all three ideas and created a self-portrait using my tripod (which I rarely use) and some of my camera’s technology by utilizing Nikon’s SnapBridge app to remotely snap the shutter. I’m pleased to be relearning how to use SnapBridge, and it was great to reconnect with my old tripod. Regarding the self-portrait, I have no comment except to say, “Man, am I old!”
This morning, I was watching a fantastic photography course online from Kelby One. Scott Kelby (my favorite photography teacher) was conducting a class titled “10 Things I Wish I Knew Sooner.” The first point he made was, “Nailing the technical aspect of a photo is not enough.” He presented some amazing photos of flowers that resembled this one, but vibrant spring flowers rather than this wilted hydrangea. His argument was that you need a beautiful flower. You can master all the techniques in the world, but if you have a mediocre flower, your photo won’t stand out. I wondered, what about a dead flower? That could move beyond the technical, in the opposite direction.
Back in 2002, we embarked on our first international trip to Europe. Our initial stop was Venice, which felt magical. To remember this wonderful city and the enchantment of Italy, we purchased a full-size Venetian Carnivale mask. It has hung on the Italian wall in our home ever since. It’s a beautiful piece of art—completely made of leather.
Want to see what waiting looks like? This is it. Every time Keeley gets fed, Kathleen sets her bowl down, and she waits until Kathleen gives her the go-ahead before she touches it. As much as I would love to say we taught her this, it’s something she has done since before we adopted her.
In a world and a life that moves so fast, photography just makes the sound go out and it makes you stop and take a pause. Photography calms me. —Drew Barrymore.
