Team-up Thursday: Spring & Picture Inspiration

It’s Team-up Thursday. Nancy and I have missed the last couple of weeks. She’s traveling, but I’m the real culprit. Our photos couldn’t be much different, but then our environments are much different right now. She’s in sunny (and hot) Florida. I’m in snowy Rochester. In fact, she says it’s a lot more like summer than spring where she is. Her photo was taken at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. The colors reminded her of spring. Mine was taken here and represents the HOPE of spring despite the several inches of snow we got yesterday. These are winter aconites. They’re the first flowers in our yard to bloom. Sadly, they’re in the back so we don’t get to enjoy them much. By the time, we’re out in the yard, they’re gone.

I got behind with Picture Inspiration as well, but I’m really enjoying this class at BPC with Tracey Clark. In addition to motivating me to take photographs, the gallery is a constant source of inspiration. I’m also taking Kent Weakley’s Photography Composition e-class which is wonderful. Yesterday’s lesson talked about how to look at the images you admire to discover those elements of composition that contribute to your love of the image. As I have long recognized, each of us see images very differently, and what appeals to one person may not have the same appeal to another. The key to good composition in photography is to figure out what you love so you are happy with the images you create. After all, most of what we photograph is for our personal pleasure or memory books.

A week ago the prompt was motif. Tracey’s continued with her exploration of pattern and rhythm. Here’s part of the definition–“a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc, in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.” I immediately thought of our hand caned chairs that belonged to my great-aunts.

This week’s prompt was “stacked,” which was already a prompt for Team-up Thursday a while ago. I did post my cheerios photo again, but also two new ones.

The kayaks stacked up along Irondequoit Bay last week before our recent snow. The bay is still covered with ice in many places, so it will still be awhile before they’re in the water.

And these gorgeous measuring cups from Pier One that I first saw on Deb’s blog and then found on sale. They’ve found a permanent spot on my kitchen counter where we can enjoy them as well as use them.