Some cool “cheats” for amature nature photgraphers

As a photographic artist, one of the things that might appeal to you is shooting stunning shots of some of nature’s wonderful scenes and animals. But, depending upon your location and ability to do some traveling, this may or may not be something that you can easily do. 

In cases in which you can’t get out to the wide open spaces in the American Western states, take a trip to Australia or the Arctic, or even check out the hot, dry African wilderness, there are still some “cheats” you can do  order to get some incredible shots of majestic beasts and landscapes.

1. Head to the nearest zoo  

If you hit these facilities at the right time, you can get some great shots on animals and the man-made scenes that are set up for them to stay. Sure, you might have to deal with crowds and fences but there are sections that you can work around such problematic elements. You might also come across some aqua exhibits that you can explore through glass.

Here are a few samples of my own  wildlife and nature photography at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

2. Find a local park or hiking tail

Some of these will feature beautiful vegetation and waterways and you might occasionally get a photo of anything from a small animal to something as large as a deer or bear. Of course, in these cases you have to be a little more careful as that there is nothing to come between you and the animal if it decided to get a little daring.

These are a few of the pictures I have taken on trails.

 

A new poetic style

As a person who loves to be inventive in my own way, it was a while back that having been inspired by the likes of the Sonnet, Limerick and Haiku, I thought about trying to develop my own poetic format. This is what I ended up developing. Who knows, maybe it will catch on.

I call it Singular Linearism.

The name is a result of the fact that it is made up only lines of a single word or single small phrase of less that 5 words. The full piece can be either 16 or 20 lines. And the structure is as follows:

If 16 lines –

Lines 1 – 3 – One word

Line 4 – One phrase of 3 to 4 words

Lines 5 – 7 – One word

Line 8 – One phrase of 3 to 4 words

Lines 9 – 11 – One word

Line 12 – One phrase of 3 to 4 words

Lines 13 – 15 – One word

Line 16 – One phrase of 3 to 4 words

If using 20 lines the phase should be at lines 5, 10, 15 and 20.

Sample:

The Seasons

Heat

Vibrancy

Exhilaration

Golden Rays

Earth

Trees

Breeze

Falling leaves

Cold

White

Ice

Glistening snow

Rebirth

Uprising

Sun

New life

 

 

Book Review – Knitting the Andy Warhol Bridge By Ann Curran

If you are a poetry fan and from the Pittsburgh area, chances are you might know Ann Curran for her work. She’s been writing for publications and putting out poems in the region for several years. This is the first book of her’s that I have had the pleasure to read and thus I wanted to take the time to give credit where it is due.

The book includes more than 100 poems with a variety of themes and styles. Some are very intense while others come off as whimsical or even a bit comedic in nature. All are penned in a literary form that showcases simplicity but still somehow manages to present readers with a lot of description and and keep them engaged.

The author moves between formats as that in some cases she uses rhyme while in others it’s more of a free verse style.

All in all, I enjoyed it and would say it’s well worth checking out for any fan of the poetic arts.

You can find this book on Amazon or get it though your favorite bookseller.

Artist Micaela Buantello Enriquez

Art comes in many forms and it’s always a fun experience to learn about a new artist that you have not heard of before. This was the case when I came across the vivid and detailed creations of one Micaela Buantello Enriquez.

While this young lady does a lot of work in the horror genre (you can check out her Facebook here), she is rather diverse in her designs and certainly offers an intriguing style for her fans.

Below you can take a peek at a few samples of some of her pieces.

Gobos in Nature

Have you ever made use of a gobo in your photography sessions? If not, or if you don’t have the slightest idea what i’m talking about, you are missing out on a really artsy tool.

The term is short for go-between which is anything you put between the light and the subject to create a pattern on the subject via the use of shadows. Typically, gobos can be made or purchased and are often plastic, wood or metal. But just ponder for a moment that maybe nature can generate gobos.

Of course this is the case. For example, the branches from a tree just like the photo here, can make interesting and attractive art. Give it a shot the next time you want to experiment.