Good Bye old deck you have served me well for the last 28 years. Though I know you were built in the 70’s and are far older than I have lived here, the amount of joy you have given me over the years knows no bounds.
I sit here on these boards for one last time I reflect on endless summer days spent sitting on the deck, enjoying the shade provided by the roof. Looking over my shoulder to the view of North Sister mountain.
and looking forward over the yard and the neighbors yards
Making endless plans on what I want my gardens to look like.
Enjoying a morning cup of coffee on the steps. Reading a good book. Working on hand stitching Christmas presents for my family. Sleeping on the deck on hot summer nights, even hauling my old TV onto the deck to watch DVDs. Setting up a photo studio, for that perfect light, dreaming about the perfect photo. And one summer recuperating from a broken wrist, working on my physical therapy in the morning coolness. Winters filled with firewood, so I didn’t have to go out to the wood pile every time I wanted to start the woodstove. You have served me well. But Now….
It is time for an upgrade. New support posts and new deck flooring, and maybe new paint on the wall…. Something in a clean white for bringing in the sunlight
Looking forward to many more Summers with the new you
My early spring flowers. This shot was made last week for the 52 wk challenge Behind the scenes. The theory behind this challenge is to show what actually goes on during a photo shoot. Ideally you might include the photographer in the scene shooting the shot and then include the shot. But lately I have been just showing my inspiration for the shot. So while this was the shot I was going for
This was the shot that was posted on the challenge. It shows the main photograph which was the idea. The small inset photograph on the right, are the dandelions in my front yard flowerbeds the inset on the left is my garage photo studio and several of the containers I thought might look good with the dandelions. Last year for this challenge I had a much harder time getting inspired. I had my photo area set up on my back deck which is protected in the winter.
My inspiration for the 2024 was simply what can trigger an inspired idea. I decided to photograph what had been set onto the photo table, where I kept my photo props and the lights I had purchased to make lighting the scenes easier. In the center photo you can see my feet propped up on a footstool to show that I was sitting in my favorite chair trying to come up with an idea for that years challenge. My most favorite year was 2023 I had so many ideas
2023 was much chillier most of my flowering plants were way behind schedule. We were still dealing with COVID limitations, I think it was my most creative year and many of the other photographers in the challenge that year were inspiring me. This shot I had pulled out my bracelets that I had worn for work before I retired. What better way to show them off than to put them on some of the natural rock features in my lower yard. I even used the rock that the bracelets are sitting on as the background for the collage. The shot with me in it was taken using my tripod and self timer while I held one of my other camera bodies…. Did I mention that I have worn out 3 cameras during the 4+ years of this challenge.
2023 was also the year I had given myself a secondary challenge, for each challenge I did one submission in Black and White and the others in my usual color. This was my B&W submission, again, on my back deck photo studio. The subject was an odd shaped vase some juniper sticks, and the few daffodils that had just started blooming, but my idea was to photograph the chair that had so many uses behind the scenes. The day I shot the B&W collage I also shot the color photos and made them into a collage for the challenge too.
In this collage I used the same daffodils, juniper sticks, stems of dried Flax seed heads, various vases and some toile inside a diffusing light box. All of these were with natural light. I also used Pinx as my photo assistant. I put the different photos on a background that was a piece of sample glass I had photographed to use for collages.
I find I enjoy playing with this type of challenge and hope to continue to play with my camera my ideas and the ideas of my friends. And the first shot? with the dandelions…. Well that wasn’t my favorite shot it was this shot. I needed one more flower, went out to pick another dandelion and came back with this tulip instead.
I like taking photos of things that inspire me. Then I like to place those photos where I see them every day. I picked up the glass beads in a store because I thought they would make a good gift for one of my nieces but it would be months before I would give them away and so I put them in a place I would not lose them, on the pedestal of the large screen for my computer. It is several years later, and they are still there, because I decided I really liked them for myself. I also really like feathers and am always picking them up on my hikes or just walking down my driveway. The Peacock Feathers I bought at a craft store since I don’t have a good source for them. I love Feathers… I was on my first year of taking Nicolesy’s 52 week challenge and inspiration for each challenge was everywhere or nowhere depending on my mood or the challenge. I had just gotten a new phone and needed a new photo for the screen. I was feeling the need to create and probably needed something for the Green Challenge or the Flat Lay challenge. Sitting on my back deck and looking at the deck floorboards I decided to play with the feathers and the different colored glass beads using the deck boards as the backdrop for the photo. This was the final result, I used this shot for whatever challenge I decided to put it in and then photographed it with my phone and placed it as a screen saver. I see it everyday and it is still inspirational.
Hello world and friends. I have been here before as a matter of fact this would be my third time trying a site of my own. Time has passed and I think I would like to try again. For the last 4+ years I have been participating in a challenge group run by one of my favorite Photographers Nicole Young /Nicolesy. I have learned a lot, mostly how to release my fun inner side… I would also like to introduce some of my alter ego friends.
pinx in peacock feathers
Starting with Pinx. Now Pink is not a color that I gravitate too. I certainly would not have picked a troll with pink hair, but he came in a load of stuff my friend and I purchased from another online seller. Once I removed the silly wings he began to shine in my photographs for the 2023 year 52 week challenge .
Having so much fun with Pinx I decided to add another Troll and searched Ebay for the right personality. Meet Aqua.
Pinx and Aqua
One of the challenges was reflections I had decided to introduce Aqua to the other members of the challenge group by making it look like Pinx was looking into a mirror and seeing his reflection with different colored hair.
pinx and aqua reflections
It was a success, and took a while before some of the other members of the group realized that there were two of them.
Aqua, Pinx and their pet lizards
Soon they began collecting pets which they called lizards.
Pinx, Poppa T, Aqua, and some of their pet lizards
A trip to the thrift store netted me another troll that was larger than the other two. He had silver hair and Poppa T was added to the tribe. By the end of the 2023 year I had quite the collection of fun photographs using the trolls
My hope is that I can continue the fun that is photography with the blog.
Deanne Dements Photography 