My second favorite: Waterfalls!

Conjunction of Homney Ridge Creek and the Salamonie River; Salamonie State Forest.

My obsession with trees is extremely apparent at this point, but my second favorite of nature's wonders to photograph is waterfalls.  I have always been fascinated with the beauty of a time elapsed photo where the rushing water is soft and hazy, while the surrounding landscape is crisp, clear, and solid.  To me the two encompass the whole of life's journey, with the water constantly moving and ever changing, and the trees with their stoic patience, rooted in place at peace with the serenity of stillness.  Our lives are often marked by periods of chaos and change, as well as times of peace and happiness.   Throughout life we wander, like a hiker in the woods, sometimes in the water, sometimes by the trees, but happiest somewhere in the middle.

Homney Ridge Falls, top of the ridge

Recently I revisited a favorite childhood haunt, Homney Ridge at Salamonie State Forest, in Lagro, Indiana.  We used to come here as kids and climb/slide down the clay and limestone trail to the play in the waterfall and hunt for baby turtles and crawdads in the hot summer afternoon.  In early spring, the bright green of new foliage and beautiful colors and smells of wild flowers abound.  I've been playing with the aperture and Fstop settings on my digital SLR.  I couldn't wait to try it out on the waterfall to see if I could capture the soft rushing of the water against the solid backdrop of trees and rock.

Frozen in time, yet still in motion.

I didn't have a tripod, which is needed when using the slow shutter speed needed to get a good time lapsed photo.  So it took many shots, balanced on slippery rocks to come even close to a decent shot.  But the challenge of getting it just right is most of the fun, and the feeling of FINALLY getting something you are mostly satisfied with is the best reward.  I tried several different angles, from the top of the trail head, to a full shot of the crescent shaped falls, to a close up of one section of rushing water. Each angle had it's challenges, and I am eager to go back and see what improvements in composition, lighting, and angles I can get next time.

The layers of ancient limestone worn away by
the power of  time and water.

I also managed to find another photo nemesis that I have to work on... the dreaded water droplet in a spider web.  Getting the water is easy, but trying to get the spider web to show up on camera is a challenge I have yet to master.  Sounds like an idea to tackle for a future blog :)

Water can wear away mountains, and be caught by the tiniest of filaments.
The power of nature never ceases to amaze.

Playing with Light

Hand Filtered Magnolias

Have you ever held a flashlight up to your hand to see it glow bright red?  I'm guessing you have, and if you haven't you should. It's very cool. You can see your bones and sometimes your blood vessels too. But most importantly, your had glows like the end of E.T.'s healing finger. What does this have to do with photography or trees? Well, it turns out that your hand can become a flash filter using the same action. I found this out on complete accident while just playing around with my camera at dusk.

Wait... are those blossoms... Glowing?!?

Now that the weather is milder, I am putting more focus on trying to figure out the settings on my digital SLR and what the different programs will allow me to do. My beloved Magnolia tree has finally started blooming and I wanted to try to capture the white and pink blossoms in the blueish light of dusk. While I was fiddling around with settings I decided to see what difference the flash would make, with varying success. Naturally in the dark ambient light, the areas of the tree that were close to me were washed out but the middle ground was quite nice. In an attempt to diffuse some of the light I put my hand about 3 inches in front of the flash. To my surprise, some of the blossoms seemed to be glowing in the shot I took.

Spring Wishing...

Madame Magnolia, strong and steady after more than 50 years.

Well, after a two-week hiatus, I had hoped to have some spring inspired pictures to share, but the weather isn’t really cooperating.  So I’ve decided share some photos from last year at this time, when it was sunny and 80 degrees, as opposed to this year, as we are experiencing yet another large snow storm.  So, with a dreamy look in my eye, I’ve pulled up some of my favorite photos of the Magnolia trees in my front yard. 

Full Bloom. 

 The first photo is of a Magnolia that is over 50 years old.  Its full bloom is truly amazing and it was a pure joy to come home to this sight and smell everyday.  I live in a house that used to belong to one of my best friend’s grandfather, and he planted this tree some time after this house was built in the 1940’s.   He planted several different types of trees on the property, but this one is by far the most majestic and impressive.  Its full blossoms are a sure promise that warm days and sunshine are coming. 

A splash of brilliant color.

The strength under the beauty.

 The smaller Magnolia with the deep pink blooms is a newer addition, maybe only 15-20 years old.  The difference in the size and fullness of the trees is a testament to the length of time it takes a tree to grow and flourish to such a great size.  The richness of the magenta petals of the younger tree is simply a difference in the variety of Magnolia tree, but I see it also as a statement of youth.  The younger tree flaunts its brilliant color next to the pale blooms of the ancient one, with its lighter burdens and slimmer branches.  Yet it is still dwarfed by the experience, strength, and wisdom of the larger, older tree.  Its burdens may be heavier, but its fullness lends it an authority and respect only gained by the passage of time. 

A Closer Look

Tiny Snow Stars, my front yard.

Frost Face, my front yard. (can you see him?)

     This week I decided to play around with the Macro setting on my camera.  I specifically bought a digital camera that had zoom and Macro capabilities.  Granted, it's not a super expensive camera, but I figured it was a good place to start.  I have no previous experience using a macro, and the extent of my knowledge is pretty much, I can get really close up to my subject.  The main reason I wanted a camera with macro capabilities is because I love to look past the whole of an object and just see the parts.  Too often we take for granted all the amazing things we see and our brain processes our sight so quickly we don't often take note of the tiny details that give our world its rich splendor.

Lichen what you see?  my front yard.

One of my favorite homework assignments I give my students is to go home and look at the grass in their yard.  I have them get down and really look.  When they come in the next day we discuss how many different colors they saw.  Depending on the time of year, I get answers like brown for dirt, tan for dead grass, green for healthy grass, grey for a stick, orange/red/yellow/brown for a leaf, purple/blue/yellow for flowers.  It is amazing how something so simple opens their eyes to the colors of the world around them, and causes them to seek out what makes those colors, and really appreciate the details of their world.  My obsession extends beyond the grass and goes right up the tree trunk.  I LOVE tree bark.  I love looking at it, touching it, photographing it.  The texture and patterns, colors and contrast, it is a feast for my eyes, and excites my creative spirit.  

Valley or Crevasse? my front yard.

This morning when I awoke, there was a dusting of snow on the lawn and it was still blowing a bit in the air.  I grabbed my camera and decided to try and get some close up photos of the snow clinging to the tree bark.  Usually I just put my camera on the automatic setting, click on the macro option and go, but today I tried to take pictures using a variety of settings.  One thing I love about my camera is it lets me be lazy.  I don't have to take notes about my settings, I can go back and look them up... as long as I don't accidentally delete them.  My struggles today were getting the camera to focus on the snow particles and not the bark.  I also played with different angles and shaded some of the ambient light with my hands, to keep the snow from being just white, and diminishing the details.  I certainly need more practice at this but it was fun to play around with it.  I even got a couple optical illusion shots where it like you looking down into a rock valley inhabited by a ponderous glacier (oh come on, use your imagination!!).  Take a look at them and tell me what you think!

The Last Pass, my front yard.

Frozen Opportunities

                                                 Slick Twigs, my front yard, Wabash, IN

Maple Rhythms, my front yard.

     An opportunity to break out the camera presented itself this week in the form of a snow day.  Or, more aptly, an ice day.  As a front of winter weather passed through, it left crunchy snow and a layer of ice over everything in its wake.  As glad as I was that I didn't have to get out and drive in the icy conditions, I was delighted to try to capture the marvel of my sparkling trees.  At least that was my intention.  Many times over the last decade, I have wished that I had my camera in order to capture the fresh fallen snow or layers of ice sparkling in the brilliant winter sunshine, while backed by a crystalline blue sky.  So the vision I had of getting out and capturing a stunning photo of magnificent glittering trees encapsulated by winter's touch was squelched when I discovered how hard it was to photograph clear ice, backed by a dirty, white, cloudy sky and a white, crusty, snowy ground.  Dismal is the word that properly describes the feel of that day, the weather, and my mood.  I was not, however, going to give up without getting something decent in my camera.  As I moved around the yard, I discovered that if I used some of the evergreens on my property as a background, I could get the ice on the deciduous trees to become visible.  HA!

Red Branch, my front yard.

I snapped a few from different views, and decided to call it good when I could no longer feel my fingers.  Needless to say, spending 15 minutes in my front yard, snapping a few photos while still in my bath robe and slippers isn't a huge expedition, but I am feeling very encouraged in my endeavor to recapture my love of photography.  Next step, unearthing all my notes, books, and photos from college, and relearning how to use all the settings my camera has to offer.  (Any hints, ideas, tips, or critiques are welcome in the comments!)

Gotta stArt Somewhere...

American Beech Tree, at Charley Creek Gardens, Wabash, IN

     My name is Chelsea, and I am an elementary visual arts teacher, mom, and wandering artist.  I grew up in an incredibly artistic family.  When we were young my mom stayed home with us and caned chairs, wove baskets, and refinished furniture to help supplement the family income.  This was all aside from (or incorporated into) her other artistic endeavors.  Somewhere around age 6 (early 1980's) I made my first stamped leather belt.  Mom was into making leather purses and wallets, hand stitched with intricately stamped and dyed designs.  Wanting to get in on the fun, as any child would, Mom ordered my sister and I belts and let us choose the patterns and designs we stamped onto them.  She helped us center our names on the back of the belt and stamp it in with a classic country-western block font. With a finishing stain for color, we were done.  I have no idea where that belt is now, but the memory of making it has stuck with me all these years.  I can feel the steel stamping tools in my hands, the excitement of being allowed to work with them coursing through me.  I can hear my mom's patient voice as she checked my work and showed me how to line up my tool to re-stamp a design that was too shallow.  I can still remember the feeling of triumph at seeing my shell shaped pattern come alive as I worked.  I can feel the pride of looking upon my completed work and even then, with a self-critical eye because one of my E's was a little crooked.  I'm sure I had colored and drawn pictures before this, but this belt, this was the start of my search for creating, and fulfilling my creative drive.  It's been a winding road, and I've often left the path for long periods of time, but I'm finding my way back.  This blog will chronicle my journey and (hopefully) help me stay accountable in my attempt to find my focus as a producing artist.