52Frames Levitation Weekly Photo Trending

I was rather disappointed last week when my weekly photo entry was not trending. The only reason is because my photos have been trending every week since April - when I first learned such a thing existed. I believe it may have something to do with the number of likes the photo received from fellow framers from all over the world. So I was nervous about this week’s entry… would it trend or not? The album always opens on Tuesday and my photo has been trending on Tuesday night or the following day. I was somewhat relieved to see that it was trending beginning last night and it lasted until this morning - usually around an eight hour period or so?  I’ve had somewhat of a dry spell of making the 52Frames best cuts that come out on Thursday, and haven’t been showcased on the instagram site either for quite a while. They say this isn’t a contest but it really is. I guess it’s really all about the attitude. It’s a hobby where you get to meet people from all over the world and it gives me an opportunity to be as creative as possible using the tools that I have. I’m not really a photographer anyway. That’s why so many really great photographers had a problem with the subject this week because it requires more than point and shoot. It was more of a project of layering several images to create “levitation” that goes beyond a simple edit. I actually love the editing process more than taking the photos. Let’s see what happens this week! 

52frames Beautiful View Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject this week for the 52Frames photo challenge was “beautiful view.” We went three different places and I really wasn’t happy with the end result. Everything is so green at this time of the year I wasn’t thrilled. We went to the Smithsonian Gardens, Theodore Roosevelt Island, and then to Constitution Pond. It wasn’t until we walked over to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that something caught my eye. There were a lot of very happy colorfully outfitted visitors taking photos of a beautiful view. A candid image of a group of them checking the group selfie just made me smile. We were asked to take a few photos of them too. It was such a pleasant sight to see the animated happy friends. A few of the other photos taken during the week were okay - but the group of travelers just told a better story. No, it’s not photographically the best image out there and I don’t expect a lot of comments. I just liked the overall vibe. It needed a bit of editing to eliminate the interlopers and was cropped down to size. In the end the colors and beautiful view just made me happy! 

52Frames Rule of Odds Photo Challenge

The subject this week for the 52Frames weekly photo challenge was “rule of odds.” That means things in odd numbers. My first thought was to visit the National Gallery of Art. We hadn’t been there for a while and so that was the plan. We started off in the sculpture section, then moved about rather aimlessly hoping to come upon something of merit. I absolutely love Monet and that is where the photo that was submitted was found. There were three Monet paintings, three cushions, three couch legs, and a father and two daughters. The most striking part were the girls. While dad was captivated by the painting, the girls were having a wonderful time and I caught them in the act of swirling and spinning. So it was titled “Dancing with Monet.” The only problem was that there was an interloper sitting on the couch and I needed to edit him out by using clone and painting him over. I also put together two composite images - one of my husband going down the stairs and a second of some guy standing beneath a painting that was triplicated. A few other options were taken in the east gallery main hall. I’m usually not satisfied if I don’t submit a composite but the expression, vibe, and color from the uplifting scene in the Monet exhibit could not be resisted. 

52Frames Negative Space Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject for this 52Frames photo challenge this week was “negative space.” We drove in to town thinking that the National Gallery of Art would have a lot of options. After we parked in our old Capitol Hill neighborhood we walked over to the Capitol grounds. Usually there are a lot of people milling around. But this time there was a solitary young man sitting on the steps. I didn’t think it would ever work for the subject and we moved on to the gallery. And I was right. There were a lot of great photo ops in the art gallery. I have more fun editing the images than taking pictures of them. So I went back to the Capitol steps and starting to change the original image. First it was cropped vertical rather than horizontal, edited to high key, the background layer was made more transparent, and the image of the boy was duplicated and placed on a second layer in the same spot so he would stand out. It was a difficult call this week because there were so many good ideas including a Gardner snake we saw in the neighborhood park! I changed my mind three times and ended up using the Capitol steps over my husband in the stairwell and another young boy painting at a kiosk in the gallery. I also try to gauge the reaction of Instagram followers and they liked the Capitol steps most. This one was a tough call. Sometimes it’s better just to have one choice! 

52Frames Move the Camera

The subject for the 52Frames weekly photo challenge was “move the camera.” It’s hard to do when your camera is an iPhone. So I use an app with a long exposure - and I don’t really know what I am doing. At first I tried a few things around the house - like the orchid and the building across the street. But later in the week we took a walk to the Smithsonian American History Museum in search of something “historical.” We have been there many times before and started off in the entertainment section. I like Prince’s guitar and the overall bright primary colors. Then we headed over to the First Ladies exhibit for some fashion. The last stop was the transportation area but nothing seemed right. Before leaving we hung around the second floor area overlooking the main lobby/entrance. There were a bunch of kids in bright hats and yellow safety jackets bursting with enthusiasm as they ran towards the Star Spangled Banner. Luckily I caught the action in time and was able to edit the image more to accentuate the pops of color. There were also a few men huddled together that made for an interesting look, but my husband liked the kids a lot more. This wasn’t one of my favorite challenges but lately all of them have seemed more difficult than usual. It still gets us out of the house - and for that reason it’s a good thing. 

52Frames Bokeh Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject for the 52Frames photo challenge this week was “bokeh.” I never even knew what the word meant until I joined this group. It’s the “bubble/light effect” you have in the background - seen in movies a lot. We unexpectedly came across an injured red fox scrambling through a Virginia neighborhood. His back legs were not working right and he seemed desperate to find refuge. We followed along in our car to see where he would go. Then all of a sudden he stopped as is to ask for help. He had such a sad look on his face. The photo of his eyes and face was remarkable, but it was the best selection for this week’s entry because there was beautiful green bokeh and a soft backdrop that highlighted the main subject. There was also a lovely egret shot and one of a blue jay chowing down on an acorn from the constitution garden pond in DC, a family that looked like a shadow in front of the WWII fountain, and a golden leaf against the fall background in the neighborhood park. We took another morning walk in DC to see what else we might find, but it was quite unremarkable - the first time I can remember. We also drove out to Theodore Roosevelt Island, but there was nothing captivating there either. Each week brings a different subject. Some of them are easier to create than others. At least it gets us out of the house. 

52Frames Red Weekly Photo Challenge

The challenge this week was “red” for the 52Frames photo op. My mom’s seventy five plus year old vase was a great idea - even though the stem of it was broken right after I brought it home. It was placed on the windowsill in full sunlight that cast interesting shadows and also brought out the delicate floral design. Then the base was isolated and placed against a solid black background. To add a bit of interest to the scene, a photo of my husband’s miniature rose plant was taken. One bud was isolated from the image, copied, shifted in to different positions - including a falling flower that gave it some movement. Then a red swirl was added to the base of the vase representing the broken piece and added to the “redness.”  I also tried the same scene using a white peony flower but in the end preferred the roses. I really enjoy creating composite images as opposed to just taking a photo and submitting that with a bit of editing. I’m not really a photographer as such. I enjoy taking pictures and turning them in to projects. It’s all part of the digital art world and is a great hobby and keeps my creative juices flowing. And my husband is the best critic. He always helps me get the image to look just right. Usually it takes several iterations. And he has the patience to do this every week. 

52Frames Leading Lines Photo Challenge

I ended up using the Baltimore tunnel photo for the leading lines 52Frames photo challenge this week. I had taken several photos around the National Mall, but thought we might find something driving up the eastern seaboard last week. Since we were so busy involved with activities I didn’t have enough time to really edit and do all of the things I normally do to make it the perfect entry. The pigeons on the American Indian museum were interesting. The US botanic garden always has great options - the fountain in the main conservatory, the giant blooming corpse flower, and the variety of ferns and plants. Then we walked towards the Capitol building where there is a lot of construction going on. The staircase work and fencing leading to the library of Congress was interesting. Then we continued towards the National Gallery of Art with a view from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol from several angles. Since I’ve used a lot of photos from Washington DC the Baltimore Tunnel was something different. We haven’t been out of state for three years so it was an adventure to visit family again in New England. The last time was in 1998 for my parents fiftieth wedding anniversary. This time was for a memorial for my oldest cousin who unexpectedly passed away last year. It was so great to see everyone again and nice to hear a few of my cousins are following along when photos are posted. It’s really a great hobby. There is just something about New England.