colors

Looking Back

~ patricia emerson mitchell ~ Leave a comment

I would love to be so disciplined I wouldn’t keep bouncing back and forth between not only months but also years, but I’m just not very good at that. I would like to be so disciplined and organized, in fact, that I had records of anything I’ve posted here and on social media. Alas, I’ve not done that.

A short time ago I thought, “Okay, it’s time to start at the beginning of 2019 and do some record keeping. I can at least keep track of any images I’ve exported!” (Lightroom shows what has been exported, and if I’ve given an image a title I know I’ve posted it somewhere.) So I went back to January 1.

Yes, I was quickly distracted. The image below was only shot #25 according to Lightroom (I did probably delete a few massive failures earlier, so it might not be the 25th shot of the year.) I don’t know if I can make this one work, but for now I’ll post it as it stands so far. It might change. It might get trashed. I’m never sure until I’ve sat with something for a while. But these colors … yes, they are real colors … this is what happens when you wake up at some horrendous hour in the morning so that you can greet the new year with the sunrise and friends. (It actually IS worth the early rising, but that doesn’t stop me from grumbling about it!)

Water Abstract, 1.1.19

First Shot

~ patricia emerson mitchell ~ Leave a comment

I took an almost 6 mile walk today, despite it being rather windy. It was lovely to get out in the morning, when the temperature was in the low 60s. I prefer my walking weather to be somewhere between 55° and 65°.

At first I wasn’t sure I’d be using the camera at all, but when I saw this Phormium (at least I’m fairly sure that’s what it is!) I just had to stop. The colors and lines appeal to me.

The wind died down a bit later on, so I did manage a few more images that might make it here at some point.

First Shot: Phormium Lines & Colors, 6.17.19

Trip to Carrizo Plain and Death Valley

~ patricia emerson mitchell ~ Leave a comment

Dan and I took a little trip this week to both the Carrizo Plain and Death Valley. I really needed this get-away, and he just finished teaching a post-retirement quarter at DeAnza so I suspect he needed it as well!

The flowers in the Carrizo area are just unreal. Truly. Even while there, it’s difficult to really comprehend. My first shot, though, was merely with the iPhone. This is before we reached the actual plain, if I understand where we were. (Dan knows for sure since he knows the area better and is the driver for most of our trip.) I loved seeing the baby blue eyes there. Just stunning!

First Shot: Wildflowers, 4.1.19 (iPhone)First_Shot-_Wildflowers,_4.1.19_(iPhone).jpg

Nemophila menziesii, 4.1.19Nemophila_menziesii,_4.1.19.jpg

Castilleja excerta (I), 4.1.19
(Owl’s Clover)Castilleja_excerta_(I),_4.1.19.jpg

Layia platyglossa (I), 4.1.19
(Tidy Tips)Layia_platyglossa_(I),_4.1.19.jpg

I wasn’t the only one getting down low …
Dan in the Flower Field, 4.1.19
Dan_in_the_Flower_Field,_4.1.19.jpg

It’s not easy to describe the colors. It’s not easy to believe them, either. But the Phacelia were amazing and the variety of yellows unbelievable. Here are just a couple more shots. I have many more to look through, some close-ups and some not. I hope to share more soon, but I also have to start focussing again on music-making.

Wildflower Colors at Carrizo, 4.1.19Wildflower_Colors_at_Carrizo_Plain,_4.1.19.jpg

Purple, Yellow, Green, 4.1.19Purple,_Yellow,_Green,_4.1.19.jpg

Death Valley images will mostly wait for another day, but I suppose it would be wrong not to post just one. This particular morning we spotted some photographers out on the dunes. I love to shoot photographers. Peacefully, mind you. (I even wondered if perhaps this was a workshop run by a friend of ours, but I’ve not asked him yet.)

Photographers at Sunrise on the Dunes, 4.3.19Photographers_at_Sunrise_on_the_Dunes,_4.3.19.jpg