Sharon's Week 24: I Like to Move it, Move it

The countdown to summer is on...four more days!  Well, according to me, anyway.  When I was a kid, all the seasons changed on the 21st of the month so my birthday, June 21st, was always the first day of summer, longest day and shortest night (as I would tell you ad nauseam every year).  Now though, I have to check a calendar to see which day is the solstice and it varies from the 20th to the 22nd.  Regardless of the actual scientific start of summer, June 21st will always be the first day of summer for me so, Wednesday, it is...Happy Summer everyone!

Last week I mentioned that I wasn't sure why I put some of these topics in the project but I do know.  The idea is to take something ordinary or boring even (bike detail, rust, hair, just to name a few) and find a way to make an interesting photo or a photo that means something to me or tells a story or something like that.  This process takes creativity for sure and that really is what my photography projects are all about (I think).  Instead of just heading out back to photograph the rust on the barbecue, I have to think about where else I might find rust, where would rust be interesting looking and how will I photograph it.  This week I had to do that for "peeling paint."  It's kind of fun and frustrating at the same time when I think I have ideas but they don't pan out.  Anyway, there seems to have been a clump of these more challenging topics in recent weeks so I hope there aren't many of them left.

Let's see what I had to contend with this week...

wild card

I'm putting this one first because I love lupins and thought I'd warn you that this week's group of photos might just be a little heavy on the purple flowers.  I looked up the correct spelling and I found that it's okay to spell lupin with or without an e and since a silent e makes the i sound long, I choose without.  There's my grade three spelling lesson of the day.  These lupins are along the side of the highway and I pass them every year as I drive back and forth to Elliot Lake each week.  I always think that I should stop but I never do.  This week, I did!  The lupins were blowing in the wind and I figured I could get my "motion blur" photo (see below) but I didn't have my tripod with me and nothing turned out.  I went back yesterday with Pam but sadly, there was no wind.  I did get out my wide angle lens though and captured this.

motion blur - object in motion

I really do enjoy making these kinds of photos (both with the object moving and with the camera moving) but apart from the lupins blowing in the wind, I was rather idea-less this week.  I thought of a fidget spinner since they are all the rage right now and the other night when Pam and I ran into each other in the mall, I decided to buy one for this subject.  I will bring it to work now and I will be all my kids' favourite occupational therapist when I let them use it.  Note my thumb...still swollen, still shiny, still stiff and sore and still feeling funny.  Sadly, I appear to be a slow healer.

S

See above re: lots of lupin photos.

citrus

I made up this pitcher full of iced tea in order to showcase some citrus fruits.  I wish I had a smaller pitcher since now I have a lot to drink.

peeling paint

While out with Pam last Saturday I saw this peeling paint on an old piece of equipment on Topsail Island at Bellevue Park.  I headed back Sunday morning to photograph it.  All week I kept looking for another option...in my head I can see several different colours of peeling paint all together making an awesome shot but I can't find such an item.

swings

I brought Pam back home last night after lupin-stalking and she volunteered her children for my "swing" photo (fair's fair as you will see - I'm sure she will credit me in her motion blur photo).  Danica agreed and it turned out that we had exactly two minutes before the rain started.   

zoom in

I think that when I put this on the list I just meant to use a telephoto lens for getting up close but I decided to get the motion blur from zooming while the shutter is open.  This is a hibiscus in the greenhouse at Bellevue Park.

I also zoomed some lupins.

That's all folks.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  I'll call tomorrow.  In the meantime, here are some pretty flowers for you.