Combining form and function, a window captured in the picturesque town of Speyer in Germany.
In last week’s post on Wednesday Window – pt.3, we looked at the effects that the weather might have on the window and building. Today, let’s take a look at a window from a bit more in the past, which combines form and function; let’s visit Speyer in Germany!
The town of Speyer is a lovely, picturesque city on the Rhine river with a rich history dating back to its founding by the ancient Romans as part of their fortifications on the northern frontiers of the empire…
Stadthaus Fenster
Speyer was one of the cities that my wife and I visited as part of our Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in 2022. We spent time sauntering through the old streets, admiring much of the architecture and taking in the great variety of periods represented throughout.
This image is a detail of the town hall, presenting some of the decorative aspects of windows, as they often will have a flower box to enhance their look. I also wonder if flowers were put in windows, so that they could enhance the smells coming into the house, as during olden times there may have been less than pleasant scents emanating from the streets…
For this image, originally titled “Canyon of Light,” what do you suggest as a more apt name?
Part of the enjoyment in working through my photo canon (as photographed with my Canon of various vintages) is the consideration of titles for some of these images. At some point in the life of an image its title becomes important, as it says something specific about the expression that is attempted through the depiction; as such, it also might steer the viewer in certain direction(s).
There was a working title for the image in today’s post…
What’s my name?
This is an image captured at Tower Hill Botanic Garden using a 100mm macro lens; even though it was shot at f/11 the depth of field is rather shallow. What caught my eye was the playful cascade of the light across the flower, which combined with the shape of the petals gave me the sense of the way light might fall into a slot canyon in the southwestern United States. This gave me the working title of “Canyon of Light’.
As I was working on re-processing this particular image (a dangerous habit, as tools and skills evolve and new creative opportunities arise), the thought came to mind that this is no longer a satisfactory title for the image.
So my question to you: what would you name this image?
In any creative endeavor, we can find ourselves in a proverbial rut sometimes. This has happened a number of times during all the years that I have dabbled in the photographic arts; across nearly 50 years of photography, one looks to learn and improve. When I struggle to see improvement in my work, I tend to question the why behind my photography, which might lead down a couple of rabbit holes!
Luckily, photography is not a one-dimensional means of expression, as there are lots of choices to make to get that image you might be after. Aperture, shutter speed and composition are starting points. Of course, the equipment we use for a particular shot matters, as it did in this image from 2009…
Zone Plate Yellow no. 1
At first glance, you might ask what is so unusual about an image that is out of focus? The catch is that this image is not out of focus. It was captured with a Lensbaby Composer using a zone plate lens. You may ask what all this means, unless you too have dabbled with this kind of lens.
A zone plate lens is effectively a series of rings surrounding a center hole with each of the clear zones of these rings equalling the area of the center hole; thus each zone gets thinner as you move away from the center of the zone plate. You may still be scratching your head, and I could tell you that the zone plate uses diffraction for focusing rather than refraction, the way a standard lens works. Based on analysis by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, the lens was constructed with the spacing of zones to create constructive interference of the diffracted light, thus producing the image.
This might still sound a bit odd, so let me share that one of the effects is that the detail of the image is given a surrounding glow, as you can see in the above shot. This might be an effect that one tries to achieve in post-processing; for me, it is enjoyable to capture this intent right in camera. The post-processing that I applied consisted mostly of raising contrast and bumping up saturation to create a more vibrant image. There also was a bit of retouching of dust spots on the sensor, as the zone plate has an effective aperture of f/22.
I’m curious to hear what type of photography equipment options you use to boost your creative juices. Let me know.
Welcome to the 204th round up of the Tuesday Photo Challenge!
I very much hope that all of you and your families are doing well during these trying times; please stay safe and healthy!
The posts that you created for the theme of Spread were definitely a wonderful spread! Not only did you share some gorgeous photos in your posts, but your thoughtful approaches created some surprises for me in your interpretation. Well done!
It was a joy to read all of your posts, and take in the wonderful photography; thank you for the effort that you put into them!
Spring brings us new hope…
Crocuses spreading their petals
These crocuses broke through a tapestry of autumn leaves, reaching out to the nourishing power of the Sun. It’s lovely to see the petals spreading and inviting the occasional passing hungry bee to touch down and pick up some pollen. I found some of these clutches of flowers, as I was wandering around while my wife and our youngest Cardigan were taking a herding lesson.
Please enjoy the following blog posts:
What a great way to kick off this week’s responses in the post in Don’t Hold Your Breath! There’s more than one spread in here, as the wonderful spread of food helps with the spread of our human body. Well done!!
Sarah starts her post in By Sarah with some great wings and then has us looking up to see Nature spreading in front of us! Great post!
Brian certainly made ma laugh with the first photo in his post in Bushboy’s World; that is quite the character. Also, a great looking sky!
Xenia brings us a stunning set of views in her post in whippetwisdom, where she is spreading the light that will help guide us through these times. Beautifully done!
That is quite the spread that has been laid out in theOnlyD800intheHameau; a chance invitation to a wedding can result in a lovely feast!
Maria shares a truly stunning photo in her post in Kamerapromenader, as she captured the eagle-owl at just the right moment with its wings spread!
ackie takes an approach to the theme that had not come to my mind in JunkBoat Travels; although, it stands to reason that you want to spread the nuts to introduce them into fudge! Wonderful post!
Nandini spreads the love in her post in queennandini; I particularly like the thought of a smile spreading from one’s mouth to their eyes! Great imagery!
I agree with Diane’s opinion about Marmite in her post in pensivity101; those blankets are much better than spreading marmite on anything!
Tatiana finds a gorgeous spot to go for a walk in her post in TravelWays, getting some fresh air is definitely a great thing to do during these isolating times.
Woolly is going for a bit of controversy in his post in WoollyMuses, as Vegemite is definitely not to everyone’s liking 🙂 Time to compare Vegemite and Marmite?
Ann-Christine really captured the majesty of the young eagle-owl that is being released in her post in To see a world in a grain of sand…! The spread of those wings is truly impressive!
Pat captured the spread of a tree beautifully in her post in Thoughts and Entanglements; it always amazes me how trees can overcome just about any obstacle that we put in their way!
Deb’s photo of the orangutan doing what it does so magnificently in her post in Twenty Four is stunning! It’s truly amazing how much reach these primates have!
David delivers another set of stunning photos in his post in David M’s Photoblog! Those pelicans in flight are simply spectacular!
As the past spreads out behind her in the mirror of life, Sandy’s words in Out of my Write Mind generate a sense of optimism on how to live life fully!
Nicole captures the spread of the river Ouse beautifully in her post in Une Photo, Un Poéme. Gorgeous photo!
The progress of the dandelions that we get to enjoy in Geriatri’X’ Fotogallery is not welcomed by everyone, as they may mar the perfection of one’s lawn. Their spread is a thing of beauty, though!
TiongHan is trying to give us a sense of odors he experienced in a wonderful post in TiongHan’s Blog; I can imagine that the scent of an open-air tannery would be rather pungent to behold!
Robert shows his eye for capturing the right moment, as the wings spread for take-off in his post in Photo Roberts Blog; magnificent photos!
In a lovely post in One letter up ~ diary 2.0, we get to enjoy that blanket of clouds that holds the light at dusk for us to cherish before the onset of dark.
Debbie captures the spreading of the word in Travel with Intent with a great set of photos that tell the story of interesting travels!
Klara shares a nothing short of stunning photo in her blog Sliku svoju ljubim II, which was taken at a location that is on my bucket list! The arches are just gorgeous!
If the Sunday brunch spread in Musin’ with Susan is any indication of her taste in food, I’m ready to partake! Clearly, Susan knows how to enjoy brunch! Also, go check out Susan’s week in review in Musin’ with Susan, as there are more great photos there! Love the shot of the yellow tie, as it’s striking!
Irene is clearly blessed with a wonderful area to visit in the Indiana Dunes National Park; the sunlight spreading across the vast landscape in Heaven’s Sunshine is spectacular!
Teressa shares something rather special with us in Another Lqqk, as Grandma’s quilt is not only beautiful, but also precious through the memories that it invokes!
Please let all these wonderful authors know how much you enjoy their blog posts!
Welcome to week 157 of the Tuesday Photo Challenge! Yes, this post means that this challenge has been running for 3 years now! Thanks to all the amazing support from the blogosphere!!
Of course, you blew me away with the response to last week’s theme, which I thought might have had special meaning to many of us. This week, I want to make the theme about the most important thing that I can think of in our endeavors here and in many other aspects of life: Connections! Making connections with one another and learning more about the world and the great people, with whom we share it.
Your challenge is to capture any type of connections that you would like to share, as they come in many guises and at many levels. This is a great opportunity to let your creative energies flow freely and see where they take you. I can hardly wait to see what connections you will feature in your posts!!
Here’s a literal set of connections…
Floral Connections
These wonderful, bright yellow flowers are all connected to their supporting branches, striving to reach every bit of light that they can! This image comes from a visit to the Botanic Garden of the Technical University in Delft, Netherlands. This is a wonderful place to explore and enjoy the beauty of Nature, reconnecting to all that is special…
The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the tl;dr:
Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!
Let’s all make new connections and enjoy this week!
Easter is one of those fun holidays that brings old and young together, as they are looking for eggs around the yard or queuing up for a picture with the Easter Bunny. Families get together, whether to have an elaborate dinner or enjoy the first great Spring weather outside and admire the flowers and enjoy the gentle breezes.
It’s a time to feel ourselves regenerate from Winter or enjoy the early Autumn, if we’re in the Southern Hemisphere. In New England, we start looking for more flowers to show their beauty, such as this…
Sonya of Middleton Road, posted a stunning capture of a rose that you must go and see.
Miriam of the Out an’ About blog, brought out a cornucopia of flowers, including some rather unusual ones that you have to see.
The mysterious Vaayadi Pennu, who writes Pins & Ashes, shows us a lovely Konnapoo in full bloom.
Nikki, who writes A Kinder Way brought forth a wonderful set of images depicting the life of some of the members of a bouquet of white roses.
Steve, who writes Meandering Maverick, had no shortage of stunning images of irises near the sidewalk at his house.
Monica, whose blog Look Around! Love what you do! Do it Well! is very interesting, linked back to us this week in her exploration of dandelions. I hope we see her again in the future!
Debbie, of ForgivingJournal provided multiple perspectives on some lovely flowers!
Thanks to each and every one of you, as I appreciate your taking the trouble and putting a great effort forth with these images.
Now to start preparing for Tuesday’s new topic…I’m trying to make up my mind on which one to pick 🙂
Last week was a bit of a slump on posting, as I started the week on the road to attend New Hire Orientation at headquarters of the company I just joined; it took me most of the week to get my energy, and some of my inspiration, back, as I had spent the prior three weeks working my tail off to get everything finished and my previous job and exhausted myself.
So now it’s time to revitalize and look toward the beauty that will soon return..
Snowbells Popping Up!
These cute little snowbells comes from the same day of shooting as yesterday’s post Spring Into Saturday at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. Whereas yesterday’s post was taken indoors, the temperatures on that March day were pretty comfortable, so I checked what might be growing outside (in northern Massachusetts it’s usually not much).
This is where I found these pretty snowbells that had just popped up within the previous couple of days. Getting down low, they provide a nice little grouping.
I think that I might go find some more of these beauties on this fine Easter Sunday.
Technical Details
Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mk II using an EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens at 98mm. Exposure settings were 1/200 second at f/9 and 400 ISO. As the focal distance was rather short, the depth of field becomes nice and shallow for this image.
Some weeks high-technology work can be soul-devouring to the point of leaving precious little time for any other creative expression. Given that I barely got time to escape the office this past week, I present to you an image of tulips to help us employees lift our spirits.
Please accept this with a promise that soon, not nearly soon enough, I will get additional time available to get some real photography in… Stay tuned for the announcement!
The image is not re-cropped, as I shoot mostly square with my iPhone 6S; it’s an aspect ratio that forces my eye to observe things just a little different.
What do you do when you can’t get away from it all?
