by Tonia, who hugs trees G.
Member since:
November 17, 2005

Wood and Sky - A Photographic Experiment

December 07, 2008 04:33 PM EST (Updated: December 07, 2008 04:34 PM EST)
views: 102 | rating: 9.4/10 (14 votes) | comments: 34

There are some wonderful pieces of driftwood that Deb and I have collected on our walks. Today we have a perfect blue sky here and it seemed a good time to experiment.

 

 

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Comments: 34

Roy ☯ Hilbinger Dec 7, 2008, 4:42pm EST
This is very interesting, Tonia. The top three shots are my favorites because the pattern in the wood seems to flow like water in a river. Excellent work.
Vicky Duggins Dec 7, 2008, 4:51pm EST
I like them. One looks like the scenery from another planet.
Jules ~ Dec 7, 2008, 4:56pm EST
Between that amazingly vivid sky and the wave-like striations on that wood, I'm expecting to see sand and sea. Definitely looks like driftwood. It's a nice metaphor for death admist ongoing life. Wonderful photos.
Svetlana Goryacheva Dec 7, 2008, 4:58pm EST
A VERY successful experiment, dear Tonechka! ;-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.
wonderful...
DesertDarlene L. Dec 7, 2008, 5:12pm EST
It actually looks pretty good there, Tonia.
Heather C. Dec 7, 2008, 5:20pm EST
The blue sky is beautiful.
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 7, 2008, 5:38pm EST
Thanks everyone. It was just fun to get out and play with the camera today. I am quite partial to using a blue sky as a backdrop - the color is so intense and really tends to contrast in a unique way with the subject.
flit . Dec 7, 2008, 6:01pm EST
love those.... just beautiful
Katrina Hall Dec 7, 2008, 6:18pm EST
Wow, what a sky! I was thinking you'd "enhanced it"! The second photo looks so much like a whale it amazes me - and they all are wonderfully natural sculptures.
JustMe ~I'm happy to be~ Dec 7, 2008, 6:29pm EST
I just love these photos. Beautiful contrast between the element of earth and sky.
Wilhelmine Estabrook Dec 7, 2008, 6:51pm EST
The last photo is definitely "the fickle finger of fate." Or, is it a finger pointed by one of the three witches around the cauldron.

Nothing makes a better background than a cerulean sky.

Drift wood is fascinating. hen I was at Twillingate, Newfoundland a few years back, I noticed a side hill full of tree skeletons, bleached white by the salt sea air and wind. They seemed to be writhing in pain.
TD (aka: JaneDough) Dec 7, 2008, 6:57pm EST
Oh, I love these shots! The wood grain is so interesting and each one conjures up a number of images.
mona d. Dec 7, 2008, 7:33pm EST
amazing - the contrast of colors and texture between the wood and sky, and also the almost human-like figure of the pieces.
Tory H. Dec 7, 2008, 7:38pm EST
How beautiful! And what a striking sky...
Atticus *. Dec 7, 2008, 8:19pm EST
Absolutely magnificent. You have really capitalized on the abstract elements of the wood by placing them in context of the stark blue sky. Beautiful work.
Lance L. Dec 7, 2008, 8:43pm EST
Love the way the wood grain pops out, especially the top three.
Nice capturing of shadows too.
Jessie L. Dec 7, 2008, 9:10pm EST
That sky is gorgeous as the backdrop for these photos. My favorite is the last one, it reminds me of a hand pointing the way. Great series of photos.
These are so interesting, with the sky for contrast! Your eye always amazes me.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Dec 7, 2008, 10:00pm EST
i'm not going to say what my brain turned the wood into. but it sure made looking at these fun! love the blue that you captured too, and the composition.
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 7, 2008, 10:13pm EST
CC - I had a feeling someone's mind would wander in that direction....

And I am partial to the last one as well - it does seem that it is a finger pointing.

Atticus - you absolutely made my evening - thank you.

Wil - that would have been an amazing thing to capture with a camera - just sayin'.

Thank you all for commenting here. I am having such a good time playing with my new camera :)
Dannielle S. Dec 7, 2008, 10:34pm EST
I'm actually cutting up my term paper tonight and taping it back together in proper chronological form. When it gets too overwhelming trying to hammer this into final form, I love that I can come here and find some of your peaceful zen-photography.

The wood has texture like a windblown desert or a tide-swept shore in the first few photos, and then the shapes remind me of dinosaurs and other ancient life. I love these virtual strolls with you.
Ann M. (Site Scryer) Dec 7, 2008, 10:34pm EST
Number 3 is my favorite. The tree is a landscape in and of itself.
Aniko     Dec 7, 2008, 10:54pm EST
Beautiful. Even the teenager here is impressed and he asked what kind of camera you use. I said it's probably a good one and you also know what to set it to, to which he told me "Unlike you!"
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 7, 2008, 11:44pm EST
Dannielle - I am so glad that you can find some respite here :)

Ann - it did feel like it was a world unto itself.

Aniko - it's a Pentax k200d - and honestly, I am still using the auto settings - I really do need to go take a camera class sometime :)
Debbie G. Dec 7, 2008, 11:47pm EST
Look what you have done! I remember these pieces of driftwood lying in filthy black water and surrounded by the storm's devastation. You have given them back their beauty.
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 7, 2008, 11:47pm EST
What a beautiful sentiment Deb. Thank you.
Sue * Dec 8, 2008, 1:11am EST
Some of these look like landscapes, I'm jealous of your talent...but, I also am I glad I get the benefit of seeing what you see.
Duckie 1 Dec 8, 2008, 11:01am EST
Denizens of the Sea... That's what I see when I look at these amazing photos. Great work here, Tonia. Except for that last one, Macbeth's old hags came to mind, "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble"...
How gorgeous, Tonia. I envisioned many animals in your driftwood, from horses to foxes. Lovely!
Priscilla P. Dec 8, 2008, 4:42pm EST
Just amazing photography!
Madame Donna C. Dec 8, 2008, 4:44pm EST
I've sent you my thoughts on these but I'm leaving this comment to let you know I've been here to see these again. I'm still ruminating on a couple of them.
Tonia, who hugs trees G. Dec 8, 2008, 6:12pm EST
Madame D - I very much appreciate your thoughts as they are poking me to experiment in a different direction - stay tuned for more :)

And thanks again to some of my favorite folks for taking the time to stop by and add your words to this.
Beryl Singleton Bissell Dec 8, 2008, 9:59pm EST
What a miracle these incredible pieces of driftwoods are with the intricacies of their grains and shapes and Oh, my, that blue, blue sky.

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