2206_2318 Lonetree Lake
Hiking the shore of Lonetree Lake, I found myself on a grassy hill, scanning for birds. At that moment, all the birds in view were some distance away, and while considering my next strategic move, I happened to notice this row of plants in the shallows.
I try to keep a fluid mind. Years ago, I vowed to act on every idea and not allow a photo op to slip away - and to turn off that negative inner voice telling me, "No, that's no good; that will never work!" It's a self-defeating mechanism that tends to keep us in a safe zone, repeating what we already know we can do well. To be willing to risk failure is really the beginning of the creative process.
And so, I shoot a lot of bad photos. Really. Countless thousands. It doesn't matter, especially in the digital age when we're no longer looking at $4.95 or $12,50 or $20 per roll of film. But even then, I poured a lot of hard-earned money down the drain by shooting unlikely subjects: trash cans in alleys, weeds in a vacant lot, landscapes in light so poor that there was no chance of getting a decent image. That's how I learned. Boxes and boxes of old slides from those years attest to my failure rate. I am finally tossing them out by the thousands.
The point of all this? Have no fear. Push your limits. Break through limitations imposed by others - or that nagging, inner voice - and shoot any which way you feel inclined.
And what are these plants? Well, I don't know. I suspect they may be Western Water-plantain, in their pre-flowering stage, but I can't be sure. I like the cool blues and ragged shapes springing up from the still water, and I'm glad I took the time to frame this shot. It didn't cost me a penny, and it didn't detract from my bird quest that day - as you will see over the next few uploads, starting tomorrow.
Photographed at Lonetree Lake, near Bracken, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2022 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2206_2318 Lonetree Lake
Hiking the shore of Lonetree Lake, I found myself on a grassy hill, scanning for birds. At that moment, all the birds in view were some distance away, and while considering my next strategic move, I happened to notice this row of plants in the shallows.
I try to keep a fluid mind. Years ago, I vowed to act on every idea and not allow a photo op to slip away - and to turn off that negative inner voice telling me, "No, that's no good; that will never work!" It's a self-defeating mechanism that tends to keep us in a safe zone, repeating what we already know we can do well. To be willing to risk failure is really the beginning of the creative process.
And so, I shoot a lot of bad photos. Really. Countless thousands. It doesn't matter, especially in the digital age when we're no longer looking at $4.95 or $12,50 or $20 per roll of film. But even then, I poured a lot of hard-earned money down the drain by shooting unlikely subjects: trash cans in alleys, weeds in a vacant lot, landscapes in light so poor that there was no chance of getting a decent image. That's how I learned. Boxes and boxes of old slides from those years attest to my failure rate. I am finally tossing them out by the thousands.
The point of all this? Have no fear. Push your limits. Break through limitations imposed by others - or that nagging, inner voice - and shoot any which way you feel inclined.
And what are these plants? Well, I don't know. I suspect they may be Western Water-plantain, in their pre-flowering stage, but I can't be sure. I like the cool blues and ragged shapes springing up from the still water, and I'm glad I took the time to frame this shot. It didn't cost me a penny, and it didn't detract from my bird quest that day - as you will see over the next few uploads, starting tomorrow.
Photographed at Lonetree Lake, near Bracken, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2022 James R. Page - all rights reserved.