IN THE FIELD: Front Lawn Decor

 

There seems to be no boundaries when it comes to exhibiting objects on front lawns.

Some of the more common items seen around these parts are the retro pink flamingos, windmills, lighthouses, wishing wells, and gazing balls. And then there are the ceramic frogs and toadstools, and various critters from the forest. Small cement human figures holding lanterns, and concrete deer stuck in a pose that lasts an eternity make occasional appearances. Oh, and lest we forget the garden gnomes. I mean, what’s a garden without a few dozen garden gnomes?

And what’s with the two sections of fence at the end of driveways that seem to have no meaning. Are these supposed to tell others where the corner of the lawn may or may not be? Or was the homeowner intending on fencing the whole property and just quit right there? We may never know.

I wondered for about a minute whether geography plays a part in what one may see on front lawns. Apparently it doesn’t. This supersized Texas Longhorn skull is not exhibited on an expansive ranch out west where it would more likely be seen. Nope, it’s back East. This lawn ornament resides in front of a home in a residential area of a small town. Across the street from the home is an apartment complex and a block down the street is a grocery store. 

A curiosity…certainly. Quirky….absolutely!

 

 

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IN THE FIELD: Further Explorations Needed

Last week I was out exploring a small town not far from where we live. I have driven through the town in the past, mostly as a shortcut to get to somewhere else, but never took the time to stop.

I walked up and down a few streets and not only discovered a wealth of photographic opportunities, but found an interesting town whose history goes back to the early 1700’s.

In the center of town is a hotel built in the late 1800‘s. It has been converted into multiple storefronts, one of which is a cooking school open to folks of all ages. Several old bank buildings decorated for the Holiday season also stand proudly in the center of town.

There are restaurants, a brew pub, small shops, and businesses, and even a bed and breakfast lining the main streets. Many of the older homes and buildings have stained glass windows and ornate iron work adorning the facades.

I’m glad I spent some time wandering the streets. I found all kinds of interesting subjects and look forward to some more snooping around town. I even got to see the Statue Of Liberty!

 

 

IN THE FIELD: Farm Fresh Sculpture

This past weekend we took a leisurely drive out in unexplored farm country. The rolling hills and pastures were covered in green grass and stands of corn waiting to be harvested.

As we drove along a winding road, we came across several fields of recently harvested hay which was formed into huge bales. Curiously, the hay bales were stacked three to a stack and seemed to be placed randomly throughout the fields.

My wife and I have been around farming communities most of our lives, but have never seen hay bales standing like sentinels in a field before.

These stacks of hay reminded us of the sculptures on Easter Island. Perhaps the farmer was in a creative mood the day of harvesting and was thinking the same thing.

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IN THE FIELD: Bigger Can Be Better

My sister has a menagerie of critters in her back yard, and many of them are not shy of humans. You can walk right up to them and they rarely move from their position.

They are also very easy to take care of. She has mentioned in the past, none of the animals have fussy diets, and they really don’t mind where they sleep. As long as someone comes out to visit them from time to time, they are perfectly content.

This shot was taken with my 35mm lens. I was shooting in mid-day and the rooster was in bright shade, so I under-exposed the shot 1/3rd stop to saturate the colors.

IN THE FIELD: Who Nose

This past Sunday we took the pups to the city to visit the arboretum. We hadn’t been there in a month or so, and thought it would be a nice treat for them, and for us also.

The recent rains rejuvenated the gardens and everything is doing really well. The cooler early morning temperatures brought out more folks than usual to walk their dogs or to go for a jog in the park.

There are many sculptures placed throughout the grounds, and the one pictured here was just recently installed. I have no idea what this stone sculpture is meant to represent, as there were no identifying marks or descriptive plaques anywhere. It reminds me of the statues called moai, on Easter Island.

IN THE FIELD: Sometimes It Pays To Dilly-Dally

During our last visit to western Montana, we discovered this statue outside the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It stands in front of the foundation’s museum, where visitors can learn about the elk and other wildlife of the region, plus what is being done to help preserve their habitats.

After touring the museum, we went outside to get a closer look at this larger-than-life statue. Impressive is a good way to describe it.

I had taken a couple of shots, but the statue was in deep shadow from the thick cloud cover. Disappointed, we started packing up the camera gear and decided to return the next day to try for some better photos. As we were finishing up, we looked back and saw the clouds had parted, allowing the sun to shine through and highlight the statue. So I quickly grabbed the camera and tripod. And I was able to compose a few shots before the light disappeared.

I sure am glad we were taking our time putting all the photo equipment away!

 

IN THE FIELD: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

As photographers, we visualize and shoot a scene based on decisions we make in the field. After returning to our studios, the image may not match our intended vision for the scene.

Maybe the color rendition is not right, or maybe the mood of the scene is not portrayed the way we imagined. Cameras don’t always record things the way the human eye sees, so sometimes we need to make adjustments in the studio.

And thanks to the digital camera age and computer programs, converting a photo from color to grayscale, for example, is a lot easier than back in the day.

I originally photographed this bronze statue in color, but when I viewed it full screen in the studio, I thought it may actually work better as a grayscale image. So I converted it and viewed it alongside the color version. After comparing the two for a few minutes, I then left the studio for awhile, so I could come back and make a more objective decision with a fresh eye.

I found I still liked the the grayscale version better. It evoked the mood I wanted to capture when I was in the field.

The bronze statue is named “Boy With Gulls” by Charles Cropper Parks.