From time to time I like to go out for a walk with a camera and create a small challenge for myself. This morning it was walking a few blocks up one side of a city street, then down the opposite side, while capturing a few images along the way. Unlike many photographers I never take images of people when I am out on a street walk as I am much more fascinated by what people create…and tend to leave behind as a legacy.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 44.2mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6
Initially I am usually draw to signs of all different types. The plague above was imbedded in the sidewalk. It is something I’ve been asking myself every morning for well over five decades. As I get older I’m likely asking the question for a different reason.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 31.9mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6
I love to find things that make me think, like a bit of philosophy.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 46.1mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6
Which, of course, covers all kinds of approaches to life.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 58.3mm, ISO 200, 1/320, f/5.6
And, some that remind us that life is a relative experience.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 35.3mm, ISO 200, 1/1250, f/5.6
Many make me smile and remind me of hobby pastimes.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 80.5mm, ISO 200, 1/100, f/5.6
Style can be found in the most unusual of places.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 27.2mm, ISO 200, 1/250, f/5.6
Artwork on buildings always intrigues me and I enjoy finding murals of all types.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 12.1mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/8.0
It is refreshing to know that the creativity of the human spirit is alive and vibrant.
NIKON 1 V2 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 120.9mm, ISO 160, 1/4000, f/5.6
I often will capture images through store windows, looking for dramatic lighting…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 92.8mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6
or splashes of colour.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 10mm, ISO 200, 1/200, f/5.6
Eventually I am drawn to buildings…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 72.2mm, ISO 200, 1/250, f/5.6
and their beautiful details.
NIKON 1 V2 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 72.1mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/5.6
The artistry of stained glass always draws my attention…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 58.3mm, ISO 200, 1/640, f/5.6
as do the angles and symmetry of structures.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 79.1mm, ISO 800, 1/20, f/5.6
Geometric shapes are particularly appealing to me and I often find myself lost in the shapes and angles I find around me.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 14.4mm, ISO 200, 1/50, f/5.6
I also love high contrast things…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 67.6mm, ISO 160, 1/60, f/5.6
or everyday items that are rich in detail.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 17.1mm, ISO 160, 1/160, f/5.6
Repeating patterns act as a magnet and draw me near.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 35.3mm, ISO 160, 1/1250, f/5.6
The stronger the repeating lines or patterns…the more dramatic and compelling they are to me.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 56.2mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/5.6
Sometimes I will play with common things like a steel bench, shooting at different angles to create a somewhat abstract image.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 38.8mm, ISO 200, 1/320, f/5.6
I enjoy creating simple compositions that extend lines from one element to another.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 75mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/8.0
One of my great joys is working with angles and shapes to create the illusion of something that is not there in reality, except in my mind’s eye.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 100mm, ISO 160, 1/500, f/5.6
Nostalgia can often be found during a walk…like a brand from my teenage years…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 67.6mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6
or a reminder of what used to adorn the top of my head…before most of them jumped ship!
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 37mm, ISO 160, 1/800, f/5.6
A street walk reveals character that is demonstrated by rust and age…
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 37mm, ISO 160, 1/30, f/5.6
or by mismatched human attempts at repairs.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 72.2mm, ISO 160, 1/50, f/6.3
Character is found in artistic bricklaying – a skill that is sadly dying away in many cities.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 65.9mm, ISO 200, 1/800, f/5.6
I often wonder what happened inside the buildings I pass.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 25.7mm, ISO 160, 1/80, f/6.3
The truth always seems to have a way of revealing itself – peeling back attempts at disguise.
NIKON 1 V2 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 76.4mm, ISO 160, 1/30, f/6.3
Invariably towards the end of one of my walks something will leap out at me and compel an image, causing me to think. Was the hubcap discarded and of no more use…or is it simply waiting for the next journey to begin? If there is a new journey – where will it lead?
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