Category Archives: Artistic and Creative

Creative Photography

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There are numerous photo editing programs to adjust and merge/blend photos. One of our grandsons is in the U.S. Coast Guard. He sent me a photo of the ship to which he’s assigned, docked in Kodiak Alaska where he’s stationed. I took his original and merged it with a flag-themed brick wall painted mural I found in Martinsville, Virginia and got this patriotic result.

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I don’t do this sort of thing very often, nor so I have any desire to test the limits of “artful expression.” I just like to have fun with photography.

 

Artisans in Floyd Virginia

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Many folks around where we live in SW Virginia know that Blue Grass music and a quaint town awaits one who visits Floyd, but others might know it’s also home to a group of artisans who engage in a wide range of creative arts. It’s this group that caught my attention during trip there. I made several photos that show some of their fine work.

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This is where much of the work takes place, Floyd Center for the Arts. The day I was there it was cold and a dusting of snow was present. But, it was sunny and the light was such that I was able to capture some of the outside artwork that makes this place so special. Here’s what I saw.

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So, with this post I end my series of posts (for now) about Floyd, Virginia. Now that the weather is improving, and apple trees will soon be blooming, I suggest to any close enough to go there do so, you won’t be disappointed.

A Reflection … Art in Itself

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While I was out and about earlier this month, I saw this creative and somewhat humorous metal and glass sculpture and stopped to make a photo or two. But what I didn’t’ see at first was reflected in a window on an adjacent building. The origin scene was framed perfectly by the white window border and after walking back and forth a bit to get the right angle of view, I made the photo below.

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The window glass with blemishes added to my original image I thought. A lesson I learned long ago is that one should always look around when making photos, not being focused ONLY on the main object. In this case it was the window reflection I saw while walking around. I’m glad I dd. Last point. Too many photographers try to emulate a “typical tourist photo” they might have seen online, or elsewhere. Try for something different. That’s what creative photography is all about.

Looking up in Uptown Martinsville

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Martinsville, Virginia is my home. While I live just outside the city limits, I consider myself a resident, because I spend so much time there with my camera. I have seen the city in ways many people do not. At one time not too long ago, Martinsville was a primary “economic engine” for the Commonwealth. Today, not so much because of major changes in how America obtains manufactured goods, such as textiles and furniture…overseas versus local. But, this is another story. Here, I want to show you what I saw recently while “looking up” in Martinsville. More importantly, I’m convinced that the economic future of the city is also, “looking up.” Lots in that regard is ongoing, but again that’s another story. Now for the photos. PS: Others who live here might want to guess where the photo subjects are located.

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