These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Today I took my camera with me as I had to run some errands. I was hoping to take at least one picture I would really like. My problem is I take way too many pictures that I end up liking. Until I took a photography class in the fall of 2009, I never thought of photography as art. That class completely changed my view of photography. It's definitely art! And as such, it's very subjective. So I add photos I like, although you may very well look at these and wonder what on earth I found appealing in my subject.

I started off this morning taking a few pictures of the spaceship house in Urbandale. There's really no place to get a good shot of this (unless you're the neighbor, I suppose). And it's not that my shot of this house is fantastic; the subject is intriguing to me. I'd love to see what's inside.

I loved stained glass And while this stained glass is a bit dull for my taste (I like the bright colors in stained glass), I loved the texture and the way the light was coming through behind the window, contrasting with the dark woodwork around it.

This photo was taken of the driver's side window. I had an appointment and came out to find the window covered in ice droplets. I loved the texture again. And yet I was frustrated that it was ice and I couldn't see out my window.

If you've never been to Jester Park in Polk County, you're missing out on quite a treat. I am always very impressed by how well-taken care of this park is. Kudos to the workers there. I drove through the park with my window down, heat blasting, listening to the birds, and enjoying the scenery.  It's a beautiful park in all seasons. I came across a row of these trees (help me out, tree people--is it a crab apple?) and noticed that several had small nests nestled in the branches.

I liked this close-up of the pine cones. I took many pine tree shots, but this was my favorite photo.



I am thankful that Jester provides so many nice habitats for the wildlife. There are prairie areas, such as this one, as well as piles of brush for the woodland creatures and other wildlife habitats.

Finally, a reflection shot at Jester Park Lodge. Amongst the many other types of photos I love, I love reflection photos. They're always thought-provoking to me. What do I reflect upon others and what do they reflect upon me?

The Kathedral

I love this photo of a stained glass window taken at The Kathedral in Des Moines. I love this close-up of the window as it shows both the beauty of stained glass as well as the damage this window has suffered over the years. Up close one can see how neglected this window is, yet it's still beautiful. I love the contrast. I've come to discover that I really like contrast in my photos.

In the above photo I love the big stained glass window, yet also being able to see the curve of the ceiling and the old chandelier. Again, the contrast of the dark items against the bright window is what I like, as well as that little bit of gleam off the curved ceiling. 

The Kathederal is located just south of I-235 to the east of MLK. It's being renovated and I just happened to walk in one day and ask if I could take photos. They let me have free reign and I got some great shots that day.

This photo was taken from the 2nd floor, looking down the stairs to the basement. The door was open on the main floor allowing the rails to be well-lit. I liked the view.

I don't know anything about what denomination of church this is and I have no ties to it. They were simply kind enough to show me around and let me take my photos. It was a great place to take pictures and I need to stop back in some day and see how they are progressing. These photos were taken in the fall of 2009.



I love the arches over the door, the stained glass above the door, the wooden staircase inside, all contrasted against the grey cement of the steps. 

Lexi

This is a silhouette of our cat Lexi, taken in front of our picture window. She was sitting on the back of the love seat, watching out the window at sunset time. This window faces east and so while there was a bit of color here and there in the sky, it wasn't dramatic. I wanted the focus to be on Lexi so I purposely blurred the background in Photoshop.