Ritva Sillanmaki invites lens-artists photographers to “see beyond the surface” and “focus on the shapes, colors, textures, and patterns of the subject, rather than its literal representation.”
Some of the images below were created through the use of double exposure, shutter speed, focus, light and shadow, and gift of nature’s beauty.
sunset silhouette
leafless branches — in the sky
an ink-line drawing
Cache la Poudre River… Nikon D750 f/5.6 13s 24mm 100 ISO
This week’s photo study is an exploration of shutter speed. Shutter speed, a basic photographic component, is defined as the amount of time your camera allows light to enter your camera. The variables of a scene being photographed together with the size of aperture and the shutter speed have the potential to create unique images.
A fast shutter speed will freeze moving objects.
Nikon D750 f/5.6 1/2,500 300mm 100 ISO
While fast shutter speeds create crisp and sharp images, slow shutter speeds — open for half a second or longer – extends the length of time light is entering your camera. This light is continuously being influenced by the motion within the scene and thus creating blurry, foggy, silky, or milky elements within an image.
Nikon D750 f/22 1s 35mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/8 241s 24mm 100 ISO
The shutter speed in panning photography can be as low as 1/20 or as fast as 1/125. The trick is to match the speed of the subject with your speed of panning. The inclusion of motion blur within street photography is often created with a high aperture setting, a low as possible ISO, and a low shutter speed.
Nikon D750 f/29 1/6s 75mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/9 1/20s 85mm 320 ISO
The images below are examples of various shutter speeds with the same aperture and ISO settings.
Nikon D750 f/7.1 1/60s 35mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/7.1 1/30s 35mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/7.1 1/20s 35mm 100 ISO
Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you enjoy Ted Forbes’ discussion of shutter speed and his nighttime images. Would love to hear your thoughts and see your creative work.
Spring Creek Nikon D750 f/2 1/40s 35mm 100 ISO
The foundation of all mindfulness practice is awareness of the breath. There is no mindfulness without awareness of our in-breath and out-breath. Mindful breathing unites the body and mind and helps us to become aware of what is going on inside us and around us. In our daily life, we often forget that mind and body are connected. Our bodies are here but our minds are not. Sometimes we lose ourselves in a book, a film, the internet or an electronic game, and we’re carried off, far away from our body and the reality of where we are. Then, when we lift our head out of the book or look up from the screen, we may be confronted with feelings of anxiety, guilt, fear, or irritation. We rarely go back to our inner peace, to our inner island of calm and clarity, to be in touch with Mother Earth.
We can get so caught up in our plans, fears, agitations, and dreams that we aren’t living in our bodies anymore and we’re not in touch with our real mother, the Earth, either. We can’t see the miraculous beauty and magnificence that our planet offers to us. We are living more and more in the world of our minds and becoming increasingly alienated from the physical world. Returning to our breathing brings body and mind back together and reminds us of the miracle of the present moment. Our planet is rich here, powerful, generous, and supportive at every moment. Once we recognize these qualities in the Earth, we can take refuge in her in our difficult moments, making it easier for us to embrace our fear and suffering and to transform it.
Awareness of the in-breath and out-breath first of all calms us down. By paying attention to your breathing, without judgment, you bring peace back to your body, and release the pain and tension. …
When our minds and bodies have calmed down, we begin to see more clearly. When we see more clearly, we feel more connected to ourselves and to the Earth and we have more understanding. When there is clarity and understanding, love can bloom because true love is based on understanding.
…Each breath contains nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor as well as other trace elements, so each breath that we inhale contains the Earth. With each breath, we’re reminded that we are part of this beautiful life-giving planet.
~Thich Nhát Hahn, (Love Letter to the Earth)
winter sleep Nikon D750 f/13 13.1s 28mm 100 ISO
Nikon D750 f/32 0.625s 60 mm ISO 100
a meditative journey 
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