Nikon

departing tears 

Dragonfly wings ... shining silken garments. Now my heart is aching. Who will give it rest?
Young Dragonfly wings ... rich embroidered garments. Now my heart is aching. Who will give it peace?
Dragonfly bursting its cocoon ... plain white linen garments. Now my hearts aching. Who will give it love?
~The Book of Songs (cited: Anonymous,The Jade Flute.  Project Gutenberg
departing tears…Nikon D750 f/3.2 1/4000s 40mm

my eyes traveled there… 

I have seen a road that wanders in green shade, that runs through sweet fields of flowers. My eyes have traveled there, and journeyed far along that cool fine road.

But I will never really walk that road; it does not really lead to where she lives.

When she was born, they bound her little feet with leather bands; my beloved never walks the road of shade and flowers.

When she was born, they bound her little heart with leather bands; my beloved never listens to my song. 

~Anonymous (cited: Various Authors, The Jade Flute Chinese Poems in Prose.  The Project Gutenberg
Double exposure…Nikon D750 f/5.6 1/400s 170mm

lens-artists photo challenge: from forgettable to favorite

This week’s lens-artists photo challenge (Travels and Trifles) invites us to share our photo editing process that aids in the realization of our artistic interpretations.

The side-by-side images below (Nikon D750) were part of a nature walk that began with an intention to create in-camera double exposure photographs. As you will notice only one of the photographs below was created in camera.

After the initial adjustment and cropping edits within Capture One 21, the final images were created using the Analog Efex Pro 2 software.

f/8 1/250s 38mm 100 ISO

f/8 1/320s 38mm 100 ISO

f/8 1/125s 38mm 100 ISO

Often when I walk away from the editing process with a bit of frustration, I call to mind a mantra introduced to me by the photographer, Bruce Percey, “you can’t make a bad photograph good, but you can make a good photograph bad.

I have often found that what is “forgettable” and that which is “favorite” often times is grounded in the subjective experiences of the photographer and the viewers.

Be safe, be well, be sage.

up 

Because of this, sad, sad has the whole day been to me.
You must go forth and journey, far, very far.
The time has come when you, the maiden, must go.
The light boat ascends the great river.
Your particular bitterness is to have none from whom you may claim support.
I have cherished you. I have pondered over you. I have been increasingly gentle and tender to you.
A child taken from those who have cared for it—
On both sides separation brings the tears which will not cease.
Facing this, the very centre of the bowels is knotted.
It is your duty, you must go. It is scarcely possible to delay farther. ... ~Wei Ying-Wu 
(cited: Trans: F Ayscough & A Lowell, Fir-Flower Tablets

Photograph submitted in response to The Life of B’s monthly square challenge … the absolute rule – Your main photograph must be square in shape!