Capture the Color
“Buying a Nikon doesn’t make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner.“
I got a chuckle out of this anonymous quote when I ran across it a few months ago. I’d just bought my first DSLR, and it happened to be a Nikon. I had no illusions that the multiple lenses or aperture and ISO settings would automatically make me a photographer. I have friends who have studied the art of photography for years, and I would never insult their talent, knowledge, and ability by calling myself one.
I’m learning, but have a long way to go before I would even consider using the “P” word to describe myself. For right now, I’m one who takes pictures. Lots of them. My strategy is to take a whole bunch because there’s likely to be one good one. I know I’m no Ken Kaminesky or Trey Ratcliff, and I’ll probably never be. However, Henri Cartier-Bresson said, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” I figure that if that’s true, I should be getting really close to taking better photos.
Erin from The World Wanderer tagged me in the ”Capture the Color” blogger game. The object is to publish a post with a photo that captures the following five colors: blue, green, yellow, white, and red. So, as one who takes pictures, I’m throwing my photos out there.
BLUE
Traffic in Rio de Janeiro was crazier than usual during Carnival this year. As we crept closer to Lablon Beach, I noticed some fantastic art covering the retaining walls below one of Rio’s famous favellas. Certainly a symbol of the city, this spray-painted version of Christ the Redeemer caught my eye.
GREEN
In November of 2011, I explored New Zealand and particularly fell in love with the South Island. The beginning of spring brought rain and green grass to the northern part of the West Coast. I lost count of how many times I stopped to photograph something beautiful, and I’m not sure what caused me to pull over for this picture. Being from Texas, I know it wasn’t the cattle, but that was the take-a-way. The look on the calf’s face is priceless.
YELLOW
I could have chosen something for each of the color categories from my five hundred photos from Sambadrome. This photo was from the first of five parades performing that evening. Although I had read all about the pageantry of Rio’s Carnival parades, I still wasn’t prepared. This is certainly something one must see to believe. Color literarily came alive right before my eyes. It is the most visually stimulating experience I’ve ever had.
WHITE
The mountains of West Texas are an extreme place. Summers bring little rain and triple-digit temperatures. Winter is often bitterly cold. The winds seem to never get tired of blowing. Christmas Eve of 2011, I visited my husband’s family in Ft. Davis. Roads were icy and snow covered the ground. Winds howled, and the sun hadn’t been seen in days. In short, it was the kind of Christmas I love. I took this photo at the end of my mother-in-law’s dirt road. It personifies the Davis Mountains and West Texas to me.
RED
My first two nights in New Zealand’s South Island were spent in a cottage near Blenheim right in the middle of a field of grapes. The rolling landscape of the Marlborough Region stood in the distance, and a giant walnut tree was a stone’s throw away. The owner of my cottage pointed out a cherry orchard a short, ten-minute walk through the vines and invited me to help myself. The next morning I walked down to the orchard, bag in hand, and filled it up with the most beautiful and sweet cherries I’d tasted. I sat on my front porch and drank wine and ate cherries for breakfast.
Just as I was nominated, it’s now time for me to nominate others:
- Shauna and Gareth Roughley from Roughley Originals
- Ted from Traveling Ted
- Erik from On my Feet or in my Mind
- Whitney Martin from Whitney Martin Photography
- Sabrina from Country Skipper
I love your pictures, they are beautiful. Love the quote too, I am far from a photographer, but like you, I’m working on it. I have to say, you take wonderful pictures, and I would say you are a photographer in my eyes.
The World Wanderer recently posted..Capturing Colour.
Thanks so much for tagging me and for the very kind compliments. I guess photography is just like anything else. You’ve got to put in the time and energy to be good. A little luck and a keen eye also helps. I’ve yet to put in the time the art deserves. Thank goodness for digital. I’d spend a fortune in film otherwise.
Hi Leah, even the most-seasoned professionals take dozens, if not hundreds of shots to get THE shot the have in their mind. Or if not that, then to give their publisher a selection from which to choose. I probably take 10 photos for every one that I like enough to edit and put online. So by that method, you’re already a “P”hotographer.
Very true, Paul, but the pros throw away shots are still better than my keepers.
But you are very kind to help put it in perspective for me. Thanks!
Cool photos, I like the white one especially
That’s how you learn; you take photos, you see other photos, and little by little you get better. I’ve had my DSLR for three years now, but still learning. The whole concept of a photographer is a very fluid one. Although I’ll be first to admit I am nowhere near as good Kaminesky who takes stunning photos!
Jarmo recently posted..Pamplona – a City Getting Ready to Party
The white one is your favorite? Interesting. Thanks for letting me know. I agree with you on learning. I can read and study, but I’ve learned most by just taking (and deleting) a lot of photos. Looking at other photographs is also helpful as far as composition, light, etc. I think once a skill is learned then we must adapt it to suit our style and not be copycats. That’s how I approach writing, at least. I think if I put as much time and effort into photography I’d develop my own style there as well. And saying you’re nowhere as good as Kaminesky is like saying you play basketball but are not as good as Lebron.
Thanks for tagging us! Your photos just keep getting better and better, you’ve come a long way since your lessons on the walk with Gareth
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Shauna recently posted..Southern Scenic Route ~New Zealand~
Gareth is such a great teacher, so patient and kind. I can’t wait to see y’alls entry. I know it will be spectacular. Tell Gareth that I’d like another lesson when y’all are in Austin.
Nice shots. This contest has made me realize I don’t focus enough on specific colors. I’m still in the “first 10,000 learning phase.”
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..The unforgettable life experience of flightseeing and landing on a glacier
Thank you, Scott. I’m not sure that I really intentionally focus on specific colors, but through this contest, I’m going to start doing it more. Here’s to getting past the “first 10,000″ learning phase.
You may not want to call yourself “photographer” Leah, but these pictures are beautiful. Looking at the WHITE photograph, I can almost hear the wind blowing. And I can’t even imagine how fantastic the YELLOW experience must have been. Great collection!
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted..Photo of the Week: Chicago’s Skydeck Ledge
Hey, Pola, every squirrel finds a nut every now and again.
Strangely enough in the white photograph, the wind was blowing, but the windmill isn’t turning. I’m not sure if it was locked or if I just caught it when the gusts died down. And the yellow? It’s one of my top travel experiences ever. I wish I could have been on the ground and gotten the expressions of the people in the parade. They were all full of such zeal.
Yet again, I’m loving all the yellow submissions I’m seeing. Yours is my fave though.
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..Capture the Colour – In Food!
Thank you, Kieu! Yellow is hard to do without choosing flowers or the sun. Luckily the Brazilians like yellow.
Love that last photo! Those cherries are so vibrant they almost look fake.
Emily in Chile recently posted..Saturday in Santiago: Hogs Salchichería
Thanks, Emily. The cherries were the very best ones I’d ever eaten, and I haven’t tasted any that were better since. It was right at the beginning of the season, so I was very surprised at their sweetness. I’d kill for some right now.
Each is exceptionanlly beautiful…love the green grass and cattle, reminds me of what our Davis Mountains SHOULD be like at this time of year : >
We marveled at the green grass from the moment we stepped foot in New Zealand. It was amazing how many cattle could be on such a small section of land. You don’t see that in West Texas, sadly. I’d gladly send you some of our Houston rain.
Is there anything you can’t do? Beautiful pictures!
You’re too kind, Laura. And, yes, there are lots of things I can’t do. I just don’t tend to showcase them on the Internet. My handwriting for instance…terrible.
Thank you!
Thanks for the nomination!
I LOVE that yellow photo… so vivid. I love how all yours come with such memorable experiences, too.
The red one makes me long for New Zealand (pretty much everything does though)
Erik recently posted..New Zealand- Chapter Five- The Otago Peninsula
I know you’ll have tons of great photo, Erik. I always enjoy your daily photos. You’re not the only one who has said they love the yellow. I like it, but it’s not my favorite. I’m glad to know it makes a positive impression. Get used to that New Zealand longing. It fades slightly, but never goes away. {sigh}
This has been a great day for being tagged. I have been tagged by two great bloggers. I must now get to work, but it will be tough to outdo this one.
Traveling Ted recently posted..5 Top Hiking Destinations in Europe
Oh, go on Ted. Really…flattery will get you everywhere.
I suspect yours photos will be fantastic. I can’t wait to see them.
Lovely, Leah! I learned a lot from your captions too.
And I SO laughed at that first quote… I’m going to use it on my Facebook status!! Hahaha… People are ALWAYS asking “what camera do you have” – agh! BUT glad you’re a fellow Nikon girl.
Loved the Rio shots, I am dying to go some day, I’d probably faint from being color trigger happy. LOL.
Ahhh….thanks, Lily. A lot of people have loved that quote, mostly photographers (even Cannon users). Go figure.
If you go to Rio your finger will never be off the shutter button. It’s spectacular. I’d love to see it through your beautiful lens.
I love the effect of the fence post in the Green shot. I am not sure what it is but definitely adds to the photo. They are all really good.
I really like the green one, too. I had a co-worker tell me that it was a good picture if the fence post wasn’t in there. I think it adds to the photo as well.
Loving your photos, Leah! The foodie – and cherry lover – in me says that red is my favourite, but I’m on the fence as I love your yellow one, too!
I know what you mean about the whole being a photographer thing – I just got a new camera myself, my first even remotely professional type one, and I’m busy pressing buttons and learning new words and phrases like “aperture” and “shutter speed”. In time, in time…
Waegook Tom recently posted..Feeling Like A Loser On A Mountain
Thank you, sir. I say that red is my favorite, but everyone is loving yellow. I hear you on pressing buttons. I’ve screwed up a lot of possible great pictures due to my pushing of the buttons. I’ll learn just in time to buy another camera. Then I’ll have to figure that one out. Round and round we go…
Gorgeous images – I love Yellow!! xx
Scarlett recently posted..The Scarlett Guide To… Surviving A Girls Holiday
Again with the yellow! That was my dark horse. I would have never guessed it would be so popular. Thanks!
Love the yellow and white photos. As a southerner, I still get excited to see snow. Granted, we get a LOT of it just a few miles up the road but never where I live in California. Still like a little kid when I see it. It’s so peaceful, quiet, and beautiful
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With the popularity of the yellow, perhaps I should have made it “Capture the Color: Carnival Edition”. Yes, we Southerners really appreciate the snow, just as Northerners appreciate a warm, sunny day. The grass is always greener, I suppose. I don’t think I’d like to deal with it day in and day out, but on those rare occasions that I do see it, I’m with you. I find it so peaceful and beautiful.