My favorite wildlife animal is the fox – Go see what Dave Cesari photographed. Click 2. Photo shoot images in left hand column – Then return here and read on!

Photography is a way of expression. It is a medium for story telling. There is something special about taking photographs and sharing them with friends, family, and online. Your favorite location looks unique at different times of the year –  Snowfall in winter, spring flowers, green in the summer, and colors in the fall.  Maybe choose the theme of telling the story of the changing  seasons of your favorite location.  

What ever your chosen theme, go out and photograph only subjects that you think fit that theme – enjoy the challenge of finding the subject you wish to shoot – then get on a ladder and photograph it from on high. Next, lay on your stomach and photograph it.  Then backup, look through the v of the big oak tree and place your subject right in the middle of the v.

Well, last week I chose “abstract close-ups” as my theme.

Branches from the downed tree.

I was out cutting down some trees on the shores of Lake Huron, on Drummond Island.

My photographic eye said – I bet a close-up of that wagon load would be a great abstract.  I can show what this pile of branches will look like next winter – as an abstract!

Not a very clear cropped image – that iPhone just does not do it

While looking at the terrible iPhone close-up my mind took a crazy path – I have not idea where it came from – but I think I wanted to learn by doing – If it does not work out – that means I learned what not to do.

Be careful of that let’s try attitude – I had that attitude even when I was younger boating, raising cattle, riding motorcycles, riding horses, etc.  That attitude sent me to the Emergency Room more than once – But I think having that attitude with photography is safe – If it does not work out on try one – just erase it and start over.

Back to me looking at the terrible iPhone close-up.  Suppose I changed my theme – from iPhone to PhotoShop abstracting using this iPhone photograph as a starter and adding some of my past photos from each of the four seasons. That is what I did.  It was fun and I will show you the results. Study each of the season’s images for hidden images within.

Here is what I did on step one – thinking of the tractor in the barn this winter.

Many many more fun steps produced the following winter abstract of the tractor in the barn:

Snow and all – Drummond you know!

This is summer – Me in my convertible – But I must move on to the beauty of spring and fall.

Spring in NYC area – And now move on to fall football and college classes .

The fall season – Here it is – No one taught me to think this way – I just tried it. Hey, look for hidden cats, turkeys, & more

All four seasons in one.

Boy did I learn a lot about PhotoShop by just doing.  I sure do not want to encourage you to become a PhotoShop nut like me. No, No!

But my message is – pick a theme for your photo moments – create your photos from all different angles, different foregrounds, different back grounds, same scene different seasons, different lighting…… AND learn to have fun by creating, taking on a challenge, and by trying.

As you swing thru life – enjoy your photography more – create, take on a challenge, and try.