bug noir: Lines and Shapes

I worked for it today; five hours of shooting at Phyllis Rawlinson Park. I doubt you'd recognize the location if you compared it with my other shoots there. My goal was to shoot examples of lines and shapes to practice seeing what's really in the viewfinder. A bug or two snuck into some shots, so it's not without the usual insect factor.

This is also the largest post I've ever made. Not really the best. I found that reducing an image to its simplest elements, while a useful exercise, does not make for photos that really say anything. A.K.A. they're boring. There's a lot of black and white today because I shot mid-day and there wasn't much color. I tried to use color where appropriate.

Anyway, it was a good day and lots of fun. The weather was beauuuuutiful. Almost nice enough to make you think it's summer!

I noticed this on the picnic table while I was eating lunch. I have no idea what it is. It's dead. It's also on my 'please don't crawl or lay eggs on me' list.

I lucked out when this boring colored dragonfly let me shoot it from below. Fill flash used.

Horizontal and vertical lines on two planes.

Curved line, adding depth, and leading the eye through the photo.

Triangles and vertical lines.

Triangles, diagonal and horizontal lines. Squares.

Mummified rat.

Vertical lines on black; spirals.

Grey triangle leading to circle, leading to square.

Scarier than the rat. Slightly more hydrated.

Green line, brown line, line of circles, blue line, blue rectangles, stacked. Vertical brown lines lead the eye into the photo.

Horizontal and vertical lines leading into a horizontal row of circles. Framed by the dark grey line across the top, which stops the eye from leaving the photo.

Curved line leading the eye through the photo. I cropped out a weak 'punchline' along the line in the lower left. It was a single green weed crossing the white line. Leaving the image in color, with the punchline, might have made for a stronger photo - but the punchline wasn't that punchy, so who knows. I'll revisit it some other time.

Alternating green and grey lines, topped with three lines of yellow, green and blue.

The grand fields of Goldenrod. Horizontal blue line stacked on green and yellow horizontal lines.

Separated horizontal line highlighted by vertical lines of various widths.

A Korean emoticon.

A scene from The Fifth Element, or a strong left to right leading image using a dark grey trapezoid, strong horizontal light grey line and two framing darker grey lines.

Colored rectangles separated by light grey lines, framed by darker grey horizontal and vertical lines.

I drew a crowd. Of one. Very small spider. Who left.

Copper(?) drain spout.

I blew this shot, but it's close. Strong left-to-right leading line with depth. Still not sure how to fix it. It probably has something to do with the dead orange spruce.

Horizontal white lines of degrading focus receding into the distance, creating depth.

Diagonal lines on a concrete downspout spillway that lead the eye from left to right. Vertical lines slow the eye.

Whoah, color! Wasn't expecting that. Curved line from top left to bottom center leads the eye through the image. Darker color of center... whatever they are... holds the eye.