Nest & Keys Still Life 1

Nests & Keys Still Life 1

It's that time of year when I seem to grow weary of the winter. My camera has sat in its drying cabinet for weeks & the landscape is bleak. It's no wonder that I'm lacking inspiration!  Here in the Adirondacks, February's weather has been all over the place. It's been in the 50's one day & then back down below 0 the next with many days in the teens in between. This creates ice.  Lots and lots of ice!  It's very difficult to get out for walks with the dogs, never mind trying to hold the camera without falling!  Those precious few warm days that have snuck in have given me the itch to get out and shoot. Soon enough there will be an abundance of green & dreamy spring flowers to photograph. In the meantime, I can still feel the pull of my camera from its dark resting place. So what to do when the landscape is weird & not particularly safe to walk in?  Still life!  

Nest & Keys Still Life 2 Nests & Keys Still Life 2

In the past, I had always turned to still life during the winter months. This year's long stretches of cold meant that the studio was a little too brisk for me to want to linger. Now with the occasional warm day, I finally feel motivated!  I had the idea that I wanted to use nests & keys & I also wanted to do it using three different Lensbaby lenses. Now, I have to admit, these did not come out as I had envisioned them. I look at them as practice for when I can finally get back out there in the wilds. It's amazing to me how a few weeks away from the camera has caused me to feel a bit 'rusty'. It reminded me that it's important to keep at it, even if you're not blown away with what you've created. And that's okay!  Who knows what accidental masterpiece you might create while you're practicing! And I do believe that by practicing you can gain inspiration for the future. 

Nest & Keys Still Life 3 Nests and Keys Still Life 3

The first photo was taken with the Lensbaby Edge 80 using the pull out macro function that it has. Of the three photos, this one is my favorite. The second photo was taken with the Lensbaby Sweet 35. I added two close up filters ( one x2 and the other x4). Using the close up filters on the sweet 35 for spring flowers and ferns is one of my favorite ways of using this lens & this still life has got me excited for spring to return! The third photo was taken with the Lensababy Twist 60. This lens has that special swirling bokeh that I absolutely adore for portraits and flowers. This little "practice" session with the camera was good for me. And although there is still a few more weeks of winter to go, I am reminded that practice will keep my spirits up & motivate me to plan some shoots for when the weather does finally break. What's keeping your inspiration going in the end of winter blahs? Leave a comment!

Until next time!  

Cheers!