Books!

I've mentioned before that I love books.

My earliest booky memory is of the floor to ceiling bookcases 

that lined a living room wall in the Dutch Colonial house that I grew up in.

These built-ins were white painted wood and flanked a window that faced the back yard.

The expanse of jumbled colored spines read as a modern art painting 

with your eye seeking pattern within the chaotic exuberance.

Shelves were arranged like a chronology of life,

with little kid picture books on the bottom,

then story books, fiction, biographies, and art tomes,

all the way up to the ceiling where the most valuable,

 or least read, pieces languished.

Furniture sat in front of this wall of books, 

while the space behind the furniture became a kid's "book fort" of sorts,

 a place to secret off to and read.

Such pleasant memories!

Although I read some ebooks, there is nothing like a printed book -

the weight in your hand, the touch of paper, 

and the turning of pages.

Hopefully, future generations will enjoy the pleasures of printed books, too.

How about you... are you an ebook reader, library user, or book collector?

Or maybe, you embrace books in any form :)

Happy reading to you!

Lensbaby Alchemy

Alchemy ~ any seemingly magical power.

One part beauty + one part "Radiance" necklace + one part velvet cape + 

one part rainy day light + one part Lensbaby =

magic captured.

Lensbaby 2012 Photo Story Challenge

Focus

People talk about focus all the time -

we want to live focused lives, we focus on building healthy relationships, 

we tell our kids to focus on good grades, we focus on work project deadlines, 

and on... and on.

So, focus is a good thing - 

we're bringing elements of our lives into sharp perspective,

 improving them, or working toward positive outcomes.

But, what about photography?

Is sharp focus our ultimate goal?  

Do we want sharp focus throughout our images, selective focus,

 minimal focus, or dreamy impressionistic blur?

What type or amount of focus will best tell the story,

capture the mood, or make our viewers know how we feel about the subject?

I certainly don't have all the answers to these questions, 

but I do know I enjoy playing around with the possibilities!

Since I love to experiment, my guess is I'll be using all types of focus in my future captures.

How about you, what type or style of focus do you like to use in your photography?

Wishing you a wonderful week focused on creativity!

Linking at The Creative Exchange.