11. Golden Mean

If you google The Golden Mean you will also find the Golden Ratio, the Golden Angle, Devine Proportion, and Sacred Geometry.  It can be found in photography, art, nature, the proportions of the human body, architecture. The list goes on and on.

You might wonder why we chose to include this as a theme to our 52-week challenge? Well, because it is supposed to also be the most pleasing shape to the human eye. In photography we use the Rule of Thirds, which is just a simplification of the equation used in the Golden Ratio. Studies show that the human eye doesn’t like to rest on the center of a photo. It is more natural for our eyes to rest off to one of the intersecting lines of thirds grid. If you aren’t familiar with the Golden Mean google it and read more about it. Read about how it applies to all the things I listed above. Then the next time you go to crop a photo see if applying this rule helps you to create a photo that will be more appealing to everyone. I bet after you become more familiar with it you will start to see it in the shape and composition of A LOT of different things!

Below, I demonstrated the rules and ratios with a photo of a Gerber Daisy that I recently photographed against a back drop of black velvet.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 100mm f 2.8 Macro Lens
1/16 sec; f/4.5; ISO 400
shot of a tripod

 

 

 

 

5. Bouncer

I took a little trip downtown Sarasota this morning to visit the weekly farmers market. I was in search of photos to fulfill some of my photo blog themes. I am finding some of those remaining quite difficult. That includes the theme “Bouncer.” I thought of bouncing babies, kids on a trampoline, a group of people playing basketball etc. None of those felt original to me even if I were to actually find someone doing that!  Today I finally had something jump out at me. I noticed the little wooden figurines bouncing up and down before I even read the sign! They are handmade in Germany and the Czech Republic and come in over 150 styles. I especially loved the little pink princess.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II EF 50mm f/1.8
1/400 sec; f/6.3; ISO 100

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
EF 50mm f/1.8
1/800 sec; f/6.3; ISO 100

41. Splash

While visiting Seattle last fall with my husband we took a tour to visit several wine vineyards. On the way the tour stopped at Snoqualmie Falls.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
EF 24-105mm f/4
Focal Length 32 mm
1/200sec; f/6.3; ISO 200

We really were more interested in getting to our destination than we were of looking at a waterfall. I insisted on at least snapping off a few photos before following my non-photography husband to the Salish Lodge which sits at the top of the falls. I wish I could show you a photo of the view we enjoyed from the lodge looking back at the river below. Instead I will show you a photo of the view my husband chose upon our arrival at the lodge.

Both views did however fit my theme “Splash!”

 

And because the story isn’t complete without it…. the wine!

34. Passage Ways

A few weeks ago I was driving through The Meadows near Sarasota with a friend. We both noticed this bridge and decided to do something our husbands are never excited about. We turned the car around and went back! I think this photo fits the theme in two different ways. One for the bridge and the other for the creek. Each are a passage way for something different.