Impressions

The images from this week have the same feel as reflection images from last week. I went back to the nature area east of Ada Village for another photo walk, with an eye to images that have an impressionist or abstract expressionist look. I did more images in monochrome, thinking that photographs with the feel of charcoal or pencil might be interesting.

In some cases, the sketch-like images felt like they should be representational. They seemed to demand that. Here are several. The images are oriented around the reflection in the water, but the things in the image and up-and-down are readily identifiable. In one case I flipped the vertical orientation to make the image more representational. The last of this three is the least impressionist in feel. It’s more a straight-up monochrome image.

The next two images are less representational, at least insofar as they leave you somewhat disoriented, trying to figure out what’s going on with them. They’re more abstract.

The final three images are in color. The first is the full version of the cover image of this post. It’s my favorite of the three color images. The first of the monochrome images above is my favorite among all my images of the past week.

I’ve flipped the first color image vertically, making the reflection more representational, albeit in a impressionistic way. I’ve also blurred the shoreline and tree bottom a bit, so that it does not grab your eye quite as much and distract from the reflection.

As with the image above, in the one below I flipped the image vertically and blurred the non-reflection part of the image, so it would not attract as much attention.

Finally, just for something different, I did a more traditional image, with a balance between the shoreline, trees, and utility poles and their reflections both featured. If anything, the the “real” is featured more than the mere reflection. It’s a lovely scene.

There’s no need to urge people to stay warm this week. It has been a lovely week, mostly, and next week promises more of the same. But please do stay safe, especially here in Michigan, where COVID-19 cases are rising with disturbing speed, especially in eastern mid-Michigan and in the northern part of the lower peninsula. COVID-19 maps of Michigan are turning a disturbing orange-red. Protect yourself and your neighbors with social distancing measures.