“To believe in luck, you must believe that the universe is a roulette wheel and that instead of paying out to us what we have earned, it pays out only what it wishes. But it is not a spinning wheel of chance, it is a work of art, complete and framed by eternity.”
–from “Innocence” by Dean Koontz
I set out to shoot a few nice outdoor photos on this day. But due to the hazy, humid, and overcast weather conditions, a traditional landscape photograph was going to be difficult. Shot along the Milwaukee River, the water was murky from recent rains, the sky was grey, and the trees were a uniform green. So when life gives you lemons, you use intentional camera movement and spin to create an abstract landscape photograph. (I think that’s how the phrase goes. )
Anyway, I took several shots at slower shutter speeds and at f/22. Each one with a spin, a zoom, or a swish pan. And if you ever decide to try this technique, the subpar, crappy shots will outnumber the keepers by a long shot. So be prepared. You will delete a lot of shots.
In this image, the red/orange trees in the top of the frame are actually a reflection in the water. I flipped this image vertically to create what I felt was a better flow and color balance – it is an abstract after all! Finally, I greatly enhanced the color saturation and contrast between the lights and darks.
Day 333 of my 365 photo a day project.
Looking for art for your home or office or something to spice up your digital desktop? This image and most of the others from this project are available as prints and digital downloads. You can also check out the rest of my portfolio here. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss anything!
