The Year of Snowflakes

The year 2013 was my year of Snowflakes when i first tried to look into this AMAZING macro infinite ART gallery(ies). There were several days with ideal flakes and weather to sink into that Paradise. In that year i even learned about difference of falling snowflakes depending on weather conditions and also seeing for myself those different flake types in those several snow(flake) days. My challenge of course was to find the photo gear to get close enough to this snow jewelry. As i could not afford macro lens I needed to be creative with what i have ... This is some of the result from those days

I was monitoring flaky days also on previous years but there was not a chance to capture them as weather was not cold enough to keep them together as they melted away quickly.So yesterday finally (after three years) i could at least have a try, but still it was not worth to put together my "amazing" macro invention which I am adding for you to wonder upon. 
This yesterday's image was done with Sigma18-70mm lense which counts also as macro.

And here is my macro photo gear if anybody is curious:Pentax K-5 camera, Pentax adapter to screw on lens, old Soviet macro rings, Helios-44M-4 lens (of my Zenit 11 slr) and the last add on :) - 2 magnifying glasses (filter like) i squeeze in front of lens (because it can't be screwed) 
PS. Yes, i probably should try to get "today's" macro rings to replace the Soviet ones to make all this easier for future.

The hardest part is taking photos with one hand as i use other to hold a torch to light snowflake which is spotted to capture.
So, yeah - during winter of 2013 i learned some skills of capturing snowflakes, i just need to improve my gear.

Out of Casual

I am really hoping to get (back) on track with writing. Probably missing putting my thoughts somewhere. That is why I am trying to return to this Blog, - my photography journey or journal.

Somehow my words have been turned to just a photos, without much story behind, but I think "the Story behind" makes (or helps) to look at particular photo differently.

Like these images for example which I would like to share (if there even is anybody out there to read this). But even if nobody reads, I like to keep it as my journal, seeing for myself the progress I am (hopefully) making.

So, - these images are very recent - from very Casual circumstances - without planning to create some portrait Art ...

Signe - my companion (in "4TĀ DIENA" project) as I call her, asked me to help her with taking photos of fashion design label as she was involved with the designer to promote her clothing on various social media. It was also new experience for me as I never done such photos before...   Here you go ...   new things, new opportunities and hopefully some progress along the way ...

Signe that day looked very casual, even without any makeup. There was still daylight outside (background), but already getting darker, so there was light inside too, which made white balancing very difficult. I do it very rarely, but set my camera for Black & White images, saving also raw file just in case. As later doing some few contrast adjustments I was really surprised how beautiful these photos turned out - out of simplicity of the moment - out of casual...

I probably should mention that I really like simplicity and natural in portraits without hiding person (personality) behind style and all sorts of "creativity" as they call it...  
I want to see the real person, with makeup maybe emphasizing person's beauty instead of covering the real one presenting it with fake beauty. But maybe it is just my style of photography I want to keep - to keep it simple and pure.

See - this writing got something out of me - something not planed beforehand to tell, but something I have been thinking for awhile. I really do love writing. It is the way to put together thoughts which "flies around"

The very Start of "4TĀ DIENA"

4TĀ DIENA is once a week (kind of) photo project, to create Art involving people. It could be photo walks (i don't like the word "photo sessions"), could be other photo activities. I like people photography, portraits. For long time dreamed about proper portrait photography and it seems that brake through has happened. I am putting aside one day a week (kind of Thursday) for this project. I wanted to "play" with number 4, which gives word play ("For Art" and so on), but apparently in my native Latvian language it works stronger. What would be "th" for fourth, in Latvian language it makes also word THAT. So in this way future Thursdays with ART to come could become THAT DAY, that very Special Day. I am very excited about what future will bring with this project...

The Birthday of the Project was on September 25th (2014)

Yeah, intro (above) of "4TĀ DIENA" actually is taken from my FB page which is dedicated to this project, so the words "I am very excited about what future will bring" has been turned into Realities, - into numerous Photo Events which created THOSE DAYS. My heart has been filled with joys of capturing Lots of Beautiful Arty portraits, experiencing exciting Days every time i had an opportunity.

This all started with meeting Amazing Person - Signe, who inspired and encouraged me for this Project to Start and keep it going ...

and this Post kind of is dedication to this Very Start of "4TĀ DIENA" - THAT DAY when i met Signe for the first time.
Most of the photos in the slide i am adding is from that First day we met. Few at the end of the slide represent also unofficial / official Start of this Project.

"4TĀ DIENA" ART on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/4ta.diena.art