Looking for the WOW! Contrast

Talk about CONTRAST.  Our generally mild weather turned to that particular form of cold that produces SNOW!!!  Yes, quite a contrast. 

Flakes the size of cotton balls floated down from dull gray blue skies. So exciting. 

Nah, it wouldn't last, but it did.  I managed a few shots before the evening turned to blackness.

This is a great deal of snow for us.  I stood barely outside my door to take this shot as it was snowing quite hard and I didn't want snowflakes on my lens.  What I like about this photo is the CONTRAST of cool and warm.  The birdseed is a wonderful rust color against the bluish green of the yard.  Thank you Mother Nature.

 Oysters on the Rocks anyone?  We have a pail of seashells sitting in the yard.  The snow turned to ice, encrusting the shells with a beautiful glaze of translucency.  Again the contrast is about color and texture, shapes that are similar but not similar.

There are several things I enjoy about this photograph besides some favorite art books... blue is the complement to the orange rust of the wicker.  The weave of the basket is enhanced by the  dark shadows playing through out the photo.  

This photo was taken the same morning as the above.  The early morning sun was streaming through the windows, casting long golden rays, dark shadows forming from the window encasements.

This photo is about the contrast of Texture....the rough, excavated clay of the bowl in contrast to the smooth, translucent seashell. It is also about Light and Dark... the shell casting a very dramatic shadow.

Kat Sloma, who is  sponsoring this series of classes, Find Your Eye: Journey of Fascination, has been intrigued by trees these past few weeks. She has many beautiful photographs of trees you can see on her blog/website.

With her in mind, I am sharing this particular tree outside of our home.

There are several forms of contrast:  Cool and Warm, the golden sun reflected branches against the cool blue sky.  Light and Dark.

Strong diagonal branches which lead one's eye up and towards the right.

The strong spiky shadows and leaves work well with the soft roundness of the blossoms.  Then I will always fall for red and green combinations. This is one of those flukes...I was just walking by and decided to take a few shots....I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a favorite photo for several reasons.  The contrast of the deep shadows with the play of light.  The star shape light flare....how that happened I haven't a clue. But I was happy to see it when I uploaded my photos.  The strong vertical line crosses the flowing horizontal lines of the waves, adding interest to a beach shot.

CONTRAST always adds flavor to our lives...imagine eating Asian food with out strong spices or curry with a sprinkle of sweet raisins on top?  Or slipping into a cool swimming pool on a blistering hot day?  The feel of cashmere against your skin on a frigid evening.  

Long purple shadows cast, as the red-orange of a sunset slips away.

CONTRAST adds variety to our lives each and every day.  And it is a necessary ingredient in photography.

Have fun with this and try it yourself.

Thanks Kat for the prompts and ideas.