October and Colour!

The month of October, here in Canada at least, you think of colour. The trees are turning, it gets darker earlier so we see beautiful sunsets more, added to the sunrises and sunsets the seasons are changing which creates more dramatic cloud formations, the crisp nights yet the beautiful days...all in all October is an amazing month! One thing I have been noticing is: in the morning you have a beautiful layer of blueish frost on the lush green grass and the warm orange hue of the sunrise and sunbeams; you have a striking contrast in "white balance" (as we photographers like calling the hue of light) yet there is perfect beauty and harmony in all the colours! (Sorry, I don't yet have a photo to capture what I just described...maybe in the future.)

Well, October's photography project was on the subject of capturing colour by using rules. (e.g. rule of thirds, leading lines, etc.) I tried to put these into practice, but like always, I'm sure I could have improved! So below are my five shots of the month. Enjoy. Comment. Critique.

Glass Blowing...

While in Holland, we had the privilege of visiting a glass blowing studio. There we learned how the glass is heated to extreme temperatures; how it is worked with to achieve the artisan's desired effect; how color is added; how different shapes are made - molding, blowing, etc.; the cooling and curing process; etc. It was a very educational and enjoyable outing!

This man is considered a master in his profession since he has been working with glass for over forty years! He has great talent and his work is amazing! In this photo he is in the process of making a tea-light candle holder. When the picture was taken, he was just finished gathering the proper amount of molten glass for the final product. He continues spinning the rod that the glass is on to keep it in an even formation. He then takes these wetted papers to smooth it - but he isn’t finished with it yet.

Here is a closer look at some of his tools: the papers that he wets and uses to smooth the glass; a funnel blower to make for fine adjustments in blown products; a tool for defining edges and making the brake-off point; a pail of water; etc.

Note: I'll be adding more photos and their explanations to this post soon, so keep an eye out for them.