April 30, 2011

Photo Challenge: Repeating Patterns

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The current challenge theme is Repeating Patterns. As one who spent a career as an engineer, you can quite imagine how much I adore repeating patterns! Yes, yes, I admit to a wee bit of Melvin Udall obsessive-compulsive tendencies (“As Good As It Gets”). But at least I try very hard not to count out loud, LOL! I see repeating patterns everywhere I look, and my camera doesn’t miss them either. Our recent New Mexico jaunt was no exception!

This first photo is of the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in the historic district of Ranchos de Taos Plaza. If the mission looks a little bit familiar to you, it’s because it has been a favorite subject by such greats as Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keefe, and other image artists. The crosses, steeples, arches, and the support pillars all show how repeating patterns can enhance a scene. The camera settings were f/8.0, 1/400 second, and ISO 320.

The next example is the old church steeple of the Quarai ruins at the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. This structure was built after Spanish explorers arrived in 1598 and later abandoned in the 1670s. Wild grasses grow helter-skelter on the top of the structure. The four windows, the irregular stones, and the feathery sky all evoke repeating patterns. This image was taken in broad daylight, but I gave it an eerie feel by performing digital trickery with my Topaz Adjust filter plug-in for Photoshop. The camera settings were f/7.1, 1/80 second, and ISO 200.

This last photo was captured at the famous Bandelier National Monument. The primitive ladder goes up to one of the cave dwelling rooms of the Ancestral Puebloans. I would have liked to have included the cave entrance in the frame, but we were surrounded by a large swarm of very young and bouncy schoolchildren. As it was, I had about 3 seconds to take this shot! The image was taken at f/8.0, 1/40 second, and ISO 320.

Now that you have seen my contributions to the challenge, please click on the link at the beginning of this post and find some other great images of Repeating Patterns!

20 comments:

  1. Ooh, Donna! These are incredible photos! I only got my camera at Christmas, so most of what you are talking about concerning apertures and ISO settings are pretty much Greek to me. I am doing a lot of shooting and trying to learn by that. And free internet lessons are really helpful when I can find them. And library books...the "...For Dummies" stuff is pretty good!

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  2. Cool challenge! If I had been surrounded by a group of very bouncy schoolchildren, I'd have had a very bouncy photograph. You did well. I especially love the first for those vivid white crosses, the red of the structure and the blue of the sky.

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  3. Lovely choices, this could be a travel brochure, I'd go. bouncy school children are a pain sometimes.

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  4. Oh my, these shots are totally and absolutely awesome! I can almost reach out and feel the textures.

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  5. Fantastic photos. The sky in the first photo really helps to enhance the shot well captured.

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  6. These are great, Donna!

    Garsh, if it wasn't for you and your hubby, I'd NEVER go anywhere! :)

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  7. I was hoping yours would be fantastic pictures from your most recent vacation! Beautiful!

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  8. Simply fabulous. That first shot is so Vertigo!

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  9. wonderful submissions to the repeating patterns challenge

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  10. those are magnificent examples. All are wonderful but that third one I just find amazing.
    I never did get around to doing the challenge this time. Can't get my act together lately

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  11. Wow Donna! Once again great shots! I think my favorite is the Quarai ruins. You did some great processing on that one (as you did on all of them). I also like your new header. What a cute little birdie...

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  12. Wonderful photos! You have such a creative way of sharing the beauty of the world around us.
    ~Adrienne~

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  13. I'm in awe Donna! How did you get the sky to look like that in the photos? Sure wish I knew more about f thingys and ISOs!

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  14. Lovely choices of photos for repeating patterns!

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  15. I like the first one. Very nice image. Great colors.

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  16. Sorry to be late but I had company in for the weekend...
    And WHAT can I possibly add to all these great comments....These are Beautiful Donna!! My favorite is the third one....LOVE the colors!!!
    hughugs

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  17. Really nice, Donna. Such simple places and things, but the repeating patterns are so obvious once you see the photos. I agree that these pics could be part of a travel brochure! (Oh, and I love the new colors at the top of your blog. That little bird is just a cutie!)

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Marty, here! Donna loves comments, and I faithfully pass them on to her. Thank you so much for visiting!