Category Archives: art

Photographing Orchids

by

2

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located on 380 acres of rolling meadows, woodlands and lakefront property in Belmont, North Carolina. The William H. Williamson, III, Orchid Conservatory is the Carolinas’ only 8,000-square-foot, five-story glass house dedicated to a display of orchids and tropical plants. Our camera club – Catawba Valley Camera Club, Hickory – visited the orchid conservatory a few months back and we are posting images from that trip.

During our visit there was an art exhibition by local students – old doors and shutters painted with orchid artwork.

Orchid Conservatory
Colorful Door Art

Adding a Model to Burning Wool Images

by

0

In the world of photography, steel wool probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Who would have thought that such amazing images could come from burning the metal sponge we use to clean our pots? Adding a model and showering them with sparks adds to the creativity.

Surrounded by Burning Wool Sparks
Showered by Burning Wool

Burning Wool Designs

by

0

Steel Wool Photography is using long exposures to capture the motion of hot embers flying through the air through the act of spinning burning steel wool.  These embers are so hot that they glow very brightly, and as they fly through the air the camera sensor captures the streaks of light created. 

Shutter speed is probably the most important aspect of the shot.  Capture enough of the movement to show the streaking lights caused by the flying sparks. Choose an aperture that keeps the entire scene in focus. Keeping your ISO low will keep you from blowing out the brightness of the steel wool when it is lit.  

Burning Wool Tunnel
Burning Wool Designs

Photographing Burning Wool

by

2

Steel wool photography is a type of light painting that uses steel wool that’s been set on fire. As the burning steel wool is spun around on a cord or a string, embers fly and create streaks of light when shot with a camera at slow shutter speeds.

Our Catawba Valley Camera Club in Hickory, NC had a session on photographing burning wool. It was an interesting project and we will be sharing a few images.

Burning Wool Foreground

Lion Photo to Pencil Art

by

4

One of my fellow members of the Catawba Valley Camera Club, Hickory – Judy Young is also a pencil sketch artist. She used my lion photo from Gir National Park, Gujarat, India to create a pencil art piece. Wonderful rendition by Judy!

Lion Photo to Pencil Art

Peaceful Buddha

by

0

Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. Statues of Buddha, generally under a tree, are found all over India depicting him in a serene, peaceful, and meditative pose.

Peaceful Buddha

Ganesh as Art

by

0

With his elephant head and human body, Ganesha (or Ganesh) is one of the most beloved and popular of all the Hindu gods. This is because he brings good fortune while destroying all obstacles.

Ganesh is depicted as an art form in colorful statues and stone carvings.

Colorful Ganesh
Sculptures in the Garden

Colors in Sarchi

by

0

For over 100 years, farms near Sarchi, Costa Rica have been producing some of the country’s best coffee beans. Needing a sturdy way to transport this precious cargo to ports on the coast, a demand for ox-drawn carts was born. The earliest oxcarts of Sarchi dating back to the late 1800s were simple and functional. But as time went on, craftsmen began incorporating their own unique markings to distinguish their carts. By the beginning of the 20th century, competition among artisans was strong, and carts were decorated with elaborate geometric patterns, similar to the designs that can be seen today. An elaborate painted oxcart wheel adds to the colors of Sarchi.

The term “Pura Vida” has been present in Costa Rica’s vocabulary for over 50 years. It’s English translation means “pure life” or “simple life”, however its more then just a phrase- it is a way of life. Costa Ricans (Ticos) use this term to say hello, to say goodbye, to say everything’s great, to say everything’s cool.

Colors in Sarchi

Oxcarts of Sarchi

by

0

Long before eco-tourism vans took to the roads of Costa Rica, there was another much simpler mode of transportation: the oxcart. Brightly painted with intricate designs, these original wagons or their replicas can be seen throughout the country. Northwest of the international airport near San Jose (SJO) is Costa Rica’s capital of oxcart production, Sarchi, where a giant oxcart replica (the biggest in the world) sits right in the town’s central park. Toy model oxcarts are available in souvenir stores.

Oxcarts of Sarchi

Zarcero Church

by

0

In the northern hills of San Ramon in the Cordillera Central, Costa Rica lies the scenic town of Zarcero. One of the main attractions of Zarcero is the Iglesia de San Rafael (built in 1895), a stunning church both inside and out. Those who appreciate beautiful landmarks must see its gorgeous religious paintings, graceful archways and colorful stained-glass windows. 

Zarcero Church

Archaeological Museum Kayavarohan

by

0

Numerous Hindu icons, number of copper coins and a stone quern have been found from Kayavarohan, Gujarat, India. A grand head of Tapasvi, the image of Kartikeya and an idol of Uma Maheshwara are some of the rare and unmatched archaeological specimen discovered from Kayavarohan. 

Historical Statues in Kayavarohan Museum
Old Statues in Kayavarohan Museum

Kayavarohan – Heritage Site

by

0

Kayavarohan, Gujarat, India is a place of great archaeological importance and the Archaeological Survey of India has listed Karvan as a heritage site and has set up a special museum for the remains found around this site. Karvan is one of the major sites of Indian Heritage.

Antique Statues in Kayavarohan Museum
Ancient Statues in Kayavarohan Museum

Old Temples in Kayavarohan

by

2

Walking through Kayavarohan, one can find many old temples with Shiva lingam. A lingam, sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism.

The famous Kayavarohan lingam (housed at the famous Shiva Temple) represents the “formless” but a unique, exceptional iconic form of Shiva bearing the image of a meditating yogi, who holds parchments in one hand and citron (Matulinga) in the other. The image on the right has a smaller replica of the form at the location where the original lingam was first housed. The image on the middle bottom shows a lingam that is partly below the ground and is as tall as a human.

Old Temples in Kayavarohan