Picking Favorites | A Photo Gallery

I’ve been going through some of the photos I’ve taken this past year, to pick some favorites to have printed. I thought it would be a really wonderful way to celebrate my year of sort of a hands on approach at learning photography.

I still have a long way to go, and have actually finally taken the next step and signed up for a few local photography classes, but I feel like I’ve come a long way.. and quite frankly, whether the photos are good or not, I really enjoy the art of taking them and the experience itself.. and I want to continue to explore and improve.

Having some printed to hang in the new house seems like a great way to remind myself to try new things, as it took me years to finally attempt photography. And I’m glad I did 🙂

So, here are a few of my favorites and a bit about some of them to tell the story behind them. As every photo tells a story.

Let me know your favorites!

_{This is a long one, you’re gonna need some tunes}

_{Hopeless Wander - Mumford and Sons}

Discarded Love, 2018

Last summer I went on an adventure in the woods.. and came across this discarded book by a stream. To me it was just a powerful image and it has been one of my favorites ever since.. and because every book needs a home, it now sits on my bookshelf..





Life and Death, 2018

If you know my blog at all, you know I love moss.. but this image was one that stuck with me. Something about the contrast of the colors as well as the subtle beauty of such life exploding from an old dead stump.. I found it quite profound. I guess I find everything profound though.





House of Glass, 2018

While attending Steemfest4 in November, we had the opportunity to explore an old salt mine right outside of Kraków. This will always be one of my most favorite experiences for many reasons.. including essentially exploring middle earth itself with none other than @gtg ❤️, but also because every inch of this place was covered with stunning details.. including the chandeliers made of salt. I couldn’t get enough of them, they were absolutely stunning.





Focus, 2018

This one is harder to explain why I love it, as it is literally the floor of the salt mine (also made of polished salt).. but I just do. In a crowded room I laid my camera on the ground as I was just drawn to the way light was reflecting in that moment... and I love it. Yes I was teased for being on the ground.. but hey, the light was calling me.





Love Remains, 2018

The next few shots were from my trip to Belgrade, Serbia back in November (right after SF). Belgrade is an absolutely beautiful place full of so much history, and is hands down my most favorite place I’ve traveled to to date.

This photo (as well as those below) were taken at the Kalemegdan Fortress, where I could get lost forever.. there was something poetic about the inscription in the stone column.. an inscription that would outlive most of the visitors that came across it.. a symbol of love that would remain for generations. I guess I’m just a romantic at heart.





Just Breathe, 2018

Sunsets at the fortress are hard to explain - the community gathers, time stands still, and you just breathe.. and absorb the stunning beauty. It was a almost nightly tradition for me, this specific night the colors worked with me and I felt that I was able to capture that moment in a way I would always be able to keep with me.





Stand Alone, 2018

This was my first attempt at street photography (also at Kalemegdan). I felt weird taking photos of people but was determined to step out of my comfort zone.. even if I cheated by taking photos of the back of people. I happened to be walking along and just noticed this gentleman walking through the park by himself.. and there was just something about him.. I quickly snapped the shot when I felt the setting was right and ended up really liking it. He seemed so somberly and lost in thought...

What I hadn’t realized (until looking back through the shots later) was that this was not the first time I had seen the gentleman. In fact earlier, when I was trying to work on timing near a bridge nearby, he happened to cross my path.

I actually ran into him again the next day and decided to say hello. We shared a coffee, a few laughs and he told me of his life. I sent the first photo to him and he thanked me graciously in a following email. Life is full of simple moments that end up being quite meaningful.

The Fountain, 2018

One day while exploring the fortress I wandered towards a tunnel a friend had showed me the day previously. I wanted to go explore the other side, but something stopped me - I recognized two men standing in the tunnel that I had seen a few times that day, and they were watching me.. I immediately felt a bit uncomfortable and since the tunnel lead to a more secluded area, I decided to change directions and go the opposite way. Just to be safe.

While doing so, I came across this fountain tucked back in a corner. I had walked past this spot a few times on previous days, and had never even noticed it. There was such a, stop you in your tracks kind of beauty about it that it drew me in. I took this quick snap and then continued on my path back to more crowded areas.. but I couldn’t get the fountain out of my head.

The next day I headed back to explore it more, and even wrote a whole post on it.. the beautiful contrast of the brass with old stones and something that held such history, that was passed by each day without a second look.. that I just happened to find, because fate stepped in and changed my path. Funny how life works sometimes...

More exploring around the fortress, and beauty everywhere you looked...





Details, 2018

Ever since I began my photography journey, I’ve been drawn to these simple details that normally go unnoticed, hidden beauty is what I call it and it’s a common theme within my shots. This day at the Kalemegdan fortress I had focused quite a bit on street photography and was really stepping out of my zone. Towards the end of the day I happened to look down and see this perfectly placed leaf.. something that was not unique at all, or was it? There is such detailed beauty in this world that most of the time we don’t even notice.. I try to make it a point to notice more.





Captured Moment, 2018

This photo is not great on a technical basis.. and honestly I was using the bridge at Kalemegdan to attempt to work on timing from a comfortable place where I wouldn’t be noticed. I was focused on the couple with a dog.. but when I looked up I realized there was another individual also capturing that moment.. and well, I captured her capturing that moment 😄 Captured moment inception? Anyways, my timing was off, but this one brings a smile to my face for that reason.

This evening at Kalemegdan the light was just perfect and I enjoy most of these for that reason, plus the setting is just amazing.. but, do you see anyone familiar here? Yep, turns out my friend happened to be in many of my random shots that night, and I didn’t realize it until much later 🙂















The spot, 2018

I love everything about this one, the contrast, the historic nature of the surroundings and also just the texture that comes through. But also because one of my favorite photographers (@alcibiades, go stalk him and see why he’s my favorite) whose street photography actually lead me to the Kalemegdan fortress, seemed to have taken quite a few of my favorite shots of his from that spot.. and there was just something about realizing that, as I was standing there, that made me smile. It was like I found his secret place 😜 Ok, that sounded a bit stalker-ish.. moving on!





Embrace, 2018

This was my last day in Belgrade, which I of course spent at the fortress. In this moment I was actually focusing on the flowers, going back to my roots of up close photos of flowers, leaves etc.. details, after spending the week focusing more on people through street photography. I just happened to look up and see the couple, and it felt like a perfect embrace of those two worlds, captured in one moment. Perfect ending to an adventure.. and yes, a few moments after this it started to snow.. and it was one of the most magical moments I’ve experienced to date.





Kalemegdan, 2018

Belgrade and the Kalemegdan Fortress will always be one of my favorite places, and I hope to go back one day, until then.. I have my captured moments to remind me. ☺️





Fire, 2019

In one of my many forest adventures, I came across these leaves where the sun was hitting them just right and it seemed to dance like fire.





March of the Ladybirds, 2019

There is a place in the Sierras here that if you hit at the right time of year you can experience a lady bird take over. We went exploring one day and happened upon just that.. ladybirds covering every surface and wow is the only way to describe it. I’ve always been fascinated with them and while I did experience this event once before as a young child (which I still remember vividly to this day) it was a stunningly experience and I am thrilled I had my camera with me to document it.





Merry Go ‘Round, 2019

At a local fair I was just captivated by the way the light was reflecting off the mirrors, as well as the children’s faces. I had been trying to capture some of that but was struggling with the low light.. this one just seemed to stick with me for one reason or another.





The Mood, 2019

After a bit of a frustrating day, I forced myself to go out and take some photos, with a few catches - I had to go in full manual mode, I couldn’t look at the preview screen during or after the shots, and I couldn’t edit them. This was my way of forcing myself to be in the moment and in each shot specifically.

Let’s just say I was was extremely satisfied with the results after the fact.. and there was just something about the mood in them.. many from that day are here below as my favorites.





Found, 2019

Two leaves that seemed to have found their opposite but somehow perfect match...





Reflections, 2019

Again, just drawn to the light.. sometimes you just notice a moment.. a detail that is perfectly balanced, reflecting a magical glow that just seems so perfect. I seem to be drawn to light a lot.





Somber, 2019

On that same walk, or challenge, where I pushed myself to not worry about the shot, but to just be in the moment, I happened to walk past this old rundown shed on the property. As I walked passed it I just happened to glance up and something caught my eye.. so I backed up. There sitting in the shed was what seemed like a perfectly placed old tumble weed. I know this photo doesnt look special.. but it feels so somber to me... the contrast, the worn and beaten surroundings.. the simple thing that seems to still speak to me to this day.. just something about it.

What would my photo wrap up be without my seagull friend from a recent beach trip? He’s quite photogenic, no? I think he knows it too, conceded bastard..

The color contrast here speaks to me quite a bit.. just a random snapshot taken on a random walk.. but it really left an impression on me. A lone, tiny fungi growing in a forest of grass.. so proud, strong, and resilient..

And last but not least, a beautiful poppy growing in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Austin, Texas. After a mimosa with friends over looking the river, I was drawn to the stunning pop of color that seemed to feel so out of place there, but somehow exactly where it was meant to be.

Every photo tells a story.

So, which are your favorites?

Much Love,

Justine

_{All photos are my own and taken with a Fuji X-T2 35mm lens}