Ice plant, or Mesembryanthemum cooperi is a hardy summer plant that can grow in harsh full sun and rocky soil. It’s a true survivor. I think this is what attracts me to this plant. It’s determination to survive in very hard conditions. It’s symbolic of my current circumstances and I hope to be as strong as this little guy.
This plant totally reminds me of Audrey 2 from Little Shop of Horrors. I can’t wait until Spring when I can start gardening again. This year will be my first full growing season in our new house. Winter, your days are numbered!
This photo was taken in a friends garden. Nature photography is something I like to do as a relaxing activity. I don’t get too crazy with it or worry about how the images will turn out. I allow myself to play and try new things.
We came across this trailer in Como, Colorado during a camping trip in the area. Although it might not be the ideal structure to live in, the view was amazing! Who chooses to live here? What is the history of this time and weather damaged structure?
This photo was chosen, in part, by a random selection by photojournalist, Jenn LeBlanc with the # 57
This photograph was taken while I was scouting the Denver industrial neighborhoods as part of a photojournalism class with Kenn Bisio at MSCD. At first I didn’t know what it was and it freaked me out a little. Was it a dog? or a cat? I’m still not sure.
I stood there staring death in the face and I realized that it seemed to symbolize the slow decay of the area I was exploring. Abandoned factories, houses, parks and parking lots scattered the landscape around me and this dead animal. It also seemed to stir some childhood instincts because I had the urge to poke it with a stick. Luckily, I resisted.
For the next few weeks I have asked friends to choose a number between 1 and 527 which correspond with folders in my archive. Each day I will use a different number chosen and create a piece from the photos in that folder. This piece was chosen by Christine Zipps with the # 11.
I have always been fascinated by ants. I went through a period in 2008 when I did a lot of experimental shots with ants. This shot was taken with an old set of bellows on my digital camera with a Russian lens I found online. The field of focus was so narrow that it was difficult to get an entire ant in focus. This ant was eating a piece of popcorn on my kitchen floor.
You can also find a time lapse video of these ants on my site http://jeffballphotography.com/?p=144
I took this image when I first made my fisheye lens in 1998. It was in Northeastern Colorado along I-25 somewhere. Along that whole stretch of highway you see grasslands, windmills, and oil pumps.
I was just amazed by the amount of moss growing in the Pacific Northwest. It grows on anything that doesn’t move! I really loved the juxtaposition of the moss on trees and the moss on concrete. It also reminds me that if we ever destroy ourselves through war or science, nature will take over and repair the earth. At least I have high hopes that it will thrive in our absence.
I took this photo somewhere in Oregon as we drove home from Portland recently. What made me immediately pull over as I saw this was the juxtaposition of the old rusted building with the wind turbines in the background. I realized that new technologies and our quest to be a “green” world, will ultimately change our landscapes forever. Whether you love it or hate it, this will become a more common scene for all of us.
