Maybe there is a cure?

[pnodrog]

I am a bit addicted to snapping photographs of sand patterns and have never really found a cure.






Maybe taking photographs of strange shadows may work as a cure.



Comments and confessions welcome.

[James G]

LPaul,, I like these... Very much, but then I grew up in Liverpool and used to wander the beaches and dunes of Formby, nearby.
I thave the same fascination with sand patterns, (and beach detritus), but have never quite owned up til today

Think I need to head to the coast again! Great post, got me thinking for a shoot...maybe moonlit patterns?

[outwithmycamera]

There is no cure I am afraid, your prognosis is grim: you will forever be obsessed with trying to capture the abstract presented by the interplay between the textures of sand, water, and light. Embrace your obsession I say!

[tbob]

Your addiction has no cure. Maybe if you share your problem (well images mainly) with us we can talk you through it. Or maybe we would only be enabling you.

Do not go over to the dark side of shadows.

One possible cure would be to move to northern Canada. We don't have beaches. And those we do are only accessible for about four months. But then you would discover drifted snow; so maybe that is no solution at all.

[mknittle]

Your addiction has no cure. Maybe if you share your problem (well images mainly) with us we can talk you through it. Or maybe we would only be enabling you.

Do not go over to the dark side of shadows.

One possible cure would be to move to northern Canada. We don't have beaches. And those we do are only accessible for about four months. But then you would discover drifted snow; so maybe that is no solution at all.

Trevor, If L.Paul were isolated from the sand patterns to a cold climate don't you think he would revert to Ice patterns?

[pnodrog]

James, Chris, Trevor and Mark thank you all for your bravery and not flinching from the burden of saying that I am indeed doomed.

Trevor, my son and his family are just about to move to Australia which will give me a base there and after I have photographed every strange sand, rock and shadow pattern on that small island I will, if absolutely desperate, seek a cure in the frozen snowbound isolation of your environment. Until then I will stay warm.

[Sergio M.]

L.Paul, why would you want to be cured? This seems like a wonderful affliction.

If indeed you are doomed, what a way to go. Produces some great results.

Sergio

[pnodrog]

L.Paul, why would you want to be cured? This seems like a wonderful affliction.

If indeed you are doomed, what a way to go. Produces some great results.

Sergio

Thank you Sergio for cheering me up and helping accept my affliction. I am not so sure I like the word doomed so I will ignore it if you do not mind.

[Ken Curtis]

L, I really like your compositions, and hope you never find a cure. Perhaps there is a Sand Patterns Anonymous group near you, but I hope not.

[Sergio M.]

I am not so sure I like the word doomed so I will ignore it if you do not mind.

Please do ignore, Paul, and if I'm fortunate I'm already infected and will start churning out the images. I can hope, right?

Wow, that was weird. I've never hoped for an addiction before.

Sergio

[pnodrog]

L, I really like your compositions, and hope you never find a cure. Perhaps there is a Sand Patterns Anonymous group near you, but I hope not.

Ken I am glad you liked them. Unfortunately having gone so public with this addiction I will now never qualify for SPA (Sand Patterns Anonymous).

Please do ignore, Paul, and if I'm fortunate I'm already infected and will start churning out the images. I can hope, right?

Wow, that was weird. I've never hoped for an addiction before.

Sergio

Sergio if you do not go public and as you have taken the important first step of recognizing your addiction you may still have a chance of joining SPA. Alas as you said previously I am doomed.

[DanK]

nicely done. I tried a bunch of these a few weeks ago, and none of them were worth posting. Yours will prompt me to try again.

[FootLoose]

You have inspired me, Paul. It seems with this subject, the success is all in the framing. I wonder though, if you have experimented with pp? eg, contrast, colours, etc to give a more dramatic effect?

[pnodrog]

nicely done. I tried a bunch of these a few weeks ago, and none of them were worth posting. Yours will prompt me to try again.

Thanks Dan you will see in my answer to Greg that they do need massaging to make them a bit more dramatic.

You have inspired me, Paul. It seems with this subject, the success is all in the framing. I wonder though, if you have experimented with pp? eg, contrast, colours, etc to give a more dramatic effect?

Hi Greg glad to have inspired you - I assume you can find some sand to play with.

These photographs were taken very early in the day and the sun was very low and casting strong shadows that helped in emphasizing the very shallow relief of the patterns. However I certainly played with the levels to get the contrast I wanted. A couple required a gradient curves adjustment layer to compensate for an uneven lighting effect which I think was due to refection from the sheen of the damp sand. I may have avoided it or reduced it by using a polarizing filter - hindsight is an absolutely useless skill. Got to be a bit careful with the sharpening - over aggressive and it looks unnaturally grainy but not enough and it looks pretty bland.

I usually give photographs a hand in PP but nobody seems to have noticed the hand I gave my shadow photo.

[ShaneS]

L.Paul I did think twice about the hand but didn't have time to analyze it too closely at work today. I thought that it looked out of place but couldn't figure it out

I would like to join your support group if I may? I have captured a few frames of sand patterns as well but none are to the level that you have shown here. They make a fabulous group and I hope to see more as you add to the series.

[pnodrog]

L.Paul I did think twice about the hand but didn't have time to analyze it too closely at work today. I thought that it looked out of place but couldn't figure it out

I would like to join your support group if I may? I have captured a few frames of sand patterns as well but none are to the level that you have shown here. They make a fabulous group and I hope to see more as you add to the series.

If posting some here will help you with your therapy please do join in. In spite of all the rumors I am not a groupie. Support or otherwise. Thought about joining one but why would I join a group that would have me as a member? I have my standards. You are the first to actually ask to join - but then again we have never met.

[Stagecoach]

I can imagine these as prints, a plain white mat and natural wood frame hanging in some beach hotel foyer

Thanks for sharing Paul.

Grahame

[John 2]

These are just great Paul and clearly are more than just point and shoot. Some very carefully selected comps me thinks. The trouble with your affliction in not that you're hooked. Too late to do anything about that. The problem is that it might be catching and where will that leave the rest of us?

[pnodrog]

I can imagine these as prints, a plain white mat and natural wood frame hanging in some beach hotel foyer

Thanks for sharing Paul.

Grahame

Thanks Grahame I might just do a triptych canvas version to hang on a wall.

These are just great Paul and clearly are more than just point and shoot. Some very carefully selected comps me thinks. The trouble with your affliction in not that you're hooked. Too late to do anything about that. The problem is that it might be catching and where will that leave the rest of us?

John I am glad you realise you cannot photograph them without a bit of thought as it may help the others with the affliction not to snap at sand patterns willy nilly.

[Bobobird]

Wonderful textures and nicely lit. Excellent shots.