JOY's FAVORITE FOTOS: September 2014

Art/Photography is a language of the soul, that expresses meaning and ineffable joy.

What delights you?

SCROLL DOWN for PHOTO TIPS.

Lev Eisha Women's Retreat
NEW PHOTO WALK Date & Location
Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018
Holy Spirit Retreat Center, Encino

Joy is available to guide you on a

JOYous Nature PHOTO WALK

last yesr:
Sunday, January 22 7:15 AM
(before Breakfast)
Brandeis-Bardin, Simi Valley, CA

Guidance, Meditation, and Prayer

Connect with the Source of All BlesSings

Dance with your camera
or feel Contemplative.

with Joy Krauthammer

See, Shoot & Share

"It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau (1851)

On Joyous Nature Photo Walk (a slow walk special), with your charged camera or phone, shoot consciously with your spirit, heart and mind, all the joy, wonder, splendor and sacred moments you ‘see', and 'dance with your soul’ as you experience Hod / beauty that inspires awe and gratitude.

Mindfully breathe in deeply and smile as you gaze upon The Creator’s gifts.

Recognize, honor and photograph sparks of the Divine Presence, the radiance of energy we are also.

(If Tu B’Shvat / Birthday of the Trees season, take home an Italian heirloom fig tree scion, gift from Joy.)

Photos and videos by Joy, revealing the Holy One, fill her 80+ websites, are published in books, magazines, and on-line, and adorn spiritual and government websites. Her photos have been exhibited at the Jewish Federation, American Jewish University, Exodus Festival, Brandeis-Bardin, Mount Sinai Cemetery, and Creative Soul Gallery, NY. Joy’s images are shared weekly online in 52 Frames, Poetry Image Group, Caffeinated Photographers,
and daily in FaceBook.

Following in the footsteps of her artistic maternal ancestors (and daughter), since a child
Joy has used a camera as medium
(as well as words, paint, earth, clay, fiber, and drums) for joyous and personal soul-filled expression.
Joy gave a camera to her 4 year old artistic grandchild.

"I see Your Face in All Nature that I photograph." - Joy Krauthammer, MBA, Artist of Light

Retreat Friday - Sunday, January 26-28, 2018
Registration contact Linda Zweig lindaleezweig@gmail.com

Joyous Nature Photo Walk - January 28, 2018

Dear Friends,

I hope you’ll come to

Lev Eisha Womens' Winter Retreat

filled with Shabbat and workshops.

BlesSings, Joy

Pepper Tree Lane, Brandeis-Bardin

What is your meaning in your 'vision'?

Note: Time of day for light and shadows.

Leading lines?

Peacock High In Tall English Walnut Tree

What is your 'perspective'?

What subject do you love to "see, shoot and share"?

Lev Eisha Nature Photo Walk 2018

PhotoWalk guide, Joy Krauthammer

Pax Bell 1889, Holy Spirit retreat center

Peace Garden Chimes

Holy Spirit retreat center offers peaceful garden.

Peace Garden Bench

Peace Garden Fountain

Peace Garden Pole & Fountain

Shalom Peace Garden Stones

Thank You Stones, Peace Garden

Peace Garden

Mandevilla Sun Parasol

Peace Garden Pots & Trellis

Peace Garden Pots

Peace Garden Angel

Peace Garden Buddha

Tree Trunk

Peace Garden Path

Cypress Trees & Shadows

Liquid Amber

Chair

Chairs

Wood Bench

Tangerine Tree

Shin Tree

Tree

Barren Tree

Sunflowers

Rose

Lev Eisha PhotoWalk ladies in Holy Spirit Peace Garden

Comments

Such a beautiful experience
Great - though would have liked a little more time for it. Thanks, Joy
Joy led a wonderful Photo Walk
Wonderful fun group. Joy is always wonderful
As always, Joy, your gifts are deeply appreciated. - Linda Z.

Lev Eisha 11-Circuit Chartres Labyrinth w/Chantel

Not on Photo Walk but day before with ladies.

Open Wide the Doors de Su LEV for Lev Eisha
Outside

NOT Nature Walk

Holy Spirit wall Angel and Lights

NOT Nature Walk

Holy Spirit walls Angel and Lights

NOT Nature Walk

Holy Spirit walls and Lights

NOT Nature Walk

Joy's Percussion

at same retreat

Nature Photo Walk guide, drummer Joy Krauthammer

Enjoy photos from prior Women's Weekend Brandeis-Bardin Retreats:

http://retreatswithjoy.blogspot.com/2015/03/lev-eisha-2015.html

http://retreatswithjoy.blogspot.com/2016/03/lev-eisha-retreat-2014.html

http://retreatswithjoy.blogspot.com/2013/03/lev-eisha-wagner-retreat-2013.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joykrauthammer/albums/72157632637362758

My FaceBook LevEisha Retreat Album Jan. 23-25, 2015

https://www.facebook.com/joy.krauthammer.7/media_set?set=a.10153010839302999.1073741832.829492998&type=3

Artist of Light:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joykrauthammer/ - PRIOR RETREAT

http://thecreativesoul.org/news/featured-artist-joy-krauthammer
http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2012/04/photography-art-bio.html

http://joys-prose.blogspot.com/2014/01/sunrise-photography-meditation.html

http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com

http://joys-photos.blogspot.com

http://joys-art.blogspot.com

http://joys-travels.blogspot.com/2012/04/flowers.html

http://joys-travels.blogspot.com/2012/04/animals.html

http://retreatswithjoy.blogspot.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSnnHC2_7M

http://joys-fun-fotos.blogspot.com

http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2014/09/joyous-nature-photo-walk.html TIPS

10.30.2006

Dear Joy,

You are a gifted photographer, and your photographs reveal light.

Kol Tuv V’Shalom,

Yosef

Reb Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen, z"l, Jerusalem

TIPS

JOYous Nature Photo Walk

See, Shoot and Share

with Joy Krauthammer

Guidance, Meditation, Contemplation and Prayer

Connect with the Source of All BlesSings
Dance with your camera.

For Tu B'Shvat Be a Tree, roots connected to G*d. Shehecheyanu prayer

To see each flower as coming, emanating from the Holy One, The Source of All BlesSings,

I try to manifest, reveal the expression of G*d’s beauty here on earth.

With well-being, awareness and perception, eye and vision, mind and heart:

Early in the day, and outside-- to the flower, with gratitude I say, “Good morning".

The flower hears me. G*d hears me.

Have conversation, shmooze, look into the Face of G*d. Into others’ eyes.

Separate from crowd, linger and/or go beyond path. Discover what is beyond. (Don’t stay stuck at entrance.)
Be present, conscious, observe, slow down, look, view from all angles, be alert, be silent. Breathe, hold breath.

Awareness for obstacles: poison ivy, loose stones, puddles, holes, and snakes.

Be adventuresome, don't be lazy, and don’t be late*. Catch the guide and tour bus. Charge batteries.
Leave nature in good condition, no foot prints.

Self Consciousness: *Missed bus in Russia, late in Bali, Tibet.

Hiding & shooting, I’ve been caught and removed by guards, gendarmes and gardeners in: Huntington Library’s Rose Garden, CA, and shooting Generalissimo Francisco Franco, Spain, and vaulting over** a Botanical Garden locked high gate in Texas after closing hours, and then personally escorted out.

**(Studying in Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem in "Art & Architecture of Synagogues" summer course, I learned to vault over fence.)

Themes: Trees, leaves, flowers, bark, insects, animals, humans, rocks, water, paths, gates, fences, mountains, clouds, moon, sunrise, sunset, color.

COMPOSITION. Framing. 4 finger frame. Shoot Vertical Portrait and Horizontal Landscape. Brace camera.

Horizon. Keep level, unless you want horizon skewed. Lower or raise. Use unusual perspective.

Frame. Shoot through overhanging branches, through windows. Use tunnels, arches or doorways.

Placement of main subject. Fill frame with subject. Include? Exclude?

Macro. Move into subject. Zoom. Don’t rely on Zoom.

Get close to be near to what is fascinating and inviting.

See subject in their relationship to others, and their environment. Various angles. No photo bombing.

For scale, use humans, animals and flowers. (Shoot a lone flower in the field, and feel its importance.)

Balance of relationships, harmonious, peaceful, equal weight. Center symmetry.

Rule of Thirds. Subject. Use, and position of 3x3 grid of horizontal and vertical lines.

Rule of Odds. Odd numbered composition subjects are more appealing to the eye than even.

Leading lines. To connect elements to each other, to journey visually, lead viewer's eye.
Sense of depth - diagonal vs straight vs. horizontal lines vs. converging. Use river and path lines in nature.
Pattern repetition, emphasize, break pattern with contrast. Create dynamic tension.
Negative Space. In image, discover shape outside subject form, the area between and around objects.

Simplify or exaggerate. Shutter speed, aperature, exposure, scale, forced perspective.

Perspective. Move camera and/or body. Move camera to change height: Standing at eye, and other levels.

Body positions. Change to not only look down on the subject/flower, but to look into it, up to it.

Shoot object from behind, under and sideways, and even only partially to capture the essence.

Bend down, kneel, crouch low, lie down, look up and closely into that flower or into sky to shoot.

Have camera so low or so high to gain height, you can’t even see into the viewer.

Vision. Turn self around to see the other direction, and what’s behind you.

What’s in back of subject/object?

Depth of field (DOF) for background, foreground, sense of perspective.

Focus. Blur the background or foreground, so center of interest is what you focus on. Set mood.

SUBJECT ELEMENTS. What characteristics appeal to you?

FOCUS on details: What is the shape, form, color (b/w) contrasts, texture, size, texture, smell, uniqueness?

Animals. Capture. Focus on eyes and head turned in your direction.

Find good specimen with what you desire, i.e. color, etc.

Limit, minimal may be best.

What new buds are opening, full, or dying?

Adjacent subjects (animals, buds and leaves) add interest.

See little bugs, and macro capture them too.

Touch and feel carefully and gently the subject--leaves, stem, moss, petals, bark, stone.

The flower, grass can touch you too. What is tree saying?

Attributes, soul. What is: quiet, funny, loving, colorful, meaningful, tiny, big, interacting, expressive?

Is there: beauty, joy, surprise, scary, loving, sound, silence, movement?

Backgrounds/foregrounds. Avoid distractions. Distant backgrounds are good.

Check backgrounds. No trees and poles growing out of people’s heads.

Wait for non subjects to pass. Avoid moving objects unless you want movement.
Rearrange space with freedom to change.

Delete. In shot or post processing. Remove what you don’t want in picture. Eliminate distractions.

Pick out, weed out dead flora, trash, feet, heads, and other unwanted debris.
Ask, 'Will this add to or take away from the image?’

LIGHT. Natural. Where is light coming from? Difference in time of day.

Good before sunrise for color, before sunset with softer Golden Hour, and virbrant after sunset.
Overcast and cloudy are good to diffuse light. Mist for mystery.

Use directional lighting. Move so that sun is at an angle to you, not only behind you.

How is light interacting with subject and scene? See Silhouettes against the light.

Flash to fill in shadows. Shade has even exposure.

Shadows. Visible showing what? Create shadows purposefully.

May be positive and enhance, or may detract.

Reflections. Seen in water, puddles, pool, raindrops, mirrors, windows, or objects.

Weather. Shoot in the sun, in the rain. Protect camera.

See in the raindrop or dew, colors reflecting the plant and surroundings.

Rules. Break them. Be patient. Meditate. Have Gratitude.

Express your passion, creativity and joy.

Wabi Sabi. Find beauty in imperfections.

YOUR ARTISTIC VISION

What inspires you? What is your vision? Your passion? Your meaning? What is your message?

What is the intention of shooting the subject (flower, animal, tree, rock)?

Why are you taking this picture? What do you notice that you want others to see?

Pretty, evocative, moments, a story, instructional. Conveys drama, mystery, emotion and mood.

Elements. What attracts you? Identify those elements, their characteristics, and why you like them.

How do you perceive? How can you be more observant?

How do you feel seeing and shooting? Create an image of that feeling. Share feeling image.

Identify Audience. Self, family, friends, organizations, photo groups, blogs, FB, press, gallery?

Feel challenged. Create Art.

Have fun and joy in how you see and feel, and record the world in photographs.

Take time to do what makes your soul happy.

The photographer artist reveals their self in the photo.

Art/Photography is a language of the soul– that expresses meaning and ineffable joy.

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.

"I walk. I look. I see. I stop. I photograph." - Leon Levinstein

"It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau (1851)

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust

"I see Your Face in All Nature that I photograph." - Joy Krauthammer, MBA, Artist of Light (2012)

“Blessed are those who are in awe and walk in the ways of wonder." - Psalm 128:1 Shir ha Ma’alot” - A song of ascents

BlesSings to see, shoot, and share,

Joy Krauthammer

http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2012/04/photography-art-bio.html

How do you 'frame' your photos?

Wabi Sabi present?

Where does the 'light' fall on subject?

What is your perspective, 'POV"?

Are you using 'Rule of Thirds'?

What 'shadows' fall? Where is sun?

How is 'composition'?

Where is the 'negative space'? 'Minimalist' composition?

'Complementary' colors?

Excerpt from Creative Soul Featured Interview by Joy Krauthammer:

"In photography, I'm concerned about communicating visually, and gratitude, and safety, risks, legality, morality, courage, comfort zones, caring, consciousness, honoring, respect, staying away from stress-filled scenes, spontaneity, capturing an image, memories, recording moments, telling a story, conveying a mood, new ideas, themes, subject, characteristics, composition, negative space, perspetive, height, width, distance, depth, light, flares, reflection, shadows, clarity, color, texture, shapes, curves, lines, symmetry, patterns, movement, humor, and emotions.

"For photo post-processing, my 'creative process' mostly in isolation, includes much, and with joy of challenge, success and fun: In PhotoShop I use 'tools'. With brushes, I may paint over my photos. I use rotations, straightening, curving, subtleties, relationships, size, angle, perspectives, and with layers, masks, alpha, filters, fonts, text, gradients, adjustments, effects, softening, defining, exposure, contrast, colors, saturations, highlights, shadows, opacity, vignettes, borders, retouching, dodging, burning, transforming to the fraction of an inch with cropping, and then choose resolution. Finally for the specific audience, I add watermark, captions, Torah quotes, explanations, and I size to share for web or print."

JOYous Nature Photo Walk ~ See, Shoot, and Share joy.52F@gmail.com

http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2014/09/joyous-nature-photo-walk.html

~ ~ ~

''I will awake the dawn...’' - King David (Shulchan Aruch)

“Sheyeha Hu Meorer HaShachar.”
~

Photographing ~ My Devotion

Early each morning before dawn, joyously
I again begin my day in wonder, like a child,
at the edge of the cliff, closest to the horizon and the rising sun.
For an hour today, from 5:30am,
with camera in my hands, I am blown over again and again
by the powerful gusts of wind cleaning the sky
and distant mountains,
and I smile
in the radiance of G*d’s colorful surprises.

May your day be bright.

Love and blesSings,

As I wait quietly for SUNRISE, and with Ineffable Natural Beauty, and G*d, The Source of All BlesSings

I HAVE

Faith, Anticipation, Patience, Meditation, Gratitude, Reverence, Surprise, Awe, Amazement, Excitement, Newness, Glory, Exhilaration, Glee, Joy, Delight, AbunDance, Fulfillment, Wonderment, At OneMent, Peace, Stillness, Silence, Connection, Prayer, BlesSings,
And, I try to capture Dawn.
~

I was so enthralled with morning while waiting for the sun to rise that I thought I would break out of my skin. Truly. My body couldn’t contain my pure joy, delight in the Beloved’s painting of the sky; It was beyond the beyond. The Mystery, and my astonishment, glee and wonder. Even twilight's blue was insane in its hue.
Jan. 17, 2016
OMG, You are so awesome. Enraptured, my smile is stretched across my face.
Jan. 19, 2016
~

“The primary talent of an artist is his ability to step away from the externalities of the thing and,

disregarding its outer form, gaze into its innerness and perceive its essence,

and to be able to convey this in his painting (photography).

This is how an artist can serve his Creator.” - The Rebbe

"meraki. A word that modern Greeks often use to describe what happens when you leave a piece of yourself (your soul, creativity, or love) in your work. When you love doing something, anything, so much that you put something of yourself into it." -Wiki

"This is the day that G*d has made

Let us rejoice and delight in it." Psalm 118:24

http://joys-favorite-fotos.blogspot.com/2013/12/clouds-of-glory-2-rainbow-sunrise-sunset.html

Ted Talk, Israel by Yosef Adest. Grateful to all I've learned from 52Frames Founder, Yosef.
Slide show photograph of photographer Joy Krauthammer.

How to photograph mushrooms, ants, roses under blue skies, and bottoms of furniture from low perspective:

Seen LIVE from Israel in TED TALK, May 11, 2014.

Speaker Yosef Adest, CEO of 52 Frames.

52 Frames weekly challenge theme: Furniture

Photography Art Bio

Joy Krauthammer, MBA, a spiritual Jewish woman serves G*d in Joy, as a purple-loving visual Artist of Light, photographer, passionate performing percussionist, poet, sound healer, spiritual guide, photo walk guide, and gardener, as she makes visible the Face of the Divine.

Doing daily mitzvot, Joy shares her smile, vision and gifts. Judaism and Joy's art are connected through her neshama / soul with her love of G*d, Torah, and creativity. Her kavanot / intentions of art are to uplift, inspire, and to be authentic, truthful, and joyous with conscious connection of wholeness, healing and Oneness, expressed in Four Worlds of Spirit, Mind, Heart and Body.

Photos and videos by Joy fill her 80+ websites, are published in books, magazines, and on-line, and adorn spiritual, and government websites. Revealing the Holy One, her photos have been exhibited at the Jewish Federation, Exodus Festival, Brandeis-Bardin, Mount Sinai Cemetery, American Jewish University, and at Creative Soul Gallery, NY.

Joy’s images are shared weekly online in 52 Frames, Image Poetry, and Caffeinated Photographers, and daily in FaceBook. Following in the footsteps of her artistic maternal ancestors (and daughter), since a child, Joy has used a camera as medium (as well as earth, fiber, and drums) for joyous and personal expression.

Artist's Statement

Consciously with my heart and mind, gazing upon The Creator’s gifts, I photograph the joy, wonder and sacred moments experienced in Hod / beauty that inspire my awe and gratitude for splendor that can’t be understood. To reveal more spiritual consciousness, connection, compassion, and chesed/lovingkindness is to make visible the Face of the Divine. Post-processing becomes an additional contemplation to bring forth joy.

~ ~ ~

Shared in Nature post in Favorite Photos

Before the sun rises each morning in awe I begin to shoot the colors and forms in the sky, even if very cold and windy. If there is rain on the roses, I shoot raindrops. If windy, I shoot windswept palm fronds and bending cypress trees. I love shooting sky, shadows, reflections, water, flowers, plants, trees, leaves, insects, animals, birds and fowl at a local lake and pathways. I even like shooting fish in tanks. I enjoy guiding Nature Photo Walks. I can't stand the gophers that continually destroy my garden and build mansions and leave holes and tunnels that depress everywhere. I enjoy sharing plants from my garden. With a terrible drought in Los Angeles, CA, it is very sad to see so much of the garden dying.

I'm grateful for web site, iNaturalist from California Academy of Sciences because I can get ID's on nature - plants, bugs and birds I photograph. As an official iNaturalist 'Oberserver' I love submitting my photographed finds and I'm happy to help ID for others when I can. Happy to meet people so excited about our world of miracles, mysteries and wonder. When not shooting, I'm a professional percussionist and writing and doing mitzvot. BlesSings for Observations. - Joy

Blessed are the photographers...

About Me

JOYous Nature Photo Walk