52 Frames: Symmetry

Two weeks ago, the challenge was Symmetry, which definitely opened up a lot of possibilities as I was walking around town here in Gainesville.

I liked this shot I took at Depot Park, but the reflection was a bit muddled by wind. I went back twice later in the week, and there even more wind on the water, so I gave up on this subject for the challenge.

On the way to the park, I passed by the GRU plant, our local utility, and the cover photo is the massive water cooler in fierce motion. Weird subject, but I really liked how it turned out.

I caught this egret in motion at Depot Park, then played around in Photoshop to mirror it for a very symmetrical shot. So, once again, I learned something new in Photoshop, giving me another tool in my small, but growing arsenal of tricks.

But — the dealbreaker for me — I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of that ugly concrete wall, so I gave up on this shot too.

On a morning walk that week, the two residents of the duckpond were out for a swim so I had fun taking photos of them, once they realized I wasn’t going to throw food at them. They’re like synchronized swimmers, even their left legs were perfectly aligned!

I thought this was going to be my submission for a day or so. But when I looked at it, it didn’t really move me, beyond the whole “oh, ducks, how cute” feeling. I wanted more.

So I went back to this year’s obsession, the magnolia blossom. This shot, out of the dozens I took during the week, stood out, so I worked on it in Lightroom, until I had a pure black and white image of it floating in mid-air.

This was my submission and I liked it so much, I made a print of it for my wall. First time I’ve done that in a long time.

Don’t confuse symmetry with balance.

Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues)