• sunrise, sunset

    each day the sun rises, the sun sets
    the world turns to create this illusion
    your day may be my night
    my calm, descending orb may be
    your burning, rising fireball
    all the while, the ground we stand solid on
    is actually spinning relentlessly under us
    whatever you “see” is perception driven
    beauty and sadness
    tragedy and joy
    heartache and elation
    all of these things shift forms
    based on what the angle is
    my lens is different than yours
    yours is not the same as
    his and hers and theirs
    even common details
    become blurry, ultimately
    arguing absolutes and opinions, equally pointless
    spend more time accepting
    try harder to be aware and awake
    be ready to receive whatever
    put your energy into love
    open your heart and mind
    prepare to view from a different angle
    try to avoid shame and judgement
    see and feel and embrace all you can
    expand and let in as much light as possible
    before the last revolution completes
    and the shutter closes forever.

     

    each day the sun rises, the sun sets the world turns to create this illusion your day may be my night my calm, descending orb may be your burning, rising fireball all the while, the ground we stand solid on is actually spinning relentlessly under us whatever you “see” is perception driven beauty and sadness tragedy and joy heartache and elation all of these things shift forms based on what the angle is my lens is different than yours yours is not the same as his and hers and theirs even common details become blurry, ultimately arguing absolutes and opinions, equally pointless spend more time accepting try harder to be aware and awake be ready to receive whatever put your energy into love open your heart and mind prepare to view from a different angle try to avoid shame and judgement see and feel and embrace all you can expand and let in as much light as possible before the last revolution completes and the shutter closes forever. ____________________ All Rights Reserved No use allowed without a license. For licensing inquiries, email me directly. thelotuscarroll@gmail.com

  • heart shaped, rainbow colored light bokeh / unique bokeh shapes: how to make custom filters

    Unique Bokeh Shapes: How to Make Custom Filters

    Don’t you just love it when you see a dreamy, soft background in a photo? And isn’t it even more dazzling when you see points of light that seem to have become little circles, sprinkled about? You can create photos like this, too, and it is fairly simple! In a nutshell, to create light bokeh of any kind, first you want a very wide aperture (small f-stop number, like 1.8). Then, adjust focus so that the lights you are capturing are out of focus. They will be blurry, pretty circles.

    heart shaped, rainbow colored light bokeh / how to make bokeh shapes

    If you want the bokeh to take a certain shape, you need to use a special filter on your lens. Of course, you can buy these, but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to! I’ve made my own filters in the past, and you can do the same. It’s fun and rewarding!

    Start by gathering the necessary supplies…

    Bokeh Shapes DIY Supplies

    • black posterboard or construction paper
    • tape (black is a bonus, but regular works)
    • cutting implement like x-acto knives, scissors, shape punchers
    • optional: lens filter ring
    • recommended: your sense of wonder

    Instructions

    Carefully trace a circle around your lens on the black paper. Cut out your circle.

    Next, you want to draw and then cut a small shape (about 1/2 inch, or 15-20mm) from the middle of your circle. If your shape is too big, you get poor results. Popular shapes include hearts, stars, and crosses. You can get creative here, and that is part of the fun. Be very careful with your shape – clean lines, no tears, clearly shaped and cut. This is easier to do with x-acto knives or shape punchers than with scissors.

    Cut a strip of black paper to wrap around the lens, about 1 inch wide, like a cuff. Tape that shut on the lens, and tape your circle carefully to that, so it sits in front of your lens. This must be flush; no light leaks!

    Another method is putting your paper circle inside a lens filter ring. This eliminates need for tape. Experiment to see what works best for you!

    If you don’t have time or don’t want to make the shape filters yourself, you can also order pre-cut filters online, like these. Then you can hop right into making photos.

    Ultimately, whichever you choose – purchased or DIY, just put the filter on your lens, use the settings mentioned above, and voila!

    PLAY WITH THE LOVELY BOKEH. SMILE. REPEAT!

    How To Make Bokeh Shapes