(Extra)Ordinary Boats – Weekly Photo Challenge

“Extraordinary magic is woven through ordinary life. Look around!”

Amy Leigh Mercree

(3 Photos)

NUMBER 5

This week we’ve been challenged to focus on ordinary objects made extraordinary. As Cheri notes, many of us are drawn to see beauty in the mundane. Often times while shooting I will visualize an effect I may want to apply in post-processing. The rowboat above is a good example. In reality, the interior of the boat was painted a horrid shade of blue, and the dock behind it had some strange colors I cannot imagine ever having existed in the natural world! Looking at the composition in color, one might simply pass it by. Converting it to sepia and adding a bit of texture can give it a more old-world feeling – transforming it into a more interesting bit of nostalgia.

DRYDOCK

“Refuse to be an extraordinary person trapped in an ordinary life.”

Zero Dean

My eye was drawn to the second boat because of the field of gentle flowers surrounding it. While I liked the shot in color, I felt it was improved by conversion to a soft sepia. To me, the scene’s lighting evoked a feeling of lazy days gone by and memories of long afternoons spent enjoying the warmth of summer sun.

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

“The world is divided into the ordinary and the extraordinary. The problem is deciding which is which.”

Piero Scaruffi

My sense is that the artists among us see the world not only as it exists, but also as it might become when handled with creativity and care. The magic of today’s tools is that they allow us to translate the ordinary into something that conveys our own artistic vision. I offer one final example in today’s header image, which to me offers a glimpse into the moody magic of Scotland’s lovely landscapes as they might have been portrayed in years past.

To see the extraordinary subjects of some other bloggers, click here.

Tags: rowboat, weekly photo challenge

58 thoughts on “(Extra)Ordinary Boats – Weekly Photo Challenge”

Dalo 2013 on November 7, 2015 at 5:15 am said:

To turn the ordinary objects made extraordinary, just pass them through your lens Tina and it is done 🙂 The backstory on your reasoning for processing adds even more ~ the sepia tone you bring to these shots make me feel as if it is a timeless scene…which would not be the case with electric blue interiors in the boats. You made these shine. Wish you a great weekend.

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Uday Narayanan on October 31, 2015 at 11:07 am said:

Beautiful shots Tina! My favourite is the second one. And I agree with you..perhaps it is the artist’s task to discover the extraordinary that lies within the seemingly ordinary.

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maamej on October 26, 2015 at 5:56 am said:

“the artists among us see the world not only as it exists, but also as it might become when handled with creativity and care” – beautiful, thank you for this insight.

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robert20359 on October 22, 2015 at 9:11 am said:

Hi Tina great pictures.

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Problems With Infinity on October 21, 2015 at 2:36 am said:

beautiful photos! I’m living in Port Townsend, WA right now and they have an amazing boat building school and all sorts of crazy wooden boats everywhere. Not too long ago was the wooden boat festival which was pretty amazing!

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 11:19 pm said:
  
  Thanks Sarah – appreciate your dropping by!
  
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Svetlana Grobman on October 20, 2015 at 10:23 am said:

(Extra)ordinary interpretation of the challenge, Tina! My favorite quote is the last one:).

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 11:10 pm said:
  
  🙂 Thanks Svetlana!
  
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pommepal on October 20, 2015 at 7:01 am said:

An extraordinary take on these images has created works of art and I just love the misty ethereal look of the Scottish loch in your header.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 11:06 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much Pauline – especially for the comment re the header!!
  
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Dina on October 20, 2015 at 5:40 am said:

Lovely work on the boats, Tina. A common sight in Norfolk, Uk, with tides coming and going. Thanks for rare quotes with deep impact.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 11:04 pm said:
  
  My pleasure Dina – thanks for your visit and comment!
  
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Otto von Münchow on October 19, 2015 at 1:56 pm said:

Lovely photos. You have indeed created something extraordinary out of the mundane. By giving the photos a sepia-tone transform the photos into memories of times gone by.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:52 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much Otto – exactly what I was going for!
  
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norasphotos4u on October 19, 2015 at 8:02 am said:

Nicely processed Tina

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:52 pm said:
  
  Thanks Nora – I enjoyed playing with these.
  
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Linda Wyatt on October 19, 2015 at 7:05 am said:

A new way of ” messing ” with Mother Nature!!! An ethereal effect!!

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:51 pm said:
  
  LOL, you’re right on that GirlFriend! Thanks
  
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janeiwan on October 19, 2015 at 6:19 am said:

Great mood in these images.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:51 pm said:
  
  Thanks jane – I liked the feeling of bygone days for these shots.
  
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Jane Lurie on October 19, 2015 at 12:00 am said:

Good choice of your sepia tones, Tina. The first image in particular has interesting contrasts, angles , lines and clarity that make a solid composition. Terrific set.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:50 pm said:
  
  Thanks Jane – interestingly each of the boats we in a different area of the country but I thought they worked well together.
  
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photobyjohnbo on October 18, 2015 at 11:43 pm said:

Love the selection of boats in black-and-white. My favorite is Drydock.

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:49 pm said:
  
  Thanks John – my favorite also!
  
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Mabel Kwong on October 18, 2015 at 10:45 pm said:

Beautiful photos and love what you did in post-processing. You do think far and miles ahead, Tina, thinking about post-processing when you are shooting. On the ball with what you want to achieve, and I suppose you also take shots from different angles of the same thing and see if it jogs your creativity. I know I do that 🙂 “also as it might become” Love that thought. These days I’m experimenting more and more long exposure photography, and it’s so fun to visualise how the raw shot will eventually turn out versus how I want it to turn out. Of course, there’s always post-processing… 😀

The first quote is my favourite. The most ordinary things can be the most beautiful, and funny how a lot of the time only when they are gone do we realise that is so. So, cherish what we have ❤

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:47 pm said:
  
  Thanks Mabel – I look forward to seeing some of your long exposure shots! I too love those kinds of artistic touches. Some of my favorites were of a beautiful sunrise over the ocean waves. – Talk about cherishing the moment!
  
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Amy Reese on October 18, 2015 at 10:39 pm said:

Lovely, Tina. I really like the softness of the second photo. I just want to lay down in that grass!

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:45 pm said:
  
  Thanks Amy – it actually WAS very inviting! unfortunately it was also wet LOL
  
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sustainabilitea on October 18, 2015 at 10:18 pm said:

Tina, the B&W works wonderfully with your photos to give a completely different feel and look to what they would be as taken in color. The second is so Andrew Wyeth!

janet

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- Tina Schell on October 21, 2015 at 10:43 pm said:
  
  Wow – Andrew Wyeth – I wish!! Glad you enjoyed Janet, thanks!
  
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aekshots on October 18, 2015 at 10:14 pm said:

Ahhh, the warmth of summer sun…I miss it already but the last two shots put me back there. I’m ready to break out the fishing rod. 🙂 Nice post for this week’s challenge Tina.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:31 pm said:
  
  Thanks Andy – happy to have taken you to a warmer place! We’re having our first shot of fall weather today and I must admit I’m not quite ready for it. Hoping there’s an indian summer before it’s over!
  
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april kanew on October 18, 2015 at 8:30 pm said:

love these shots..so mysterious…..great eye!!!

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:28 pm said:
  
  Thanks April! And welcome back!!
  
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pattimoed on October 18, 2015 at 8:02 pm said:

Hi Tina. You have chosen great shots to convert to sepia. My favorite is the second one, which does convey nostalgia for those fleeting days of summer!

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:28 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much Patti – my favorite too 😊
  
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lensandpensbysally on October 18, 2015 at 3:19 pm said:

Marvelous, especially in your choice of monochrome…

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:23 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much Sally!
  
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Amy on October 18, 2015 at 1:15 pm said:

An extraodinary post for this theme, Tina! These photos are poetic. Beautifully done!

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:19 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much Amy – poetic is a wonderful compliment for these!
  
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loisajay on October 18, 2015 at 12:54 pm said:

You did an extraordinary job of making these boats extraordinary! The sepia tones are gorgeous and the second photo is my absolute favorite. It reminds me of a Wyeth painting. Very nice, Tina.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:18 pm said:
  
  Wow, Wyeth – now THAT’s a compliment Lois! Thanks so much for your generous comment!
  
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anotherday2paradise on October 18, 2015 at 12:06 pm said:

Beautiful images, Tina. Love the quotes you’ve chosen, especially the Piero Scaruffi one.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:11 pm said:
  
  Thanks Sylvia, always fun playing with images to push them where you want them to go!
  
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julieallyn on October 18, 2015 at 12:05 pm said:

Oh. And I loved this: My sense is that the artists among us see the world not only as it exists, but also as it might become when handled with creativity and care.

Kudos! Fantastic photos as well. 🙂

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:05 pm said:
  
  Many thanks – for your visit and thoughtful comment!
  
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julieallyn on October 18, 2015 at 12:05 pm said:

Really enjoyed this. I copied / pasted all three of your ‘extraordinary’ quotes on my Facebook page – the second one especially described by son to a T!

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:04 pm said:
  
  That’s so sweet Juleallyn – thanks so much for the lovely feedback!
  
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wanderingcows on October 18, 2015 at 12:04 pm said:

Well said. And the sepia tones in the boat pictures make the images nostalgic of a simpler era. I like it.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 11:02 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much WC!
  
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Nature on the Edge on October 18, 2015 at 10:54 am said:

Well done, Tina. The sepia tones have elevated the effect to an artistic quality.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 10:00 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much Liz!
  
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rabirius on October 18, 2015 at 10:28 am said:

Excellent images.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 9:56 pm said:
  
  Thanks Rabirius
  
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Sue on October 18, 2015 at 10:17 am said:

I’m on your page, Tina, regarding artistic interpretation – often I will imagine an image processed. Sometimes it works, sometimes I can’t get it quite as I ‘saw’ it! These are lovely sepia studies, and a mood evoked in each.

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- Tina Schell on October 19, 2015 at 9:54 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much Sue, I agree, sometimes you just can’t make it work. I tuck those away for another try at some later time. 😊
  
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  - Sue on October 20, 2015 at 3:24 am said:
    
    Well, as software has evolved, I do find it interesting to see what possibilities I have with some of my older images now!