Log with Ice Crystals

From Nature Photography

I hiked up into Easter Creek and found this log covered in fine ice crystals. Cold air was trapped down in the bottom of the canyon creating rime on the surface of the log. I like how the curve of the log helps to develop the composition of the photo. I also like how delicate the rime crystals are.

~Tad

Landscape of Wood

From Nature Photography

This is a photo that I took of an old stump that has been eroded by the elements. It resembles an aerial photograph of a landscape far below. I love how the different grains of wood almost look like taffy being swirled together.

~Tad

Nest Egg

From Nature Photography

I hiked up near Thorn Creek and found these pockets in the dirt that were collecting pine needles next to an old mine. There were also a lot of small round rocks that had been left over from the mining days. To me the pockets resembled a little nest so I built up one of the pockets with more pine needles and placed three of the round rocks into the nest. I photographed it just as the sun was setting and casting a low orange light onto the nest.

Enjoy!

~Tad

Family Lake Cabin Remodel | McCall, Idaho

We renovated an old family cabin on the shore of Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho. We reconfigured the floor plan to provide more open space and accentuate the view across the lake. We also updated all the finishes throughout the cabin.

Check out the slideshow below:



Enjoy!
~Tad

Rabbit Brush in Snow

I hiked up five mile creek after the first snow of the year and photographed these small balls of snow that had formed around the dried flowers of the rabbit brush in the early morning. They were very delicate and didn’t last long. As soon as the sun began to warm the snow crystals the “cottontails” began to disappear.

From Nature Photography

It was such an interesting sight that I was inspired to write a haiku. Haiku is a fun way to express images through words. The haiku originated in Japan. They typically describe seasons or the changing of seasons. The first line is five syllables, the second line is seven syllables, and the third line is five syllables. There is also a version that goes 3-5-3 instead of 5-7-5, but I chose the longer format for this haiku. There are a lot of different rules for haiku and as with any art form there are multiple variations. Below are a few simple rules I use when starting to write a haiku:

1) Use words that describe nature and a season of the year.
2) The first two lines should evoke images in the reader’s mind.
3) The third line should connect the first two lines in a surprising way.

Below is the haiku I wrote after taking the photo above:

snowy rabbit brush
cold crystals cling in bunches
sun melts cottontails

Try writing your own haiku! It is a fun way to express your ideas. Find a photograph that evokes a feeling to you and write about it or think of a memory from your past that has a strong mental image. Most of all have fun with it!

Enjoy!
~Tad Jones

Drawing Elephants

I have been thinking about elephants lately after my Mom told me of an elephant that she met in Singapore. The elephant was given a paint brush with buckets of paint and a canvas was placed in front of the elephant. The elephant would then paint on the canvas. My Mom has one of these paintings hanging above her fireplace. I found a photograph of a baby elephant and its Mom and I thought it would be fun to illustrate the two elephants using ink and marker. I took time lapsed photography of the process in the short film below.

Enjoy!
~Tad