Not So Wordless Wednesday: Orange You Glad?

From time to time we all find ourselves in a creative slump- questioning our purpose and wondering what we can contribute to the world.

Writers, painters, sculpters, photographers, teachers, athletes, mothers- we all share a common goal- to achieve an original creation. Something that sets us apart in the world. Something we can leave behind. A legacy, if you will.

Sure, there may be better photos. Better novels. Better artists. But we mustn't let self-doubt or discouragements prevent us from creating.

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“Use what talents you possess, the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.” - Henry Van Dyke

Open your eyes and look around. Inspiration is lurking in the most unsuspecting of places.

This week I was inspired by an orange. Bright, aromatic, citric, beautiful, and refreshing. I can't think of a better subject. It certainly challenged me. It also made for a fun photo shoot.

First thing I had to do was figure out the right kind of orange. Then I had to figure out how to cut it to make it aesthetically pleasing. I opted for the non-navel kind. And it only took me two to find the perfect slice free of seeds.

Then I had to wait for the right light. I chose to do my shots outside on my back deck where it is partially shaded and provides the necessary natural light.

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I used a 12x12 white scrapbook sheet for a backdrop, a blue glass for some added color, and some sprite for additional bubbles.

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I amped the shutter speed up and then proceeded to drop the orange in the glass multiple times.

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It may have been more effective with a clicker or an assistant, but neither were readily available, so I worked with what I had.

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I took tons of photos. Possibly hundreds? But clicking is not the hard part. No, the hard part is weeding through and finding my favs.

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This is where another person may come in handy because they are not emotionally attached or invested in the project. Hubs helped me narrow down my favs to a more reasonable number to work with. Due to the great lighting I had minimal editing. I used the "contrast boost" and "deep pop" actions by paint the moon for a few.

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I also added a Shadowhouse texture called "square 154" to this one. Hubs really liked it and suggested putting it on canvas. (You can see this photo with texture at top of page.) It certainly changes the entire feel of the photo.

Where are you finding inspiration these days?

If you are in a slump, grab an orange and try these easy steps. You may be surprised just what you can create. "Orange you glad" you stopped by? (Sorry, I just can't help myself.)

Sorry for all the words this week. I've had many questions regarding my photos and thought I'd share a few pointers. Photography isn't hard. It just takes a little patience and a whole lot of practice.

Canon EOS 50D, Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, and Photoshop Elements 7 were used for these photos.

If you have a photo to share, just link it up below. Then check out a few of the other fab WW posts. I link up to these blogs every single week...

Wordish WednesdayLive and Love...Out Loudseven clown circusDagmar's momsense blog button Better in Bulk


84 comments

  1. Oh that musta been so fun! Love the idea, I think I may have to try it! I bet it was hard to chose, they are all so cool!

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  2. This is a stunning work of art! Love the originality of the idea too and the ideas about using a scrapbook for background etc, very clever! I always hang out for your tips and tricks, they are always simple to put into practice but so effective.

    BTW, I meant to share this link with you for some free textures if you haven't discovered this site already :-)

    http://lostandtaken.com/gallery

    And yep I'm very glad you shared (in answer to your Orange You Glad!
    ;-) meg

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  3. These are awesome! I can imagine myself making a big mess if I attempt this.

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  4. Alicia these are amazing. My fav is the second to last. I could almost feel the splash!
    Dana

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  5. Wowzers! I like that you added some words (tips) for us( as one who asks a lot, LOL) some day I hope to have a camera that I can control (LOL) and be able to use more of your knowledge. until them just a simple point & shoot for me.

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  6. These look amazing! Could be huge art blow up on walls.

    Dagmar
    Dagmar's momsense

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  7. Those are fantastic!! Looks so refreshing.

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  8. Fantastic photos, Lish! And how awesome is it that you even walked us all through the steps you took to capture the great shots?!? That last shot is definitely my favorite.
    Oh and that quote you shared? I love it. :)

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  9. Love the list and directions! I love the orange and blue!

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  10. I am so inspired by your photos! What brilliant colors and what a fun subject!

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  11. Gorgeous... Seriously, you are a talented photographer!

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  12. I LOVE the blue. Perfect!!
    Tiffany

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  13. So pretty! Now I want to try it! :D

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  14. WOW Lisha !! Great shots as always ;) love them

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  15. Wowzer! Who would have thought that such a simple thing could be so fab??
    LOVE especialliy the one that looks like it is sinking (just above the one that has the added text)
    You are so clever :)

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  16. nicely done. I've yet to try this.

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  17. Awesome. What an inspiration! I love how you said clicking isn't the hard part. I use my husband to weed out some photos quite often. You're right. It's hard when you're invested in it. I'm very impressed with your beautiful photos! Thank you for the inspiration. Love the quote too!

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  18. Very cool. Great choice on the blue glass. Awesome contrast.

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  19. FAAAAAAANTASTIC shots! Happy WW Lish :)

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  20. Thank you for the visit. You have a beautiful blog. These orange photos are delicious, refreshing and artful.

    The project smile sounds great too.

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  21. It's amazing how something as simple as an orange and some Sprite can turn out to be a set or gorgeous photos like these!

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  22. I haven't been able to stop by in a while, and I've really missed it! This was a great post to come back to! I love the contrast of the blue and orange together, and those bubble just really add depth and life to the photos! For not having a clicker or a dropper, you did very well! Made me want to go outside and play with fruit!

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  23. How fun! I love the photo of the orange submerged. Very cool.

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  24. I love the bubbles! Your pictures are always so amazing!!!!! Thanks for hosting another week of WW!

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  25. Outstanding Must be wonderful to have both eye and camera capable of such clarity!

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  26. Thank you for letting us know how many photos you took to get some that you really liked. I always figure, oh, a few clicks and they have the perfect shot! As always, you have stunning photos and I wish I could live in your creative brain for a day to get some ideas! =)

    ~Mimi

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  27. A little patience and a whole lot of practice. I'm trying! Thanks for sharing all the photo tips.

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  28. Your pictures are beautiful! And I must have been MIA from your place for ages, as I haven't seen that fantastic header shot yet. Wow! Breathtaking picture. :) Love it, and happy WW!

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  29. SO COOL! And refreshing, of course!!!

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  30. This is so neat! Thanks for sharing your process.

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  31. love the brights! someday i wish to actually read my camera's manuel and put it to even better use:)

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  32. Love the effects by photoshop and am so envious of all the lovely shots you have taken...so want a DSLR camera to play with.

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  33. Love the vivid, vibrant colors - beautiful! :)

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  34. Fantastic! I took photography...old school...in college and today have a great DSLR and haven't read the manual. But I do LOVE photography. My inspiration is my kids and most recently the prairie that surrounds me. Today I linked up with Spring Snow geese taking flight. I also have a linky on my blog. Happy WW!
    Katie (@katpinke)

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  35. Love this! So simple yet so creative and colourful!

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  36. Awesome photos. Love them. I have yet to try these.

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  37. Wow. Such great bold colours. Happy WW :)

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  38. Love the quote and the words of encouragement.

    Seltzer water works great too!!

    I don't know if you have seen this tutorial, but it is excellent http://www.clickitupanotch.com/2011/02/fruit-and-seltzer-water-why-didnt-i-think-of-that-wednesday/

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  39. Those are great. I will have to try similar shots.

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  40. Thanks for the inspiring words...I've written a novel that I have decided to self-publish but keep coming up against major self-doubt. But you're right: it doesn't have to be the world's greatest novel of all time to be worthwhile. Thanks :D

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  41. THanks for hosting again this week, my husband shot his first wedding over the weekend and to hear him talk it was also his last. So feel free to stop by and let me know if you think he should keep it up or hang up his camera. :)

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  42. Love these, I love the colors against the white, just pops, it's so vivid. Great series.

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  43. Definitely something I have to try! My favourite is the second last one, love all the fizzy bubbles and the splash :) The one with the text is great too!

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  44. love those shots!
    also, thank you so much for that quote... you have no idea just how much i needed to hear that...
    thank you so very much

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  45. I love, love the bubbles with the orange. What a cool idea.

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  46. So very cool! Love the shot with the bubbles. I often use my hubby to help me decide on shots to post. It's nice to get other's opinion and perspective.

    I've been trying to work on my Macro setting and finding inspiration in a tiny, close up world.

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  47. I love these shots. I did my first test run last week with some unusual combinations. But now that I have done it once- I will do my next one with exactly what I need. It's so fun & the bubbles make each shot so unique. Great job on these!

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  48. Stumbled this post, great photo. You are my inspiration of the week. Going to try this - thanks for letting me know the camera you use. Too much right now but love that you like it.

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  49. Oh I love it, especially with the water flying out of the cup. :) Happy WW!

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  50. Oh my gosh! Those photos are delectable!

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  51. This is gorgeous! And I love the name and header! Thanks for checking out Living Well With Epilepsy!
    Jessica
    Founder
    Living Well With Epilepsy

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  52. This definitely made my day. Thank you for sharing. It's beautiful and so true.

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  53. Awesome! Love how it turned out. Such a simple idea, yet so intriguing.

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  54. Thanks for sharing your process. I am now definitely inspired! I really like the quote.

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  55. Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  56. I'll have to give this a try! I am always up for a good challenge! Which, BTW, looks like a lot of fun!!

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  57. So refreshing! Ah, I need a nice cold drink. Thank you for stopping by and linking to my WW! I'm your newest follower. :)

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  58. I've been meaning to try out this trick for quite a while.

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  59. As usual, you've taken something that seems so simple and made it absolutely magical! Love it!

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  60. Wow! I love your photos! Newest follower of your awesome site. Hope you could find time to come by and maybe follow me back too. Thanks! :)
    http://aimee-girltalk.blogspot.com

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  61. Gorgeous!! These are making me so thirsty! lol. LOVE the crispness.

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  62. To say "great pictures" would be an understatement. I think "refreshing" when I look at them. Great! Glad you linked up at my blog. I'm not worthy!

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  63. LOVE your pictures!! The blus and orange together are perfect!!
    Thanks for visiting my blog! Following you now via GFC. I look forward to seeing more from you!

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  64. Great idea and inspiration for future photos. I live in the country and I never seem to run out of subjects -- but I'll keep this in mind just in case... :)

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  65. wow - so cool! a great result AND such a lot of fun for you too!

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  66. This looks like a fun project to experiment with..I might have to get me some oranges!

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  67. Your simple photographs always blow my mind!

    I gave PhotoScape a quick try and used it for my WW...loving it!

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  68. Those shots are amazing! I like the message of this post, too. :)

    ~Kendall

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  69. oh i am doing this .. this is so cool! so glad i found you :)

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  70. That is amazing. I feel refreshed just looking at them. :) Incredible job!

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  71. I never would have seen an orange and a slice of orange as a photo shoot. Your photos are amazing! Thanks for linking up and for the linky

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  72. Amazing photographs! Fascinating process, too.

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  73. thanks for commenting back i always forget to comment on the challenge page bc im busy adding buttons and links lol :-) love those photos neat idea!

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  74. Your photos are amazing; the colouring in the images is perfect.

    Came via Living Well With Epilepsy.
    CJ

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  75. I love the way you experiment, and teach others! I want to try doing some shooting on white soon.

    Visiting from Hobo Mama and Natural Parents Network!

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  76. Love your photos!! Those are beautiful and really cool looking! My husband is an amateur photographer and loves it, it's his happy place.

    I'm a new follower from the Thursday blog hop and would love a follow back. I hope you have an amazing Thursday.'

    http://www.peanutbutterandhopey.com

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  77. "Sure, there may be better photos. Better novels. Better artists. But we mustn't let self-doubt or discouragements prevent us from creating."

    THANK YOU for posting this. amazingly enough, i was just feeling a bit of writer's block today. i had gotten in to the "all the best books have already been written" mood and i was having trouble getting past it. so i decided to take a bit of a break from work to check out last week's wordless wednesday posts and here this lovely post of yours is (with really AMAZING orange photos. seriously.. i love them).

    so.. thank you for being my inspiration today and a great reminder that being an artist isn't always easy, but it is for sure worth it. :D xxo

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  78. Hey girl! Sharing this tutorial with my readers in a post :) May I use one of your photos, linked back to you, to illustrate? Thanks!

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