Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Lake Isabella ...

I think we all have a place where we can find peace, a place that we can sit & watch & dream. I have a few of those spots but one of them is on the shores of Lake Isabella. Up in the Sierra Nevadas of California it's a huge man made lake, a damn protecting Isabella & Bakersfield from it. The Kern River flows into it, & it's rounded by dirt & mountains & rocks & everything England isn't. I first met the Lake in 2007 when my then boyfriend took me to see it, since then I have been back to see it 3 times & have simple grown to love it more. This time we were in for a shock as the drought that has hit the area means the Lake is drying up, all those trees you see in this pictures sticking out the water weren't there in 2011 when i saw it last. My favorite spot to go & stand is now dirt, the water hundreds of meters from it's edge. It makes me sad to see it disappear. But i set out to photography it, something i have never managed to do justice too, & i have to admit it took me about 4 tries before i got the images you see here. The problem (& yes it was a problem) were the blue blue skies, too much contrast. It's January, mid winter & barely a sign of a cloud in the sky (the opposite of winter in England) but finally the week before we left we had some hazy days, i jumped on this & found the peace I feel there in person in my work. 





Don't forget to check out the rest of the sisterhood stories ... follow the blog circle from start to finish beginning with the words & pictures of Karrie Drake

12 comments:

  1. Laura, I find it so difficult to articulate how I feel about your work, it leaves me speechless, made dumb by emotion. These images are stunning. I feel calm and quiet looking at them. I want to be standing in a white gallery, with just these images on the walls, to become surrounded and engulfed by them and to lose time in them. Thank you for sharing them. Please publish a book! Just so so beautiful.

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    1. you are too too kind to me ... & i might now cry! thank you. xx

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  2. I had to smile when I read '... blue skies, too much contrast...', because contrast is something that you can almost always find in my photos. Very opposite to the ones you show us here. But you know what? I love these photos of Lake Isabella. So very dreamy and soft and light. Really beautiful! Like Todd and Moore say - you should think about publishing a book.

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    1. you are too kind ... thank you so much. & whilst i like contrast at times, i was getting crazy banding in my skies & for me it was too harsh.

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  3. That series is one of your most inspiring (they all are...) work. I think you've managed to capture every minute detail and the feel of stillness conveys so much emotion, it's definitely gallery worthy. Every single one is a masterpiece xox

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    1. i so excited to go back in a few months, i am just hoping they have some rain between now & then. & thank you so much pretty lady, you really are too kind to me. xx

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  4. You photos captured and transmitted peace and serenity. Thank you so much for sharing, it's wonderful.

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    1. thank you Abby, both feelings i get when I am there.

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  5. Laura I LOVE these - I can't put into words how beautiful I find them x

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