my final photography project

You know how when you're thinking about something and wondering about it you start to see it everywhere or hear people talking about it? Well something like that has been happening with my final project idea for my photography class.

Months ago I'd taken a photo of a pinwheel tucked into a flowerbox on the deck of this family I babysit for. I also took pictures of many things, toys, the tree trunk, the little boy I babysit for. Of all of these, when I showed the mom the contact sheet the next week, she pointed out the pinwheel and how it looked like it had some kind of personality. She said it seemed to be reaching, and the direction that I shot it from made it look like a little kid standing on its tiptoes trying to get a cookie from the counter. It was striped in different colors and had pointy tips almost like leaves.

I respect this woman very much and considered where I might find more pinwheels to photograph. Little had I realized, right in my back yard there are three pinwheels tucked into various pots. I don't think I'd ever really noticed them so clearly before, almost like in a cursory glance I'd see them, but if you'd asked me if there were any in my backyard, I'd probably say no. These three were all the same construction, wooden with plastic petals that made them look like flowers, two are purple, one is green.

Then in the backyard of another family I babysit for I noticed they had a pinwheel. This one is not really appealing to me because it is all plastic and has that hologram look about it, but I think it'll catch the sun well or possibly reflect the baby's face, if I shoot it from the right angle.

I've also encountered random pinwheels that I'd never noticed before in my neighborhood. There seem to be a lot of circular pinwheels that almost look like bicycle wheels because they have ribbons running from the diameter like spokes in a tire. There are usually two "wheels" one smaller than the other and though they are nice, they are just a bit too modern for my taste. Part of me wonders if I should try to shoot one anyway, just to show the range of them...

I found this delightful one along Wolcott St. It was a ladybug. The wings were the windcatchers, the face was this garish looking cartoon style, and the back was the ladybug's body. The picture I took of that one came out really well and I have already printed it. The face and wings are in perfect focus and the rest of the picture is slightly out of focus.

I shot one that was lying down in someone's yard, face down, as if the wind had been too strong, and right next to it there was a ceramic frog with it's arms behind its back almost smirking as if to say, I'll never get blown over...

Yesterday it was very windy outside and I got the idea, just suddenly, that it might be cool to shoot a pinwheel while it was in motion. So I grabbed one of the flowerpots, set it on the porch rail so the background (the lawn) would be even and waited for the wind to pick up the petals of the pinwheel. I used a slow shutter speed so the motion would be blurred. I think it's going to look really cool. It hadn't occured to me to take a shot of a pinwheel in motion, but I saw the ones in my backyard spinning like mad in the wind.

I don't know why I'm so interested in this...it sounds kind of simple and boring. Even in class when I told my professor what I was considering, he laughed out loud. Pinwheels? You mean like the things kids played with in the 1950's? I just laughed back and said, yep, that's what I've been taking pictures of. He just shook his head and said, okay.

I'll try and post some when I have a chance. Maybe ya'll can tell me if I'm just a little crazy to think pinwheels are a good subject.