Lake Merritt is close to the Bonsai Garden I almost visited in last week’s Weekend Walk post. The area around the lake teems with life, both wild and domesticated, both human and animal. In the picture above, I was trying to capture the twist and movement of this tree.
The light on this day gave all of my photos a stark quality. Maybe the fog off the East Bay diffused the light just enough for the camera to pick up what the naked eye could not sense.
I am still trying to suss out how to depict depth when taking a photo. It will take many years to perfect this, I’m sure. I’m still learning not to accidentally take a picture or turn the camera off/on.
No examination of the Lake would be complete without mentioning the birds. Lake Merritt is home to a bird sanctuary. Although the sanctuary itself looks in need of an infusion of funds, the birds don’t mind a bit of benign neglect if they have places to roost and search for food.
The cedar bushes are covered in spider webs at this time of year. I like the contrast between the white web and the deep green of the bush.
Here, I was playing with depth again. This photo is a bit like the place itself. The mist that can sometimes make the San Francisco/Oakland area seem gloomy is the same mist from which these colorful flowers draw sustenance. And the colors are unlike those in any other place I’ve ever seen.
Here’s hoping you all have a great burst of color in your lives this week to even out the gloomy bits.
j