My smart phone travels with me pretty much every where. It is my mini computer, note taker, connector, and camera. It records how many steps I take, contains professional information, helps me with research and helps me illustrate my thoughts. As a camera it works pretty darn well, although I know the limitations and times to use it. I especially enjoy taking photographs when I travel for pleasure, work in my gardens, take long "thinking walks" or see things that dazzle me. 

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When I am composing an image I think about the same things that I do when I am using my professional cameras, facing a blank piece of paper for water color or am about to put pencil to paper for a drawing. Where are the points of interest? Are there leading lines into the image? Does the image have impact?

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Should it be color or should I venture into black and white? I make these decisions on the spot and use the camera software to edit the images. I don't go back to my computer and work on them in Adobe Lightroom or  Photoshop. I am in the moment so I work in that moment.

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I learned  the importance of story telling thru the eyes of  water colorist and illustrator, Al Albrektson, I watched him work his magic with color and composition, Al makes things "sing" with his brush. I try to do the same with my camera!

IMG_0795-2 And lastly, I try to put a bit of magic in my images. The magic that I am seeing and hope to share with you!

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