There are times when I really notice order. I admit it’s not usually when I’m looking around my house.
It becomes particularly apparent when I’m looking through the camera lens. In a sense I’m always drawn to order even though I don’t always practice it. I like looking at it, I appreciate carefulness and am also drawn to certain repetition and routine. I relish the quiet rhythms of movement in yoga and climbing or cycling and even walking across the earth. I suppose these kinds of order are like a meditation. A way of centreing oneself in an often uncontrollable world. I realize making images is part of this for me. You might be surprised at the number of times I rearrange them on these pages. Thinking about how one image flows to the next or how your eye is drawn through the series.
It makes me think about the sense of order demonstrated by others when I happen across it. Perfectly lined up trees, immaculate summer lawns, thoughtful gardens or carefully placed tools of industry. And then there are natures own brilliant repetitions of shapes, showing up over and over again. There is a comfort in that order.
I like to think I tread lightly on the earth. It may not be so, but when I tread I am always appreciating the natural order that is underfoot, and trying myself to persuade just a little into existence.
draw and shoot 
simply beautiful
Thank you.
Beautiful set of images. The limited palette and soft tones are wonderful.
Julia, thank you much appreciated.
Quietly beautiful
Thank you Gaby. It can be amazingly quiet when you are out in snow like that, almost dreamlike.
These are beautiful. I respect the ability – the art, rather — that you put in to making things flow. Your sets of images always have a compelling unity to them, even as they are distinct.
I like to reach for order, too, but the best I get is slight disharmony. I’ve a cluttered sort of mind. I try to make that my own though.
Oh Helen, you persuade words into such a lyrical order I am always mesmerized by them. Every sentence and word. So your “disharmony” is perfection.
Thank you.
What a beautiful series and so well written too.
Shari, thank you.
Writing is not my strong point but sometimes it just happens…
I disagree. I think you write really well. And it goes perfectly with your photos.
These are lovely images. The avenue of trees particularly. The picture just draws you on, into the unknown. I find myself contemplating where does it lead? I like that. It’s a picture I could quite happily hang on my wall.
Thank you Chillbrook!
Wonderful! I appreciate order too. I love your writing and photos!
Karen, thank you. I’m happy you do.
Effortlessly elegant words. The images are very very good! This is what i want after a day of strain and stress. 🙂 Regards, Steve
Thank you Steve, I’ll trade you one cold snow day for a warm beach! 🙂
Ha! I’ll give you a warm beach for nothing! I prefer to look at snowy days through your images! 🙂 I feel like I’m there, but without the numb toes!
Simple, yet amazing and astonishing 🙂
Much thanks Filipe.
Beautiful images and thoughts too.. Serious snow there Karen.. I had wind, rain and mist to contend with recently as you know and you have a blizzard by the looks of it !
We got a few inches of snow, I was just lucky to be out when it was coming down heavily. I love going out during snowfalls! I guess you can relate to that! =)
Thanks Helen.
Surprisingly I can now… I would have said not until I had this new camera 😉
Thanks so much for sharing these, here in North Central PA we usually have four very distinct seasons, but this year Winter has been nearly non-existent, with less than 6 inches of snow in my area. I very much enjoyed these photographs.
Our winter started out really slowly this year, February seems to be the banner month for snow.
I’m glad to share it with you! I bet Husky would love to roll in it too! Thanks.
Great collection! Very serene.
Thank you Anita.
I too love order, however little it may show in my home, lol. These are wonderful, as always!
Yes desiring order and having order are completely different things as my house also can attest to. Thank you Wicker.
These are so lovely, Karen. And yes, comforting. Like listening to Bach. It’s healing, I think – there’s something in this kind of natural order that we respond to. Thank you for these – they are wonderful.
Hi Lois, thank you so much your words are lovely. Much appreciated.
I really like a couple of those first ones where you have the orderliness/symmetry of the trees contrasted with the randomness of the snow falling. PS: Did you see the ice fishing post on Freshly Pressed today?
I just checked out the ice fishing post, thanks for the tip. That’s funny! She had no qualms about bravely approaching strangers! Maybe next year… 🙂
Very nice!
Thanks.
Gorgeous pictures! Very peaceful.
You might also like this website which someone forwarded to me once – it showcases things which are pleasingly ordered.
http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/
Ha, ha! thanks for the link. That’s a fun website.
Thank you.
Those are great, Karen. It is so hard to photograph snow!
Hi Graham, yes photographing snow can be challenging. Especially when the great big flakes seem to be magnetically attracted to your lens. Thanks!
Karen… love the symmetry in the first photograph especially!
David, thank you.
Stunning images !
Hi Yoshizen, thank you!
! i love these. the first one looks as though you would be walking into the sky. so lovely. i really love the second to last image as well. all very beautiful
Thanks Jess. 🙂
Thank you.
And the words you write put me in just the right rhythmic mood to see the images. My mother is an artist but she doesn’t like to talk about what she does. She says you’d never ask a writer to paint what they do, so why ask an artist to use words. I appreciate her meaning but I also think it’s wondrous when an artist can do both.
Hi Anna, I don’t set out to write much at all about images but sometimes the images themselves clarify thoughts for me. I guess it’s a bit like noticing things about yourself as you go. I’m not sure I articulate myself very well but I like the exploration.
These are really beautiful.
Thank you Michael.
So nice.
Scott, thank you! It was nice to be out in all that snow.
You’re very welcome…and I’m sure it was. 🙂
I was up to my knees in it this weekend hiking in the mountains…so beautiful!
wow Karen, this is a beautiful series! Your words are so engaging, and the images are like sketches. What a great angle! I really enjoyed these (and it’s amazing how much I like to look at order, yet thrive in living in a bit of disorder!)
Thanks so much Marina, I like that you think they look like sketches – a fresh eye sees different things…
Your pics are quite nice, I like them! What could be a better theme than snow 🙂
Snow is a most worthy subject, I agree..
🙂
3.4 6.7 just perfect Karen!
Thank you!
Karen, each is enchanting in its own way. It’s impossible to choose a favorite one. I love the snow falling, the horizon disappearing into the snow, the wind in the trees, the colors. There is so much to see in each photo. 😀
I also know how photography keeps me centered as well. Something I am compelled to do. Today’s photos are spring appearing but will not have time to post them. 😉
Spring already where you are? Wow, it feels a long way off even though it’s almost March. Thank you Shez.
Absolutely stunning. And, beautifully articulated.
Elena you are very kind! Thank you.
Beautiful shots Karen…the snow is magic, so are your photos!
Thanks so much Cindy, I have to say that your macro shots are amazing – I’m loving your insects! 🙂
I love symmetry & order…. & These are stunning!!! 🙂 **
Thanks Xandre! 🙂
Beautiful Karen. I’m also very drawn to order and repeated patterns found in nature. I loved these because of the wonderful trees – something we don’t have around here. And your writing is just as magical as the photos!
Our landscapes are so different, it’s really fascinating to see your images of Norway. It really makes me want to visit! Thanks Erica and I am certainly looking forward to more of your posts.
Karen – I am sure that the famous ‘That’s another fine mess you’ve got me into!’ quote from Laurel and Hardy would change into ‘That’s another fine set of photographs you’ve got me into!’ if only they were still around to see them! This is another lovely set of art photographs that should be on a gallery wall with all of your other fine sets! Have you had any exhibitions yet, Karen?
Cheers
John
I’ll see if I can get something going John! Thank you, you are always so supportive and I appreciate it.
I feel like I’m always commenting here, but I just can’t help myself – these are stunning Karen..the muted colours and lines..just beautiful. I agree about symmetry and finding order in things – I can’t quite manage it in my life either, but I love to find this kind of order visually, in design, art and photography – I find it extremely comforting!
It must get exhausting going through all these comments! You will have to become crap for a while, so that people aren’t so compelled to respond..hehe..
And I agree with the above comment – exhibition soon!! 🙂
Ha, ha! Thanks Cath, I’m glad you like them. 🙂
Your photographs convey a lot of peace, an extraordinary blend…
Much thanks Cruz.
last picture… fantastic.
Well, thank you Antoino. They used to be sunflowers but I suppose they have become snowflowers…
Another great post! Filled with winter and form! I think my favorite is the one of the trees all in lined up in a single row. I don’t know exactly why I love it so much but perhaps it is due to the fact that I can feel the trees’ strength through the snow storm being pelted at them. I also love how there is order found in nature. Brilliantly beautiful work as always, Karen! Well done 🙂
Polly, thank you. Your comments always have so much thought. I like the way you look at the world!
The first and last images are my favourite, but wow – all of them are so light and airy. You really know how to capture the symmetry in nature – that is a talent!
I would also hang one of these on my wall. You should open an etsy shop!
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! 🙂
Wow. Wow!! Beautiful photos and brilliantly captured. I loved them, Karen. 🙂
Nandini, thanks for the Wows! 🙂
Superb images again Karen, so atmospheric and yet so simple. Beautiful.
Hi David, thanks so much.
Hi Karen
The snow is like the fog. When I photograph something in the fog, the fog masks out any extra “stuff’ leaving my subject in some kind of a nice, clean order,
Carla
Carla, that’s what I love about snow and fog too. You can find such spareness in an image.
You’ve outdone yourself Karen. I find all of these arresting and yet peaceful. So, beautiful. Thanks for creating these.
Well thank you so much Distan!
“Love’! Your writing is exquisite:)
Gigi, thank you! How very kind. 🙂
special. like it a lot.
I’m happy you like it, thank you.
Love the first image looking between the two rows of trees.
Once again beautiful pics. Order is a funny thing. It exists but is it part of nature? Or is it the way we organized things so we can make sense of them?
These trees in the snow are beautiful, wish I could take a walk there!
hello.
just a quick thought – i feel equally at ease taking photographs in the most crowded big city as i do out in the middle of the most desolate desert. it seems, even to myself, a fairly unusual mix.
reading your post a light bulb went off. that’s what i look for in my photography: order. thanks for highlighting this often overlooked aspect of photography
alessandro
Yes, order, I’m glad you relate!
Thanks for your comment Alessandro.
The first image is stunning!