Abstract Winter...

What I enjoy so much about the kind of work that I do, is when a piece can actually surprise you.  I had recently snapped some images of the lovely snow that had fallen and began editing a couple of images when I decided to really play and stretch the boundaries of one image in particular.  On its own, it was a simple image of snow softly laying on the branches of a pine tree, nothing too spectacular.  Once I finished editing the image, there lay a beautiful abstract image of snow that puts a creative spin on this subject matter.  I was pretty thrilled with the end result of my work and wanted to share it with you!  This image along with all of my work is available via my website www.simonehester.com (if you have an opportunity please visit and leave a comment) and if you or someone you know are interested in purchasing, please visit www.simone-hester.artistwebsites.com. Thanks a bunch!

"Abstract Winter" (c) 2012

A Change In The Weather...

Living in the city of Chicago, the weather can change in a moment.  The city is actually known for it, a joke amongst fellow Chicagoans is that we truly can experience all four seasons in one day.  Recently we have had a wonderful start to winter, meaning Winter has not really shown it's head.... until this week.  Welcome to Winter! For me, it is not one of my favorite seasons by far (and if you are a friend of mine on Facebook, this is the only thing I actually complain about).  The ONLY benefit of Winter for me, is a change in scenery and a chance to shoot new pictures.  Snow can really change a landscape and create that special "postcard" moment.  I was home when the first snow hit last week and captured some great shots, there is nothing like snow when it first falls, it looks like sparkly cotton candy.  It's just wonderful fluffy, beautiful stuff.  Afterwards, it turns into salty, dirty mush.  Today, we got hit with a pretty big winter storm, with a bone chilling cold.  It was a perfect day to edit some of my new shots and drip a rather large mug of steaming hot green tea.

  "First Snow" (c) 2012

A Passion For It...

I absolutely love shooting architecture.  I vary from subject matters because I also love to shoot anything that captures my eye.  It could be a beautiful flower, a sunset, shadows, people in their everyday life, and so on.  But there is one thing that I still turn to because I adore the subject matter.  It is architecture.  The way a building is made is an astounding process.  But as an architect, how fulfilling to know that your masterpiece will stand the test of time, that it can be filled of life with people going to their corner office or grabbing a cup of coffee.  It can bustle with the latest fashions or help heal the sick.  The buildings in any major metropolis defines their skyline.  How many movies have you seen where the opening is a skyline and you instantly know the city and you haven't even had the opportunity to visit? Skylines are iconic, and there are those buildings that help define the city.  My beloved city of Chicago has the Willis Tower (Sears Tower for true Chicagoans), New York has the Empire State Building, San Francisco has the Transamerica and the list can go on. 

Yes I love these iconic structures, but what makes me a true lover of architecture, is that I love all buildings, old and new, crumbling and remodeled, historic and modern, simple and abstract, rusty and pristine.  So the next time you walk around a city, no matter how large, just take a moment and look at the structures around you, the impact on the community and the history that they hold.  I am certain that you too will become a fan of the wonderful architecture around us and the pieces of art that they truly are.  The image below is of the Chicago Riverwalk with the Butler Brothers Warehouse in the background.  It is an iconic building because of the history and that it just pops with the beautiful red brick.  The first shot is the original image and the second is the one I grunged up a bit creating a gritty and abstract image, because I just love to do so. 

 "River Walk" (c) 2012