Beauty's where you find it

Sometimes I get a little obsessive about things.  Obsessive about things as they relate to my hobbies anyway.  I'll see a recipe on Food Network and suddenly I just have to make it and will start preparing for it.  Or I'll come across a new pattern of minky fabric and I'll suddenly have to get some to make a minky blanket for the girls. Or I'll see a stunning picture and suddenly I need to take one just like it.  I'll occupy my time preparing for the shot, deciding on location and equipment.

Once the recipe/blanket/picture is complete, I used to wait for the accolades.  Cudos of a job well done.  A satisfied diner or a blanket cuddler would fill that need.

But then the next thing would come along that I HAD to do!

One day I was obsessed with getting a sunset shot.  I had seen many stunning examples of sunsets online in various places, and I wanted to get one.  I knew I would have to find the perfect location and needed perfect conditions for the sky to light up for me.  Wouldn't you know that at the time of this obsession, we were having cloudy days filled with rain. It was agony!

Then a rainy morning became a drier and clearing afternoon.  Could this be the day?

This day was also my grand daughters pre-school graduation.  I would be photographing this milestone in the late afternoon and would have my camera with me and plenty of time to set up to catch a sunset.

After the ceremony, I headed for higher ground.  I knew where to go I just needed to get to a spot where I had an unobstructed view of the horizon, no power lines, no buildings in the distance.

I was driving down a country road, watching the sun setting in my rear view mirror when I saw a little building on the edge of someone's property.  I thought the little building would look good as a silhouette in my shot.

I quickly did a doughnut turned around and parked and raced to trespass position myself as the sun dropped below the horizon.

(It's funny how fast the sun sets when you're trying to get situated to photograph it!)

Even with the sun below the horizon, the sky was on fire! The color was spectacular!  Now to frame the shot.

click.
......
click.

Back home, I loaded the images on the computer and enhanced the color just a tad, oh! this was it! I created a fantastic picture of a spectacular sunset! the little building was the perfect touch! everyone's gonna just be blown away! Then I uploaded my masterpiece for the world to see.

And waited.

tick

(crickets chirping)

tick

It's funny how life teaches us.

I loved this sunset.  I loved it because I had built up the anticipation of actually capturing it, I felt a child-like sense of joy in my thought process of what I would photograph and then I acted on it.  I got a beautiful image that I enjoy.  I enjoy it not only because it is lovely, but because I dreamt of it, planned it and executed it.

For me to expect others to have my eyes is foolish.

But that's OK.  I got a few accolades for my picture, and I learned that isn't what's important.

What's important is to do what makes me happy.

If it makes others happy too, that's nice but it is not the goal and should not determine whether or not I create something or whether or not I share it.

I learned that I am happy creating for me.

That is important because I am important.

(I should have printed it a little bigger, don't ya think?)

Have you ever done something special and no one noticed? Share your story with us! Share your favorite picture! Tell us about it!

Since today is the last day of May, my sunset picture fits! The sun is setting on our monthy theme-the sky's the limit!  Be sure to post your sky shots in the flickr gallery! Tag your shot with TSTL!



Meanwhile, I'm obsessing over something new.  Have you seen my day lilies?

How about you?





“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
 Andy Warhol




xo,