Nothings perfect

This evening I spent a lovely dinner with an old friend. We ate, shared family sagas and caught up on good times from long long ago.  As we talked about our lives we realized that though we may have  tried our best,  nothing is ever perfect.

Memories help to remind of us good times. They make us smile again and laugh.

After dinner we walked across the street to a rec center where they had an indoor wave pool. Wow.

I took these through the glass, but neither of us had seen something like this aside from perhaps an advertisment for a cruise ship. This was Ogden, Utah... and far far from a cruise ship.

These boys were tenatious... they just kept trying and trying again.  These photos are certainly not perfect... but it will keep this evening alive for me just because I snapped and captured a moment in time.

Photos, memories and catching up don't have to be perfect. It's fun to embrace imperfections. I think they make for better stories.

Grab your camera this week and snap some memories and post them to our Flickr page!

Treat Yourself

As women so often do, we take care of everyone else's needs but our own.  Whether we are wives, mothers or even women on our own, it seems to be programmed into our DNA to take care of others first and, if there's any time left over, then maybe we'll take care of ourselves.

When you think about treating yourself, what do you think about? A trip? A shopping spree? A massage? A pedicure? All of these things are nice, but time consuming and sometimes expensive. Have you ever thought of buying yourself flowers? I know I never did, but last spring I was at Trader Joe's and discovered that they had peonies. Well, prior to that I had only seen peonies in pictures. They definitely don't grow here in the desert. But I had long been enamored with them. As I was standing in line to check out, I saw that almost everyone in  line had a bunch of peonies in their hands. I quickly grabbed a bunch and it was the best $6.99 I've ever spent! Over the next several days, I photographed them at each stage of their bloom and loved every minute of it. When I wasn't shooting them, I was delighting in their beauty as they sat atop my dining room table. They just made me happy. By the end of the week, I was ready to go back for another bunch.

Now almost a year later I have gotten in the habit of picking up a bunch of flowers every week or so, just to treat myself. Such a small investment for such a lot of happiness. I not only enjoy having something beautiful to photograph (at any time of the year) but it just makes me happy having them in the house. Such a simple act of self-love and such an easy way to bring beauty into your life.

Is there something that you regularly do just for yourself? Just a little treat now and then that is just for you? If so, share it with us. Post a photo on our Flickr group for us all to enjoy. If not, how about picking up some flowers at the grocery store today?  TREAT YOURSELF!

Sharing

Okay. So now you have a few (hundred) thousand photos. What to do with them? They're not doing anybody any good sitting on your hard drive so I have some ideas.

The first thing I suggest is to be ruthless with your images. Save the good ones, the ones you really want to edit, delete the rest. Yes, you heard me correctly. Delete the bad ones. I know, I know. It's painful. Believe me, I and my computer with its two (soon to be three) external hard drives know all too well how painful it is. But in the interest of artistry and hard drive space, hit that delete key ... judiciously, of course.

Now you've gotten down to the really good stuff so edit all you want, or not, whatever makes you happy. Then, let's share them! Yes, you heard me. Let's get them out of your computer and in front of somebody's eyes, preferably somebody who loves photography as much as you do, like all your new friends here at Focusing on Life.

To help you out we're introducing our brand spanking new Focusing on Life Flickr page, just for you. We invite you to join this public group and share your photos and thoughts with us. What's that you say? Why should you do that? Glad you asked!

Until I started sharing my photos on Flickr and online photo classes, my photography was in a rut. By sharing with others, I became a better photographer as we all shared and commented on one another's photos. Soon I began to understand composition,  aperture, shutter speed, exposure, post processing, in short, photography. All that scary terminology became part of my everyday vocabulary and my work improved, over time dramatically and now when I see my early pictures, I cringe.

So join us at Flickr where you can see your photos come to life; where you can grow as a photographer. And as a person. Here's the link. We're waiting there for you!

PS - But don't forget to stop on our comments page here to say "Hello."

It's All Right There in Black and White

I crave color...bright and vibrant color!  One would be correct in calling me a coloraholic.  But sometimes a photograph just screams black and white to me.  In this photo long eyelashes, a scattering of freckles and wispy hair is brought front and center in black and white. 

 

This photo was taken in direct midday sun so the exposure was not ideal.  However, when I 

started to play around with processing and stripped away the color I found these amazing 

silhouettes just begging for the spotlight.  The dark darks and blown out brights made for a perfect black and white.

 

This is another one where I was shooting into the sun.  I knew as soon as I shot it that I could really emphasize her silhouette and the backlight on her hair with a black and white treatment.  This one has a bit of a sepia tone to it to create some warmth.  A colorless photo forces the viewer to focus on what's happening in the photograph.  I find that sometimes I have a stronger emotional connection to a black and white photo.  An image screams black and white to me when there is a good mix of bright midtones, dark darks and texture.  Compared to colorful photos where bright colors help the subject to stand out, in black-and-white photography the ability to stand out depends only on its ability to communicate emotion rather than on its appealing visual presentation.  

So how about you?  How do you chose whether an image gets the black and white treatment or not?  We would love to see some of your beautiful black and whites in our Flickr Pool!

 

 

The Thing About February...

February is the month for love.  We have been focusing on the ones we love and showing them how much we love them for the whole month!

What a great thing!

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, February is also part of winter.

Winter makes me want to stay indoors where it is warm.  But my camera still calls to me.

"I'm here! I'm available! I love you!"

(I have the sweetest camera!)

Tho the weather outside is frightful and the inside is so delightful....(or something like that)

But I digress, back to that Northern Hemisphere thing...
Everyone knows the days are shorter in winter.  The sun travels low in the southern sky.  Winter sunlight is so lovely.  This lovely light finds its way into various windows of my house at various times of the day.  This lovely light beckons to become part of an indoor studio.

I would rather be outside, outside in the light exploring with my camera, finding little treasures along the sidewalk or in the corner of the yard.

In winter, I bring my little treasures inside and photograph them in lovely winter light flowing through the windows and into my "studio".

ahh!

Look around the house and find where the cat (or dog) is napping.  Chances are he (or she) has found some lovely winter light!

Maybe you have some beautiful flowers you want to remember.

Even the newspaper can look good on a sunlit table!

Have you photographed something in some lovely winter light shining through your windows?  Share it with us!



"In the beginning there was nothing.  God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light.  There was still nothing but you could see it a whole lot better." ~Ellen DeGeneres

xo,

Pumpkin Pie, Perfume or Popcorn?

It's Thanksgiving morning, you walk into the kitchen and spot the pumpkin pie cooling on the counter, you peek in the oven to glimpse the turkey browning with it's juices flowing, you lift the towel over the bowl where the dough is rising to later make Grandma's homemade clover rolls. Everything looks perfect, but one thing is definitely missing.  There are no smells, no pungent nutmeg smell from the pumpkin pie, no delicious scents from those juices oozing from the turkey that later provide the base for that incredible mouth-watering gravy.   Can you imagine a Thanksgiving day without your sense of smell or for that matter any other day without your sense of smell?

I wonder if we tend to take our five senses of Smell, Taste, Touch, See, and Hear for granted. Each are gifts waiting for unwrapping to enjoy each and everyday.  And how even one sense, like smell would affect our day to day living with its absence.  Pause and think about your sense of smell and how you would sorely miss it if it suddenly disappeared.  No longer able to smell the freshness of the air after a spring rain, just cut mowed grass in the summer, or leaves burning in the fall.  Chili simmering on the stove, cookies baking in the oven, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.  Linens dried on a clothesline now covering your pillow with it's outdoor freshness, bubble baths, lotions, scented candles, a vase filled with roses.  The list continues.

As my Mother aged, she lost her sense of smell.  No longer could she smell the Windsong perfume that she would dab on her wrists each morning, no longer could she enjoy the aroma of the food she prepared for dinner, or the flowers she received on her birthday.  It was a loss that she woefully missed.  Sometimes I get a whiff of Windsong perfume and reminiscences of my Mom flood my memories.

Odors such as gasoline fumes, an agitated skunk, rotten eggs, or fresh manure I can live without. But don't take away the mouth-watering aroma of buttered popcorn as I enter the movie theater, fresh baked bread from the local bakery, or the heady smell of lilacs blooming in the spring.  This sense is a gift that is easily taken for granted, not realizing how much this gift would be missed until it was lost.

This week stop and think about your sense of smell.  Share with us what smells make you happy, bring back a memory, or what aroma would you miss the most?  Capture a picture of a favorite smell and post it on our new Flickr group "Focusing on Life."

"Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived."  ~  Helen Keller

'A Photo Walk With Friends'

 

      Every day I thank the universe for embedding the passion of photography into my soul.  It is through this passion, where I feel the most connected to...well...everything!  And speaking of being 'connected'...if it weren't for our online photography classes, the above photos and memories would not even exist.  Yay for the internet!

      So...have you ever taken a photo walk with friends?  Set the self timer and jumped off a bench? Posed for the 'non-pose-pose' to look like statues? Found yourself taking more photos of your friends than the actual nature you intended to capture? For me...I adored every minute of this walk focusing more on the silliness of the moment, and not so much on the forest canvas.  Every once in awhile, my eye would find a heart shape here or there, on the ground and in the water...even a smiley face spray painted to a tree.  But, I still was more interested in capturing the photographer shooting that image of the smiley in the tree.  Not only was the tree smiling, but so was I. Big thank you to Kris, Angie and Suzanne for such a great day!

     When was your last photo walk with friends?  Please share with us your images and why it was so special to you. ~ xo's

     

      

      

A Key Point

The other day, the lock on my backdoor broke. As any homeowner will appreciate, my first two thoughts were, "Now I have to find the time to meet the locksmith," and "How much is this going to cost me?" When I got around to calling the locksmith, he started to book an appointment with me, but then said,"Let me ask you a few questions first." I answered his questions about what specifically was wrong with the lock. He told me these blockages were quite common and then he gave me a quick fix. He suggested I try it, and call him back if the problem persisted. Ten minutes later, I had a functioning lock.

So that got me thinking. The locksmith had two choices in his response to my call. He could have come to the house, done the ten minute fix himself and charged me for the call, or he could have given me the quick fix, as he did. There would have been nothing at all wrong or dishonest about the first choice. I did not have the expertise to solve the problem - he did. Had he come and fixed my lock, I would have been satisfied with his service and willing to pay for it. It's the basis of capitalism, after all. And, if these blocked locks are as common as he says, I imagine they can be the bread and butter of a small business, in between their bigger jobs. In this economy, they would help pay the bills. But this gentleman locksmith went a step further.  He chose kindness.

Anyone who works with the public is exposed to the whole "squeaky wheel" thing on a daily basis. It seems that a business owner hears less often from the many that are satisfied than from those few who are not. But there's a choice made here that effects how we live. Today, sit down and write a thank you note to someone who has provided you with a service well and kindly. Then make a picture that represents the transaction, as I did above.

Now, consider how doing this will effect your day. I imagine you will spend ten to fifteen minutes thinking through your recent positive interactions with people. You will choose one to focus on, and it may take you ten minutes to write your thank you note. Then you will be off in search of your picture. And every minute that you spend considering, composing, and printing your picture is time spent considering the kindness that was given to you. That's balm for your soul.

You can spend your day thinking about how unlucky it was that your lock broke, or you can spend your day thinking about the kindness that resulted from it. Which is the more pleasant day? You can choose to stay in lock-down or you can open up to the goodness around you.

                                               It's your choice.
                                  And it's really kind of a no-brainer.

Perspective

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." ~Wayne W. Dyer

It's all about perspective, right? The unique way each of us looks at the world around us. What we see, what we hear and what we ultimately capture through our lenses all depends on where we are standing, literally.

Perspective is a huge part of telling a story through photos. Have you ever been shooting something and moving a few steps right or left, standing right over the object/person or laying flat on the ground, completely changes the image?

This photo of my son playing with his cars wouldn't have been as effective if I hadn't gotten down on his level, and laid flat on the floor. If I would have stayed standing, I would have missed his sweet little tongue (making car noises), I would have missed seeing the eyes of the toy cars, and I would have missed telling a story I want to remember long after he is grown.

What is your favorite story telling perspective? Perhaps there is a new perspective you could try out today! Share a photo with us of that perspective!

Memorizing Life Lessons

I remember the day I took this photograph...I was going through a very difficult time.

The only thing I knew to do was to put my focus on my blessings and not to dwell on the adversity that I was facing.  I remember that day looking out the window and knowing that I wanted to memorize how I was feeling.  It was one of the most difficult days of my life. I told myself that if I could get through this, I would never take another day for granted again.  The fear was overwhelming.

I glanced at the books sitting on the mantle.  I had arranged the vignette on a more carefree day. I grabbed my camera and I snapped the photo.

Today, just looking at this image strengthens my faith, because that adversity is behind me now.  I have this photo in a frame, sitting on my desk.  When I look at this image, the feelings of fear that I faced that day come rushing back.  I am thankful that I memorized the life lesson, a reminder never to take today for granted.

Is there a photograph that memorized a life lesson for you?  Do you keep it nearby to reflect on it's wisdom?

Artful Composition

In March I will celebrate my third anniversary of blogging. Blogging has taught me a lot about many subjects but it's probably taught me the most about myself. While I think that I am racing through life not making today count, I re-read my blogs and am reminded of exactly where I was. I have gained so many true and dear friends because of the modern medium.

That's the beauty of photography as well.  It allows us to relive an occasion or place or an emotion over and over.

When we began to pull together this blog (Focusing on Life) one of my main goals was to encourage others to stop -- STOP -- yes I said STOP!! and look exactly where you are in your life and find the beauty in the ordinary. Find beauty in the imperfect. Find beauty in a weed. (hence my Thistle)

I had to teach myself to stop looking and start seeing.

Keeping an open mind helps us to start seeing again.  As we venture out with our camera we can develop our own artistic style. Artistry is seeing and also composing. You will know a good composed photograph because your eye will be guided to the subject  and in a poorly composed photo you won't know what the subject is.

Objects, like my thistle, that used to seem mundane will now have power because they were composed correctly.

It's been said that good photos say more about the photographer than the subjects.

Our camera is objective and our brain is subjective. Challenge yourself to find something that you may not have found worthy of photographing. Maybe just your coffee cup in the morning; and see how, when you take the time to compose,this often over looked item can become a note worthy subject matter.

Do you thoughtfully compose your photographs, or are you simply just snapping away hoping that one of the shots will be a keeper?

We will continue to encourage you to grab your camera and purposefully find a creative subject -- find the beauty -- it's right there in front of you! Get your feet moving and take your camera on a purposeful and seeing adventure.

The Photo-Heart Connection

It's Valentine's Day and that has me thinking about L-O-V-E and, in particular, about the photos I love.

The ones I love most are the photos that speak to my heart.  In discussing what she calls the "photo-heart connection", Kat Sloma of Kat Eye Studio says:

". . . it's not the strength of the image, in purely aesthetic terms, that matters in this process.  It's not the date of capture, it's not the composition, it's not technical perfection. It's the strength of the heart connection. It's what you can learn about yourself, through the photos that speak to you."

The moment I captured in the photo above is of my son and his daughter. Does this photo speak to my heart? You bet it does! My son's hands that only yesterday were dribbling a basketball  (or so it seems), now holding the tiny feet of his brand-new baby girl, the heart-shape his hands make and, if you look closely enough, the tiny piece of pink lint between the toes on her right foot -- it just makes me melt! This image speaks to my heart and soul and definitely qualifies as making the photo-heart connection for me and I will feel the same way about it years from now.

Are you making that "photo-heart connection"? What images have you taken that make your heart sing? We'd love for you to share them, either in words or by linking to your photo. You can make your link clickable by following the directions in the right side bar where it says "How to make your link clickable in a Blogger comment."

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Why ...

... do you take pictures?

This is a question my four year-old granddaughter asks all the time, "DotDot, why do you like to take pictures so much?" And I always tell her so I can capture the memories of today for her to have tomorrow.

That is the reason I started taking pictures but since that beginning my reasons for taking pictures have evolved into something else altogether. Oh, yes! I still take pictures today to remember tomorrow. But I also take pictures today to tell stories, to evoke emotions and to create whatever kind of art I might be able to make. I also take pictures to challenge myself to get better, to learn more about my camera and my photography. In doing this, I've also learned more about myself, others and the world around me.

Sometimes it's possible to combine memory making and creating art. The photo above was taken on a family vacation in 2010. My granddaughter and son-in-law were sitting quietly in the surf watching the waves come in, absorbed in a special father-daughter moment. During post processing, I desaturated the image, applied a bit of guassian blur and two Kim Klassen textures to give this image a dreamy quality that would say, "This is a special moment." Today it is a canvas print that hangs in their home.

By now I'm sure you know my question of the day: Why do you take pictures? Tell us, show us. Stop by with your comments and photos. We love hearing from you because we're inspired by your words and photography even as you are by ours.

Why do you take pictures?

Inspiration

     

"The great advantage of being in a rut is that when one is in a rut,
one knows exactly where one is"
--Arnold Bennett

Ever feel like you are stuck in a rut?  I know I sometimes do especially working in the design field where I have to be creative all the time.  Sometimes I sit down at my drafting table to work on a new landscape plan and I just sit there....staring at the blank sheet of paper....tapping my pencil.....wondering when the ideas will start flowing.   The same frustration can occur with photography as well.  But I have learned that inspiration can come from many different places.

With landscape design I'm inspired by the colors I see, the textures I feel and the spaces that I walk through.  With photography I'm inspired by so many things such as my fellow photographers, finding beauty in unexpected places and those special storytelling moments.   I'm constantly inspired by my children and how they see the world around them.

The above photo was taken at a local nature preserve on a beautiful "un-January" like day.  My daughter was gathering items along our walk such as acorns, pine needles, and pebbles and then running over to the bridge to throw them into the water below to see if they would sink or float.  It became a fun game for the two of us as she guessed whether the Blue Jay feather that she found would sink to the bottom or float gracefully along the top.  I felt inspired to take this storytelling photo knowing that I would remember this particular moment in time when I forgot everything else that was going on around me and took time to play sink or float with my daughter.

So how about you?  Ever feel like you are in a rut?  Where do you look for inspiration?

Love the one you're with

Have you ever said "gosh I wish I had my camera!"

It's nice to have it with you but sometimes, when you're balancing 5 dozen cupcakes and 2 gallons of juice for your daughters' classroom party, there's just no room for it.  Then the party gets started and oh! the kids are so cute!

Sometimes, when you have a special date with a special someone, the camera strap just doesn't go with your outfit, and that big black camera would never fit in your cute tiny purse!  But you have to somehow capture this magic moment!

Your DSLR might not be with you but I bet your phone is.

It's been said that the best camera you have is the one that is with you.

My shot happened because I was going out for a walk on a sunny afternoon with a 5 year old, a 1 year old in a stroller and a dog on a leash.  The DSLR was not even a consideration, I had enough going on.  But I did put my phone in my pocket.  Then, as we were out, the 5 year old found some dandelions.  She was so excited about them and raced to find another, and another, and to blow those feathery things into the breeze and make wishes.  She was joyful and exuberant!  Oh!  I had to get a shot of her enthusiasm!  Out came the phone.  click.click.click.

I'm so glad I have this little slice of an amazing moment in my life.

Have you used the camera on your phone to get a "must have" shot?  Or, do you use it all the time, capturing fun everyday shots!  Or, have you never even used the camera on your phone?

I encourage you to give it a try!  Shoot something with the camera on your phone!

Tell us about it! Share a little slice of amazing with us!



"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see"~Henry David Thoreau


xo,

In The "In Between Time"

Waiting and wishing for the snow to fall

To capture the beauty of it's purity within the frame

Snow has alluded us

We have been denied it's graceful beauty

Not to watch it fall and gently cover the earth with it's blanket of white

Instead leaving us with the remnants of earlier times

We are in the "in between time" not winter, not spring

Pinecones nestled deeply within the evergreens

Wrinkled berries clinging to naked branches

Cattails swaying with the winter winds

Empty benches sit waiting for Mothers to return to watch their children at play

We are suspended in the "in between time"

Do you ever feel like you are in the "in between time?"  Not knowing if you should begin anew or revert back to a more comfortable spot, comfortable in a time or a place that is familiar instead of moving ahead to the unfamiliar?  Perhaps you have had changes in your life, some planned, others not.  Maybe you have had all your children leave the nest, off to their new adventures, now what do you do with your added time?  Do you yearn for those earlier times or do you begin a new interest?  What if you lose your job?  Do you search for the same or do you look for something that you love?   You are outgrowing your little home, do you look for something bigger, maybe stretching your budget, or do you relish in the planning and look forward to the new spaces?   What if something happens to your life partner thru divorce, illness or death?  Do you wallow in the sadness or begin a new and different time in your life.  Sometimes I feel like the pinecone and want to nestle back into the comfort of the trees, or the single berry barely hanging on, however I usually feel like the empty bench looking forward to whatever sits beside me, ready for the new.

How do you confront those "in between times?"  Do you want the comfortable old or do you relish in all things new?  Share with us.  

"Why do we put off living the way we want to live, as if we have all the time in the world?"  ~  Barbara de Angelis

“Photography + Creativity = Living In The Moment”

One of the joys of photography is capturing life's little surprises in creative ways.  It's all about seizing that special and carefree moment...the "memories for the future" that don't want to go unnoticed.  The moments when you're camera beckons you to pick it up...a little bit of "carpe diem" being channeled through the camera lens. To me, that aspect of photography brings such joy.  Living in the moment and being lucky enough to capture it...a true high!

This shot was taken for my daughter and son-in-law to announce their "pregnancy" (so excited) on Facebook.  Truth be told, I'm quite drawn to the creative side of photography.  Whether it's picturing the shot or processing it in Photoshop, if it involves creativity, then it has my full attention and find myself completely living in-the-moment. (sigh)

So my friends...what is it about photography that gives you a feeling of living in-the-moment?  Do you swoon over creating, processing and camera gear?  Are you drawn to Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture?  Or is it the sisterhood/camaraderie of Flickr, Facebook and blogs?  How would you complete the equation below?

Photograph + (you fill in the blank) = Living In The Moment

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STORMY WEATHER

Have you read Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton? I'm guessing your answer is no. But, thanks to Snoopy, I'll bet you are familiar with the first line of his most famous novel:

                              "It was a dark and stormy night...."

In 1982, the English department of San Jose State University in California started the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. The contest challenges people to write the first sentence to "the worst of all possible novels." After a slow start, it's popularity exploded! There are now thousands of entrees annually and awards are given in several categories.  Here's a link to the contest site. Take a look at the hysterical 2010 winners:

      http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/2010.htm

So, what has this got to do with photography? Weather Pictures! Can you show us the quintessential weather moment - rain, snow, wind, dust storm - whatever happens in your part of the world?

Pictured above is my interpretation of "It was a dark and stormy night....". (Camera settings: f/5.0, 1/125 sec, ISO - 400, lens - Tamron 18 - 270 mm @ 60 mm)

What fun!  We can't wait to see your posts! And feel free to write a terrible opening line in the comment section!

(In order for a link to be clickable in our comment box you need to type it a specific way. Look at the our RIGHT side bar for "how to make a link clickable" read that and set your URL address specifically like this and we will be able to click on your link to view your photo faster.  Of course if you don't want to do this simply paste your link in our comment box and we can always copy and paste to view.)

Anticipation

Tomorrow is my birthday (I know….seems like a shameless way to get a few happy birthday wishes!). As much as I enjoy spending the day with my family, eating some cake and opening gifts, anticipating the fact that I will be another year older does not hold quite the same delight it once did. My children, on the other hand, have been waiting with baited breath for the day to arrive. Their excitement has been palpable. My four-year-old daughter has asked me every day for the past two weeks if it is my birthday yet. Last week, my son and daughter began digging around in their rooms, searching for precious treasures to give me, lovingly wrapping them in boxes, bags, even blankets.  They have been asking repeatedly what big plans we have for the long awaited day, hardly able to contain their anticipation and excitement.  

While my children and I have different interpretations of my birthday and the level of celebration it deserves, I can certainly relate to their feelings of anticipation. Since uncovering my passion for photography over this past year, anticipation has come to define my existence.  I wake up each morning, wondering what images are out there waiting to be captured. What will I discover today? Will I find a beautiful scene…will I take a moment to notice a small detail I never saw before…will I capture a special emotion…will I discover a new way to see and use light…will I tell a new story? Whatever it is, I wait with hopeful expectation until that moment I know I’ve found it.

I have also been anticipating the start of this blog. Collaborating with nine beautiful and talented women is certainly an honor and a high point of my photographic journey! And now, after only five days, it is clear that the excitement and anticipation are absolutely deserved!

How about you?  What are you anticipating today… next week… next month?  Is there a big event or are you simply looking forward to the beauty that each day offers?  Whatever it is, share it with us so we can anticipate with you!

Smitten With the Joy of Photography

I have been painting for many years.  During that time, photography was something I took for granted.  It was part of the process that I went through to set the stage for a composition.  A mere tool that I used to capture a landscape and not have to fight with the weather or lose just the right lighting.  A method for keeping the flowers alive while completing a Still Life painting.

Then one day while I was in Cape Cod taking photographs, I knew.    As I stood there, looking through the lens of my camera, I realized that I was really in love with my old friend, photography.  After all, my camera had never left my side and I found myself in the most unlikely places trying to capture that amazing shot.  I couldn't wait to get home to see the results of the day. That day I just knew, I was smitten.

I love having the ability to instantly memorize something meaningful.  Instead of trying to tell a story through my painting, I let the photograph tell the story.  Suddenly it has become easier to connect with  kindred spirits who are equally as smitten with the joy of photography.  People just like you.

When did you first discover that you too were smitten with the joy of photography?

The Love Month

Ahh, February the month of Love!

I suppose that many people have a strong opinion about Valentines day...(a commercially driven holiday) but for me it's the month that I celebrate simply because it's a nice thought. What could be wrong with telling others you love them? So, I have to say thanks to the Greeting Card companies!

One of my favorite memories of my childhood was worrying over the Valentine's Day card I would give that boy who punched me on the play ground. (OK so that isn't politically correct today...but he was cute!)

Types of Love:

SECURITY LOVE:
This love is the love that everybody needs to survive. It is that feeling of being cared for and nurtured. Some people would describe this as the type of love parents have for their children.

FRIENDSHIP LOVE:
This is a love between yourself and someone that is totally honest, open and comfortable. According to Harry Burns (in Harry Met Sally) Men and Women can't be friends. We might have to get back to this topic another time.

ROMANTIC LOVE:
The love that makes you go ahhh! yes!! The tear jerking movie like "The Note book" or "Sleepless in Seattle" or "An Affair to Remember" (stop me now I could go on and on)

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE:
The type of love that even though your child broke your favorite heirloom, kind of love, you shrug your shoulders and tell him not to worry its only a THING and things don't compare to your love for them.

Then there's my latest kind of LOVE... my love for a thing. I know, I know, things don't make us happy but I say... "au contraire!"  I am in LOVE with my camera! That's right!! This object brings me joy!!

MY TOP 5 REASONS, WHY I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY (and my camera)

1- I love telling stories -- every person has one.

2- Having the ability to actually stop time... and then to relive it again and again!

3- It has changed the way I look at the world. One of my favorite quotes is by Wayne Dyer, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

4- Like Martha Stewart says,"it's all in the details." well, I couldn't agree with her more, and photography has allowed me to look at life's details up close and be amazed.

5- Photography has changed how I see others and myself. I have learned to embrace the imperfections of us all, especially myself.

I am guessing that part of the reason you stopped by this new blog was because you too have a love of photography or your camera!  Now hop on to our comment section and let us know what your top 5 reasons you love photography! (ok ok ok... if you only have 3 don't let me twist your arm)

Thank you so much for stopping by! We couldn't be happier. Enjoy your Month of Love!