by Dotti
Do you ever find yourself staring off into space thinking
about how quickly time passes by? I’ll confess that this happens to me, in
fact, happened this afternoon as I was riding home with my husband.
“Can it really be that my
granddaughter will soon be 6?”
“How did my daughter get to be 36?
It seems just yesterday we brought her home …”
“Can I really be as old as I am? I
don’t feel that old!”
It’s at times like this that I remind myself to Be Present
Now. These musings usually lead me to remember my responsibility as family
photographer to capture as many of our family memories as I can and preserve
them for the years to come. Not just the holidays, birthdays, trips, but the
ordinary day-in-day-out stuff.
So it was this past week on a very spring-like January day
that my granddaughter and I went out to play after I fetched her home from
school. Out came the Princess Scooter she got for Christmas, out came my
camera, and off we went down the street.
When I first looked at the photos, I was disappointed yet I
wanted so much to preserve something of this unusual winter day. There was one
shot that kept drawing my eye. It wasn’t really a good photo, awkward crop, not
particularly well composed, the exposure wasn’t great. Yet I really liked the
message I saw there, it spoke to my heart.
This is the original
photo, SOOC.
After a bit of tinkering in Lightroom and then Photoshop
Elements, the finished photo evolved and is featured at the top of
this post. It was really a very simple editing process, a bit of sharpening and exposure
correction, two layers of Rad Lab’s Fuzzy Navel at 100%, a bit of a crop,
quote, frame and watermark. That’s it. And now, I love it! It’s the perfect reminder
of the lovely, carefree afternoon that my granddaughter and I shared.
If you don’t remember anything else about my post today, I
hope you’ll remember to …
1. follow your heart when editing
and deleting photos and
2. be present … now.
21 comments:
Beautiful post Dotti. I don't think about my age much, but I had a shock last week when I read that The Beatles were on The Ed Sullivan Show 49 years ago!, And that led me to thoughts like yours above. My father feels the same way -at age 91. But age is a privilege and we are blessed to have these thoughts. Thanks for the reminder - now to try to live consciously this week!
I love your edit, so beautiful with a great quote. A lovely reminder of your day together - I find so often that my favourite shots are not about technique and 'rules'. My daughter turned 7 at the weekend (she got a scooter too!) and I can relate absolutely when you say be present now - it goes by in a flash.
I don't have grandchildren, but find myself thinking I'd like to please slow down the ride as it is flying by much too quickly (one in college, the next gearing up for college). I try to remain in the present and set goals towards the future, but what a testament to our lives that our past still carries such appeal.
By-the-way, your edit on this picture is amazing.
Love your edit of this wonderful shot! It's a good reminder that, when a photo is speaking to our heart, no matter whether it is technically perfect or not, we should listen. What a shame if you'd thrown away this photo! The Fuzzy Navel really adds such a warm, sunshiny look to your photo! Yes, being present in the moment is something I have to work on but oh, so important!
Yes Yes Yes Dotti, be present! I'm always reminding myself of this and trying to enjoy each moment. I don't have grandchildren, but with one son 21 years old and the other 10 I do know how fast time flys! I adore this shot of your granddaughter and am so glad that you kept it and processed it in such a dreamy sunny way. I am keeping more and more of my "not so sure" shots, just in case they work for me in some way, some day. Love your post today!
Oh Yes I agree time goes so quickly and we need to be there to record it...
Ohhhhh, you know how fond I am of this particular shot. I really like it SOOC as well. All you say is so true, it's those "moments," the uplanned, out of the blue ones and how vital to put camera to eye and push the shutter button. Great post to start the week.
Pam/Fishgirl
My mother always said that the older we get, the faster time passes. She didn't tell me it would sometimes go at warp speed.
Our grandkids are growing so fast, it seems hard for us to keep up.
Enjoy every minute. Before you know it, you're sitting in a auditorium, watching them receive their college diploma.
Great photo and editing, by the way.
This is beautiful!! All we really have is this moment..and somehow it becomes more and more apparent as we age. Love the carefree..happy..image!
Such a beautiful edit Dotti! And I'm right there with you on the time passing fast. My 6 year old will be 7 this summer and it just doesn't seem right! Thank goodness for our ability to capture those little moments like this.
This is such a great reminder! I often reflect on the way time seems to pass by so quickly! It's always good to take time and play! It's always good to follow your heart! This photo says it all! So carefree! Well done!
xo,
Linda
dotti, i loved this shot from the moment i saw it in flickr. the unique crop and perspective is what caught my eye, and the processing just adds that perfect touch of sunshine and wistfullness.
i know i am my own worst critic, but seeing as how i too am the family photo-documentarian, this post is a good reminder to just be in the moment. :)
What a great message today. I loved your final shot. We don't have to have hundreds of pictures..just that one that says it all.
Your moving photos at the top of this blog are amazing. Would you mind sharing how they were done?
I love how you've processed the photo, Dotti, the result looks so tender. It symbolizes to you the atmosphere of the afternoon you spent with your granddaughter and that's what photos are for. I have many photos I hesitate to throw away because though they aren't technically good enough, they are somehow important to me. Your processed photo has inspired me to give them a chance. :)
Two beautiful pieces of advice to go along with the lovely photo of your granddaughter.
What a great reminder to treasure the moments......Your editing was awesome and I love the quote you included....
yes, these little moments are the most precious ones!!
great message and great processing. Thanks Dotti!
Oh my goodness Dotti, I just adore this photo, the composition, POV and the edit. I love it just the way you took it!! xo
Wonderful photo and such great editing! I agree, we all need to slow down and enjoy the moments!
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!