No Words Necessary

by Leigh

By now I'm sure you are all familiar with the fact that we all met up in Galveston a couple weeks ago.  And I'm sure you heard about what a wonderful time we had.  My fellow FOL'ers have done such a beautiful job summing up the experience so really what else can I add?  I guess I could tell you about all the laughs…..all the tears….all the gear talk….the post processing chit chats….and the mosquitoes.  I could definitely tell you about the mosquitoes and there is still evidence on my legs!  

………BUT……I bet you wouldn't expect me to talk about the silence.  Yes, you heard me right….silence.  No noise.  No laughter.  No talking.  Just stillness.

At this point you are probably thinking to yourselves…what the heck is Leigh talking about?  You expect me to believe that with a group of 10 women that there were any moments of silence?  But there were.

We gathered together early one morning at the beach led by our sunrise leader Kim.  Everyone found their own spot along the beach as we waited for the first glimpse of the sun.  We chatted as we set up our tripods and discussed our settings and then it was time for the show.  As the first sight of pink along the horizon the chit chat stopped and all that could be heard were the waves rolling in and out.  We stood there witnessing an amazing sunrise.  There were really no words that could have been spoken to make the experience any more grander than it was.  As the sun continued to rise and shine through the clouds the world started to wake up.  The birds began to fly in as they sang their morning songs.  The seagulls flew low along the water waiting for their first catch of the day.  It was a mediative moment for me...a time to breathe in everything around me and just be still and witness the amazing world that we live in.  Joy filled my soul when I realized that everyone else felt the same way and there were no interruptions.  We were all there for the same purpose and stood in silence together.  No words were necessary.

One evening we found a spot to watch the sunset.  We must have caused quite a stir because cars kept slowing down and people asked "what's going on out there?  What are you looking at?  Is there something out there?"  Yes, the sunset we would reply and the people just shrugged their shoulders, rolled up their windows and continued on their way.  I guess it's just a photographer thing.  That beautiful golden hour light makes us slow down and focus on what's happening in the here and now.  The sunset was pretty that evening, but it was the golden glow that really stole the show.  

We returned back to our beach house and realized that there was a spectacular view just across the street.  As you can see….we all did our own thing….totally in our element.  And it was quiet.  And still.  And peaceful.  No words necessary. 

Our last evening in Galveston was spent on the west end of the island where we found a perfect viewing place along a pier.  At one point Kelly and I both stopped shooting and just took it all in.  It was no longer a time for shooting, but a time for reflection.  I'm pretty sure there were tears in both of our eyes.  No words were necessary.

This is what we were watching.  How could you see this and not stop, be quiet and pause for a moment? Watching a sunset never gets old especially when you have this view! 

"It's almost impossible to see a sunset and not dream" 

Thank you to my FOL sisters.  Not only for the laughter and the tears, but thank you for those moments of silence together.  They were truly special.

Worth a Thousand Words

by Susan

 At first I was going to just title this post, 'No Title' and then realized after writing the post... I did indeed have a title. After sitting at this computer for the past several hours going through tens of hundreds of photos, all from our FOL Galveston trip, I was at a loss as what to 'focus on' for my post.  My brain seriously felt... fuzzy... like I'm still trying to process everything from last weeks gathering... too quickly.  Does that make sense?  Have you ever had that moment when you have soooo much to talk about that you just don't know where to begin? That's where I am... 

 

We've all heard the saying 'a photograph is worth a thousand words' right?  I was finding it difficult to find the words to express my gratitude (and it is beyond great) for this past gathering... so I'm going to let my photographs help me out here and speak for themselves.

Carol and Kelly - ready to go! And yes, we did travel like this... well... once. :)

Kelly and Leigh... one, two three JUMP! Not bad at 7:00am in the morning!

To my FOL sisters... thank you, thank you for all the inspiration, laughs, tears, hugs, early morning rises and late night talks... and on and on.  I love you all and will always remember our time together!  ~ xo's

If I Had Only Known Then.

by Kelly

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. ~Lao Tzu

I was just going to be empty for a while.

This was the conclusion I had come to while standing there in the middle of my daughter's empty bedroom. She had been away at college just over two months and I was having an empty-nest meltdown of epic proportions.

If I had only known then.

If I had only known then that photography class I was signed up for would change the way I see the world.

If I had only known then how photography would change the way I see myself.

If I had only known then that I would come to know so many amazing women.  Some on different journeys, but a passion for living just the same.

If I had only known then that many of these beautiful souls would become my friends.

If I had only known then that Dotti would reach out to me one day and ask me to be part of this family.

If I had only known then how I would come to cherish these sisters of mine.

If I had only known then that one day I we would no longer be 'online' friends.  But rather, real friends.  Friends in real life.

If I had only known then the joy it would bring to be sharing this passion with my friends.  To be connected to them in a profound way.

If I had only known then.

I'm not quite sure if I will ever have exactly the right words to express how much these women and this community means to be.  But just so you know...it has made all the difference.

I am forever grateful.

Love, Kelly

How to make a lemonade stand GLORIOUS!

by Kim

"Hunter, the Great Dane"

"If life gives you lemons, don't settle for simply

making lemonade - make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand."

- Elizabeth Gilbert

In September of 2008, just 5 weeks after we moved to the Gulf Coast, hurricane Ike ravaged through our communities leaving devastation in its path, with the eye of the storm going straight over us.

Fast forward to a year later and nearly half of Galveston Island's trees (almost 40,000), would be declared dead because of the saltwater from the storm surge. And ironically, many of these trees were planted after the great storm of 1900. The majesty of these great oaks nearly a century old, that had provided a beautiful canopy of shade to the Victorian homes of the Historic District . . . just gone. But if there is one thing I know about the people and the community of Galveston Island, is that they are resilient by nature and when handed a bowl of lemons, they know how to make the best lemonade. They have, after all, had a lot of practice!

In an effort to pay tribute to the service of these fallen warriors, a member of the Galveston Island Tree Conservancy came up with a very creative idea. She petitioned City Hall for permission to turn a dead tree in front of her house (not on her right of way) into a sculpture. And this was the beginning of a grassroots project that has now become one of the most popular tourists attractions on the Island.

I love how they used art as a way of healing. To transform a disaster into a thing of beauty. To find a glimpse of the silver lining in a tragedy. Sometimes it's not until well after the storm has passed (pun intended) that we can begin to contemplate just what to do with those lemons.

In Galveston, not only do they know how to make lemonade, but they know how to make a glorious scene by carving their lemons.