Thing 1 :: Thing 2 :: Thing 3

by Dotti

Thing 1

Happy Monday! Yes – it is Monday, not Wednesday. You didn’t miss two days.  And you’re in the right place – this is Focusing on Life blog. No, I am not Carol or Terri. But – there’s a very good reason why I’m here to greet you bright and early this October Monday.

It gives me great joy to announce to you this morning that Judy Salcedo is returning to the pages of FOL.  Judy collaborated with us for about three years, if memory serves, maybe more. Unfortunately, she had to take a leave of absence early last year due to job related pressures. Judy’s photography is breathtaking and she always has great tips to share so we really missed her. Not to mention that she's such a warm, friendly person.

A few weeks ago, Judy emailed Terri and me asking if she could return. She missed us, she missed the creativity and she missed you, the readers. Well. Neither Terri nor I missed a beat and said, “YES!” So today, I am beyond delighted to tell you that Judy’s return post will be this Wednesday, October 19. She’ll be sharing Wednesdays with Deanna. Please be sure to pop by on Wednesday (actually, please pop by every day!) and give her a warm and rousing, “Welcome Home!”

Thing 2

 Last week, Deanna shared A Taste of Rhode Island with her lovely post and beautiful photos. If you missed that post, please go check out the link in the previous sentence. I’ll wait.

Did you see the beautiful birds? Deanna’s bird photos are always so extraordinary but the photos she shared are particularly special. As she mentioned, we visited Kim, The Song Bird Lady, on Block Island. Not only did we all learn a lot of interesting things about her work, we all got to share in the thrill and heartwarming experience of releasing these small creatures into the wild.

It took many attempts since I don’t do a lot of video but finally I was able to get a passable slo-mo video of Terri releasing a bird. I’ve watched this several times and it always sets my heart a-flutter (pun intended) so I want to share it with you today. It’s slo-mo so be patient at the very beginning – you’ll be well rewarded.

Thing 3

You may remember that last summer, our friend Susan Licht “hosted” a #weekofdiptychs on Facebook and Instagram. It’s open to anybody, just be sure to use the hashtag #weekofdiptychs..

I wrote a post about how much I enjoyed it. It’s a great way to jumpstart your photography and to challenge yourself to think and see differently when you’re taking pictures. My personal experience is that it’s way too easy to get in a rut in a big hurry. It's also a fun way to tell a story. So I do hope you’ll join Susan and me on either/or Facebook and Instagram. In fact, I’ll be disappointed if I don’t see you there!

That’s it for today, Thing 1 :: Thing 2 :: Thing 3. Thanks so much for stopping by! We love seeing you and we love hearing from you. Comments are open.

A Taste of Rhode Island

by Deanna

It was that time when we women who contribute to this lovely blog reunite for our once a year gathering. Rhode Island was the destination that marked our fourth year together. There were only four of us: me, Dotti, Terri, and Carol. Carol invited Michele Yacovello (you may know her from instagram). The two of them go shooting together quite a bit and have become good friends. She was a delightful addition to our small group. I have never been to the East Coast except for very brief times in NY City and Boston on business trips when I worked. So I don't count those times as being visits to NE.  Barely saw anything but hotel rooms and work places.

The weather was very cooperative, cool and sunny Tuesday thru Friday, cloudy and sprinkles on Saturday and rain on Sunday, the day we left.  New England or I should really say Rhode Island was much as I expected, rocky coasts and beautiful waterfront homes, boats in all sizes, lighthouses and birds aplenty.

Newport is a wonderful coastal town that entertained us with it's beautiful neighborhoods filled with "saltbox" homes, beautiful churches, lighthouses, and lobster bisque and clam chowder that did wonders for my taste buds.

While in Newport we stopped by St. Mary's Parish Church which is the oldest church in Rhode Island.  Also this building witnessed the wedding of John F. Kennedy and his bride Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in September, 1953. Sad to think that they are both gone, along with their son, John.

That evening we made our way to the lighthouse in Beavertail State Park near Newport to photograph it at sunset.

On Thursday we drove to the ferry that would take us to Block Island. Carol had attended a workshop on Block Island a couple of years ago and while there she was introduced to Kim. Kim (aka The Song Bird Lady) works at the Bird Banding Station on Block Island. Elise Lapham began this program over 50 years ago to help in the study of the migration of birds, conservation, and helps scientists in the study of birds' life cycles.

Birds are caught in fine nets, removed and then taken to the banding station where their wing span is measured, and the bird is checked for the amount of stored fat, body weight and sex are all recorded prior to banding. The birds are then banded and released back into the wild.

Kim took us on a walk around to all of the nets where we found about 10 birds. She does this walk almost every hour during the spring and fall migration season. On a busy day she can band up to 300 birds.

We each were given multiple opportunities to hold the birds after their statistics were recorded and banded and then release them. This was a rare opportunity to see these beauties up close and personal and to actually hold one in the palm of my hand before freeing them into the air.

bu

Kim became super excited when she realized that a male Connecticut Warbler had landed in her midst. She really had a hard time letting him go since apparently these are quite rare on Block Island.

After spending the morning with Kim we then left and drove to the Block Island North Lighthouse. Again, rocky terrain with a small sandy beach.

A little lunch and shopping and then it was time to board the ferry back to Rhode Island.  Another grand day.

On Friday we decided to visit the rich and famous by touring the Cornelius Vanderbilt Mansion entitled "The Breakers". Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest man in history and there was absolutely no doubt of that as we toured this very elaborate and lavish home that is now open to the public. There are dining rooms, breakfast rooms, billiard rooms, libraries, morning rooms, a ladies reception room, a gentlemen's reception room, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms galore. Bigger and grander than Downton Abbey.

That evening we walked along the Cliff Walk which is immediately behind many of the mansions built on the RI shore, including "The Breakers".

It was rather cool at night and I imagine the water temps are pretty chilly, but it sure didn't stop this fella from braving those cold waters to ride his paddle board.

Our last day we drove to Mystic Harbor (after all isn't that Julia Roberts' first film, "Mystic Pizza" in 1958?)  Didn't see the pizza place but I did see this....quintessential New England.

Later that afternoon we drove to Watch Hill to have lunch, shop and drive to the Watch Hill Lighthouse. By this time the clouds and sprinkles rained down on our parade and we headed for home.

We are pretty sure we drove by Taylor Swift's home in Watch Hill, big, white, and privacy gates surrounding it. Let's just say we didn't hear her singing nor did we see her romping on the balcony. And Carol is positive she saw Lena Dunham (HBO's Girls) walking out of the restaurant we ate lunch in.  We were just surrounded by fame.

I know there were lots and lots and lots of pictures to this post, but it was a mere scratch of the surface of the many I took during this lovely holiday with my FOL sisters. Can't wait until next year.

Here We Come

by Terri

Taken in November, 2015 at the Love Sculpture in Scottsdale, AZ

Today I am looking back to almost a year ago when a few of us gathered for our annual FOL retreat. Unlike our retreat in 2014 where we had a 100% turnout, last year there were only five of us but that didn’t stop us from having a wonderful time together!

I’m remembering last year especially today because tomorrow morning I will be boarding a plane to Chicago where I’ll meet up with Deanna and Dotti and from there we’ll fly to Newport, Rhode Island for this year’s retreat.  Again, not all of us will be there but the ones who can’t make it will be sorely missed. We plan to make the most of our time together, laughing, talking, shooting, eating and enjoying each other’s company, as we always do whenever we’re together. This trip has been in the planning stages for it seems like forever and now it’s almost here! 

Taken in November, 2015 in the Barrio Historico, Tucson, AZ

This group of women is so special to me and I can’t wait to spend time with them. It seems we grow closer as the years go by. This year I’ll be joined by Carol, Deanna, and Dotti.  Also along for the ride will be a long-time friend Michele Yacovello.  We have many things planned but the thing we always look forward to the most is being with like-minded women who really understand the photographic passion. That “meeting of the minds” is so rare and so precious. 

Taken in November, 2015 at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ

So look out Rhode Island!  Here we come to take on all of your wondrous beauty, your lighthouses, mansions, beaches and whatever else you have to offer. Here we come to share in this beautiful friendship we have built and to delight in just being together. Stay tuned because I know we will all have a lot to share when we get back! 

 

Junkie

by Carol

 " As long as we stay locked in this idea that creativity can only be born through suffering sacrifice pain and torment, it will always be born through (those), but when we open ourselves up to the idea that it can be  done joyfully, collectively, lovingly, forgivingly; then that’s the work that you make”  Liz Gilbert

One word jumps out of this quote for me - COLLECTIVELY.  That's because once again in my photography experience, I have lived with, loved and learned from a talented collection of diverse people. I was once accused of being a "workshop junkie." I denied it at the time, but now, I have to admit that it's true, and that I am proud to be one. I am in the process of returning from "Voices on the Wind," a workshop sponsored by the Biodiversity Research Institute, a part of the Nature Conservancy,  and facilitated by Kim Manley Ort, Deb McKew, and Adelaide Tyrol.

Many of you know that I joined Kim last year for a magical experience on Star Island, New Hampshire and fell (even more) in love with Contemplative Photography. But this year had something different. For subject matter, we had the Research Lab, who's goal it is to "better understand the factors limiting bird populations." And, not surprisingly, their limiting factors eventually effect many other species, including us. We got to witness these dedicated  conservationists, field biologists, and naturalists do their preservation work geotagging Peregrin Falcons, Merlins and other raptors whose wing shape and weight allow long open water journeys. to gather information about their migratory behaviors. These scientists also lovingly work to preserve songbirds and their habitats.Through capturing, banding, collecting blood and feather samples, they can discover contaminants such as mercury and previously DDT. While these were known to be present in water, and thus water feeding birds, they are now aware that songbirds who eat land prey are also exposed, because of our increasing contamination of the planet.

The Salt Marsh

The Raptor Station

The Songbird Station

Block Island is the perfect place to study these species because it is one of the last refueling points before the birds migrate the vast miles to their wintering locations.(A recent Peregrin traveled to Columbia in just over one month!)  Nestled under the red roofs of  the Victorian Spring House Hotel, circa 1852, we studied on a sunny glassed in porch, trekked the many hiking paths through wildflower fields that could rival Oz, atop bluffs overlooking the ocean, and along beaches of crystal green and blue looking across the salt 

marshes.

The Spring House Hotel

But for me, the true difference in this workshop was the concept that artists, writers and photographers could come together to show that art of all kinds can send a message to the world about important issues. Equally important was the artistic inspiration that occurred when the artists tried to write or photograph, the photographers tried their hand at painting and story-telling, and the writers took pictures and made nature sketches. Our teachers were wonderful at facilitating each skill, giving us gradual introductions to each discipline that allowed us to lose the fear of trying new things. We did 5 second sketches where we were not allowed to look at our papers or lift our pencil from the page. We tried "cluster writing" where collecting lists of descriptive words and vivid verbs helped us create a composition. We sketched our photographic subjects and wrote about them before we were allowed to photograph them. Thus, each participant slowly began to recognize that they actually could draw or paint or photograph or write. Our inner critics, and rule-givers were quieted, and our trial ventures became huge successes.

Then there was the generosity between participants. Each person there obviously had a deep love for their particular process, and each enthusiastically demonstrated that love by encouraging others. As we sat and watched watercolor paintings materialize, the artist would say - "here - you try it."  Photographers helped with camera settings creative cropping and computer uploads, while writers helped ideas congeal to add to our images or paintings. Even the scientists got into the game, thanking us for showing them art that took them "out of their science bubble" and reminded them of the beauty they work with day in and day out. 

And as if that weren't enough - we were simultaneously communing with nature! We each got to release songbirds into the sky and back to their lives. We watched raptors being tossed up into the air, flapping joyfully back to their familiar, and discovered sea creatures crawling and swimming through their clear blue worlds. Add to that the force of a passing hurricane and the crystal clear skies and calm waters following it, and we were the luckiest creatures of all! Workshop junkie - yes please -  but I prefer to call myself a life junkie!

(photo credit:Kim Manley Ort)