Moments Of Awe

by Cathy

Each day most of us go through a myriad of emotions. We might feel cheerful, sad, proud, embarrassed, shocked, confused, hesitant, amused, or excited. There’s a long list of emotions we may be feeling, but there is one that doesn’t come upon us often. That is the feeling of awe . . . the overwhelming feeling of reverence or admiration. The feeling when we experience something so marvelous we gasp, the hairs on our arms stand on end, and we get goose bumps.

Awe is the only word I know to describe how I felt while watching a large group of trumpeter swans that winter on a small lake here in Arkansas. They are gorgeous creatures and so fascinating that I made two trips to see them. On my second trip, I spent less time behind my camera and more time observing and listening.

There were young ones that played nearby waiting until someone threw a handful of corn. Of course, like children there was some pushing and shoving. I even saw a little tail biting!

There were adults that did a little showing off. They held their wings over their back in a puffed up position to advertise their strength and their neck in a strong S-curve in an aggressive posture.

Despite their large size, they would tip their bodies head down to dabble for vegetation below the water's surface.

I decided it was about time to tear myself away from the lake and head home when I heard the most unusual noise. A farmer on his tractor was crossing the field near the swans on the far side of the lake. As he came closer to them they took flight. All those swans taking flight caused the ones on the lake to take flight also. What I saw and heard was indescribable. The cows were mooing, the swans honking and splashing the water with their big feet as they lifted into the air, and there was a cry of surprise from those of us watching.

As they took flight, they stretched their necks out straight and extended their legs and feet behind their tails. They circled and circled above the lake all the while honking and honking. It was an electrifying moment. I witnessed something huge and marvelous. There was an overwhelming feeling of awe.  It literally left me shaking with joy.

Although I witnessed an incredible event, moments of awe aren't always caused by something huge and marvelous.  Awe can be felt when we see something as simple as sparkling frost on the ground or the gorgeous color of a flower. Awe can be life changing. When we feel awe, we are able to perceive the grand scale and wonder of the world. We face the fact that we are a small part of something much larger.

This world that we are given to enjoy is a gift.

I encourage you to go out and let it bring you moments of awe.

Learning To See

by Leigh

This has been a year of transformations for me.  It all started last January when I picked mindfulness as my word for the year.  Mindfulness sparked a journey for me both physically and spiritually.  As my outside changed through eating right and exercising, inside began to change as well.  I began to open up and become who I really am.  I learned to embrace my imperfections because that's who I am. Learning to enjoy the journey has become my new mantra.  It's not always about the end result, but what we learn along the way.  

"Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance." ~Brene Brown

Maybe this is why I've always been so attracted to macro photography.  Instead of showing the whole picture the focus is on a small part that contributes to the whole.  The beauty of macro photography is that it uncovers the often unseen….the overlooked….the cast aside.  Macro photography makes us slow down and uncover the beautiful details….the perfectly imperfect.

We so often expect perfection from ourselves.  We become our worst critic. But there is a lesson in slowing down and taking the time to notice the little things that make us beautiful.  As we learn to love ourselves from the inside out we share that love with others.  Enjoy slowing down with your camera, paying full attention, observing beauty that many people pass right by.  Your generosity of spirit and keen eyes may open the door to many mini miracles others would not have access to otherwise.  And you might just discover something new about yourself along the way.

Music of the earth . . .

by Kim

"Flowers are the music of the ground
from earth's lips spoken without sound."
- Edwin Curran

A seed is planted, it sprouts, and a plant is born.

It continues to grow with the nurturing help of the sun and water and the nutrients in the soil. Stems will rise above leaves and the roots will reach further into the soil.  And as it continues to grow, a tiny bud will begin to form. The bud will continue growing until it matures enough to start opening. And as it begins the process of opening, petal by petal, its personality will finally be revealed. But at some point, it will lose its luster and the petals will fall.

A flower is born, a flower dies.

We, are like flowers. Each one of us a different color, shape and size. Some are playful, or mysterious, and while some are bold, others tend to be soft, like a whisper. We are all beautiful in our own right, but unfortunately some will go unnoticed altogether.

We, are like flowers. Except that we don't judge flowers. We accept them just the way they are, flaws and all. Although we don't call them flaws, we call it character.

We too, are like the flowers . . . we too are the music of the earth.

And each one of us holds the same importance in regards to making that beautiful music. We need to be careful though, that we don't make the same mistake as Pythagoras by discarding the fifth hammer. Because it is almost always the ones we least expect that are responsible for the harmony. They are the secret to the entire sound of the music precisely because they aren't perfect.

A seed is planted, it spouts, and a plant is born. With a few essentials, we all have the possibility of blooming, and we should remember that it takes all of us to make harmony possible.

Here's to a musical day,

Kim xo

Trust the process...

by Kim

"The poetry of the earth is never dead."

- John Keats

No, the poetry of the earth is never dead, but sometimes it may appear that way. Sometimes it just mimics a dead leaf that just hasn't dropped from the clutches of a branch.

But then, if you pay really close attention to the subtle details you realize there is so much to hear. So much that exists well beyond what we consider to be silence.

Because beyond that silence, beyond what we can see with our eyes, things are happening. A million beautiful things are going on around us. . . moment by precious moment.

Under all the layers, that stretch far outside the limits of our busy lives.

Beyond comprehension really. Awe inspiring, mind blowing stuff.

And the more time I spend observing, and not just being in it but living with it, the more balanced and at peace I become.

I know it sounds so cliche, but nature continues to be that place, that for me, is so miraculous just in the confines of how intricately it all works together, how connected it is to itself. A place of complete awe and wonder even if it's experiencing a butterfly emerge for literally over the 1000th time!

A place where life happens even when it appears there is none....and yet still teaches me to trust the process.

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
  There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
  There is a society, where none intrudes,
  By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
  I love not man the less, but Nature more."
  - George Gordon

{This is a polydamas swallowtail that has been over wintering inside my house since late last August and just emerged a week ago. We can trust that Mother Nature knows her business, and this is indeed a sign that spring is arriving. You can see a video of this one emerging from its long winters nap on instagram - kimatpickingpoppies - I had trouble getting it to focus at a nano-seconds notice and as it goes with nature there are no re-takes}

Have a great day,
Kim

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.

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.

Are You Ready to Begin?

by Carol

Grab your camera, 

Find a place

Sit

Now close your eyes

Listen

Feel

Breathe

POP open your eyes! What immediately strikes you?  - Is it Light? Color? Form? Texture? Subject? What is calling to you? That question has as many answers as there are people. What speaks to you is what you need right now, or what you are given. Kim Manley Ort calls it paying attention to our "internal GPS." It will take you to the right place for you on any given day. Your whole life has led you to this moment right now. And all of your experiences since the day of your birth have led to this. Open your mind to recognize the essence of what is in front of you, without judgement. A rusty nail deserves to have its picture taken just as much as that beautiful landscape does. It has its own beauty. That is not pressure - that is reassurance. Don't forget to be grateful for this moment, and please don't squander it!

You were meant to be right here, right now! 

Make your photograph "from the inside out, not the outside in" 

(from Patricia Turner's "Characteristics of the Photographic Sage")

I hope you have seen this TED talk by Louie Schwartzberg. It's worth watching again:

Nature, Beauty, Gratitude

Please show us your moment of beauty today in our Flickr group