Audition Connection

by Carol

 Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find resources of strength

       that will endure as long as life lasts.

                           Rachel Carson

It's spring! (sort of ). Please ignore the fact that it is currently 26 degrees, with a "massive snow event" predicted tomorrow, and cast your mind back to this past Wednesday when it was 65 degrees and sunny!  That's Spring for ya - unpredictable, varied and full of surprises! 

Our theme this month asks you to find the early signs of spring to photograph. With a chill still in the air, you may find yourself marching through the woods or the yard, out of practice at slowing down to observe. May your favorite audiologist ( a hopeful assumption) suggest that your hearing can help? 

Pack up your gear if you are taking off for a walk, or hang your camera over your arm if you are off to the porch or the back yard, and don't forget you duck shoes because Spring can be wet! In earlier years, I never worried about recording anything, feeling that my camera preserved the moment for me. The more time I spend in nature however, the more curious I become. And the older I get, the more I am looking for that wisdom that is supposed to come with age, so now I stick a notebook and pen on the outside of my bag too. I also am developing a real interest in tracking the year. When was the first snow storm last year, compared with this year. What was the very first sign of spring I noticed this year? Are crocuses out in the sunny spots or the shade? Is there something blooming down the street that I might want to incorporate into my yard for next spring? I have never known the names of the plants or the birds around me, and suddenly I'd like to learn them! Between my images, and the details I jot in my notes, I may be able to identify them later from my field guides in the warmth of my home. Look at all the great information Terri brought us in her post about the rosy-faced lovebirds!

Find a spot to stop. Take a deep breath and make a first visual scan, looking for the light. We have had many posts about looking and seeing - of course that is the photographer's bailiwick, and the light is what its all about. But this time I am discussing the information your ears can provide. So close your eyes. Just as you did with your visual scan, I want you to scan with your ears. Listen first to the overall cacophony around you. In my yard there is lots of it in spring. Now focus your hearing as you would focus your camera. Zero in on a birdsong, the leaves rustling, the buzzing of an insect. Concentrate until you feel as if it's the only sound in the world. Concentrate on sounds from your right side, then from your left. Notice the sounds behind you, above you. You may be thinking - what photographer worth her salt is going to walk around with her eyes closed? But I promise you - if you take the time to connect first, when you open your eyes they will find a million things to explore. Nature will quite literally be calling out to you.!

By the way, when I get home and upload my images to Lightroom, I use the description area under the title of the first image, to type in my field notes, then create some keywording that directs me back to the first image when I bring up the rest of the series in the future. If I print a series, need an artist statement, or use these pictures in a journal or album at some future point, the details are right there for the taking. There are so very many ways to connect to nature, but your five senses are the easiest way to start. Contemplation in art and photography is all about connecting your body to your world, exciting your intuition, and appreciating your environment on the deepest level. And it's meditation - it brings such peace! Try it  - you'll like it!

All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man.

The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.

 Chief Seattle

Autumn Moments

by Leigh

As I walked around my backyard with my camera anticipating this post,  I noticed moments that I wanted to capture.  It was a walk of intention....a time to be here in the now and open my senses to everything around me.  It was a particularly blustery day, but for a moment the winds calmed down enough for the wheat colored plumes of the Dwarf Hamelin Grass and the blurry pinks and purples of the Muhly Grass to compose themselves perfectly.  

The afternoon light gave me a brief moment of warmth that was soon cut by the chill of the breeze. That stream of light illuminated the edges of the Nandina leaflets for just a moment until the sun continued to set. 

A tattered orange leaf landed briefly in the vine covered whitewashed lattice fence.  It stopped just long enough for me to see it and capture it before moving along to it's next destination.

A fallen leaf effortlessly floats in the little bit of remaining water in the birdbath. I am thankful to notice these fleeting moments of an Autumn season that goes by too quickly.  These moments keep me grounded to the amazing world around me.  Feeling grounded is important not just physically but psychologically.  When we find a connection to the earth, we connect to something much, much larger than ourselves and for that I am truly grateful.

My Time(s)

by Carol

I love my Sunday New York Times. With the world the way it is these days, I cannot say that I comb through the daily papers, or even the Sunday papers for every news detail the way I used to, but I am still attached to my Sunday routine. As I have come into my own, I have become more aware of what is meaningful to me at my time of life - right now. What I have settled on, as those of you who read my posts probably know, is that I love people's stories. I love to see how an individual landed where he or she is at the present moment, and what lessons they have learned from their life experiences. And I love the more global picture - human nature and psychology - how do people react to certain situations; why does one person rise above while another capitulates? What makes one person face adversity with calm determination and creativity and another give up before they even begin?

Do you know where I find these wonderful personal stories? In the Sunday Times! Specifically in the "color sections." The Metropolitan section profiles day to day life in the city. Page two always has a feature called Sunday Routine which follows one person through their Sunday. This past weekend, Metro also contained an article about a little dog who gave a homeless man enough hope to get off the streets, a feature called "Neighborhood Joint" about a kosher bakery that is a cornerstone in a particular neighborhood and something called NYC Nature that reminds every week that nature can thrive in the midst of a great city.

My favorite weekly feature in the real estate section is called "Living In ...."  It picks a specific town every week and paints an intimate picture of what its like to live there from three or four examples of what you get for your money in housing, what the local restaurants and bars are, what the place is known for and personal comments by locals. Then there is "The Hunt." Like HG TV, it follows a couple looking for a home. It takes you through all the places they looked at, the thoughts they had about pros and cons as they make their decision, and their "happy ending" in the place they finally chose as a new home.

The travel section is, as in every newspaper, is full of buckets lists and dreams and empty corners where I have cut out articles for my bucket list folders. You will find the same holes in The Book Review, where I chop out reviews of books I want to read (although I am starting to transition that on-line through Goodreads.) Arts and Leisure inspires me to take more advantage of what Manhattan has to offer, and when I do find myself in the city, I am often gunning for one of their recommendations.

But by far, my favorite sections are the engagement/marriage announcements and the obituaries! While these may seem to be at opposing ends of the human spectrum, they are really quite similar. Each week the times features one wedding or engagement. It interviews the couple about how they met each other. They are often asked about the exact moment when they realized they were in love. We hear about "the chase." We speak with their good friends and parents about their observations, and often the article ends at their wedding where we see the whole show - from outfits to centerpieces to crazy uncles! Some are so bizarre that they validate the expression that real life is stranger than fiction - like the couple who wore space suits and entered the ceremony on a fabricated space ship, or those who choose to get married while surfing - minister trying to keep up. Others are huge society deals that make you feel as if Gatsby were still alive - and others no frills zen-like affairs full of personal meaning. I am telling you - its a Sunday morning novel in itself.

I hope I am not offending when I say I love to read the obituaries - but they are both public and personal history lessons. Talk about novels - just about every week I read a life story that I think might inspire me to write one! This past week gave me the story of Elliot Gant. He and his bother perfected the button-down shirt, making it a staple of  "the Ivy League and Madison Avenue men," through some amazingly creative innovations and marketing. It also featured Professor Hilary Putnam who taught  (and I love this) that "any philosophy that can be put in a nutshell belongs in one." In a field that loves to hear itself talk, he apparently believed in making the message understandable.  In the same section was the wife of Robert Altman, the film maker. She worked with her husband on all of his creative endeavors, and in later years became the keeper of his legacy and a font of knowledge for the film-making industry.

So there went my Sunday morning! But do you know what? I worked hard all week, I had a fun but very busy Saturday, I cleaned my house after work on Friday so that I could enjoy my weekend. And these Sunday morning hours with my Times, by the fire, with a bagel and a hot cup of coffee are a treasure I wouldn't trade. This may not be your cup of tea, but I recommend finding some time each week for you and  your cup of tea. Consider human nature and the world. Get out of your own head. Let your imagination run. And if your have time left over - do something creative with your newly inspired outlook. It will slow your speed. It will make your artwork better. It will make your life better.