Not My Favorite

by Deanna

As a reader of our blog, and thank you for that, you may well have surmised that the month of January’s theme is Winter’s  Bare Branches.  Living in the Midwest I am surrounded by branches from the many varieties of Maples, the Sycamores, the River Birch, Pin Oaks and Red Oaks, Magnolias, and Weeping Willows, the Black Walnut and the Sweet Gum, varieties of trees too numerous to list. Drive down any neighborhood street and you will probably see a Honey Locust, a Maple, even a large Bur Oak gracing the parkways.  During the summer months these varieties are clothed in their various colors, shapes and sizes of leaves, seeds or flowers, but in the winter, unless you are an arborist (tree expert) they all appear to look almost the same, except perhaps in size. Their branches stripped clean, standing bare before us.   I can see the shape, the size, the broken, the scars, the length of the branches, all appearing lifeless.  And I wonder, will the Spring bring life back into those broken and scarred limbs.

I know that winter pretty much strips me of the joy that I find during those warmer months of the year.  Sunshine and warmth are my go-to words, but sunshine has been very sparse this year. Since January 1^st we have had only 1 full day of sunshine, the rest have been partly cloudy or totally dreary. With rain, not snow.  We had 2 beautiful snows in December followed by January rains. Am I complaining, yes.  Do I feel stripped and bare, yes. But like the trees I will flourish again in the spring.  Having this cold dreary weather does give me an excuse to hunker down and read until my eyes grow weary, then I nap.

Eventho Winter is not my favorite time of year, I do find life among those bare trunks and limbs. Wildlife remains steadfast throughout the cold months here in the Midwest. Those bare branches provide a safe place for birds and our furry friends to perch in their search for food, thus giving me the opportunity to capture their winter coats and plumage.  

And I must admit there is an occasional drop-dead gorgeous sunset. And with the trees bare I can enjoy those blazing colors.  

So there you have it....my so-called love/hate relationship with our Midwest winters. Love them for draping our world in purest white, for the gorgeous unimpeded views of sunsets, and the birds and critters that give life to the barest of branches.  The not so loved side are the short days,the pile of coats, gloves and boots to weather the cold, the dreariness, and the longing for those bare limbs to spring forth with life again.  

Another Photography Trip

by Deanna

White River Lighthouse

This had to be one of the hottest and muggiest summers we have had in a long time, but I didn't let that stop me from enjoying my travels these past few months. If you know me at all, you know that I love to travel, finding new vistas with camera in hand. I took quite a few trips since spring...Texas, Dayton, OH, Southern California, Michigan (twice), and Galena, IL. They were all fun and memorable trips, visiting family for some, visiting friends for some. The one that was a standout for me was my most recent trip to Michigan with a group of fellow photographers (many I did not know) to photograph the lighthouses on the shores of Lake Michigan.

St Joe Lighthouse

Our two instructors and leaders were part of the "Out of Chicago" Photography event I attended in June. Chris and Tony led the way from Tuesday thru Friday morning as we wound our way up the coast, stopping at various lighthouses and shooting at dawn and dusk. You know that"magic hour" that begins about 1/2 hour before the sun sets or rises and 1/2 hour after the rising or the setting of the sun. Don't ever leave a sunset as soon as the sun sets, the most beautiful time is that 1/2 hour after when the lights and the sky are the absolute most stunning. The first stop we made during the middle of the day was in St. Joseph, MI  where we met for the 1st time. It was hot and humid making me crabby. Sometimes I am defined by the weather, in fact I know I am. I am crabby when it is really humid, sad/depressed when the sun doesn't shine for awhile, happy when the sun shines and a light breeze blows. Does anyone else feel that way, or is it just me?  Thank goodness a cool front moved in and it was pleasant the rest of the trip.

South Haven Lighthouse

South Haven at dark 

We moved on up the coast to South Haven and we were blessed with a beautiful sunset. Arriving when the sun was still bright and staying until dark immersed in the changing colors in the sky. 

The next morning we arrived at the White River Lighthouse (see above) just as the sun was rising, again beautiful morning, stunning skies.  

It must be good fishin' in Lake Michigan, we witnessed many a fisherman heading out in the early morning bringing back (believe it or not) Salmon. 

After breakfast and check-out we again headed north, this time stopping at the Muskegon Lighthouse. Loved the red against the blue of the lake and those white rocks made this a very American red, white and blue scene.

Muskegon Lighthouse

Next stop, Little Sable Lighthouse for another evening of terrific weather and stunning sky-scapes.

The next morning, again bright and early we drove to Big Sable Lighthouse and then walked a mile on a sandy drive to my favorite lighthouse of the trip. I wasn't crazy about walking a mile on sand, but it was so worth it. But....before we even began our walk, it started raining, not a hard rain, softly in turn it created this.....a stunning double rainbow over Lake Michigan.

Big Sable Lighthouse

The following morning we had lovely, pink skies. There is an old maritime way of gauging the weather, pink sky at night sailors delight, pink sky in the morning, sailors warning. But in this case I don't believe it was true. We left shortly after breakfast to return home, the sun was shining brightly with no threats of weather warnings.. 

Frankfort Lighthouse

This is the 2nd photography trip I have made this year, first to Texas and now this one to Michigan. I highly recommend an opportunity to enjoy the company of other passionate photographers, learn more about your camera and adjusting exposures to different lighting situations, pick up tips on composition, and not have your non-camera friends, spouses or partners tapping their toes waiting for you to take that one last shot. 

A Lark or an Owl

by Terri

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you rise before dawn or stay up well past midnight? What time would you get up if you were entirely free to plan your day?

The natural time your body prefers to sleep is called your chronotype. Everyone is unique on where they lie on a spectrum. They say that early birds (sometimes called "larks") and night owls are born, not made. There are tests all over the internet to help you determine what your chronotype is but most of us don’t need a test to tell us. We probably already know what our type is. Self-awareness of chronotype is a very accurate predictor.

 
The majority of people are an intermediate or average type and prefer to get up in the morning between 6:30 and 8:30 and go to bed at night between 10:30 and 12:30. I’ve always said I’m neither an early bird nor a night owl, but a “daytime person”. I don’t like getting up before 7:00 if I can help it and am not fond of staying up later than 11. 

But what do you do when your chronotype vastly differs from your spouse or person you live with? My husband is usually up between 4-5:00 in the morning and asleep by 8:00 at night – definitely a morning person. While I’m not by any means a night owl, my preferred times to wake and go to sleep are vastly different from my husband’s – I prefer a 7 to 11 schedule, making me an intermediate or average person. 

Most experts advise sleeping at the times when your body prefers to when possible and we have managed to work around each of our preferred sleeping times. However, when we are planning a trip and my husband wants to take the 5:00 a.m. flight, I draw the line! 

So what is your chronotype? Are you an early bird or a night owl or somewhere in between? Are you an early bird out of necessity because you work but would really rather be a night owl if you had your choice? Is the sunrise something you never see because you'd rather sleep in? Do you stay at a party with your night owl husband long after you'd rather be home in bed? If your chronotype differs from your spouse, how have you been able to work that out? Please share your thoughts in the comments below or in our Facebook group. We'd love to hear!

Happy April, everyone! Don't forget to check out our new focus for this month up in the Monthly Focus tab at the top of the blog and share your photos with us in our Flickr group.  We love seeing them!

To Sea

by Carol

Exultation is the going

Of an inland soul to sea,-

Past the houses, past the headlands,

Into deep eternity!

Bred as we, among the mountains,

Can the sailor understand

The devine intoxication

Of the first league out from land?

                                                                                          (Emily Dickinson)

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.