Tag: macro

The Covid lifestyle…

I’m full of questions.

sunflower with partially opened petals

[ˈintrəˌvərt] introvert

someone who prefers calm environments, solitude, and small circles of friends

It’s easy to see who’s been the most affected by the changes Covid has brought to our global world. Psssst. It’s not us introverts.

In some ways this global wake-up call has put the stamp of approval on being a homebody. I’m curious to see what the lasting effects of this will be, particularly on our youngest people.

It’s a terrifying virus. For some, asymptomatic or no worse than the common flu, while for others, deadly. No one knows for sure what category they’ll fall into.

Masks confer an anonymity to the wearer that presents other issues to society. I miss those little moments of connection that smiling at a complete stranger brought. Maybe we should bring back the peace sign? A small gesture but one that says “I see you.”

Interesting times we’re living in. While watching a movie, it opened on a scene shot in an airplane. No masks. Will everything going forward look so dated? What will the future look like?

Truer words…

if there is magic.

looking into a river and seeing the patterns emerge as water flows over rocks blue green palette


If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.

Loren Eiseley

Eiseley was quoted as being a scholar and writer of imagination and grace. His reverence for the natural world and his eloquent and poetic way of writing about it is nothing short of inspirational.

I share his thoughts on water. It compels in me a strong desire to record its transient nature and its variant forms.

The image above is part of a series that I have some special plans for and I hope that it in turns inspires people to look, really look, at the beauty of our natural world.

Note: Those of you signed up to receive my blog by e-mail received a link that was not functioning correctly. My apologies, I will post that when it is corrected.

Water…

in all of its forms.DSC_8314

No water, no life. No blue, no green.

Sylvia Earle

There’s something magical about dew soaked landscapes in the early hours of sunrise.

A single leaf becomes a canvas for nature to paint on.

For me it’s almost always about the water. Where it falls, how it sounds, the taste of it, the feel of it, the smell of the earth after a rain.

Life affirming.

Drink it in.

Why you should…

photograph every day.

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One can’t predict the weather more than a few days in advance.

Stephen Hawking

It certainly hasn’t been boring and the saying of if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute has never been more true.

We have been pummeled with snow, not measured in inches, but in feet. Then, just for a little variety, with the temperature measuring 26 degrees it’s raining! How does that happen?

I’ve been one busy photographer lately; shifting gears constantly and balancing all of my favorite subject matter.

I’ve been volunteering at our local shelter catching wonderful moments with the dogs there. It has been fun and gratifying at the same time.

The skies have been at their best and after spotting and photographing a multiple halo event, renowned physicist Les Cowley of atoptics expressed his interest in writing about my images. I don’t think that I’ve ever had such an honor and I am thrilled that my images will be part of his extraordinary site.

Switch gears from plowing snow to freezing rain, beautiful and treacherous.

I’ve said this before but it bears repeating.

Photograph every day, get familiar with each function available in your camera.

Then when these moments present themselves you will know how to shoot them.

Open yourself up to opportunities and I promise they will come.

Perfection…

is it all it’s cracked up to be?

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To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature.

Auguste Rodin

We hear a lot about perfection; what it is and how to achieve it.

For me though, I think that the imperfect often warrants a closer look and when it comes to photography I’ll take imperfection any day!

There is a certain beauty that comes with symmetry and I think that in many ways we’re programmed to prefer this.

During the flurry of our first big snowstorm of the season I was thrilled to find this tiny snowflake, not at all perfect and yet so utterly perfect!

This is the time of year when I start to think about my goals for the coming year and I have some big ones for next year.

For the next few weeks though my goal is to stay present and not get overwhelmed by the expectations of the season.

Look for beautiful moments, be kind to one another, and celebrate the little things.

Sheer beauty…

in a fragile package.

dsc_7294…the endless repetition of an ordinary miracle.

Orhan Pamuk, Snow

Winter is fast approaching and it does bring its challenges but for me it is one of the most beautiful and picturesque times of year.

I love an opportunity to photograph nature as it appears, these tiny intimate landscapes that are so often overlooked. When you find something this transient that you’d like to photograph, get your shot because this type of subject matter doesn’t linger, but then move around and look at it from different angles. Simply changing your position can make a huge difference with the available light and composition.

In the eyes of those who only see snow as something to be endured perhaps take a moment next time it is falling and appreciate its fragility and uniqueness.

Vapor condensing onto dust particles in the atmosphere…a gift from nature.

 

There must be something…

to astrological signs.

DSC_5852Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.

Rabindranath Tagore

I’m fast approaching two years of writing this weekly blog and while I must admit some weeks it feels a little like throwing words out into an abyss where they may never be seen, I think ultimately you have to be happy with what it brings into your own life and enjoy those times when it does resonate with someone else. I’m grateful especially when someone takes the time to add a comment or share their own story and it always thrills me to see the list of countries from around the world that check in to read my posts.

I like going through my images and finding one that fits with my week. It adds another element to the editing process already full of thoughts like what will I print, what goes on my website, what will I share to social media?

Once I’ve made those choices it gives me peace of mind that my images are off of the card, into Lightroom, backed up on an external hard drive, and sent to Carbonite for an extra back up. Just in case something fails, and it will and it has!

I recently had a conversation with another photographer who unlike myself does not immediately go through the day’s images and make selections. I don’t find that to be a chore, I am excited to see them on a large screen and see if I captured the look that I was going for.

Do your images languish on your card inside your camera for weeks? What do you do to ensure the safety and longevity of your images?

And this week’s image? Well, more often than not I do find that it’s (almost always) about the water...and yes, I am a Pisces!

Water…

every drop matters.

20160525-DSC_3855Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.

John Muir

This time of year as we head into fire season I am grateful for every drop that falls. Memories from last year as smoke filled the air day after day from forest fires are still too fresh.

On this morning as I walked amongst the tall grasses in my pasture that sparkled from the night’s rainstorm I spotted this one drop.

Sheer beauty in its delicate heart shaped form and so transient in its nature. One breath of wind and it would be gone.

I have a friend who connects deeply to heart shapes that she finds in nature and it brought a smile to my face knowing how much she would love this one drop.

Click…its the little things that matter and yes, it’s (almost always) about the water.

A winter throwdown…

on the still life I’ve presented.

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Frost is the most sophisticated of poets.

Peter Davison

I love to play outside in freezing temperatures; single digits or gentle climbs into the teens will get me up early every time!

When hoar-frost and rime are not readily available, when the patterns on my windshield seem a little haphazard, when snowflakes have become uncooperative, that’s the time when I set up my own winter scenes and wait for Mother Nature to bring it!

It’s a challenging dance. Everything has to be lined up just so; very cold, no wind, superb light, and preferably a blanket of snow.

It’s really a balancing act. First orchestrating the placement of the bubble and then should that be successful you have only seconds to get the shot before any number of catastrophes can occur. Focus is often challenging and ever-changing.

Sometimes I think that the shot that would be the one would be the shot of me taking the shot!

When it all comes together though, it is breathtaking to watch. Each time I am amazed at how the frost patterns bloom and grow on the substrate that I’ve provided. Sometimes floral in their design, other times fern-like. Sometimes hard and directional yet other times faint and tentative.

When asked how do you do that I am often at a bit of a loss to explain. It’s a dance really and for the best results one really does need a willing partner.

Cue music…