• Candid Portraits,  People/Portraits

    Daydreaming

    October 31, 2008
    Daydreaming

    Ever see someone daydreaming and wonder where they have gone? Even today while having lunch with a friend she just took off in her thoughts and left our table. I’ve done it.

    Wikipedia says, “Daydreaming may take the form of a train of thought, leading the daydreamer away from being aware of his or her immediate surroundings, and concentrating more and more on these new directions of thought.” Yep, that’s happened to me and to the woman in this photo. I can find myself roaming in thoughts when reading, in my prayer time or mediation. In the past it was looked down upon but today we have more acceptance of it, acknowledging that some creative artists use it to write their music or story or create their art. NPR even has their companion-blog titled Daydreaming.

    I like this image because she is so focused in her thoughts. She does not seem distraught but peaceful. Did the book she was reading take her to some far off place of fantasy or are there situations in her life that keep her mind busy with the future or past? It was taken at the airport as she waited for her flight. I used the selection tool in Elements to isolate and focus on her face.

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  • Candid Portraits,  Travel

    The Piano Player

    October 30, 2008
    The Piano Player
    The Piano Player

    Centrally located in the food court at the Charlotte Airport is a piano. While waiting for a flight we listened to this man play a few songs. His music was relaxing and comforting especially in the hustle and bustle of airport travel. I really liked the setting; how he was dressed (love the cap) and especially the light. With all the busyness of the airport it was difficult to just get him and the piano. I tried to get as many images as possible, looking for angles to remove disruptive background and yet include both him and the piano. This is the image I selected to post because to me it shows his enjoyment of playing and his focus. He seems so relaxed. I also thought he was pretty good.

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  • People/Portraits,  Photography

    Windows to the Soul

    October 29, 2008
    The Eyes - Windows to the Soul
    The Eyes – Windows to the Soul

    There is an adage that our eyes are the windows to our souls. “Just to commit yourself to making human contact through the eyes to the people you pass on the street is a real eye-opener — if you’ll pardon the pun. Try it; you’ll see that many people whom you meet during the day use their eyes as a defense, rather than a window to the heart.” Carlos Warter, M.D., Ph.D.

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  • Travel

    The Hotel Desk

    October 27, 2008
    The Desk

    Working as a flight attendant requires a lot of evenings in hotel rooms. Some people cannot live that sort of life style but prefer to have roots in a home. I seem to be able to live this life style. However, I am not one to stay locked in a hotel room but try to get out and see as much as possible of the area near the hotel. We look for trails to walk, parks to see, community events or maybe a walk to a restaurant. We’ve been known to take a bus or taxi to areas further away. Yet, we always will return to the hotel room.

    When we spend 8-12 hours flying in a noisy aircraft and concerned with passenger safety, the quiet of a hotel room can be an oasis for me.  And, in almost every hotel room is a desk where we can pull out our journal and write down a record of the of days events or we can write new thoughts rising within us from our time of quiet. So once the exploring is done and we return to our rooms I not only want a comfortable bed to rest in but I look for a desk.

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  • Photography,  Travel

    On a Bench

    October 26, 2008
    On the Bench
    On the Bench

    One of our overnights is in Rockville, New York. About a mile walk from the hotel is the Rockville town area where you can find small businesses. I like the quaintness of this area and feel it is a great place for photography. I spent most of my afternoon just roaming the streets and taking it all in. There are book stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and a fantastic European pastry shop. I enjoyed a rigatoni and sausage plate at a place called the Blue Moon Pizzeria.  Wonderful ambiance and inexpensive so well worth it. On the way back to the hotel I noticed this woman as she sat on this bench taking in the late afternoon sunshine. It was her place of solitude in a bustling area.

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  • flowers,  Travel

    In the Shadows

    October 25, 2008
    In the Shadows
    In the Shadows

    This was just outside our hotel in a shadowed area. You could not help but notice this flower as it was the only one with the beam of sun shining on it. I took several photos without a tripod and unfortunately was not able to get a tack sharp image.

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