• animals,  Metro Parks

    No One Gets Hurt

    November 18, 2009
    Squirrel at Inniswood Gardens

    I parked my rump on a bench along the foot path in Inniswood Gardens to watch the half dozen squirrels in front of me as they scampered along the forest floor in search of food. This time of year you will find them busy searching for and storing nuts and acorns near their dens for the coming winter months. The carpet of leaves has hidden some of their much needed food so their search for food has the feeling of a game. You can hear the rustling of leaves as they stick their noses under the carpet of leaves in search of their treasure then quickly lift their heads and move to the next location as if to say, “Nope, nothing there. Maybe it’s over here.”

    Every so often they seem to be playing a game of tag with one another but I soon realize they are being territorial as they chase one another around. Their work at this time of the year is a necessity and feels hurried, yet they seemed to also be having fun and no one gets hurt. I enjoyed watching.

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  • quotes

    Truth

    November 17, 2009
    Lupines

    Men cannot understand Truth because they cling to self,
    because they believe in a love self,
    because they believe self to be the only reality,
    whereas it is the one delusion.

    The Way of Peace by James Allen

     

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  • Art/Design,  writing/reading

    White knuckles

    November 15, 2009
    Tight Grip

    Working as a flight attendant I get to see people who are afraid to fly. They will have a tight grip on the armrest, breathing is short, eyes are open wide and constantly searching all that is around them, ears are alert to every sound. Once the aircraft lifts from the ground their bodies tighten and become rigid. Fear is in control.

    Fear runs rampid in our world, cheating some of us from living life to its fullest. The biggest regrets in my life have been those times I failed to try due to fear of failure, which is failure. I wonder how many images I have missed because I was white knuckling it. Each day I have the chance to experience life outside my comfort zone and maybe learn something wonderful. It’s all about letting go and trusting.

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  • Photography

    Don't Worry, Be Creative

    November 14, 2009
    Sea shell on the beach

    “Worrying about doing something new ends up stunting creative growth. Being creative does NOT require doing something new. It requires doing something that is authentically your real personal and true vision. If you take away anything from this blog post, I hope it’s that.”

    Scott Bourne

    What a powerful post Scott wrote for me, sort of like a personal letter. There are several nuggets in his post, I posted one of them a couple days ago. My history has included a lot of worry. As I’ve aged in years and have a few more experiences under my belt, those worries are far less frequent. I no longer work in engineering because I do not want to wake up in the middle of the night worrying about a problem that needs solved. In fact I could have used his quote back then. It nice to live the day as it unfolds before us and not struggle to make it way we want it. When I live the moment I can be more creative. Walking the beach for me is nothing new, done it a few times and love it. I’ll do it again, living the moment and see what creative juices flow without worries.

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  • Plants/Nature

    Whispered Prayers

    November 13, 2009
    Hanging On

    I spent some time at the mall today. I wandered through a book store thinking a new book or magazine would perk up my mood. So many to choose from. I also stopped at the Apple Store to see about a neoprene cover for my Macbook but decided against it due to the price. I’m cheap, you know. I left there with a troubled and restless spirit. I felt I needed to be around nature so I stopped at Blendon Woods on the way home. Walking in the warm sun with my camera in hand is good medicine for a restless spirit. I began to notice how the forest canopy of leaves are now the forest’s carpet, the leaves falling to the earth as part of its journey to nurture next springs growth. The nakedness of the trees signals winters approaching season. My spirit noticed how some leaves still hang on, clutching tightly as the wind tries to set them aloft. So I focused on the leaves, took a few images while my spirit whispered prayers.

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  • architecture,  Photography,  quotes

    Trusting Yourself

    November 12, 2009
    The Lock

    “The creative process can start to open up once you just trust yourself. If you empower yourself to try something different and give yourself permission to fail, you become more creative. Don’t make the metrics of success or failure the guidelines by which you proceed. Instead make experimentation, expression and joy the metrics.”

    Scott Bourne

    Here us a good read by Scott Bourne where he said somethings impacting me and my life. We have the opportunity to unlock the door to our creative process: the key of trust.

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  • architecture,  Art/Design,  Travel

    Room 265

    November 11, 2009

    This is a familiar scene for those who travel and stay in hotel rooms. The number will change from night to night but the scene is almost the same. My work as a flight attendant, has required me to sleep in hotel rooms somewhere between 10-13 nights a month. There have been times when I’ve awoken at night completely disoriented as to where I am. I have also stepped out of my room looking right then left, not sure which direction is the lobby. And, there have been many times I needed to look at my key to remember which room I was in. Those moments happen less and less as I accept this nomadic life.

    While shooting film I was not one of those photographers who wrote down important information so when the slides came back I would find myself disoriented. I may like an image but I did not know what shutter speed I used or what aperture I used. I was bracketing almost everything looking for one good image and hopefully a few compliments to boost my ego. With the advent of the digital age and all the information we have immediately, I’m not so disoriented anymore. I no longer wonder what aperture or shutter speed I used. I can adjust right there and take another image. I’ve also learned to use those tools to create the images I want.

    However, I must admit that every once in a while I still get disoriented in the field and have been known take a longer route back to my car and not by choice. 🙂 I took this image after I had stepped out of my hotel room to take my camera for a walk and looked both ways to orient myself. I giggled to my self and thought why not take a photo. So, this is really nothing more than a snapshot. I do hope you have a wonderful day and don’t get lost!

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  • Art/Design,  Plants/Nature

    Walking with a camera

    November 8, 2009
    Centerpiece

    Walking is healthy, good for the body and mind. Walking with a camera over the shoulder is good for the body and mind and a photographic tradition. I’m not one of those 3-5 mile a day walkers but I do get out and about and bring my camera. I’ve never considered walks with my camera as an assignment but I guess you can call them that. I sling it over my shoulder, no camera bag, and go looking. Some compelling images will come into the viewfinder this way. Maybe a table centerpiece can be seen for the first time or the shadow cast by a lamp post or piano keys. How often do you walk with your camera?

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