My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
I paid another visit to the grove of cottonwood trees near Mary’s Lake at the Rocky Mountain National Arsenal. My last visit, two weeks ago, showed the vibrant colors of yellow-gold of the leaves. Since then we have had snow and wind, so I expected to see some barren trees. The leaves of the cottonwood are shiny and triangular with rounded teeth on the margin. The nearly heart-shaped leaves are similar to poplar and aspen, also members of the Poplar family. We are moving on to winter and then I will try and get a photo of them in a blanket of white.
“My goal as a person and, consequently, as a photographer, is to witness, participate in, and hopefully share the delicate beauty of wilderness – those moments in time when nature and spirit transcend the make-believe world of politics, economics, religious squabbles, fleeting fashion, mass “entertainment,” and other means of wasting the precious gift of thought and inspiration we are each endowed with.”
Guy Tal
I just observed a young boy, maybe 6 years old, walk into this coffee shop with his eyes glued to a smart phone or game boy? He never looked up. Unfortunately, he had been sucked into that small box with its dings, dongs, chimes, bells and whistles, blasting away to kill as many opponents as quickly as his nimble fingers could move. It was obvious he was no longer “witnessing or participating” in the world around him. His mother sat passively beside him with no attempt or chance of a conversation and I’m not sure she even wanted any of that. I wondered what that conversation would be like. Could he even have a conversation with her? Does he have, or will he ever have, the precious gift of thought and inspiration? Just watch our children, and unfortunately many adults, as they walk through life looking down at their handheld devices. Addicted?
Anyway, I wanted to share the above quote from Guy Tal. His words so resonate with my heart and soul in this misguided world. If you have a chance to visit his website and blog, I highly recommend it. He’s a very good photographer and very much in touch with the world around him. I enjoy his little quips called, “Just saying.”
Early pioneers staking claim on the Kansas prairie routinely planted the fast-growing cottonwood to provide the shade, warmth and cooking fuel they were accustomed to back east. Because of the part played by the tree in the early days of settlement, the cottonwood has been called the pioneer tree of Kansas. The cottonwood tree had great value to the early pioneers, enough value to have several towns named for them in ten states, with two each in Texas and Utah. It can also be made useful in protecting stream banks from erosion, as it will thrive on ground too wet for trees that will produce more valuable lumber and which is too wet to cultivate. It is readily reproduced by sprouts from cut stumps and roots, and can be propagated by cuttings set in the ground where the trees are to stand. So here is a sunburst taken near Ladora Lake on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR. This is an HDR image from three bracketed exposures of one stop each.
Our 30% chance of rain/snow for this afternoon was mostly sunny skies. 🙂 So with scattered gray skies I grabbed my camera stuff and headed for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. I didn’t get very far before I remembered they’re closed on Mondays. So, being the resourceful guy I am, my alternate plan was to make a u-turn and drive east about five miles on a road I’d never been on. As all alternate plans go, I found a river bottom area with plenty of trees and an autumn moon. A few deer in the field behind me watched with approval as I setup my tripod and started working. I didn’t work too long as it felt colder than 34 degree with the wind blowing. By the time I got back in the car my hands and ears were cold. Another reminder my age is moving me more towards being a fair weather photographer.
A few days ago Mark Graf had a thought provoking post entitled The Passinate Observer. His post caused me to realize something about myself, and therefore this post. I believe photography has helped me develop into that Passionate Observer he talks about. Even though I am getting older, I am seeing things with newer eyes, that Passionate Observer. I dont just see a tree anymore but I take the time to look at the leaves, the bark, the bent and twisted trunks, the broken limbs, the birds nest or the raptor perched in search of prey. I walk up and touch it. Silly as it may seem I even talk to them. One morning I watched a couple intently walking the trail around Lake Ladora at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR. Their heads were down, focused on their stride and the conversation, yet never looking up at this tree. They ignored the yellow quaking leaves calling out to them.
So, I agree with Mark and his quote by Diane Arbus, that in order for us to “capture some emotion” of what we felt we must first be observers, even simple observers. Then when we’re passionate about what we see, we have something special. Maybe this couple will be able to see the beauty of this tree, the art in nature, if we present it to them through our photography.
And today is my moms 80th birthday, So, I’m in Phoenix to celebrate her special day.
There was something about this grove of trees that always called to me.
This past weekend I spent a couple of hours at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. It’s been a while since I paid a visit. I arrived 40 minutes after the gates were to open but found the gates locked. Another photographer and I waited for about 30 minutes before they showed up and found they had changed the time to 7:00 AM for the Fall season. I walked the Lake Ladora tail and was so enthralled by the colors of the cottonwood trees. As some of you know my eye does go towards trees, usually isolated ones. I’ve read where photographers need to know their subject so I’m in the process of learning more about these cottonwood trees. I’ve always wondered what the pioneers saw as they crossed the Great Plains on the Santa Fe or the Oregon Trail. Most of the short grass prairie had few native trees so they often went for a long time without seeing any trees. The prairie was frequently seen as a very foreign and hostile environment to people from the forested east. No trees meant no wood for cooking. Dried bison dung was used for cooking fuel instead! No trees also meant no shade, which can be very precious on a hot day in summer.
Last Saturday it was cold with mixed rain and snow. Today is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the low 80’s. Pretty typical of the Fall season. And, I start a 4-day trip this morning so I’ll not get to experience the nice weather. Summer of 2011 is now just memories with a few archived images on the hard drive. I can feel the cold of winter in the air each morning as the final days of 2011 are quickly approaching. I’m looking forward to the coming year as it will offer many changes for me. But for now I embrace all the moments I can, watching as green leaves change colors then fall to the ground. Hope everyone has a good weekend.
Last week Ken Bello had a post asking the question about what was blogworthy. That was a new word for me. After a quick search on the internet I found the word to already be in the Urban Dictionary. Anyway he offered up a new word for me to chew on. His question asks why we post the images we do. His selection is based on one thing: does he like it. My answer is the same. I think my blog is pretty eclectic in its subject matter. Even though I add text to my posts, the premise of my blog is photography and I would like for them to speak for themselves and that doesn’t always happen. I post images of landscapes, macro, street scenes, portraits, and whatever catches my attention around me. I do have certain subjects I’m drawn to, such as trees and lately the more wide open scenes (see above). Sometimes I put my eye to the viewfinder and press the shutter button because a whisper within me suggested it. If I listen to the whisper and spend the time working the scene, I will usually “like what I see” on my computer at home.
