• insects

    Todays Work

    July 17, 2010
    Grasshopper in morning dew, Great Smoky Mountains

    “All you can work on today is directly in front of you. Your job is to develop an imagination of the possible.”

    Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland

    While on a trip to the Smoky Mountains I dropped and broke my Nikon 80-400mm VR lens, a $1400 loss. Ouch! Needles to say I spent the last 3 days of our 7 day trip with nothing but two other Nikon lens, a 16-35mm and 24-85mm. Now my longest focal range dropped from 400mm to 85mm, what was I going to shoot?

    The first morning we were able to shoot in Cades Cove we were met with fog, wonderful fog. Along with the fog comes the heaviness of the morning dew, so needles to say we were pretty wet by the time we returned to the hotel. I noticed a barb wire fence covered with dew near the Tipton Place and wandered over to have a look-see. I discovered this grasshopper hanging upside down and patiently waiting for the morning sun to dry his body for the days activities. Since the 24-85mm also had macro capabilities it worked great for me to get some nice images. The fog was burning off and you can see the sun approaching in the background. This image was one of my first attempts at macro photography and spurred the purchase a nice macro lens. So, I ended up working on what was in front of me.

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  • Plants/Nature,  quotes

    Words are important.

    June 24, 2010
    Inniswood Gardens, Westerville, Ohio

    “Words are important. Without them our actions lose meaning. And without meaning we cannot live. Words can offer perspective, insight, understanding, and vision. Words can bring consolation, comfort, encouragement and hope. Words can take away fear, isolation, shame, and guilt. Words can reconcile, unite, forgive, and heal. Words can bring peace and joy, inner freedom and deep gratitude. Words, in short, can carry love on their wings. A word of love can be the greatest act of love.” Henri Nouwen

    How we choose our words is important in how people hear us and see us. David duChemin has an interesting rant (his word, not mine) on choosing words to describe what we create with our photographic tools. Go for it David. And, Sabrina Henry in her post on Jill’s Garden, along with some input from Ray Ketcham, talked a bit about the word inspiration and what it means to them. The words we select are vital, just as our point of view or composition within our view finders. The images we create say something to our viewers. Anyway both posts are good reads and I wanted to pass them along.

    I agree with Nouwen and David and Sabrina and Ray, words are important.

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  • Art/Design,  lifestyles

    The Play of Light

    May 25, 2010
    The Chess Board

    It’s late and I should be sleeping. But, I’m processing this image and listening to the rain tapping against my window and hear the rumble of soft thunder off in the distance. A Spring rain is refreshing the earth. I like it.

    This image is another one of those subjects I would have walked by a few years ago. I’ve never been interested in playing chess and with all honesty because I didn’t think I was smart enough to understand and win. However, at this time in my life this game board and chess pieces capture my attention, not because I wanted to learn to play it, but because of the play of light on it. I like it. Who knows, maybe my grandchildren can teach me how to play it sometime.

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  • insects,  quotes

    Always On the Move

    July 25, 2009
    Dragonfly

    An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.

    Walter Bagehot

    Have you ever watched a dragonfly? I mean watched them without lifting your camera to your eye. They are so elusive, always on the move, requiring patience to get a shot. They live a very busy life. I confess to chasing them to get an image and I’ve also stood, for what seemed like eons, waiting for one of them to come into my frame.  Today I found a couple of them who landed on a fence rail and posed for me.

    Just as this dragonfly moves from plant to plant, I’ve found my mind moving from this thought to that thought. But just as this dragonfly, I also need to stop and be quiet, find a fence post to rest. Let the sun warm me. Relax my fluttering wings. Rejuvenate and get ready to move on.

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