• Candid Portraits,  coffee life,  coffee shops,  People/Portraits

    All is a Miracle

    February 9, 2022

    ““People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

    Thich Nhat Hanh

    It is so easy for us in our society to miss the miracles, big and small. For some there is no concept they exist. Wonder how many of us would we see the miracles if we put down our smartphones?

    Read More
  • Documentary/Street,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Wise words….

    January 13, 2022
    Arapaho Bend Natural Area

    “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. […] Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.”

    John Lewis
    Read More
  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    Bashful Sun

    February 7, 2021

    I sat in my car and watched a bashful sun hide behind a bank of clouds sitting along the eastern horizon precisely where the sun was to rise. In the predawn light it teasingly hinted of pink along the northern edge of the clouds, letting me know it was there. As any good friend and lover of nature would do, I sipped on my morning coffee, took an image every once in awhile and waited to see what beauty would be offered.

    I experienced a sense of how nature has been teaching me patience in these latter years of my life or at least continuously offering me more lessons. I took 54 images during that hour and found it difficult to decide on just one image to post. I honestly like them all. I finally chose these two because of the cloud patterns, the subtle pink in the first image and the sunbeams in the second. Both also hint of the bashfulness of the sun this mornings. Happy Sunday!

    Read More
  • architecture,  Art,  Art/Design,  quotes,  shadows,  window

    Morning shadows

    February 25, 2020
    Early morning shadows last week in my living room

    “Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” 

    Parker Palmer

    Good morning. We have overcast skies and a strong wind blowing from the north, gusting to 31 mph. So, it’s a hold on to your hat kind of day. My Gortex jacket sure didn’t keep the cold wind out on my walk to the coffee shop. But, then that makes me walk faster, the coffee or tea really hit the spot and my barista’s  smile seem warmer. Have a great day, my friends! 

    Read More
  • architecture,  Black and White,  window

    Winter means…

    January 10, 2020
    The inviting morning light.

    “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

    Anne Bradstreet

    Winter means more time indoors. Winter time means longer shadows. Winter means more crockpots of hot soup. Winter means dressing warmer for the bus stop and morning walks. Winter means crawling between the sheets at night with cold feet. Winter means reading more books. There are more but…

    Read More
  • Photography,  Plants/Nature

    Zoomed In

    August 30, 2009
    Morning Sunlight

    As photographers most of us have an assortment of lens to to choose from. Depending on what we are photographing we will use a wide angle, a telephoto or maybe a macro. By selecting a specific lens we have control of what we place in our view finders, vital to our vision. At one point I was carrying an assortment of lens that covered from 18mm to 400mm, just to make sure I had it all covered. Over the past couple of years I have decreased that range (and the weight of my camera bag) by narrowing down to 18-200mm and using 4 lens. I discovered having a wide range of focal length did not make me a better photographer.

    In the above image I used a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 at 200mm to crop out the surrounding distractions. It helped me to create the image I wanted but that’s not the only thing that helped make this image. In order to eliminate all the background I needed to move in closer. To do that I used my feet. 🙂

    Read More
  • landscape

    The White Fence

    December 26, 2008
    The White Fence

    The rain stopped. After two days of rain we awoke on Christmas morning to blue skies and sunshine. Temperature was 22 degrees when I crawled out of bed and made a drive east of town. I ended up in an area new to me so found some interesting subjects and more importantly to me, open space. I will post a few over the next few days. This fence was what caught my attention and played around with it for awhile. I hope everyone had a great Christmas Day!

    Read More