My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
rising early I journey to this sacred place
mws
where darkness and silence will soon depart
and night surrenders to the light of day
gray clouds have settled atop the foothills
a holy mist anoints me as I watch in awe
the unique waves moving from shore to shore
A great photograph is a distillation, a reduction of the chaos of our wider experience to a visually satisfying essence where what is excluded is as important as what is included.
David Ward
Took my camera for a short walk around my ponds yesterday. The afternoon sun was breaking through the overcast skies and reflecting light off the soft ripples drifting across the pond. I zoomed in to focus only on the ripples and reflections and remove the chaos. When I head out of town to some place of quiet or one of the natural areas I am also reducing the chaos of life, zooming in.
Snow is expected tonight and into tomorrow with accumulations of 6-11 inches. I have doctor appointments today, tomorrow and Thursday. Some are consultations and some are tests. Wherever you are stay dry, warm and out of trouble.
And today is my dads 94th birthday! Happy birthday dad!!!!
I stand at the seashore, alone, and start to think. There are the rushing waves… mountains of molecules, each stupidly minding its own business… trillions apart… yet forming white surf in unison.
Ages on ages… before any eyes could see… year after year… thunderously pounding the shore as now. For whom, for what?… on a dead planet, with no life to entertain.
Never at rest… tortured by energy… wasted prodigiously by the sun… poured into space. A mite makes the sea roar.
Deep in the sea, all molecules repeat the patterns of one another till complex new ones are formed. They make others like themselves… and a new dance starts.
Growing in size and complexity… living things, masses of atoms, DNA, protein… dancing a pattern ever more intricate.
Out of the cradle onto the dry land… here it is standing… atoms with consciousness… matter with curiosity.
Stands at the sea… wonders at wondering… I… a universe of atoms… an atom in the universe.
Richard Feynman
low lying clouds
ms
sea of suspended water
silent waves of fog
Had a short night of sleep but slept sound for most of it and feel rested. Headed out early and discovered a bit of fog on the eastern plains. A world of clouds and haze until the sun burns it off. Very humid and cool morning with 96% humidity and 57 degrees. It is fascinating to watch fog as it changes and moves like a wave ever so silently and quickly. Fog does not hang around for too long. It is a cloud at the earth’s surface. A wave moving over bales of hay.
A touch of pink in this image as the sun is about to rise behind the low clouds in the east. We are seeing fields of both the ripening wheat and three foot tall stalks of corn. Farmers are irrigating the fields of corn so lots of surface moisture to generate the fog. Where I’m standing is a ditch full of gurgling water, almost like having my own little stream. Have a great day!
seen in simplicity…
mws
sea of sparkling blue snow
leaf riding the waves
“The unknown evokes wonder. If we lose our sense of wonder, we lose the sacramental majesty of the world. Nature is no longer a presence, it is a thing.”
John O’Donohue, Eternal Echoes
“What we can easily see is only a small percentage of what is possible. Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface; to picture that which is essential, but invisible to the eye.” – Anonymous
Over time I’ve discovered how to eliminate unneeded elements in my photographs and create a powerful image. A solo tree on the horizon. The fallen maple leaf among the stones. When we first see The Great Sand Dunes we are impressed by their beauty and size as they rise over 750 feet above the valley floor. We grab out cameras,wide angle lens and tripods to capture the grandeur of those dunes. Yet, when we change our view and look closer we can find elements that are essential to making powerful images. Nature is the artist. As a photographer it is our task to find simple images provided by the artist.
Looking back over the archives is an interesting way to see where I’ve grown as a person as well as a photographer, or not, and remember the places I’ve visited. But as I wander back in memory I’m sure I would not experience this coastal sunset the same way as I did in 2003. At this time in my life I would spend more time listening to the waves, smelling the salty air and maybe never need to take a shot. However it now has me dreaming about a trip to the coast.
“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.
We had a longer overnight which allowed us to spend some time at the beach. There is something magical about ocean waves as they move in and out creating their art. Those waves constantly reshape the shoreline. This image is at Myrtle Beach, SC where you will find many people walking the waters edge looking for sea shells and even a few sharks teeth. And, will admit to being one of those individuals. I did walk under this pier which is called Pier 14. On top of this pier is a restaurant called, you guessed it, Pier 14. The lines of this pier, along with the waves, made for an interesting image.