My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
“A Mystic sees beyond the illusion of separateness into the Intricate Web of Life in which all things are expressions of a Single Whole. You can call this Web God, the Tao, the Great Spirit, the Infinite Mystery, Mother or Father but it can be known only as Love.” Joan Borysenko
“Spirituality is not to be learned by flight from the world, or by running away from things, or by turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, we must learn an inner solitude wherever or with whomsoever we may be. We must learn to penetrate things and find God there.”
Pawnee National Grassland is located in the South Platte River basin in remote northern and extreme northeastern Weld County and comprises two parcels totaling 193,060 acres. It is part of the short grass prairie. Due to poor soil and the Dust Bowl it has not had much agricultural invasion. It’s about a two hour drive from my house and one reason. You can probably understand why I have mainly sunset images rather than sunrises. 🙂 Hope you have a super week!
This was taken on a walk near my hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s sort of a strange perspective as I was trying to crop out a banner tied to the bottom of the windmill and stay out of traffic. I do like the starburst effect the Fujifilm 18-55mm f2.8-4.0 lens. It is a sweet lens for me.
Here’s another image from the road trip I made couple days ago to the Pawnee National Grasslands. I started up there later in the day than I wanted so I did not have much time to explore once I arrived. I will plan my next excursion better and get in some hiking. However, I did have a chance to enjoy a wonderful sunset.
Scattered on the eastern plains are windmills or windpumps. A problem facing farms and ranches on the plains was providing a satisfactory supply of water for their cattle. These windpumps are used on farms and ranches in the central plains and South West of the United States. The farm wind pump was invented by Daniel Halladay in 1854. Eventually steel blades and steel towers replaced wooden construction, and at their peak in 1930, an estimated 600,000 units were in use. The multi-bladed wind turbine atop a lattice tower made of wood or steel hence became, for many years, a fixture of the landscape throughout rural America. This year marks the 156th anniversary of the first commercially operated windmills.
I read a blog by David deChemin on the definition of a photographer. I resonated with his thoughts and perspective and had to rethink about using that title on myself. Am I a photographer?
There was a time when I struggled with calling myself an engineer. I worked for 27 years in engineering and was paid the salary of an engineer, whatever value a company may place on that job. Yet, I am me, an individual with so much more than just a title or label. I now work as a flight attendant so does that make me a flight attendant? Yes, while working at that job I am a flight attendant as well as being me. I’ve been called a son, brother, husband, father, a grandfather, a friend and even a few unprintable labels. Am I any of those? Yes, even the unprintable. Yet, I am still me. So what defines me as a photographer?
I have made money with my photography so does that make me a photographer? I carry my camera with me almost everywhere I go, does that make me a photographer? At this juncture of my photography, I believe when I take the time to create an image rather than take an image, I am a photographer. When my eye sees an image within the mundane, I’m a photographer. We don’t have to make money with it. We don’t have to have a business name or business cards. Although those sure won’t hurt. In the above image, my eyes noticed the solitude of the trees and the windmill against the western clouds while driving on a farm road in the Texas Panhandle. I stopped the car and worked my way around the scene to find a view that fit my vision of the trees and the windmill. This view works for me and hopefully for others. What about you, are you a photographer?