Category Archives: photography

Habits…of Language

How many times have I used the phrase, “What a zoo!,” to describe a particularly chaotic situation? Just what do I mean by that?

Today I spent the afternoon at the Oakland Zoo, watching animals, learning more about their behaviors and natural environments, and generally enjoying spending time with family in the presence of these people and animals that I don’t get to see everyday. There was nothing chaotic about the zoo. Instead, the animals seem to be well cared for and the enclosures offered opportunities to feel like I could really see the animals while keeping everyone safe. The zoo was peaceful, relaxing, and educational.

I do have mixed feelings about zoos. The ideal environment for wild animals is their natural habitat. But I also know that zoos offer humans opportunities to learn about and protect animals. And the zoo as outing provides families and children ways to appreciate wild animals and learn about ways they can help prevent the destruction and encroachment on the natural environments of these beautiful creatures. I watched people of all ages enjoying their interactions with each other as they watched giraffes, tigers, meerkats, sun bears, and even bats.

So what do I mean when I describe a chaotic event as a zoo? I’m really not sure. And now that I’m thinking about the reasons behind this phrase, I will be breaking the habit of using those words. There are other phrases I am working to eliminate from my language use. One of those is that one about “killing two birds with one stone.” And “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” And any phrase that includes the word slave in it. I need to break these language habits and figure out more precise uses of language to describe what I’m thinking.

Being mindful about language also makes me more mindful about my actions. Habits can help us get things done, like my habit of writing every day. They can also make us less mindful and result in some thoughtless words and actions.

What habits will you be working to undo…and what will you try to establish as habits?

Muir Woods: a Photoessay

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Nestled in a valley not far from the knotted web of Bay Area traffic and coursing flow of humanity is a space dedicated to showcasing some of nature’s treasures.

The majesty of redwoods is best experienced in person. These giants are not only tall, but also express such personality. Each tree is unique from the next one. They seem to grow in families, clustered as if to offer support and companionship to one another.

I found myself intrigued by the light and shadows. At two in the afternoon, the sun struggled to penetrate these amazing tall trees. Occasionally we would see the soft glow of light where the sun found its way through the canopy.

I love the way this forest demonstrates how it sustains itself. Trees that have fallen and died, teem with live as decomposers work at recycling…returning the tree trunks to the soil to feed new life. As I paid close attention, I noticed these mushrooms growing from a broken trunk.

And as I continued walking I spied these beauties growing along the edge of the trail in with the clovers.

The stream was pretty shallow… After all, summer has just ended and the rainy season has not yet begun. I worked to capture the water’s movement…and to my surprise I captured the reflection of the trees above in the water!

And as a southern Californian who has to search for fall colors in trees, I noticed the leaves of the deciduous trees in my adventures today. There were no reds and oranges evident, but this yellow caught my eye.

Walking through the woods today was refreshing. The fresh, fragrant air and the natural beauty of the trees felt like a massage…relaxing and energizing.

What do you do to relax and rejuvenate? What amazing places do you have the opportunity Ito explore?

They’re Back…

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Last school year we planted milkweed in the planter box in front of our classroom…and had a front row seat to view the intricacies of the monarch life cycle.

As the school year continued, what was left of the milkweed (after the caterpillars had decimated it) died away and a native volunteer took over the box.

A week or so ago, a classroom mom came by and cleared out our box and replanted milkweed. And before even an hour had passed, a monarch friend had already visited. We’ve all been on the lookout for evidence of eggs and caterpillars since.

This week, they made their presence known! Teeny tiny yellow, green, and black caterpillars have made an appearance and are busily chomping away at the milkweed.

It is amazing just how quickly they grow from almost invisible to the eye, to plump little crawlers.

These are actually much smaller than they appear in the photo thanks to the magic of modern technology and cropping techniques! But you can see they have been quickly devouring this plant.

And so now we wait. Will these caterpillars survive long enough to grow to the size where they form a chrysalis and transform into butterflies? Is there enough milkweed there to sustain them? What predators will they have to avoid?

These beautiful creatures are fascinating to watch (and photograph), and seem to thrive in our school environment. I love that we don’t need to buy a butterfly “kit” to have our students learn about the majesty and wonder of the insect world.

I always find that the more I learn about something, the more I appreciate and notice the natural beauty right in front of my eyes! What critters sit outside your door for you to learn more about?

One Photo, Three Ways

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When daylight savings time ended early Sunday morning, our daylight hours also shrunk. Instead of getting home with some daylight left, it is now dark.

As I left the university this evening, it was already dark. Looking into the dark, evening sky I noticed the beautiful fingernail of a moon. Even knowing that my iPhone doesn’t take great pictures of the moon, I couldn’t resist pausing to take a shot.

When I got home I thought I would play with this image (which was better than I anticipated) using the app Tadaa. It has some interesting filters that work particularly well with playing with light and shadow.

Here’s a dark version:

I like the way the trees frame the moon in the distance and the reds and oranges are nested in the foreground. I couldn’t resist trying one of my favorite filters, otherland, and was surprised when it turned my dark, nighttime image to white. I love the way the moon is silhouetted in the white sky.

The filters dramatically change the mood and setting of this photo. Each tells a different story by a simple change of the filter.

What stories do you see in these images? I hope you’ll take a few minutes to write your ideas in the comments here!

A Balancing Act

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Over at the NWP iAnthology, this week’s writing prompt is about the art of balance and that never ending question of how people balance their personal lives and their work lives and still gets all that they want to get done done.

That balance question is a tricky one…and I think the answer is idiosyncratic. Each of us must define for ourselves what balance means. On some days I feel miserable: too tired and overwhelmed to focus on the things I value. On those days I’m often not eating right, I skip exercise, my family feels neglected, and my work suffers. That’s when I drop the ball and need to step back and reevaluate.

For me the secret to balance is in prioritizing. I try to focus on what I love in both my work and my personal life…and lucky for me, there is lots of overlap! I try to spend my time with people who give me energy rather than take it away. I try to spend my time on projects that are interesting and generative and delegate tasks when I can. And I try to make time for fun. It might be as simple as a walk or some time taking photos or even texting with my sons…I find that those relatively quick and simple activities are rejuvenating. They improve my spirits, make me feel good…and best of all, seem to have a positive impact on both my work and relationships!

Like everyone else, I feel the stresses of overwork and expectations from time to time. And this month is always a difficult one for me with report cards and holidays added to the regular everyday demands. I’m reminding myself to stop and breathe. And then to walk and take some photos…so instead of dropping the ball, I can take a fun picture of an abandoned ball (dropped by someone else) on the beach!

What do you do to achieve balance in your life? What activities give you energy?

Eerie Inside

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Today’s Weekly Photo Challenge on the Daily Post is eerie… And here is my entry:

Lots of people decorate their houses for Halloween, but not all of them have big open windows that offer a glimpse of the eerie inside.

What do you see when you at this photo?

A Study in Black and White…and Shades of Gray

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I was reading a post on another blog yesterday with tips about black and white photography. The person who wrote the post talked about “seeing in black in white.”

When I look at black and white photos I don’t see them as black and white at all…they seem all about shades of color ranging from dark black to gray to white, and all the variations in between. The subtle shading creates a sense of depth and lets light and shadow play.

I frequently edit my photos and apply a black and white filter. I love the sense of timelessness that black and white gives to certain photos. It seems that there is a story-telling quality, maybe the lack of color invites each person to interpret the photo based on their own experiences.

These yellow pencils from my classroom look great in black and white. It’s easy to colorize them in your mind when you look at the photo.

And I love the ways my students hands look in this one. Even without color you can see the sun shining…and focus on those little hands holding even smaller seeds.

Who would guess I took this picture of a fisherman on an urban beach in 2013?

I think I liked this crow better in color. The green leaves made the crow more prominent…it’s hard to make him out in this one.

This one of the horse might be considered cheating. I didn’t go all the way to black and white. I just faded the colors a bit.

And this is one of my favorites…my cat Phil. I do lots of photos of him in black and white…he is a black and white cat, after all! This photo is interesting because the color version looks quite similar. A black and white cat in a white box with black print is already mostly black and white!

The term black and white often makes me think of either/or. But black and white photos are more like real life…built in shades of gray with plenty of room for interpretation and meaning making.

Which of these photos speaks to you? How does the black and white impact your visual experience?

Sense-ing Your World: November’s Photo-a-Day Challenge

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November is a month that tickles our senses. Delicious tastes of holiday traditions, the smells of fragrant fall spices, the sounds of crunching leaves, and the caress of breezes hinting of winter to come…

Alexandra Horowitz, in her book On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, reminds us:

“To a surprising extent, time spent going to and fro–walking down the street, traveling to work, heading to the store or a child’s (or one’s own) school–is unremembered. It is forgotten not because nothing of interest happens. It is forgotten because we failed to pay attention to the journey to begin with. On the phone, worrying over dinner, listening to others or to the to-do lists replaying in our own heads, we miss the world making itself available to be observed. And we miss the possibility of being surprised by what is hidden in plain sight right in front of us.”

November’s photo-a-day challenge is an invitation to pay attention by “seeing” through your other senses. How can you capture taste, smell, sound, or touch in a photo?

Each week we will focus on a different sense. Feel free to interpret the prompt in the broadest possible way. Be playful and creative…and most of all, have fun!

Be sure to post your photo each day to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Flickr using the hashtag #sdawpphotovoices. (You can post anywhere, but if you want others to be able to follow your photos, Instagram and Twitter are best!)

November 1-8: taste

November 9-15: sound

November 16-22: touch

November 23-30: smell

I can’t wait to see what we all come up with! You might also want to reflect on what you learned with each sense and curate your favorite photos. It would make a great blog post! Be sure to provide a link to your blog post in the comments below.

Here’s a preview entry from my time in our school’s garden today:

Young arugula will soon find its way into a #tasty salad.

You are invited to post every day, once a week, or whenever you can find the time. Join in the fun! November is a great month to begin! (or begin again!)

Outside

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I spied this gorgeous hawk sitting in a tree not far from me as I was walking today. I slowed and carefully positioned my camera, trying to capture this image.

And as I watched and then continued my walk, a short 25 word story (or maybe the beginning of something more) was brewing in my head.

Tucked in behind the gas station and across the street from the McDonalds, hawk oversees wild space…what is left of what used to be.

I took a minute at the stop light and jotted notes down in my phone to remember this thought when I got back home. Thinking about what used to be interests me. What caused developers to leave this wild space untouched?

Last week a parent in our class sent us this article about going outside to write when you feel stuck or uninspired with your writing, saying that it reminded her of us and our classroom. (Such a great compliment!) I’ve shared it with many others…and was thinking about it this morning as I headed outside for a long walk.

I knew I had lots of writing to do today (beyond my blog post) and told myself I needed to get outside and be active before settling down to work. To make the prospect more appealing, I planned my walk with a mid-walk stop at the local Starbucks and had my iPhone handy for any interesting photo opportunities.

As I started my walk I noticed that my “monkey mind,” as Natalie Goldberg calls it, took over. I could feel my attention pulled in a million directions as I noticed sounds (cars, birds, breeze, leaves crunching, bicycles whizzing by…), smells (the smell of water in the curb drains, car exhaust, the damp of foggy air…), sights (the lone purple flower in a sea of ground cover, scraps of paper interwoven in the brush, leaves blowing…), and physical feelings (the sheen of sweat building on my shoulders, the push of air as cars rushed past, the uneven sidewalk under my feet…). Before I started my walk, I had thought I might continue on a theme of water photos started yesterday with a walk on the beach, but the first half of my walk didn’t offer any interesting possibilities.

And then I noticed the hawk. It literally stopped me in my tracks as I looked closely, noticing the beauty of this bird. Crows and pigeons are pretty commonplace on my walks…and hawks are mostly noticed from a distance, flying high above. I loved the opportunity to look closely as I angled my lens. He watched me as I watched him. And then he spread his magnificent wings and took to the sky. I only wish I could describe the sound of those large, powerful wings as they lifted the bird from the branch.

As much as people complain about “screen time” and lament that devices are keeping our young people indoors, inactive, and uninspired, I find that it is my device that gets me moving, heading outdoors, and paying attention to my surroundings. As always, we need balance in our lives. Opportunities for solitude and times to interact. Playtime and sustained work. Time in nature to notice and question and wonder and time with our screens to produce, write and connect. It doesn’t have to be either/or…can’t it be both?

How does your device (or devices) impact the ways you interact with the outdoors?

Horizons: The Edge of Learning

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Today’s Weekly Photo Challenge on the Daily Post is about horizons…that place where the earth meets the sky.

And as I headed to the beach to capture one of my favorite horizon vistas, I found myself thinking about the comfort of familiar places like the beach…and the stretch of reaching for new horizons.

In some ways my horizon photo this afternoon represents my feeling of reaching for new horizons and feeling the “edge” of learning as I work with my students to learn computer programming. There’s that sparkle and shine and thrill of the new along with the hazy sun and encroaching marine layer representing all of the unknown and uncertainty.

Today a parent in our classroom came in and shared his work as a video game programmer with our students. He showed us a few of the games he has made…

the first with a team of three including him. The most recent included a team of 1,000!

Then he helped to connect this work that he does with our work on Hopscotch (an app), built on the shoulders of Scratch (a program developed at MIT). He showed us a few kid-made Scratch programs and had the kids make suggestions for changes. In a matter of a few minutes, he showed how the iterative process is essential for programming.

At this point there were about ten minutes before recess, so we offered our students this short time to return to Hopscotch and try their hand at some more programming. Students were quick to get set up…and were immediately focused and engaged with working with code.

I watched them try something and then go back and make a change and run their program again. When students showed me something they had created, I also asked them to show me the code–and in many cases asked them explain their thinking behind the code–so I can learn along with them. When it was time for recess, we offered students a choice…they could put their iPad away and go out for recess or they could stay inside and continue their coding. Only 8 of our 44 students chose to go out. The rest were totally absorbed with programming on Hopscotch!

I’m working at my edge on this new horizon of learning to code with my students…and it’s uncomfortable at times. But knowing that this is also where learning happens is exciting. I’ll probably spend some more time on Hopscotch (or maybe even Scratch) this weekend. If you have any coding advice, I’m happy to receive it!

Here’s a great TED Talk by Mitch Resnick, one of the creators of Scratch, explaining why students should be involved in programming. Maybe we should all try it out!