Silent Sunday: October 1, 2017
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Silent Sunday: September 24, 2017
Silent Sunday: September 10, 2017
Silent Sunday: September 3, 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: Appreciation
It’s so easy to get busy and overlook the bounty of everyday life. School started this week for me so I’ve been totally immersed in the classroom over the last couple of weeks. I’ve had to make an effort to take my camera out and find an interesting shot each day. Lucky for me, a focus on appreciating small details has helped in so many way. It has reminded me just how fortunate I am, pushing me to take a positive view even when I am feeling tired and overwhelmed with all there is to get done. And I am actively searching for ways to document my appreciation, letting an image represent a bigger idea.
At the end of the first week of school, Geoff and I decided even though Fridays are the day we feel exhausted, that we would take the time to watch the sunset and go out to dinner. There is something healing about watching the sky transform from blue to pinks and oranges. And the bubble man was out again too, creating kid-sized bubbles and coaching kids to run inside of them, trying to keep it from popping too soon. The kids delight in this game…and who can resist, especially when combined with the soothing feel of salt water on your feet?
Earlier in the week, one of my students came into the room with these beautiful flowers clutched in her fist. “They’re dahlias, Mrs. Douillard,” she announced. I love the geometry of these lovely blooms, my eye returns to them throughout the day as I notice new details.
I often complain about the gray of the marine layer we experience here on the coast. The clouds seem to flatten my photos, making everything feel drab and dull. This week, with a heatwave in our region–many areas of our county experience temperatures in the triple digits–I am appreciating the thick gray dampness that blankets the sky. Without air conditioning in our school, the fog has kept things a bit cooler and more bearable. I watched these seabirds frolic in the gray as I walked the beach on my way home from work the other day.
Getting home last night, after our late dinner following our sunset expedition, I got out of the car and looked up. Through that one tree that grows along the side of our driveway, I caught a glimpse of the moon shining through. My camera was in my bag, so I pulled out my phone, framed my view through the branches of the tree and clicked the shutter. I appreciate the reflected glow of this celestial orb and the way it lights up the night. And my tree created a perfect, interesting frame to look through.
So, what are you appreciating this week? Take a look around for the little details that make a difference in your life or in the life of others. And as I consider life’s bounty, I also realize that people are suffering, dealing with natural disasters like hurricane Harvey, illness and death, war and conflict. Appreciation helps to keep me grounded and hopeful, and ready to reach out and help others in the ways that I can.
Share your #appreciation this week, maybe your photos will boost someone’s spirits or inspire them to take positive action. You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #appreciation.
Take a moment to reflect on small details and appreciate how they contribute to life’s bounty for you. Grab your camera and capture that appreciation in a photo. I look forward to seeing appreciation through your lens this week.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Odds and Ends
This has been quite a week of ups and downs. And the weather here seemed to reflect that too. Last weekend was bright and sunny, enticing us to head to Torrey Pines (a beautiful local state beach and park with incredible views of the ocean) to do some hiking and photography. This place is known for its iconic Torrey Pine trees, trees not found in many other places. They are perfectly adapted for life on windy cliffs, have resources for collecting water from the ever-present marine layer (you may know it as fog), and are simply beautiful. Here’s one I captured on our hike.
Giant flying beetles have become more prevalent lately. Brilliant green and LOUD, they’re hard to miss. As we hiked, I slowed down and took some time to watch this guy go about his pollinating duties, hunkering over some native plants. I wish I could get a dragonfly to slow down a bit and let me get close enough to photograph it!
It wasn’t perfectly clear, but the view was still pretty spectacular from my vantage on the cliffs. If you look closely you’ll notice the high tide as the waves wash close to the foot of the cliffs and off in the distance you can almost see the Scripps Pier near La Jolla Shores and the village of La Jolla jutting out at the end of the curve.
By Tuesday the marine layer had thickened so that it was essentially rain! My errands left me soggy as I headed out without a jacket or umbrella. Luckily it was still warm-ish, although not the summer weather we all imagine when we think of the beach. But nothing could dampen my spirits–my son and grandson were on their way for a short visit!
I have enjoyed days spent with small boys this summer. Now 17 months, all three grandsons are mobile and curious about the world. By Wednesday the sun was back and we headed to the aquarium to take a close look at fish and other marine life. We were greeted by the life-sized whale sculptures–part of a fountain–in front of the aquarium. I am always amazed at how much the sky looks like the ocean…are we looking up or down?
We loved the jellies and the seahorses, weird and wonderful, floating effortlessly in their tanks. And these enormous sea stars showing off their suction feet in the eerie blue light remind me of all the life I don’t get to see as I walk along the shore of the wondrous ocean. It was fun watching my grandson delight in the sea creatures…and the glass and the lights and everything else he noticed!
But the highlight of our week was Thursday’s trip to the beach. A year ago when my grandson was still a baby, our trip to the beach wasn’t much fun. It was windy and cool and the ocean water was cold, resulting in a crying baby. This year, a now mobile toddler on a warm and sunny day, couldn’t wait to run on the beach. And his first touch of the salty water resulted in giggles and screeches of delight. He couldn’t get enough of that salty, sandy ocean. I can’t wait for his cousins to put their toes in the glory of summer’s Pacific!
Friday was a sad day. My son and grandson had to head home and our beloved cat of 17 years died. Jack (and his brother Phil) were adopted at 16 weeks seventeen years ago and have been integral family members since that moment. Phil passed in March, with Jack hanging on months longer. Our house is quiet and Geoff’s lap is empty. Jack would sit on him for hours and hours–we called Geoff “cat couch” since both cats loved to be in his lap. We’re taking a break from pets for now, taking time to grieve and to explore life without cats. We are truly empty nesters at this point! (This is Jack from a couple of years ago)
With our house echoing, we spent most of the weekend out and about. Yesterday we ended up in Alpine, a small town midway up our local mountains. We explored an outlet mall on an Indian reservation, had lunch at a local cafe, and turned down roads to see what we could find. Geoff loves bears, so I had to get out and take some photos when we found this family of bears carved of wood in front of a home on a hillside.
My photos this week are a collection of odds and ends, with no real theme tying them together other than telling a story of my week. What odds and ends might you find through your lens this week?
You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #oddsandends for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.
So grab your camera or look through your camera roll and see what odds and ends you can find to tell a story about your week. Whatever life serves up, I’m always glad to have photography to help me process and understand my experiences. I look forward to seeing and hearing about yours!
Plus, here’s a link to an article I read this week about how photography can actually help your stay in the moment. I know it works for me! https://www.wired.com/story/stay-in-the-moment-take-a-picture/?mbid=social_twitter_onsiteshare
Silent Sunday: August 13, 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge: White
Sometimes my photos are filled with color: brilliant blues of skies and water, greens of leaves and grass, and other colors here and there. But this week, I noticed that a lot of my photos had a lack of color…and plenty of white.
Last weekend’s visit to downtown Carlsbad allowed for a delicious lunch at a favorite restaurant, a refreshing walk on the beach, and an opportunity to visit the Carlsbad Alkaline Water Company…a place that hosts the most healthful water, known for its alkaline (rather than acidic) quality. I’ve been by the place a few times, its a few blocks from where I get my hair cut, but this time I spent some time focused on the water storage tanks and the top of the self-serve water dispensers. The white of the clouds make the metallic of tanks and spire even more prominent.
The death of Geoff’s mom meant an unscheduled visit to Alabama this week to spend time with family and say our goodbyes. It also meant time in the sky high above the puffy white clouds, time to reflect and remember the woman who gave life to and raised my precious husband. I was lucky to know and love her for so many years.
I was surprised at how green Nashville was from above, but couldn’t resist using a black and white filter on the view from above. I love the way the absence of color changes the view to give it an almost map-like quality…particularly focused on the river (the Cumberland, I believe). The white seems to highlight the human-made aspects, where the dark seems to be the greens of the lush vegetation.
You never know when you will find a parade. The unexpected white police car with sirens screaming pulled up in front of the intersection we were about to cross, stopping traffic in all directions. And soon we were treated to the Alabama A&M marching band, in their white t-shirts marching to the beat of the drums at the back crossing the intersection to get to another part of the campus to continue their practice. A fun pause on our way to meet other family members for lunch after the inurnment service.
And no trip to Huntsville, Alambama would be complete without a glimpse of rockets. Known for the Space and Rocket center, there is evidence of space travel around the city. We did get the opportunity to visit the center–a place we hadn’t been since our boys were quite little. We visited a science of rock and roll exhibit, explored the space shuttle, and learned about other rockets and space related equipment. I loved this view from the window.
It’s good be home, easing back into my routine…such as it is deep into the summer. In spite of warm weather, the beach was not sunny when I went today. White clouds obscured the sun for most of my walk. There were a few seagulls hanging out and lots of lots of beach-goers and a bunch of Junior Lifeguards (a popular summer camp program in our area). The walk was refreshing and offered me a chance to breathe deeply.
So where is the color missing from your life right now? Will you find it in white clouds, pale walls, delicate flower blossoms? Take a look around for white and share what you find with us.
You can post your photo alone or along with some words: commentary, a story, a poem…maybe even a song! I love to study the photographs that others’ take and think about how I can use a technique, an angle, or their inspiration to try something new in my own photography. (I love a great mentor text…or mentor photo, in this case!) I share my photography and writing on social media. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter using @kd0602. If you share your photos and writing on social media too, please let me know so I can follow and see what you are doing. To help our Weekly Photo community find each other, use the hashtag #white for this week and include @nwpianthology in your post.
Take a look around for that absence of color that we know as white. What will you find and document through your lens?
Thinking Through My Lens 