February 1, 2015: “Patriot Day”

In honor of the super bowl today between Seattle and New England I want to capture a football image.  My baseball team is Boston and my second favorite QB of all time behind Dan Marino is Tom Brady.  I own his jersey so I put that together with my Boston hat. 

I had an idea to shoot light directly down on me and capture an image from above almost directly down. In setting the shot up I use my Samsung phone to focus on myself as I can tether my camera wirelessly to my phone.  It is an extremely useful technology, the only downfall is the camera will not shoot flash when tethered.  I at that point switch the lens to manual focus and leave it at its proper depth, position myself and shoot a few shots to get the right composition.  It is extremely hard to get the shot I want, even when I have everything placed properly and hop in at the right position I cannot view the composition.  I ended up shooting 3 photos, I believe it was a 15 second exposure with a single flash at the opening of the shutter.  I slid out of the picture to create the ghostly effect towards the back of the photo.

Everyday is a learning experience, I love stretching myself and working on different styles.  I am just glad the Patriots won 28-24 over Seattle.  Everyday find inspiration and wok on developing a skill.

              

January 25, 2015: “Into the Woods”

What is life?  Why do we live?  What is our purpose?  There are so many existential and unsolvable questions.  The closest I can get to answers is when I run into the woods, when I run from manmade progress.  Progress has created a life easy to live with problems that do not exist. 

We have basic needs like all other animals for survival.  These basic needs for our survival are eating, sleeping and procreation.  We truly need nothing more, anything more is a luxury.  After all there are thousands of homeless.  They search for food and places to sleep.  Those are their only needs.  Those are the only needs I would like to have.  Instead I have a need for money to pay off debt for education, if it were to ever disappear I would walk into the woods and live with nature. 

Nature is beautiful, nature has no currency, nature has no debt, natural laws rule all.  On my walk today I saw an amazingly diverse set of trees some stood tall, some branched out, some were broken down, some were starting grow.  Each was unique, each was surviving a cold winter waiting to bloom in the spring.  Treading lightly is what we need to do, understand each other, understand our environment.  Walking into the woods I was freed from greed, freed from time, freed from rules.  I was free well unless I decided to sleep there or walk into woods someone “owned”.  Then I would be arrested. 

Into the woods there is only beauty.  Into the woods we can all be free.

January 22, 2015: “Let Me OUT!”

I walked into my happy place today, by happy place I mean Barnes and Noble.  I proceeded to purchase one book and one magazine.  The magazine was Cycling Fitness, featuring winter workouts, winter gear etc.  There was one problem it was geared toward getting outside for the workouts.  In the winter here that is not a reasonable nor a safe option.  I looked at the pictures, the workouts and realized I have pretty bad cabin fever.  I have not been out on my bike since last year.

My bike work has been in the box I call my gym.  There is nothing more boring and demotivating than plugging away on a machine going nowhere.  I usually find a reason to cut my session short and move onto something else.  I know building the base for a couple months down the road is important especially if I wish to compete.  I just hate how stuck it makes me feel. 

I would make a good looking pro or atleast pic in a magazine

Todays photo was meant to reinvigorate me or atleast make me see what I am able to become.  I have slowly started to make changes in my diet.  Getting a healthy gym routine which I had before sickness and injury is paramount.  My neck feels about 75% and I think I should be able to start putting up lighter weights. My setbacks seem to last a week or so longer than they should. 

I had a vision to create a dark setup with a strobe to get the idea of motion.  In pedaling on the bike I was moving far too much and as opposed to motion it looked like I had multiple heads.  I could have really added the motion with a backlit strobe but wanted it to remain darker so I used a single flash with an orange filter and a 5 second exposure.  The flash was on the ground aimed upward to create the shadows and look letting myself blend into the black background.  I hope you enjoy and draw a little sliver out of this image.  Be yourself, be great, be dreamy

January 16, 2015: “Frozen Starlight”

It was a clear day out today, I wanted to capture a landscape today.  I have an idealized spot where I want to capture an epic landscape.  I drove by it again today, like I did the other day. Sadly I looked, pondered and I was not inspired.  I continued to drive home, lost in my thoughts I looked up at the clear sky, it triggered me to think about stars and how I enjoy sitting outside during the summer and watch the world go by.

 

Tonight was the night I captured the stars.  Where do I do it?  What else do I want in my photo?  I decided to head to the place I know that is completely open for 30 miles, where I can look across a vast body of water and see another country.  Right on Lake Ontario in Olcott, NY.  I arrived just after sunset, a glow was ablaze on the horizon.  Lights from the Toronto coastline were visible, I stepped out of my car and was shocked by the wind whipping off of the lake.  It felt like -10 degrees with the wind whipping, I grabbed my facemask cover my face.

The journey began, I stayed out for some 20 minutes somehow.  My big toe froze going numb while my hands somehow survived.  The wind and cold cause me to struggle setting everything up.  I was unable to gain focus, really see what I was shooting and get the epic photo.  I placed my camera saw a few stars and went for between a 20 to 30 second shutter just hoping the wind would let my camera be still enough to capture a crisp shot.  Luckily as my camera strap fluttered in the wind and I ran in place the camera stayed unmoved. 

I finished and got home upon loading the photos in my pc for processing I saw something incredible.  The big dipper perfectly placed into my photo, along with a shooting star on the right side of the photo.  In the summer it is extremely easy to layout under the stars and find constellations, no wind, no extreme cold just great weather.  I fought the weather today and came out on top with this image.  I hope you enjoy, reach for the stars.

January 14, 2015: “Counting Sheep”

The first two days of this week I have had long days.  Up at 5:30 am and in bed around 12:45 am.  I get very worried sleeping less than 7 hours a night.  Surviving one night is ok but multiple days in a row can trigger extremely horrible headaches.  I have been hyper sensitive to make sure every part of my life is going to offset the lack of sleep.  Balance is crucial to my heath, I was able to have better nutrition, more snacks and staying hydrated.  My focus was off for sure, memory was a bit fuzzy that is what lack of sleep does for me.  Overall my productivity drops and there was nothing I could do about it. 

Today to regain my life I came home counted some sheep and took a refreshing nap.  I had to force myself to wake up so not to have a sleepless night.  This photo or something similar has been in my mind for a while.  A few years ago I caught I migraine as it was coming on.  This is a similar type photo but much more calm.  I took this photo immediately after waking up, so it is as real as I can get, in state between full consciousness. 

Health is the key to my life and to me that means balance with healthy eating, exercise, sleep, hydration and most importantly work life balance.  Everyday in this fast paced world slowing down is the only the way not miss out on creating that life you want.  It starts with health and to me sleep is the most crucial so I take alot of naps to balance out the stressors.  Namaste

January 11, 2015: “Holding Onto my Soul”

Lacking inspiration, I put my face to my camera and through the eyepiece I felt calm.  No idea for the photo and then I looked at a few of my books.  The books that guide my journey through this world.  When I need calm on a stormy day, I can turn to the Buddhist principles.  I look for kindness and love in this world.  I create my own for those around me. 

My only problem is I do this in waves, I always have one book in my bag but do not always practice.  The ultimate way I find peace is through meditation.  Sitting in peace creating an inner focus I am able to let things go, move forward and put aside fear.   I lack the solid practice to keep the contentment and hope for the future I find within the books.

With guides like thich nhat hanh, the dalai lama, and jack kerouac I know I can straighten my ship and gather my focus.  This peaceful photo came from lack of focus.  My current state in this project is a daily focus.

January 10, 2015: “Not Quite Food Porn”

Breakfast is the most important part of the day, a healthy breakfast starts the day off right and gives you energy.  Today I made an organic steel cut oatmeal with organic blueberries and raspberries.  As always I had a strong Irish Breakfast Tea for a little punch. 

ignore the bad photoshopping in the left corner

That was a good breakfast along with a banana.  This photo came about because I was going to be gone all day and into the evening.  I had no particular thought for a photo and felt that I would be cutting myself short and unable to capture something worthwhile.  Tada todays photo is not quite food porn.  I called it this because I lack plating quality and don’t understand the style to create those catalog type food images. 

My teacup says evolve and grow.  As I work more with smaller things and lighting only good things can come.  I can evolve and grow.  My photography will evolve and grow.  My health will evolve and grow.  It is the only thing in life we can continually do to create a better tomorrow evolve and grow.   

January 9, 2015: “Windblown”

Watching the wind fiercely blow the snow

12 degrees, 20 mile per hour wind gusts, snow shooting everywhere. I begin to chase beauty, using the wind to my advantage, watching nature exert amazing strength on a wintry day.  Watching I slowly succumb to nature while trying to get an amazing shot.  Holed up trying to make it till sunset.  The wind keeps blowing, stopping with no rhyme or reason.  I am wearing 2 layers of pants, 3 layers of shirts, a facemask, wool socks, boots and gloves with fingertip holes.  I have to have complete control of my camera, the ability to change functions and capture the perfect shot.   After about 5 minutes the feeling is gone in my fingers. I look down the blowing snow is on my fingertips and sharp pain pierces though. 

An occasional break in the wind as the sun goes down

I had gotten a few shots but was unable to make it till sunset another 15 minutes.  I covered my fingers walked to my car.  The pain pierced like needles, I sat there the heat on waiting for the pain to go away.   At some point it did, I felt amazingly alive just the one fool to be outside trying to get something done create something for myself. 

Beautiful snow being blown

Capturing a snowfilled image means more to me than just the picture.  It is about this project and creating something new everyday, moving forward and following through.  I was windblown, cold an to some extent frozen yet it was the happiest I was all day.  Being outside is where I need to be whether cold or warm I need to be me.

January 7, 2015: “Those I’ve loved along the way: Loveworn”

"Loveworn"

I never knew my Great grandmother Stadolka.  I was given a great gift years ago after my Grandmother Dean passed away.  It was my great grandmothers engagement ring that along with my Grandfather Deans wedding ring are my most valuable possessions.  They represent love, pure and everlasting love.  I know not how long my great grandmother was married. The ring indicates is was for a lifetime, the band is worn all of the way through while the diamond still shines bright.  How is it possible for a possession to show so much to carry a love story with it? 

Amazing is all I can think of as my heart sits here filled with love, hope and dreams while envisioning a black and white movie playing out this love story.  Family is a beautiful thing, holding this ring close represents the past.  This ring represents the future.  One day I will give this ring in its loveworn condition to a woman I will ask to be my wife.  

January 6, 2015: “What I Love”

Todays photo was very quick.  I worked today and developed a bad headache.  I returned home after slept for about 3 hours.  At that time I woke up and went to volleyball.  Luckily I have a 45 minute ride to volleyball that allowed me enough time to figure out what my project for today would be.  It is called “what I love”.  What I love is simple, I am sure you all could have guessed. 

I love cycling, this time of year though it is 10 degrees snowy and windy causing me to be off of my bike longing for the summer.  Find what you love and commit 100% to it.  Give it all you have and watch your passion and skill grow.

January 5, 2015: “Where is my Vision? (Moving Forward)

I wanted to share a piece of myself.  I thoroughly enjoy yoga, its therapeutic and spiritual elements.  Yoga and meditation allows me to focus myself, this Monday series for January is called where is my vision?  Today for a few moments I was able to focus my vision on moving forward. That is all I can hope for myself and you.  Take each day on its own, live in the present and create contentment.  Live life with a loving kindness, compassion for others while taking care of yourself.  Today’s tree pose is great at creating focus. 

I hope you enjoy!!! 

Namaste

Photoblog January 4, 2015: ”Holding Onto”

January 4, 2015:  ”Holding Onto”

There is something peaceful about burning candles as well as destructive.  I guess I’m holding onto a split personality where I want to be good and evil.  The candles represent that to me.  One moment the candle can be soothing, warming and full of life; the next moment if you are not careful it can lead to a full on fire destroying everything you hold dear an even death.  This photo is simple uninspired, yet beautiful and unique.  Forcing myself to do something when I am in a funk has meaning and allows me to overcome.  Bring me back to being me and motivated.

Photoblog January 3, 2015: “Where I Want to Be” HOGWARTS!!!!!!!!

January 3, 2015: “Where I Want to Be”

HOGWARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still disappointed I never my received acceptance letter.  Today was supposed to be more of a forward reflection however my head wasn’t having it.  I became excited to work on small photography and make an engaging photograph.  Setting up the shot, lighting, posing and focusing was a test for me.  Making inanimate items interesting is a skill I enjoyed playing with look forward to working more with it.  As much as I want to be spending quality time with Harry, Hermione and Ron building a strong friendship drinking butterbeer and managing mischief, where I want to be is working everyday with my camera growing into a fullfledged professional.  This photo encompasses my love for fantasy, hope to prevail in life and opportunity for growth.  Where do you want to be?

Photoblog: January 2, 2015: “Eyes of darkness”

January 2, 2015: “Eyes of darkness”

Looking out the window it is dark, I see a vast sea of nothingness.  My eyes hide behind the camera crafting tomorrow, living today and running from the past. What do my eyes see? What do my eyes see? Disoriented my eyes of darkness see life, succumbing to the daily grind. Eyes of darkness they are mine.

This photo is of the darkness ahead, what I see. 

Photoblog of the Day 2015: "Where I am now"

Today is a new day, just as tomorrow will be and the next and so forth.  I am starting a project just to take a photo daily, January is going to be the month of reflection and truly exploring who I am.  I’ve lost something got bogged down and stuck, everything feels stale, old and pointless.  In this project as well as in life growth matters.  As I continue my journey I feel that growth has halted.  I hope this kicks new life into me.

January 1, 2015: “Where I am today”

Today I am somewhere intertwined between a handful of solitary passions and a life filled with disappointment.  I framed this photo between my books and my bike they are my passions, my security blankets.  I can be free on my bike and you will never see me without a book in my bag or hand.  I am dependent on these things for happiness.  They bring it temporarily but I am left struggling and out of control when not focused on them. 

I sabotage myself and remain stuck.  I need to overcome today for a better tomorrow.  Looking inside I can only heal myself and push forward.  Only I can and that’s the part that creates fear. 

This photo shows where I am today.