January 31, 2015: “America the Beautiful”

Busy day today, I did not plan out or look for a shot to get.  I did have my point and shoot with me just in case I saw inspiration.  I was out all day and arrived home around 10pm.  No photo, no idea nothing.  I saw the flag on the fence.  Nothing special to do, no lighting to setup just change the settings in the camera for my desired exposure.

I popped open the flash took a two tenths of a second shot wide open.  The snow reflected the ambient light behind to get a solid overall composition and lighten up the fence in the background.  It came out a bit gritty.  America is beautiful in perfect light, in darkness, smooth or gritty.  

January 26, 2015: “Snowstress”

As I get older I despise one thing the stress caused by driving in the snow.  I drive 10 miles to work and 10 miles home up a few hills around a few curves.  When it is not plowed it is treacherous, I drive a little too cautious but I am going to be safe and stat out of accidents.  I hate my car it handles ok but sucks going up the hills.  I worry on my journey through the snow and the ice. 

The beauty fades fast as winter wears on.  Stress increases, I worry about life.  I think we should just shutdown, there is no need to live dangerously to do a job.  It can wait for another day.  We had 8 feet of snow a few months ago, yet so many could not stay away, fought to get to work.  Instead of distressing, relaxing we worried.  This image captures the beauty, the uncertainty, the power of nature.

Capturing snow is an art I have yet to master.  This captures somewhat of what I see, all I know is that snow was flying crazily towards me.  I hope it will stop in a few hours and when I get up at 5 am it will be gone so I have that safe ride to work.  

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 12, 2015: “For the Love of Dogs”

Such a poser

Animals are the ultimate in loyal companions.  They are truly your best friends through thick and thin.  Today I got to play with 2 adorable doggies Luna the shepherd and Gema the retriever.  Could they be any more precious, just look at these photos. 

Gema, Luna Sisters

Take my picture

There is an innocence that animals possess and carry throughout their lives.  We expect them to grow and stop destroying things from the time they are puppies, be there when we do not want human companions.  I want to write so much more, but my only thought is love.  There is something pure, they do not worry, only need love and attention.  They are there to comfort and stand strong along our sides.

Play time

I'm going to chew it to death

No matter what breed of dog you have they all possess so much love.  Give them the unconditional love that they give you.  Everyday we see stories of dogs walking miles to find their owner, waiting years to see their owner come back from the military. Loyal and lovable.

Gema chasing Luna and the ball

Gema catch Gema

Stranger no danger

I met a dog along my walk today, never got to his name but he followed me brushed against my legs and let me pet him.  When he got bored he walked back to his owner.  I always go along with a dogs intuition they seem to be able to sense those who are good and give immeasurable amounts of love.  Dogs are awesome!!!!!!!

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.