On A Rainy Day

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down."

I think of those words when it rains on a Monday. I don't know why, because Monday's are my day of rest and recuperation from the previous week and rainy days don't get me down. But, none the less, I sang those words this rainy Monday morning. In case, you've never heard them and many of probably have not, the song was sung by The Carpenters in 1971. Back in those days, the year before I got married, the Carpenters were among my favorite singing groups. Just so you know, Jerry didn't like them at all. He was more into Creedence Clearwater Revival! This really dates us, doesn't it? Anyway, back to this rainy Monday.

It made me smile to wake up and see the rain this morning. I had no plans, this being a resting day, so I wasn't disappointed by the rain. In fact, days where it's misty rain usually lead me outside with my little camera which can be tucked under my shirt to keep it dry. I don't use an umbrella, I just let the light rain fall on my head. If you've never tried that, it's rather soothing and enjoyable. One thing that intrigues me is how the water brings out the beautiful colors in everything. The browns are browner and the greens are greener.

I love water droplets, so my eyes search for them on leaves

or hanging precariously off leaves

The droplets on this lichen reminded me of syrup on a golden pancake.

In my walk in the rain I also spotted other wonders of nature;

new growth on the blackberry bushes and

the unique centers of the torenia flowers. I think the center looks like an engagement ring just ready to be given to someone's true love. Maybe the rain not only brings me joy, but makes me romantic.

It doesn't take much to make me happy.

A rainy day and nature will do it every time!

I hope whether you had rain or not,

that you enjoyed this lovely Monday!

Wordless Answers

I think we're certainly all familiar with the adage "A picture is worth a thousand words," but have you ever tried to use pictures to answer questions?  Recently Kim Manley Ort, a photographer whom I've taken several classes from, did just that and she challenged others to give it a try. Kim was inspired by Nathan Wirth's use of photographs to answer a series of questions.

You can see Nathan Wirth's answers here and Kim's answers here. I've enjoyed seeing several photographs answer these questions with some gorgeous photographs. I accepted Kim's challenge and began looking through my photos. Here's what I came up with.

Who are you?

Why photography?

What is your trademark photographic style?

What truly inspires you?

Where do you go when you close your eyes?

Where is home for you?

How would you describe your lifestyle?

What makes a great shot?

How do you view the world?

What is an important lesson you have learned?

Answering questions with pictures can be a little difficult. I found my self wanting to add words to make sure you "got" my answers! I encourage you to try this. It's a wonderful opportunity of look back through your archives and express yourself through photos.

Be Still 52 - Week 45

The morning was overcast and with the gentle breeze blowing, it was slightly chilly. Just my kind of weather and a perfect time to take a nature walk around the yard. I took a little blue bucket with me and a pair of clippers. I was looking for bits and pieces of nature to create still life photos for this week's Be Still exercise. As most of you know, this exercise fit me very well. There's no place I'd rather be than outside. The weather, the temperature, the pollen doesn't bother me. I only sneezed half a dozen times!!

For the first image I knew I wanted to use this little egg that we found lying in the dirt. I think it's a wren egg, but I'm not sure. The little nest is so sweet. Momma bird found a piece of very fine black netting to decorate her nest. I wish you could see it better, but it's tucked inside.

Next, I tried some azalea and narcissus blooms against a rotting piece of bark.

I used narcissus, dandelion flowers, and fern fronds to decorate an old limb covered with lichen. I couldn't make up my mind which picture I liked best, so I just made a collage. 

Can you tell I'm having a wee bit of fun here? I couldn't stop at one or two or three arrangements. I went for four!

Lastly, I gathered a bucket full of green. It's amazing all the shades of green, the textures, and the shapes that can be found. I didn't even use half of what I gathered.

This was fun!

Challenging, but not stressful.

I enjoyed the outdoors,

the pollen fresh air

and the exercise.

Renewing The Journey - Part 1

It doesn't take much in nature to make my heart sing.

The tiniest little things, the surprises, and the treasures fascinate me.  I photograph these things.

As I wrote this a murder of crows were in the trees outside my window. Their silhouettes against the sky decorated the bare branches. They were never still. They were diving and soaring from tree to tree. Finally I could stand it no longer. I had to grab my camera and capture the antics of these loud, rambunctious creatures. As I ventured closer to the trees, their hoarse caws became instantly silent. It reminded me of an orchestra conductor whose baton silences the orchestra at the end note of a performance.  I wonder who is the conductor of the crows. I photograph things I wonder about.

I have always been drawn to nature; the beautiful, the not so beautiful, the quiet, the loud, the landscapes, the skies, and even the weather. If you take the time to look, really look, you can see something new in nature every day. Every sunrise and sunset is different. Every leaf, rock, or flower is different. The need to discover these unique differences is what motivates me; what keeps me outside exploring no matter the weather. I photograph these differences.

I am most happy with the tiny treasures that I discover when I don't rush, when I look closely. I've been know to walk around and around a tree looking for that special something like the small feather adorned with ice crystals above. There is always something magical to discover. I sometimes have to remind myself to step back and also look at the treasures to be found in the big picture. I photograph the tiny and the landscape.

I've found that my camera helps me to forget my anxieties, be braver, and more confidant. Nature and my camera are calming. When I first began taking pictures, other than the normal family/vacation/holiday pictures, I would take a small camera and wait until no one was looking to take a picture. Now, I rarely notice anyone is around and I carry my big girl camera. Now, I even stop and talk to people about what I'm photographing. I've been amazed at the kindness of people who want to share information about the places I visit or other paces to explore. I photograph my discoveries.

Some days and even weeks I loose my desire for photography. That's when photo trips, photo projects, classes, prompt groups, visiting flickr, and reading blogs, keep me inspired and motivated. Oh, I must not forget to mention the inspiration I get from reading two of my favorite magazines, Artful Blogging and Bella Grace. 

Photography has led me to a calmer and more peaceful life. Just the daily pleasure of being outside and observing nature has brought joy and gratitude to my life. 

I mentioned above that taking photography classes inspires and keeps me motivated. In these classes you sometimes find a small group of special ladies that share the same interests and a relationship develops. The connection remains long after the class is over through blogs, flickr, and emails. There is a small group of us that took a class several years ago that decided we'd like to review the class material again. We are interested in seeing if our thoughts about photography and our photography has changed over the years. We're calling this review "Renewing The Journey." In the first lesson we are answering these questions. Why do we take pictures? What draws us to photography?  What motivates us?  What keeps us excited and interested in photography? After I answered these questions I went back and read my responses from when I took the original class. I wasn't too surprised many of my answers are similar. One thing is for sure, I'm still in complete awe of nature!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

I am grateful for rain that refreshes the earth.

"Let the rain kiss you.

Let the rain beat upon your head

With silver liquid drops.

Let the rain sin you a lullaby."

~ Langston Hughes

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28

I am grateful for the land we have; our little piece of earth
 which I can walk across over and over again
and find something of nature that is amazing. 

"I spent the summer traveling;

I got halfway across my backyard."

~ Louis Agassiz

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

I am grateful for colors and shapes.

"I found I could say things with color and shapes

that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."

~ Georgia O'Keeffe

Orange

"Orange is the Happiest color."

~ Frank Sinatra

Day 4

Prompt - orange

Is there beauty out there?

 

 

in the midst of winter

the days were sunny but cold

everywhere she turned

there was starkness

bare limbs

dried leaves

faded flowers

the earth was resting

could she find beauty

 

 

she wandered through the woods

her eyes searching the ground

was there anything out there

a touch of color

a shape

tiny details

 

yes

there

standing in a row

along the rotten tree

near the water's edge

that sparkled like diamonds

and there

color

touches of pink

surrounded by green

 

 

oh, look at the textures

hairy

soft

rough

 

shapes

rising above the golden leaves

curling toward the sun

 

 

gritty sand

on petals tinted with purple

stripes of brown

rippling

one on top of the other

lovely shape

in reddish tones

clinging to a log

 

Then she found the one

the one that made her gasp

a little bit of wood

dressed in a winter coat

 

 

She knew

she knew all along

it was out there

beauty in winter

she only had to look

slow down and look

beauty was found

 

May you be blessed by the Lord,

The maker of heaven and earth

Psalm 155:15