Life: Through the Lens

San Antonio, Texas is decked out for the holidays, with hundreds of thousands of lights. The downtown area has a riverwalk system which you can walk, of course, but also tour by boat. The lights over the river, and many of the bridges you float under, are decorated with a twinkling wonderland of lights. Riding the river system, you hear music playing from a number of sources, everything from pan flute to guitar, solo or ensemble. Smells from numerous eateries waft through the air, and all your senses come alive. As photographers we were challenged to find some photos which would record the experience, and as tourists we just wanted to sit back and soak it in. We were traveling with our daughter, son-in-law and 2 year old grandson, so we did it all. It was amazing to watch the face of the little one as he looked overhead and pointed "lights!" everywhere we went. He also reacts to the music, and swiveled his head as we heard new sounds or turned another bend of the river. He l...

There are so many ways to give creative gifts. I have a really clever book which shows different craft projects you can create using photographs - from lampshades to lap trays. There are also wonderful photo books you can make, telling a story about a specific time or event, or creating your own story with one of your family members as the main character. I gave a book to one our granddaughters for her birthday this year in which she starred as the "princess" of her kingdom, and the "king" and "queen" loved her very much. I used photos of times we had visited with her, and photos from the wedding her dad and step-mom. The "princess" was also going to get a new brother or sister, to share her kingdom. The book was a hit, and will be there for her as long as the new brother doesn't get his hands on it!:) I also saw this year that you could create board books, for the younger set. So many choices. There are a number on online companies to check ...

We heard Al Gore talk again on the importance of taking care of the earth, and everything on it. Flipping through channels we saw him on Oprah tonight, a show we don't usually watch. She also interviewed those who think Gore's message is wrong. It still surprises me that someone thinks Gore is "wrong." Whether global warming happens slowly, or quickly, it's still happening. Does it matter the length of time it takes for icebergs to melt, or land to dry up? It's happening, so we should be able to start taking steps to slow it down, or turn the tide in the right direction, don't you think? Educating young people to become conservationists makes total sense. If children are taught from a young age to take care of the planet, we are that much further ahead in conserving our resources, and helping maintain the health of the planet for future generations. Photography is a perfect medium in which to work....helping young people "see" the world around t...

Cold winds blow, snow starts to spit, and we want to grab a book or magazine and huddle under a blanket by the fire. It's possible a camera could gather dust, unless we work to look for those photo ops. Sometimes it's a field trip with a youngster which gets the creative juices flowing again. One such opportunity arose just last week, when we gladly took on a baby sitting task - the 4-year old granddaughter. What a blast it was taking her to a children's science museum. Impressions 5 Museum, in Lansing, is designed to allow youngsters to touch every display. There's a room specifically for infants to 4-year olds, with other displays throughout the museum to teach older children about a variety of science concepts, from electricity to stars to the digestive system. We spent some time in the room for the littler visitors, but also enjoyed experimenting with all the other touchable displays, like the musical instruments, or the various mirror exhibits. Of course, it helps ...

It's always exciting to see our work hung on a wall, and in a place where a large number of people will see it. Such has been the case this last month at Gone Wired Cafe, in Lansing, MI. We attended the Opening Ceremony yesterday and once again looked at the variety of work hung by a number of mid-Michigan photographers. Most of the work is for sale, and a fundraiser is taking place to raise money for the Woldumar Nature Center - http://www.woldumar.org/ . You can adopt a photo to help this cause. All photographs will be on display through December 31 of this year, and our hope would be to attract attention to our work, as well as make a few sales. The deeper goal, of course, is to create an awareness of the need to protect our world, and garner interest in the greater good. Take photographs, yes; but more importantly, enjoy the wonders and beauty of our world.

Autumn is such a delightful season, full of color and energy. The cool mornings are now coating our Michigan fields and yards with a blanket of frost, which sparkles as the sun comes up. The sky on these mornings is clear. If you get up really early you can watch stars disappear, the moon glow and the sun brighten the morning sky with color. It's magic. Yes, it does mean winter is coming. We're working on keeping an upbeat attitude about the winter, knowing it means the earth and many living things are taking a break. The human population can either snuggle down under the fleece throw, put a log on the fire, and get caught up on reading and other indoor projects, or can enjoy the outdoor sports so popular in Michigan and other cold-weather locales. Skiing, sledding, ice skating, snow-shoeing, making snowmen....choose your winter activity. As far as photography, it's still early morning and late afternoon shooting, for the most part, and remembering to pay attention to all t...

It's that time of year. Though we love the freedom of movement wearing summer clothes offers, sweater-weather is our favorite time of year. The air is crisp and there seems to be more energy in the air. We tend to move more quickly and feel like "doing" things more than those lazy summer days. We've been planning our annual trek to Michigan's upper peninsula to enjoy the first full flash of autumn color. Of course, predicting when the optimum time is for our excursion is not an exact science. And we do have work schedules to work around. The first weekend we thought would work is not going to work....so we are already working on Plan B. Our 23rd wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks, which would seem like a great weekend to be away...but will the color cooperate and stay with us long enough? I am currently working on an article about the experience of participating in a photo workshop - which actually forces you to get up early for fabulous sunris...