Life: Through the Lens

Merry Christmas from our home to yours. May you have a peaceful holiday- time with friends and family, space to meditate on all that is right with the world, and the ability to do at least one small thing for the greater good. Pray Rest Revitalize Laugh Take Photographs... The New Year will be fast upon us!

Up a Lazy River Sometimes I just wonder what we're doing, careening through life as we do. The balance between work and play can quickly become unbalanced, leaving us frustrated and irritable. Going into the holiday season, we really need to refocus, remembering what's important. Setting priorities. Living each day without stressing over tomorrow. In the spirit of my "rant," I have been playing catch-up this morning, as I had an unexpected cancellation in my schedule. The catch-up is with myself. My present "calling" is to take time to rejuvenate the spirit. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration - enjoy each moment.

When was the last time you looked at something you see all the time, like this tiny pod, and saw something new? The patterns and colors are truly beautiful, and worthy of more attention. Everything old is new again. What have YOU found lately that calls for a second look?

I'm not big on taking my photographs and tweaking them much. I try to recreate the image I see before me and not depend on gimmicks to make it "better." However, I am trying to learn how to have more fun with photography, and maybe create some unique images for competitions, cards and family fun. Tonight my daughter sent a couple of photos taken during Spirit Week, where she teaches, and I decided to make them true "spirit" week photos. I simply imported the photos into Picnik , and used their special Halloween effects. This type of tweaking may have possibilities!

Otter Lake, in the Upper Peninsula The wind has been blowing, the rain has been falling, and the colors are found more on the ground than on the trees. I love fall, but it just doesn't last long enough. It also seems like I have to work so hard that I'm missing the color and excitement, the smell of burning leaves and the feel of the fresh, damp breeze blowing my hair. Work has also kept me from blogging, but my schedule is starting to ease a bit. I am looking forward to grabbing my camera again and getting outdoors - well, at least until the really cold air hits. I think that's next week. One of my favorite views of our yard. Color and Texture in Nature Enjoy the color and vibrancy of the last of autumn, and welcome in the dormancy of winter. It's supposed to be a time of renewal, time to reflect and enjoy the silence. Is this what winter means to you? What is your favorite season?

There are so many decisions to make when deciding the angle from which to take your photo. Is it a horizontal or vertical image? Sable Falls, Upper Peninsula of Michigan Do you want a fast or slow shutter speed? This means, do you want to show texture and action, or smooth, veil-like water? Do you take the photo of the falls in it's entirety, or just a portion of it? What is your message? What do you want people to know about your subject? These are all photos of Sable Falls , taken from different postitions and angles. You be the judge. Which of these photos strikes you, and why?

When you take a photograph, do you take the time to look around? To look at your subject matter from a number of different perspectives? While meeting up with friends this week, we took the time to "work" a subject, the Crisp Point Lighthouse, on Lake Superior. Which one do you prefer? Have fun with friends, and photographic subjects!