Don’t Rush; You May Leave the Best Behind
Several months ago I went to the mountains to photograph splendor in all its raw beauty. Traveling the 395 north along the rugged Eastern Sierras during twilight’s changing phases placed me into a lingering state that normally would have been controlled by a rushed and eager mindset to get where I was going. We must have stopped a dozen times to catch the light just right, and most of...
Read MoreGuardian’s Gift – Guiding Influence
There is much to be learned from our inner voice; some of you may like to think of it as natural instinct. Such an example would be the fear of the fall, a “Guardian’s gift”, which if listened to can keep our feet firmly planted where otherwise our head may want us to go. It is that voice of warning we each have early on in life to hopefully teach and protect us from grave...
Read MoreAdversity – Weathering the Unexpected
Living a good life and making good choices does not guarantee that bad things will not happen to you. They will! This is the reality of life and, like the forest, it is filled with the unexpected. As you venture into the unknown, much will happen in your journey that you may or may not have control over. The winter may arrive suddenly when you were prepared for warmer days, or briars and...
Read MoreAgainst All Odds
When photographing an image, one of the things I look for is distractions within the shot that will pull the eye away from the main subject rather than strengthening it. If a problem is discovered while composing the photograph, I then ask myself, “How difficult will this be in postproduction to remove or subdue?” In some situations I look for a better shooting position to help minimize...
Read MoreThe Book Shelf – Bringing Life Into Focus
A Compilation of Journal Entries Over the Past Few Days: Today I Chose to See. This morning I woke facing a bookshelf filled with words and layered in dust. As I lay there waking slowly to the morning light, I set my focus on the titles embossed on the spines of a myriad of great works from children’s books, inspirational prose and texts of humor. In straining my focus to read the small...
Read MoreAmazing Grace – Beyond My Doing
This morning I woke to a quiet and still house that changed within minutes of my teenage kids coming to life from their slumber. In a half hour the ukulele, guitar, piano and didgeridoo (a long, hollowed-out instrument of the indigenous people of Australia) had all been played. I stood at the kitchen sink and listened to their ensemble of creative sounds, and as their music filled the air I...
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