Hooked on watercolor

Here's my first digital watercolor, and it only took a few minutes to do.

I posted a picture of the shot (straight out of the camera) before I turned it into a watercolor. I'm completely hooked on DW now :) Who knew it could be so easy, given the right instructions?

Daring to believe

Monday mornings ...

This was taken shortly after I got my 50 mm 1.4 lens, as I sat in traffic.

Yesterday, made for a very long day on the road, made more so as we travailed a great distance on limited sleep. It only punctuated the pain experienced early, this Monday morning.



What do you do ... what do you say to someone whose future feels glum? Remind them of alternatives? Quote scripture?

What do you do if that person dwells in the world of wouldda’ couldda’ shouldda’s ... even when reminded that their current actions and mindset command their lot?

Do you remind them of their glory days before the fall, so they can relive happier times? Dare you speak of fun trips and happy moments experienced in their powerless absence and despite their misery?

I saw my son yesterday, and these were questions I asked myself. He gives too much of himself in search of feeling accepted or loved. A downfall a lot of people have, really. But this is what brought him to where he is now ...

I sat feeling deficient and inept as I searched for words of comfort, ones that would hit the core of the hurt and feelings of hopelessness.

On a lighter note, I take refuge in feeling blessed about his extraordinariness. He’s a huge presence of love, strength and intelligence. And has grown so much. He towers over me to where I have to get on my tippy toes and strain my neck to get to him :)

Starfruit ... what my body needs.

Yesterday, my eating was dictated by being flexible (ate at a BBQ/gas station, conveniently off the exit), sensible (fruit and veggies off the turnpike service center) and needing comfort (scone and tea also off the turnpike service center). Today, I craved fruit and salads. Craved it, not thought I should have it. I am sensitive to my body’s needs and I am currently at peace with food.

White peacock among delicate nectar.

The butterfly was taken at Flamingo Gardens, the same day I got my Malachite shot.

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Hunny shined his light on this gloomy Monday with hand-delivered, long-stemmed roses ... and I didn’t have my camera to document :(

And to compound the thoughtfulness and good taste, I came home to find a new, rocking purse, big enough to hold my camera! :)

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I dare to believe in happily ever afters. I do.

Autumn

In case you can't tell, my theme for today is the season, Autumn or Fall :)

This was taken in San Jose, Costa Rica. It wasn't taken in the Fall (it was summer time), but the fallen flowers reminded me of it. For this shot and the one subsequent, I used my 18-55 Nikkor lens. I created a gradual blur to both using the lens blur filter and linear gradient ...

This was taken at Flamingo Gardens, and is another shot of fallen flowers. For this shot, I also added spotlight lighting and experimented with a color wash look for the first time. Lots of steps behind it ... I followed the directions in the very, user-friendly book I bought today. If you'd like the title, drop me an E-mail and I'll be happy to share it with you :)

Fall

Fall fills me with promise of cool winds and darker skies;
Halloween's knocking, a harborbinger of eerie surprise.

The veil between the worlds is thinner, this I was told;
Stories of ghosts and goblins -- they make my veins go cold.

With shades of burnt oranges, reds and brown;
Warm smells of spices and and feasts abound.

Camping and carnivals, are but weeks away;
Hoping the rain holds up, lest hopes go astray.

A nip in the air and textures I adore;
A season to favor, of this I am sure.

~Lita

This was taken at the Bonnet House. Ok, I'm sure I could find a colorful array of fallen leaves, I just haven't been looking for them.

I will see my son tomorrow at long last. Yay!

I hope your weekend is filled with peace and pleasant comforts :)

Wild monkey appreciation

Here are more spider monkey shots that were taken while I was out with Laura last weekend. It was incredible how they're found in the wild like that. They are growing in numbers, as we saw so many families and babies :) Although we're not supposed to feed the wildlife, the groundskeeper gave them treats they gladly accepted.

I've only got 2 or 3 more monkey photos to go to complete the set, but I'm just too tired to finish working on them tonight. Today has been a good day ... TGIF!

Mom and her young

Hey, I want some too ...

Something about this one reminded me of a gargoyle ...

Flashback

My girlfriend from work and I did what we hadn't done in over a decade: we went skating!!!

I was so nervous about needing to skate close to the sidelines, with doubts that my body could not handle spills the way it used to years and years ago, but after a couple of hours, I started to gain my confidence and get back in touch with atrophied skills. This skating rink reminded me of the one I used to frequent up north in my youth ... sure brought back memorable times ... :)

I brought my cheapie camera, afraid that one tumble would ruin my prized one. I blurred out the girl to the side (probably too much) and changed the tones:

Me and my girlfriend from work:

This is Hank who has been skating at this rink for 20 years. He saw us taking pictures and insisted we take his in this position ... couldn't disappoint the guy, could I? He was very nice, and tried to give us pointers, lol.

So no profound pictures today, only ones that document what I did today that was enjoyable :)

Lunch hour getaway

I went to the Enchanted Forest Park yesterday for lunch and this is some of what I saw:

This horse was at a distance, but came closer to pose.

A wooden bridge

The low-lying, yellow flowers, coupled with the bench, caught my fancy.

Pentas -- Always eye-catching with the red clusters of pretty. Butterflies love them.

Pony peeking at me through the fence.

Horse back curve ...

An anxious habit? Perhaps, as it was enclosed in a small pen.

Ibis around the tree -- I liked the momentary way the tree framed them).

These photos remind me that shoots don’t have to be reserved for quieter, unrushed times, as they were shot during my lunch hour.

I also took some shots of my girlfriend at work, one of which she added to her on-line singles profile. She liked them so much, she asked that I take more today. It’s nice working on portraits apart from my own. Plus, it feels good when that person is pleased enough to want more.

Digressing .... Am I dependent on stimuli from the world outside? I choose instead to focus on internal stimuli -- creations from within ... ones that birth inspiration, delight and intrigue.

I choose to live an authentic life, filled with integrity, health, passion, appreciation and beauty. Photography is my passion ... Photoshop is my passion ... Words are my passion. I fall in love with them time and again, especially when used in simple, yet novel ways.

I exercise my body for strength so it can get me where I need to go.

I nourish my body for health so I will always feel good.

... Ok, pressed for time so will have to fix any format mistakes later ... Off to watch movie with Hunny, and then have to finish new portraits of my coworker for tomorrow ...

Adieu ...

Work perpetually in progress

Spider monkey taken at the Bonnet House

Most of my work day consists of me sitting there, boss-less and paralyzed from doing anything truly productive. I don’t make the most of those wasteful hours. Instead I worry. Most would take advantage, but I feel guilty. Guilt is a byproduct of scruples. Work ethic is a part of having scruples ... or is it? I need to learn to relax and let go – to stop resisting.

I am thankful for a great many thing, including my teeth, lol. Teeth are important, as are a sound mind and body, both of which I’m equipped.

Is showing insecurity and fear a sign of weakness? I think not. I think if anything, exposing them for what they are allows us to heal and embrace all of who we are. Those who openly acknowledge their fears, who show their vulnerabilities, who learn from and move past them, are brave -- are strong and are all the wiser for it.

My co-worker shared a quote with me that I so love and added to my list of favorite quotes: "Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else." - Judy Garland

I received calls from individuals only too ready to place blame. If there’s anything that gets me ruffled and puts me on the defensive, it’s being wrongly accused. We should all choose to live in a state of "how can fix this?" instead of "who can we blame?"

... Anyway, each day I wonder how I will do with eating strictly raw. I’ve been indulging more on processed food and would like to cut back down. I’m also trying to keep my neurotic tendencies down, and live a life of simplicity and effortlessness. I don’t want to work too hard at anything, and that goes for my digestion as well. I’m thinking of what TT said about going 2 days on God-made food (unprocessed) and one day on Man-made food (processed – what the body doesn’t recognize). She said that enables ample time for our insides to eliminate most efficiently. I’ll have to say this is the ideal, as it would keep my neurotic tendencies about food down and enable me to live and enjoy a little bit of everything with minimal guilt.

The house is being worked on; and a lot of stuff is out of place as a result. I liken it to myself: work perpetually in progress ... :)

Working with textures

Adding textures to photos is such an allurement for me, assuming it fits. It's the closest I'll get to creating a painting effect until, and if, I ever take up real painting. It has worked so well with self-portraits, so I imagine, this would carry over into any portrait, really.

I edited the Writer's Block photo previously posted, adding textures and luminosity. I used the same texture twice; keeping one with color, and desaturating the other. I masked some of the textures from my body to bring out the glow from the luminosity. And then I softened and blended. All this while working in layers, and then flattening the layers upon completion. Textures are so fun!

Love Is The Answer

Love Is The Answer

The affection and adoration these two have for one another just make me melt. I'm not sure what kind they are (-- perhaps finches?)

So cool what my name, L.I.T.A., is an acronym for. Sarah, from a spiritual group years back, brought it to my attention. :)

Motherhood

Mother gator with her young.

I ache and yearn to hold my son, who will perpetually remain out of reach for awhile. I will get to see him, hug him and kiss him at long last this Sunday, so I am excited! :)

Beauty Prevails

Despite hardship, despite obstructions, life and beauty prevail.

What I like about this picture is how the fallen debris lend character and interest to the flower scene.

Ripples

Every action has a rippling effect

Embroiled

Inside noise

INSIDE NOISE

Shielding the me you don't want to see;
Reflecting to you want you want me to be.

Why must we keep the pains and the joys,
within these four walls -- such inside noise.

It's me, it's all in my head,
of how I perceive what's truly said.

A prisoner of my own mind is what I've become,
of the hows and the whys of my anxious kingdom.

A sigh and a shake of the resistance within,
must pull in the reigns of my inner demon.

Take down the shades that bind who I am,
or go on hiding and living a sham.

~Lita

I loved the look of this old, historically dressed window, and the slight reflection of the world outside.

Replenished

I met up with my girlfriend, Laura who I hadn't seen in too long a stretch. By chance, we happened upon this charming cafe, made more more so by the fact they do High Tea! Ah, how marvelous! I've always wanted to give High Tea a whirl, despite being served all the stuff my body will reject. It just sounds like the sort of uppity, sophisticated and fun thing to partake in ... just for the experience :)

Since it was packed indoors, we were ok with sitting outside, regardless of the heat. This was my view to the right:

The salad was delish. I forgot what it was called:



Scones are a weakness of mine. I was delighted to find it waiting for me when I came back to my table (but was not so delighted by the bloated feeling I got after eating it):

And I can't have a scone without hot tea (despite the warm weather) so I ordered a decaf, berry-flavored one:

Laura did me the honor of snapping this shot to help me document this experience. It took awhile to edit it, but I'm quite pleased with the outcome. :)

Anyway, it's been a fun-filled and replenishing day. I am happy!

In the mist

In the beautiful garden of mist, ye may but glimpse a slice of your future. Dare ye gaze upon the garden, with the risk of misinterpretation? Or would ye shy away, choosing blissful ignorance instead?

This photo was taken shortly after zip lining through the rainforest in Costa Rica. The mist brought such enchantment to this already wondrous garden ... It inspired workings of a fairytale, as sprinkled above. This was pretty much a straight-out-of-the-camera shot. I only cloned out a hint of the zip line.

I received a sobering nudge from my former self today. I forgot I sent it. At the promptings of a spiritual friend at the time, I wrote a letter to myself, over a year ago, at FutureMe.org, and requested that it be delivered today. When I saw it in my Inbox, I opened it with such curiosity and anticipation -- wondering what words I'd have to impart to my future self ...

When I read it, the portrait of the person I saw was someone laden with light, enthusiasm, drive and unyielding determination ... Were I to write to my future self again, I wonder how I would sound a year from now ... ?

Anyway, it was freaky to receive a letter from my former self. Here's a portion of it:

Dear FutureMe,

So you're probably wondering ... what happened on Friday, July 13th --- 2007? Well, I can tell you. You're feeling suffocated. By your job at >***<. You're dying there. You know there's a form of security there. But at what cost? Every second you're there, you're worried about the billable hours. Are you doing enough? What about all the work that's not billable and you're approaching the last hour and are nowhere close to the 8 hours you must bill that day. We're looking to kiss that world good bye. For good! You have plans with WWD. So 2 months in and you feel you've reached a plateau ... time is going by, you have to invest in leads and advertisement, but are you seeing any returns? Yes, the summer bonuses helped you break even, so you're not in the red. So be GRATEFUL that you're not in the red... Remember, you're a creative being. Plug into that creativity with this job. Who is even writing this? Is your Higher Self making that suggestion of being creative? I think so. Plus, you know there's light for sure ... Stay with the vibration of feeling secure, because all is safe. I mean the fact that you're healthy, beautiful, have a roof over your head with air conditioning, the coolest dog and cats ... I mean c'mon! You've got a lot going for you already! You have a whole support network of teams waiting for you to call on them for help.

You are a creator, choosing your creations. Focus on the color that you want.

Remember, you are a full being filled with well being and abundance. Open, Allow and Trust!!!!!

So, uh, wow ... So positive, trusting and spiritual I was ...

Anyway, as my current self, I deem the future only as distant as the next moment, as I know things can change on a whim ... in an instant ...

Melting composure

The fan whirs behind me, yet my skin is not cooled. It remains sticky with sweat and glistens, in tune with the stale, toasty and humid air. Little remains of my composure. Feeling uncivil, unfriendly and impatient, my caged temper is ready to explode. Yes, my air conditioning is still not fixed ... yet, anyway. But fortunately, help is finally on it's way - Yay!

It felt appropriate to upload these pictures of Volcano Poas at this time, considering the heat challenges I've undergone this week. These were taken while I was in Costa Rica this year ...

During our ascent, we smelled the not-so-pleasant sulphur air, but I still found it kinda' cool :). As you can see from these photos, this volcano is still active, yet relatively calm. I've always wanted to see a volcano, so feel blessed that my dream has finally been realized.

Droopy

Aside from feeling droopy and hot (still being without air conditioning), today was wonderful. This picture of Gabby so portrays the level of energy I had as I got through the day. It's hilarious how she lies down to drink!

She's my BFF's sweetheart of a cat. When I first saw Gabby, I was astounded by the amount of girth she had. And it seemed no matter how hard I tried, I could not get a shot that captured the full extent of her rotundness, LOL.

As I think on it, she very much reminds me of the 3-toed sloth, but mostly because she, like they, only move when necessary :)

Darkness shall not overcome

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling warm, and figured my inside air conditioning unit must've froze ... when actually, my unit was STOLEN! Aside from mine, thieves took several other outside air units within my targeted area.

I started to despair about my level of comfort, of my safety, and just all the fearful flights of fancy my imagination could fashion.

I have a stun gun on hand now so I could coax myself toward feelings of control and security.

Prior to the discovery of the theft, I took a glimpse at the dark side of thoughts, toying with how easy it could be to give into grim musings. News of the theft could've easily fueled such musings, but fortunately by then, such thoughts dissipated.

Darkness shall not overcome the inherent spark of light ... it shall never be so.

Unfurling mystery

Unfurling Mystery

I release fear and uncertainty
into the winds of change,

Accepting overflowing assurance
beyond measure, beyond range.

I await my life's calling
made known and sure,

Keeping my senses open,
discerning and pure.

The question of how and when,
the mystery unfurls,

The right place, the right time,
patience checked, and my hope whirls.

~Lita

From hundreds of photos to edit, this one called to me today ... and then before I knew it, the poetry I wrote (which I didn't plan on writing) took a completely different tone and direction than the one I intended. Such is the way of things, I suppose :)

I got 3 DVD's to watch throughout the week, one being Atonement. It didn't offer the fix I hoped it would, but I sure love watching Keira in action. She's so beautiful and talented, and I adore her accent.

I deserve it

There have been way too many times in the past where I'd feel guilty for splurging on a pedicure, but not anymore :)

I go to relax, feel pampered and get that one-on-one care. This time, however, I was a tad aggravated because my attendant's attention seemed to be everywhere except on my feet. Argh! ... But I still tipped him 20% (I usually tip more when I'm pleased), because although his service was lacking, he still spent a good deal of time on me.

Pricey but worth it

A favorite breakfast place I used to frequent, and I'd get my favored window seat:

Although it's pricey, it's so worth it, as they offer ambience and specialty foods -- like their fruit bread, of which they provide two varieties. Since it's sweetness is subtle and because our trips are few, I indulge (It hasn't adversely affected my feeling of wellness >knock on wood<) ... Mmmmm ... It's served warm, and if you look closely, you can see the effects of the steam on the dish:

Upon arrival of this place, I'm too focused on eating and rushing to get our table, that I overlook the menu holder, that is, until we leave. It's a great eyecatcher and lure to onlookers from the street:

Best Friends Forever

Me, my BFF and her daughter.

This was a fun shoot and was taken on an air mattress that was hard to get into position for prior to the camera's self timer release. Also, it was a challenge to get a shot where we were all looking at the camera at the same time, eyes open, with matching arms, legs and feet.

This was the last photo of the bunch and turned out pretty good ... uh, except the look on my face. Soooo, I cut and pasted my face from one of the out take pictures. It actually looked natural and would look more natural still, had I not removed the slight bags from my eyes. Once I realized I wanted my bags back (they added gleam to my smile, LOL), it was too late to bring them back without having to restart the editing process. Oh well; it never hurts to take years off the face either :)

Privileged encounters

When I'm feeling blue, and have the presence of mind to bring that song, My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music to the forefront of my thoughts, I am lifted. One of my favorite things, and favorite all-time butterflies is the Malachite. I've seen these farm-raised, but never wild and free like this.

Time stood still as it came out of nowhere, gracing me with it's enchanting beauty and dance. I liken this privileged and special encounter to that of seeing a unicorn, as I was held no less spellbound .......

Raw results

I can't help but to grin and chuckle when I think of all it took to not only make this raw rarity, but to get it photogenic. Although I eat a high raw food diet, my girlfriend does not, but she felt inspired to try a recipe on my behalf and to determine if it would be a do-able path for her. If she were to base her decision on this sole experience, I'd have to say "uh, no."

But I think it would be unfair to base it on this experience alone since the recipe we followed was vague by most standards.

This "carrot cake" contained figs, carrots, dates, nuts and seasonings. When I asked hubby what he thought of my picture, fully expecting praise, he said several heartbeats later "it looks like vomit," LOL! I asked him if it at least looked like a pretty picture of vomit, and he said "yes." So I guess I'll take that :)

Anyway, we surmised that should we ever attempt to create this "cake" again, we'd do things alot differently -- Starting with trashing the recipe, replacing some of the ingredients and fine-tuning the blending and textures required for each ingredient.

The photo above is the first shot of the bunch, and although it wasn't the best, I liked the lighting (no flash) and the presentation.

These shots are favored because they represent a united bond with a friend I hadn't seen in years and because it reminds me of the fun labor of love that we created together (although she did most of the work, since I'm, for the most part, inept in the kitchen) while I visited her.

Here's another shot, but this time I used a flash. It came out crisper, but I still decided to soften the sharpness and colors: