Easing back into blogging

After a long lapse in blogging, the easiest way I know how to approach the daunting task of catching up is via a couple of quotes, pictures (which are worth a thousand words) and minimal commentary.

“The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy.”

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes." ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

My weekly visits with Tammy is girl time I really look forward to.  She always brings me amusing things to read or look at.  We like to hang out at Stork's Restaurant, where they have gourmet-styled food and baked goods, including Barbie cakes!

We recently went to Orlando, where we visited Gatorland (laden with gators and wild birds), Audubon (bird-of-prey sanctuary) and Downtown Disney, where we perused several shops, enjoyed outside entertainment, indulged in a brownie sundae at Ghirardelli's cafe, and of course took lots of photos!

I also went to Naples for Laura's birthday, which was also the first day of Spring.  We went to Tin City, with our cameras naturally in hand.  We ate at a cafe, browsed through stores at an outside shopping strip and visited a store of miniatures.  We were goofing around with fun glasses at this one store; She tried to imitate a school teacher with the glasses below.  I saw it as a base for Photoshop art :)

What has occupied a great deal of my time and energy has been work. Here, I am working from home, which is not unusual at my new place of employment.  I was wearing sweats and a T-shirt, when I decided to change and put my hair into the the cliche bun (of which I never do) for this shot.

CS with Laura have not fallen by the wayside.  Prior to yesterday, our last CS was spent on digital art tutorials.  Laura seems to pick time-consuming ones, but once complete, it's always an amazing masterpiece!  Her piece this time was imposing four seasons onto one tree of which she's completed Fall and Summer; the quadrants have been quite the challenge.  Mine was completed the same afternoon; I turned a picture into a watercolor, which I did below:

Yesterday, our CS consisted of a photoshoot at Blowing Rocks.  Our objective was to stay dry while we obtained stock images of us in various costumes to incorporate into our stock images.  The sudden onset of high tide and the playful waves changed that.  We surrendered to the organic fun of it, although it left us cut, scraped, sprained and bruised.  

What I like about this picture of me, is I appear to be looking into my unwritten future with hope, determination and optimism =)

Making the most of my time

Digital art! ... I mean writing ... or, um, photography ... but then there's painting!!!

Lately, I've done very little, if any, of the above. Worse yet, I missed my weekly deadline to blog, so I'm making up for it this week by blogging at least two entries. I've frittered away time and energy, but now I choose to buckle down and make the most of both.

Anyway, as a product of another creative day with Laura, I completed my first digital art painting using a tutorial to turn a portrait into an anime-styled painting. Although anime styles are big in the Asian front, I didn't think my portrait looked all that anime, despite my Asian looks, but I think it comes down to honing a skill I have yet to develop.  BTW, the Photoshop Creative tutorial I used was frustratingly vague, so I had to make trial and error adjustments, substituting some of the steps and tools with those I had a working knowledge of.

Writing ... Ah yes, writing :)  LOVE !  Love to write ... love to read good writing! I will learn more about novel writing in particular, and intend to schedule a time slot once a week to swim in it.

Photography. Well that's the easiest in that I'm always inspired to snap a shot of something that moves me, which is a great deal of the time, because interest is where you find it :)  The photo above was taken at Stork's on Valentine's Day, with my friend, Tammy as my Valentine for the day, lol.

Lastly, there's painting. I've had my new easel and paint set sitting in my art room ... and everytime I walk into the room I smile and tell the empty canvases, "please give me another day". Well many days have come and gone, and it's so neglectful not to use the tools in the manner for which they're made ... and a waste of time for not bringing life to that which which yearns to be created. Well I can tell you the culprit that delays my progress: an embarrasing dose of perfectionism. And as the quote by Anne Lamott goes, "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor." So I shall seek to remedy that immediately :)

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 ...

Ripples

Every action has a rippling effect

Embroiled

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.

Wetlands

This is the edited version, where I blurred around him to try to bring his image out more, but it didn't help by much.

This is the unedited version.

Anyway ... :) I went to the wetlands this morning to go shooting. It’s about 35 miles northeast of where I live. It’s a cool place, not only because it attracts a variety of animals, but because it’s free.

Whatever I could find of interest through my viewfinder was open “game,” including dragonflies … what I saw mostly were water birds and reptiles.

I only saw one bird of prey, the Red-Shouldered Hawk (see above). Unfortunately, the only shot I got of him was his backside, as he flew away with brunch. Worse yet, the shot is blurry. He came out of nowhere, so I had little time to focus. As I stated above, I tried to blur around him, so his image would stand out more, but it didn’t help by much. I posted both versions for comparison.

Each time I stopped for dragonfly shots, I drew the attention of passers-by, as they’d ask what caught my eye. Evidently, most only want spoon-fed sights. Seeing the obtuse is just as gratifying.

Anyway, I love that place. I love how there are places we preserve just for wildlife. As Thoreau says, “We can never have enough of nature.” So true. At one time I had Henry Thoreau’s book, Walden (a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings), but never got around to reading it … and now I no longer have it. … If the library has it, I’ll check it out.

I did a cursory glance of some of the pics I took today, and I’m happy with a lot of them. I notice that in some of the shots, there are cool reflections, like in the alligator shot. Unless the alligator is doing something exciting, I normally find shots of them boring since they don’t have contrasting colors, but it’s reflection makes the picture richer.

I also got a couple of butt shots that I was thinking of turning into a graphic for fun by adding a “kiss my bum,” or the like. :)

Another picture I looked at briefly was of a momma Anhinga feeding her fledgling, and she is literally putting the entire babe’s head into her mouth and partially down her throat.

I’m learning so much, not only about photography, but of the ecosystem … and am becoming better versed on the local butterflies, dragonflies, birds and reptiles. Such fun!

I have many pictures that were taken last weekend that are ready to be uploaded to Flickr, so I may upload them tonight … or not, depending on whether I get sidetracked by my other pictures. Since I *still* have pics left from last weekend to go through, I’m torn between which ones I should work on first, cuz’ I really wanna’ play with today’s pictures too … but so little time. It’s great to feel inundated by such treasures.

Zesty photography =o)

I feel like a mad scientist obsessed with her work. I don’t want to do anything else but work on my photos … or at least that’s how my life has proved this week after work. I’ve been ingesting shakes for dinner this week to maximize my time spent experimenting with PaintShopPro and my pics, my babies. Heck, I don’t even have to take time out to chew, LOL. It’s all good. I’m having fun. This is what it’s like to feel alive. It is. Doing something I love. I love to take pictures. I love coming home with a full memory card, sifting for pearls. I love how pictures color our world.

I also love to see through others’ eyes via their captures. It’s so intimate in a way -- inviting each other into our respective lives via the pictures we take.

I was speaking to a girl from the west coast about the steep price of macro lenses and she said in lieu of those, she uses “macro” filters … 1 set contains 3 of various strengths. I asked the others what they thought about them and they said it could distort things. Makes sense since it mimics a magnifying glass. I don’t care … $50 as opposed to several hundred dollars … if anything, it’s just more tools at my disposal. Macros do rock … transforming the ordinary into the jaw-dropping extraordinary. :)

I want to get a tripod; but $200 for a tripod versus other stuff I could get … I’m just so indecisive. Will I “pay the price” for trying to go the cheap route on everything? I dunno’ … I don’t want to pine for something I should’ve gotten instead, and then end up investing more than I would have had I just made the wiser purchase. I guess “wise” is subjective. It’s the way of things in the electronic age, I suppose.

I noticed that my blog is not even a blog about accountability anymore … it’s become more a blog on photography. Probably geeky-boring for some, but that’s ok; it's my thing. I’m so inspired … I am.

Sometimes I liken our viewpoint of life to a picture. Crop out the superfluous and zoom in on the beautiful. That’s why my flickr account is “lookforbeauty.”

My photo frenzy should end soon, as I’m toward the end of my pictures … and then I’ll go back to addressing my other goals.

It’s late again … so the photos I intended to upload today will just have to wait until tomorrow …

… back to the “laboratory” I go.

p.s. Stairway to Heaven is playing now ... a great laboratory tune :)

Nature's Allure

I took lots of pictures today, including the scarlet skimmer dragonfly above. My camera has become like a best friend ... like an appendage. Photography, especially nature photography, is an addiction, one that I can’t seem to get enough of …

I was feeling out of sorts today … neurotic. Toxic thoughts seem to seep in on occasion -- like today, and I feel so assaulted. I forget to breathe and forget that I have the power to change my thoughts. It’s paramount that I surround myself with beauty, as it plays a role toward a healthy mindset and has a pleasant domino effect. Beautiful surroundings, sounds, textures … everything that’s genuine. I think that’s why nature calls to me so. I was outside for awhile taking photos, and I experienced a sense of oneness and peace that I can get no other way.

I'm not a fan of small talk and superficial conversations. I prefer discussions of dreams and passions. Everything else feels like fluff. Having to endure small talk is still a challenge for me. I guess it can be foreplay toward deeper conversations. I prefer intimate conversations … soul bearing conversations. After that, companionable silence is just as golden.

I guess there’s so much fluff that already goes on in my head internally …

I just did a one hour work out. Getting physical also helps me achieve a serene mind. I think part of it is because I’ve earned the chance to relax. Sometimes I make myself crazy with the drive to always want to accomplish something. I feel like I’m cheating myself out of something crucial when a day goes by that I didn’t accomplishing at least one thing.

I discovered Youtube last night and “wow;” it has become my new evening companion.

Today, my intake was pretty simple:

2 fruit smoothies
3 raw organic fruit bars
1 shake

I'm going to spend the rest of the night cropping and editing some of today's shots and Youtube-ing it.

Here's Styx's Renegade --- there's something seductive about the badness of this song ... it's the yang of the yin/yang balance, I guess. May the legacy of Styx live on!