Leading...

Going...

... apparently into infinity. The future? Nowhere?

I might be odd but I choose to photograph items that are not normally the obvious choice to photograph. Sometimes there is a deeper meaning to things. 
Sometimes, it just is an image I want to capture.

I like the focus on this how it is very clear, very close to me.
Like in life I suppose. The farther away something might be - the less able we are to see it. My lines are leading the viewer to think something just might be there; but there is no past and no future 
except in our mind. 

"There is nothing but self, and self always is here, present. It’s not hidden. We’re racing around like mad trying to find something called self, this wonderful hidden self. Where is it hidden? We hope for something that’s going to take care of this little self because we don’t realize that already we are self."

In the end this is just a shot that could mean so many different things or absolutely nothing. 
Maybe that is why I find it intriguing.

"What we call the self is no more than a series of thoughts that we’re attached to. When we’re engrossed in our small selves, reality—the basic energy of the universe—is hardly noticed at all."

Reflecting...

Bloom @ Smith Gardens

So much of the time we as humans just get so busy and caught up in things.
Caught up mostly in 'ourselves.'
With just a bit of quiet reflection maybe we won't be so nasty. Maybe we might not think that the world is revolving about our wants. Our thoughts. 
The "I want" is always present in humans. It takes a lot of work to release that. To become available in more ways than one to others around us.

I wanted to blog on something else but time, as always, just gets away from me. Maybe tomorrow? After all it is just my thoughts and I am nowhere near the center of any universe!

Zen philosophy teaches some of this. Of course I am not an expert and in no way am I putting it out there.
Just reflect. Be in the present. There is no past and no future. There is no hope. Only today, this moment. The present. Feel it. Experience it.

Oh well...maybe tomorrow I will blog about what I really wanted to say!


"There’s a killer shark in everybody. And the killer shark is unexperienced fear. Your way of covering it up is to look so nice and do so much and be so wonderful that nobody can possibly see who you really are—which is someone who is scared to death." - Beck, Charlotte J.; Smith, Steven A. (2009-03-11). Nothing Special

Stones as a remembrance

Quick thoughts...
It seems it has been forever since I posted anything here in this blog.
Life. It just sort of takes over.
Organizing. Thinking. Trying to finish projects and have time to reflect or relax.
As I was organizing my photos for an upcoming project I revisited some images I took in September 2012. I don't know why I never really looked closely at this one. I do like the angle and the hint of the view beyond. I suppose you could attach more meaning to that statement...

Stones. Lined up to say, hello? To give honor or respect? Just to say, 
"I am thinking of you." 
I find this tradition of leaving stones, or even a piece of the earth on a grave to be very important and touching. To me it has more meaning than simply placing flowers.

This is beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah GA. I know I have posted some photos before. 
I have so many I could publish a book.
The cemetery is serene and it is immense in size. With the flowing moss- hung trees and a warm southern breeze, it just makes a wonderful place to sit and just think. Meditate; or sit as in Zen practice. 

I definitely could see doing that.

"Practice has to be a process of endless disappointment. We have to see that everything we demand (and even get) eventually disappoints us. This discovery is our teacher." Beck, Charlotte J.; Smith, Steven A. (2009-03-11). Nothing Special

Favorite places... 

View from the Rookwood, Cinc'y OH

One of my favorite places to visit is in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Up atop the ridge after a nice dinner at the Rookwood (famous for the pottery years ago) you can grasp an extraordinary view of the city in part.
I was able to capture the sun setting...it was almost too late. Next time I will get out there earlier. The 'Tiara' building is always impressive and the traffic swirls around the city at a lazy pace during this time of day. I believe that there was a ballgame in process at the stadium at the time.

A Triptych in 'fishes'

Which way is which?
From urban streets to the great outdoors.
Which fish is going where?
I knew once the catch of the day was put out on the table that I just needed to do something with it. Normally fishermen would string the catch and hang it and then photograph it. Of course that wouldn't do.
I went for a different look. All around at that too.
I liked the motion this triptych displays and yet not all the 'fishes' are going the same way. To some that might be not right. And in a way I agree. 
Should I have arranged these in way so they looked as though they were all swimming together? Probably. At least for that shot. But alas the fishermen were impatient and these needed to be filleted and processed. So with gloves on, a step ladder and long table...I proceeded to arrange them quickly. ALL 50 of these, and climb the ladder and get shooting. Slimey things these were....all Crappies. Both varieties. Upon closer inspection there is actually a lot of detail in the fish...


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Different perspective...
 ...sometimes when we go out we don't always have a destination. Not initially.

If you just wander around many times you will miss out on things that you might regret. I am sort of corny in this way. I think many times with just a little effort, the research does pay off. 
You can take from the experience only as much as you actually put into it.
It is hard for me to explain exactly what I mean so I will just leave it.
All this "Zen" study is spilling over into my words and thoughts. But it should, right?

Last weekend during one of the times when we set out for the day, we ended up in the National Museum of the Air Force. @WPAFB. (after eating lunch and sorting through what options we had)

I have been there many times. It is a fantastic and FREE place to visit. Everything aviation to space can be found there. The grounds are beautiful - maybe not in the best area of town, but it is a gem. Kids and adults are drawn into the history - from the very beginning of flight with the Wright Brothers (who were born in the city) to WWI - to the Holocaust - the WWII planes and the "Fat Boy" atomic bomb. (Bockscar aircraft) These are all here, including the Hanoi Taxi... Amazing. 

To learn more in depth, just visit the official site @ http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

B-18A (0.3sec; f/3.5; ISO 100 Manual - 18.0mm)

My view or plan for the day was to walk through and photograph some planes. 

Um, hello... It is almost pitch black inside the museum! Yes, lights shine on the aircraft to highlight them and it is done well. But photos? Well....I rarely use a flash...and I did not take external lights with me. (I am just not there yet! LOL)
So this is what I was able to get. NO flash - nada. Just me and my camera working to capture a shot.
In the dark.

If I had tried to shoot this without changing settings or using a monopod/tripod this image would have been 1) so dark it would not be viewable or 2) way out of focus. Really out of focus!

Before I went into the museum we walked through Valor Park. 
I love the name - and honestly it is beautiful for what it stands for. Many memorials to different units of the AF and the people who served. 
This is a must see place for anyone. Visiting or living close by.

WWII Memorial (1/500sec; f/3.5; ISO100; Manual; 27.0mm)

The shot here is just the opposite from the plane above. It is almost over-exposed, with too much natural light. Intentionally. I wanted the effect of the buildings in the back to be sort of washed out. I chose this dog-tag memorial because it was just striking and I felt it was right.

After our long trek through the eras of flight we drove down the road to a local lake. I thought I could get some calm, water photos. Ha. There were APBA boat races/testing going on! How interesting a contrast each venue was and through the process I always learn a little more, looking through the lens.





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Simple pleasure

Upper Falls @ Hocking Hills State Park

This is a most peaceful setting isn't it? 
Almost from another place or rather time.
Sometimes when I go hiking I run across venues that just breathe tranquility. 
I think this is one of them. I cannot take credit for any of it though. 
It wasn't by happenstance, it was intentional.

Day trips can provide those opportunities to capture these moments. A few hours drive and there you are. I make it a common practice to do this. You can see so much this way. It is just a part of who I am.

Actually I knew this scene is what I wanted to photograph, not just another snapshot. After driving to the park where there were dozens of photo opps, we stopped first to grab some literature and then headed into the nearest town to eat some lunch. While dining I looked through all the maps, etc. and chose two places to visit in the huge park - well known park and well visited. 
- Planning is key when hiking with purpose. I couldn't imagine just meandering or doing this half-hearted. You might even get hurt of lost if you do not know where you are going!

So off we went - - hiking through the trails monopod and camera in tow. Good thing too. It was darker at the bottom of some of the areas and a handheld shot with my camera would not work so well.
Finally towards the end - we came upon these falls; what I was looking for. 
It was right there waiting on me.


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Setting out...

A  jump - I like how I worked this one

On a mission. Well. Sort of.

I needed some shots of freezing action. I wanted to do something interesting and maybe a bit different.
We have a nice skate park in my city. A well-known skate boarders grew up here - so he came back and helped with this park. (his parents still live here) This is a one of a kind park from what I read.
I was pleasantly surprised how co-operative the boarder I was shooting was during this. He kept going and going. He did pretty good from what I know! (which isn't a lot when it comes to boarding)

I enjoyed being there in the action. I had a vision of what I wanted and have yet to get all of it. There are many ways to shoot a boarder and I didn't use all of my options.

adding a flip

I wanted to get a feel for it first and maybe gain some trust. I think I did both. I want the boarders to feel comfortable with me there shooting along. 
So far, so good.

This guy was happy to help and he was friendly - I told him I would be back and I will. I will take with me some printed out shots for him. 
And then I will work on my project in mind.
I am always thinking...and it makes life much more interesting.


I have so many more photos from this shoot. Nothing super spectacular. (that translates into= I need better gear. LOL) I am still working and learning. But I am getting there! This one below is nice with the sky in the back. I will post more soon. Enjoy :)

up in the air

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