Andante :: CT

Andante :: CT

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few weeks back, I checked out a waterfall @pmacmiller posted about (he’s a great guy, check out his page!) and the hike was lovely. A lot of it meanders along the shore of a lake, which in the summer can be a bit noisy (motorized boats allowed) but it didn’t stop me from finding little moments of joy in the woods. For example, at the end of a curve in the trail, I stumbled upon this scene. It’s a fallen log, and some trees, but in the right light at the right moment it was magical. In fact, so much of photography is just that: recognizing beautiful moments. As Emerson said, it’s a study in patience. But when the trees take on the soft glow of diffuse light, while the birds chirp and chipmunks rustle the undergrowth, it becomes clear that patience pays off. Talk about a life lesson, eh??

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Divergent :: CT

Divergent :: CT

Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel.  But sometimes you find the most beautiful things in your backyard. 🙂

Rejuvenate :: CT

Rejuvenate :: CT

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” -Henry David Thoreau

At times, it’s hard to determine what is a cause and what is an effect when it comes to my photography. Do I explore the corners of the earth looking for beauty because I want to create an image? Has photography helped me hone my ability to find joy in nature? Or have I always loved nature, and photography is just a vehicle to share that experience with others? To inspire others to appreciate the world around them?

Perhaps both truths are valid.

There is so much beauty and joy to be found in this world, the trick is to be open to it. Often that means some discomfort and growth, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

As an aside, here in CT we have had muggy, hot, rainy weather which is miserable when the humidity is so high, but it does produce some lovely waterfalls. That being said, you won’t hear me complain about the heat when California is experiencing the biggest fire in its history.  Apparently, the direct cause of the fire is unknown, though generally speaking there seems to be some acknowledgment that climate change(a complicated issue) has been playing a role in the severity and frequency of extreme weather events.  There has also been some criticism of the US forest service’s policy to suppress fires rather than letting some burn for the health of the forests.  The news outlets covering the fires do say with certainty that multiple days of three digit temperatures have exacerbated the problem.  Many have been evacuated, lost homes, and some have been injured/lost their lives. Yosemite is closed indefinitely while they try to control the fire.

Thoughts and prayers to everyone on the west coast living with those conditions. Many thanks to all of the firefighters, fire personnel, etc working to contain things.

Meandering :: CO

Meandering :: CO

“A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” -James Watkins

I have a confession. I spent the last week watching telenovelas (soap operas).

Why, you ask? Because I was going to meet the grandfather (abuelo) of mi novio, and I haven’t practiced my Spanish in years. 😳

I learned a few things though. First, telenovelas are very dramatic. Second, his family got a kick out of that and recommended cartoons as well. Lol Third, his grandfather was happy that I tried.

We had a wonderful conversation about the importance of trying.  Grandpa was adamant that you needed to try new and difficult things in life. He reminded me that failing is part of the process but no progress would be made without putting yourself out there and putting in an effort, despite the challenges.

That’s some real life talk, right there. In photography, I always remind students that practice makes progress. More than that, though, it builds your confidence. By the end of last night, my brain was tired from the translations and concentrating (and from getting my a** whooped at dominoes 😑) but I was definitely feeling less anxious about the language barrier. I even made a few jokes in Spanish. *pats self on back*

So if you’re thinking you want to learn something new, I encourage you to do it. If you’re feeling discouraged, I hope you’ll keep working at it. Afterall, a baby step is still a step in the right direction. ❤️

 

Nerdy stuff: this is three blended exposures for focus stacking, used the big stop filter at time of capture. 😊

Migration :: CO

Migration :: CO

“It’s your pasture now, and it’s not so big–only three thousand miles from east to west, only two thousand miles from north to south–but all between, where ten thousand points of light prick out the cities, towns, and villages, there, seeker, you will find us burning in the night” -Thomas Wolfe

To me, this photo is one of journey and transition, like the snow melt’s path down the mountain. Similarly, like many Americans, I’ve been deeply troubled by the recent zero tolerance policy at the border that infringes on the human rights of children. Am I glad the practice of separating families has stopped for the moment? Yes. Am I concerned about the welfare of the 2000+ children in detention facilities since May? Yes. Am I worried the most recent executive order flies in the face of the court precedent preventing detention for longer than 20 days? Yes.

Do I have a solution? No.

I do know that thinking in absolutes is dangerous though. Very little in life is 100% black and white, and this idea that to be strong, we must give up compassion is immature. Compromise is a way forward. Understanding is a way forward. We are a nation of immigrants, many of whom were seeking asylum themselves. It’s foolhardy to label all asylum seekers as dangerous criminals and its unethical to treat people as animals or monsters. While I agree crossing borders illegally is, well, illegal…I also recognize we have a complex and confusing immigration system.

Do I want safeguards and background checks and asylum hearings in place? Yes. But I can I understand the urgency of some refugees situation that puts them in the difficult position of choosing to cross illegally? Also a yes.

I don’t know where the middle ground here is but my heart tells me without any doubts that our morals and ethical standards, and our compassion for people in need, should not be forsaken. I hope our Congress (contact your reps) can have some meaningful conversations in the coming days and get those children reunited with their families soon.

Fairy Falls :: CT

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl

This particular morning, nothing went according to plan. My Milky Way shot failed. Clouds rolled in and I thought I could recover the trip with a beautiful sunrise. Instead, I got a waterfall. But oh what a lovely waterfall it was!

Split :: NY

Split :: NY
A few weeks ago, my friends and I (David, Mel and Matt) had the pleasure of met up in the Adirondacks for a few days of fun and photos (if you follow me on the Instagrams or the Snapchats, you probably saw some of the shenanigans and bts posts).

We got one day of fancy light, and (of course) one day of overcast/rainy weather. You know the old saying though, right? When life hands you rainy lemons, make some waterfall-y lemonade! I’m 1000% certain that’s how the phrase goes.

This, btw, is Split Rock falls. On rainy days, there is only…like…two safe spots to shoot from. As you can guess, most of us chose adventure over safety. I’m not saying I was clinging to a slippery cliff…..earmuffs Mom! (*whispers* but I was definitely doing that. Many many many thanks to Matt for making sure I didn’t get dead!)