The Sun Always Returns

 Shooting into the sun I get only the silhouettes of these cool miniature creatures, but it is enough to capture my moment :) These were taken moments after a short summer storm blew in.

Feeling Fortunate

Inspired by my friend Judy's lovely hummingbird shot, I finally got my feeder back up. I feel so lucky to be able to spend my afternoon relaxing on my deck with the book I'm reading, "Buddha's Brain" and waiting to see if the feeder is found by the local birds. This guy flew over to assess the situation before coming to the feeder not far from where I sat. As you can see the skies were getting darker again as another storm approached.

I wish I had gotten him in this shot, but those little guys are too quick for me. I did manage to capture this Blue Heron in flight while watching the clouds rumble past.

Prestorm stair case

We enjoyed an amazing light show from an incredibly long electrical storm last night. I watched in awe. It never even occurred to me to try to photograph the lightning bolts that raced across the sky, this is unusual for me. I was caught up in the beauty of the moment. I had been out earlier taking photos in the yard just before the storm yellow tornado glow covered our world. It was the best electrical storm I can remember with constant lightning for almost two hours. Heat lightning supplemented the rapid fire bolts streaking across the sky. Can't believe I didn't get a shot out the back window :(

Small moments~Big Life

Life never ceases to amaze me! 

Another iPhone shot today- this one taken on my way into work. I was just slowing down both my vehicle and my mind when this reminder to live large appeared in front of me. I got this shot just before the truck in front of me took off.

Radiating Grace

I did my morning meditation by the lake today before school. I loved how the scene from my car window seemed to perfectly illustrate today's theme~ radiating grace.So I grabbed my iphone to try to capture the mood. Since the workshop I attended in New York, I do very little post processing on my photos.  I can see now how much I've over processed my photos in the past.The main processing I do lately is to desaturate the colors turning the photos to black and white since my camera only shoots in color. I resisted the urge to add more contrast to this shot making the black more black~ old habits die hard but they can die :)

 

Always Keeps Us Guessing

Looking out the front door this morning, I was a bit disappointed and quite surprised to see the fog was not out, but also grateful that nature keeps us guessing. I was hoping to try some more early morning fog shots so instead I let the lamps from my home show me things in a new light.
This morning's meditation: Living with Passion.

Fog in and out

This morning's fog lasted a great while, I think it was after 8:00 before the sun managed to break through the low clouds. It took about 30 minutes for my camera to adjust to the humidity from the air conditioning but I wasn't in a hurry this morning. I stood literally watching the air, or at least the moisture in the air pass by. 

foggy morning

I was pretty disappointed with the amount of processing I had to do on this one. For some reason my camera exposure settings change out of nowhere. This morning the exposure was up to +5 which made for a lot of post compensation. Every time it happens I think I should be checking before I shoot, just to be sure. It's very random.  Maybe I can try again tomorrow morning, still very humid out.

Stand Alone

The falls here were enormous scattering mist hundreds feet high, but what caught my eye was this stand alone tree on top of this gorgeous cliff. This is an old favorite I just happened upon today since I haven't been out to take photos I thought I'd include it here.

day tripping~ street corner in CU

I found myself on this corner surprised to see large sunflowers growing tall by the side of the city street. Many beautiful bright yellow sunflowers rose up calling for my attention but there were a few flowers whose beauty, perhaps less subtle now, still captured my eye.

Beauty Outstide the Door

Opening Your Eyes Opens Your World

After spending some time reading about how we can learn to see what is right in front of us,  I came home to find the most beautiful sky and all I had to do was look down.

Morning Meditations

The spring of 2014 I began doing my morning meditations in the hot tub. I can listen to the geese falling over head, the many bird songs, buzz from the locusts and occasional owl calls as well as the breeze through the trees. Sitting quietly concentrating on nature's sounds makes this one of the best meditation spots I've tried. I often get caught up by the light, shadows and reflections so I decided to bring the camera to try to capture the feeling. I like the contrast of warm and cool colors in this shot creating the soul image sitting there with me.

Waves

Heat waves, light waves, any movement of energy especially almost imperceptible energy, has always fascinated me. I love catching the glint of heat waves off the roads or the light as it reflects from water.  My photography is usually about light. Here are some recent photos of me playing and trying to capture light.

Inspiration/ Cooperation

I am starting a "sibling" series between people and trees. I'm looking for people passionate about trees to photograph with "their tree. This is the only tree left on our property after the owners before us cleared this land. It is not the most beautiful tree but with our care it is looking better all the time.
If you are passionate about a tree and would like to be photographed for my series, please leave a comment and your location. I am midwest USA.

Day two of 21 day meditation challenge. As I spend more and more time with a quiet mind, I feel my creativity and inspiration. "I am filled with Spirit" = Inspiration... never made that connection :)

 The winds blew in a quick rain followed by the sun which illuminated everything in my front yard and yes, there's my tree :) That's the thing about trees, they are always there in the background standing tall and strong, whenever you need them.  Hug a tree!
Oh, and it's be proven (Ted talk which I can't find right now to link! Shoot!) now that trees are not the competitors we made them out to be, they actually cooperate with each other even across species. An older, "mother" tree will take collected carbon and send it through her root system to the surrounding trees. Very Cool!
Cross species connections inspire me :)

Happened upon This Piece of History

On my way to the winery in French Lick, Indiana, a place I've been many times, I discovered this small church on the corner. I'd never even noticed it before, but as I stood there taking it in, it seemed to hold so many stories. I could almost see people on the staircase.

“Throughout history humans have inflicted countless violent, cruel, and hurtful acts on each other, and continue to do so. Are they all to be condemned; are they all guilty? Or are those acts simply expressions of unconsciousness, an evolutionary stage that we are now growing out of?" ~Eckhart Tolle

Grandmother Willow

From underneath this elder willow I sat amazed by the comfort and shelter she brought as the storm clouds approached and rain fell. The combination of dark clouds and the low sun rays shining through her leaves brought me great peace and joy. I sat for a long time trying to capture some of the beauty from that moment, but I with my camera, could do no justice to this scene.

In this shot I put the aperature setting on F22 to get the sun star affect.

 

Meditation held under this large willow during our yoga retreat helped me "see" and capture this gorgous tree.

When Great Trees Fall~  part of a poem by Maya Angelou

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

Stonehouse Farm Yoga Retreat

 

 These photos were taken in the old barn at Stonehouse Farm during a yoga retreat.

 

Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity.
~Thich Nhat Hanh

Did you breathe today?

Driving the roads of Southern Indiana

Letting the hills and winding roads of southern Indiana take me away, I came upon these structures needing work. Again, I'm reminded that I am in each photo I take, so much work still to be done.