Is it as it was seen?Is it how someone wants you to see it?
Does it matter much if it strikes a cord with you, as to why it looks the way it does, or how it go to the state it's in? Some schools of thought will tell you it's all about results, what's the finished product, cut to the chase. Other orders will maintain that it's not the journey but the destination. It depends on your audience, as to whether they're product-focused, process-focused, or if they're able to appreciate a little of both, as to the response you'll get. Ultimately, it's the choice of any given participant in the viewing exchange to determine their position, artist included.
Here's one more shot from a recent hike. What does it say to you?
Here's one more shot from a recent hike. What does it say to you?
To me it says, it was a beautiful day.
I went out for another night shoot, however, forgot that I had taken my tripod out of the trunk of my car... and while my friend offered to let me use hers, I decided to go free-hand and take liberties with the rules. As a result we have a watercolor effect and a wild light show!
While my first love is Art Photography that calls me into nature and treasure hunts of sorts, the human form is it's own artful endeavor. A colleague asked if I would photograph models for her aesthetician portfolio, showcasing her bridal make-up. At first I thought "I don't do portraits." And then, I let that go.
I was given a "look & feel" to work with, and a general location that worked logistically for the group. Researching the area for gardens, I selected a flowery trove and scheduled the shoot.
Admittedly nervous at first, after a few test shots it was like sinking into a forgotten rhythm. A learning experience, a bit of a stretch, a good time had by all, and ultimately results to be proud of.
I never know what I'll find when I go out to shoot, and it never ceases to amaze me where I'll find "art." I came across a yard that had been turned into an unofficial walk-through exhibit. Each corner had some collected treasures or personally significant objects, placed together to form "pieces".
Above, a "wheel" with a medallion center, reclaimed wood and metal spokes, offset with an aging plaster mask.
The mask removed, no longer needed, the woman behind it is now rolling into her new future.
The indomitable spirit of youth endures, even on days when we feel it the least. Witnessing it outside of ourselves, brings it back to life within us. Like a shock to the spiritual heart, the flat-line beeps once, then again, returning to the rhythm that is our individual beat on Life's Path.It just so happened recently that my path crossed this band of boys. One challenging the wild surf with dauntless resolve. Younger friends split between joining his stand or running for their lives. As with most groups, regardless of age, there exists at least one to document, one to observe.
Watching these boys reminded me of the forces of nature as related to the choices of free will, to align with or oppose; to actively participate or receptively witness; to feel youthful or old. The choices of our lives shape our responses to the forces around us, and thereby shape the way our spirit manifests in the world.
Where does a person choose to stand their ground, whether for good cause or pure pride? When does a person decide to join with a group, or make their own way? How do we consciously design the process of becoming the best of ourselves?
In embracing the spirits of both youth and maturity, in embodying both the forces of alignment and opposition, intuiting whether to participate actively or through observation leads the way from the wholeness of a balanced centerpoint. Moving from center of ourselves counterbalances the outer forces we contort ourselves around.
Our youthful spirit lives in conjunction with our ever-aging physical hearts, and the choices in our ageless minds to intentionally engage. Our life paths traverse inward and outward between worldly reality and the stories we tell ourselves.
The "Lost Boys of Neverland" live to tell another tale, of crashing waves and grand adventures, and I a tale of youth enduring and life unfolding.
]]>Watching these boys reminded me of the forces of nature as related to the choices of free will, to align with or oppose; to actively participate or receptively witness; to feel youthful or old. The choices of our lives shape our responses to the forces around us, and thereby shape the way our spirit manifests in the world.
Where does a person choose to stand their ground, whether for good cause or pure pride? When does a person decide to join with a group, or make their own way? How do we consciously design the process of becoming the best of ourselves?
In embracing the spirits of both youth and maturity, in embodying both the forces of alignment and opposition, intuiting whether to participate actively or through observation leads the way from the wholeness of a balanced centerpoint. Moving from center of ourselves counterbalances the outer forces we contort ourselves around.
Our youthful spirit lives in conjunction with our ever-aging physical hearts, and the choices in our ageless minds to intentionally engage. Our life paths traverse inward and outward between worldly reality and the stories we tell ourselves.
The "Lost Boys of Neverland" live to tell another tale, of crashing waves and grand adventures, and I a tale of youth enduring and life unfolding.
I came across a quote from Dickens today that made me think of many first & wondrous days.
"...that was a memorable day for me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same way with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns and flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."
Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, and thus the longest night. With each passing day we witness the sun's fire showing itself a little more, a little more.
So it is with the ebb and flow of our Life's Shadow & Light. One gives to the other in cycles of time, sometimes imperceivably, until that moment, tipping over our perception to the changes that have taken place. A new orbit begins, the tides shift, night interchanges with day.
The succession of phases has a marked difference between the scientific swirlings of celestial bodies and our personal experience of time and change. Perhaps things seemed much darker and shorter, say in part due to external storms, or in part due to an interior cosmos clouded from the sun.
If your inner landscape is feeling murky, there are any number of methods to clear the particles of mind, matter and spirit. There is the contemplation of what is, turning inward for exploration. There is also the consideration of what is not, viewing outward to what is possible. In the case of looking to venture out of a mist, one may consider thinking of a day that burns brightly in memory to see if any aspect of that mindset or activity is re-creatable in the present.
If current weather has you huddled, allow creative innovation to be your muse. Find an image that resonates with the mood you're in. This inspiration may be a piece you've created, or one you've seen in another artist's repertoire. Let this be your impetus to actualize an internal change of seasons.
Whether darkness begets light or vice-versa, all things come around, in their time. It may be the huddle itself that brings your focus to the fore, the darkness may well lead you to the light.
It is an expression of gratitude and grace.
Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is more about being in flow with the synchronicity of the universe than any amount of efforting one could ever embrace.
That night, we ran for the money, and the exhilaration of just going for it was game enough. The day had been overcast to start with, and we had literally fifteen minutes to get somewhere and shoot before the sky went black.
I shot a frame, adjusted the settings, repeat, repeat, repeat. It was fun and challenging, even more so because in my hurry I'd forgotten to grab my tripod.
I shot a frame, adjusted the settings, repeat, repeat, repeat. It was fun and challenging, even more so because in my hurry I'd forgotten to grab my tripod.
Given the challenge of the game, I'm happy to show one shot taken in almost no light, without a tripod, at a super slow shutter speed, and without a flash.
I accept it for what it is, a great adventure!
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In astronomy this applies to the estimation of stellar distances. In biology it refers to the positioning of eyes, particularly in humans, wherein each eye's visual field overlaps, thereby creating depth perception.
Within photography this would be the difference in shooting an object from different angles or with different lenses, thereby increasing or decreasing the sense of depth within the frame.
If our physical eyes frame the world via stereopsis, or binocular vision, (which maybe in real-time, memory, or a created image) how do we view our metaphysical experiences in the world? Where do we stand inside of ourselves as we look through the eyes of our soul?
It is altogether possible that we may become fixated in our standpoint and thereby in our perceptions, relying on instinct and habit to guide us. Seeing ourselves from a stationary position within the context of our surroundings limits our understanding of our relationships to Self, Other, and Source.
What in your life do you persist in seeing from only one perspective? How does this affect your view of life? How does this view inform the images you capture through your lens?
As an experiment, try looking at the world through one eye, then the other. Then manifest that gestalt in reference to some situation in your life. Literally stand on one side of the proverbial fence, make a statement from that position, then move yourself to the other side of the fence and respectfully state an observation from there. (You may find this to be a longer conversation, so keep it simple to start). Now, pick up your camera, approach a subject matter, take a frame or two, and move to the opposite side and repeat.
Reflect on where your instincts took you, what you saw from that place, and what, if anything, changed inside, when you physically altered your viewpoint.
If a person can't see the forest through the trees, it's saying that the big picture is lost in some finer detail. Perhaps a perspective is honed in so tightly on one aspect of that person's viewpoint that they've foreclosed on the image before it's magic is allowed to come through.
How willing are you to change the way you look at things? Turn your head, invert your senses, and wrap your mind around an altered relation to the subject. Perhaps, even say, get a proverbial wrench and adjust your attitude.
Consider how many times you've heard, "There's nothing here for me", or "I'm not inspired", or "There's no good shot"? Next time any of these situations come up, encourage the option to stay right where you are and be in the nothing, be uninspired, be disappointed. Hang out, soak in it and be curious. Try entertaining the possibility of "What if?"
If a person can't see the vineyard through the leaves, it's saying that it's time to refocus your attention, and who knows what you'll see. Maybe more leaves, maybe the vineyard, and maybe just a little of both.
Two weeks and a day is fifteen nights of dreams, and fifteen opportunities to live, to choose, to be the best of ourselves. Taking stock (and making stock with Winter's onset), and what of personal intentions and taking action in kind?
Two weeks and a day is fifteen chances of practicing what one preaches, and fifteen possibilities of paradox: strength in vulnerability, clarity amidst fog, silence in the din, abundance from scarcity, surrender within attachment, focus amid distraction, commitment save guarantee, consistency adjunct dissonance, allowance betwixt directed-ness, positive expectation in the face of disappointment, resilience given insecurity, serenity albeit anxiety, calm although irritation, articulation beset lacking communication, in total dynamic peace.
Two weeks and a day from now what events shall transpire and what inner workings revealed?
Between these lines is an invitation to "Show up and be that which you are."
While the video itself is visually stunning, it's the message beneath the images that tugs inside the mind and heart. Dewitt talks about his photographic assignments with National Geographic, their philosophy, and the imprint it made on his life. He shares impactful, stirring vignettes that will warm your heart and make you think.
For example, how would your life be different, if rather than trying to compete to be the best IN the world, you strove to be the best FOR the world?
Or, if you wanted to keep your competitive edge in a fast-paced environment, how might you balance the best of what you DO, with the best of who you ARE?
Imagine for a moment what could happen if you were truly open to all possibilities, and if what you gleaned from those possibilities you gave back, all of it, to share with the world?
Dewitt sums up this philosophy in the video's six-word title, which reminded me of something else I had read recently. Ernest Hemingway, when challenged by friends at a pub to write a six-word life story, wrote, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." (There are hundreds of websites with examples of other six-word life stories).
I'll be thinking about my life's six word story; pondering what in my life I've learned to see because I believe in it; and watching the video again in the near future, because it rings true to me.
If you have 25 minutes to be inspired to live your life better, watch this video, and see what you believe.
Being on top of things, streamlining processes, eliminating redundancy, even "greening" is becoming a verb for economizing on paper as well as the environment.
And being an archetype, Efficiency has it's correlate, Redundancy.
Some days I am reminded of the duality of archetypal influences, and the respect due to opposing forces. This specific example involves loss, not of a loved one, but of a days work, all over a moment of over-efficiency and under-redundancy.
On a past winter's day, I spent the day photographing a yet unexplored area, about an hour or so from my home. (This is the good news in that I can go back with relative ease). The country roads we calming, the winter sky foreboding, the light cagey at times. In the company of good friends, and fellow photographers, we found our vantage points, took our shots, and anticipated the cache of images to furnish us with a few gems.
At the end of the adventure, I downloaded the images, selecting as I always do, the option to delete the files from the memory card, once they've been saved to my hard drive. Operation complete. Commence viewing.
To my surprise and dismay, half of the images were missing from the hard drive file. They were not in the recycle bin, they were not in a temporary file, they were not in another image file, and they were alas, no longer in my memory card.
One choice, one click, one moment in favor of efficiency, and voila! My editing work was cut in half for me, and the choice to decide which half would be erased along with it.
Redundancy has a purpose. It is not necessarily an inconvenience, nor time-waster, and certainly in this case would have been a prudent and thoughtful option. Not having 20/20 foresight, I opted out.
I thus opted-in for Redundancy in image conservation going forward, and allowing the choice for Efficiency in other arenas of Life.
“Manifesting Essence of Place and Feelings through Word and Image”.
Whether quoting this signature line for my contribution through Manifessence, or if in reference to aligning the vehicle of ourselves with a larger truth in this world, Manifessence is a place for seekers, explorers and pilgrims alike.
Place and Feeling could be outer or inner, objective or subjective, product or process. There are places we go in the external world in our daily routines (work, school, home, grocery store), and there are places we go internally in a daily way as well (confidence, dismay, joy, outrage). These internal places might be feelings we experience (we go to a place of joy and feel what it’s like to be there). We also feel the places outside of us (home can be a relaxing, loving, safe sanctuary to some, and a frightening, empty, hurtful nightmare to others).
As the saying goes, “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” and what those words are depends on who’s viewing an image and from what Place they are viewing from. The perspective of the photographer and the participating observer are the Places where meaning take shape, and in those places where feelings arise. It is in the constellating archetypes that the micro-cosmic essence of our selves connects with the macro-cosmic consciousness of the whole.
Place and Feeling could be outer or inner, objective or subjective, product or process. There are places we go in the external world in our daily routines (work, school, home, grocery store), and there are places we go internally in a daily way as well (confidence, dismay, joy, outrage). These internal places might be feelings we experience (we go to a place of joy and feel what it’s like to be there). We also feel the places outside of us (home can be a relaxing, loving, safe sanctuary to some, and a frightening, empty, hurtful nightmare to others).
As the saying goes, “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” and what those words are depends on who’s viewing an image and from what Place they are viewing from. The perspective of the photographer and the participating observer are the Places where meaning take shape, and in those places where feelings arise. It is in the constellating archetypes that the micro-cosmic essence of our selves connects with the macro-cosmic consciousness of the whole.