Finding Joy in the Simple Things

I haven’t forgotten my goal of trying to find joy as often as possible. I have a couple things to share with you from last weekend, as well as some joy that I am looking forward to this weekend.

My friends and I did Hike #2 of our MidState Trail hike last Sunday. That morning, as I bustled about getting ready for the hike, I paused a moment at the sight out the window in my front yard:

The robin is out of focus, but I just loved the look of the early morning sun on the dew-kissed lilac branches (which will hopefully be laden with flowers and deliciously fragrant only a few short weeks from now).

At the end of our hike, my friends and I and the dogs did another group portrait.

Daphne is absent from this one due to doing a long walk with Sarah the day before. Sarah is in the Canine Club at our high school and Sarah and Daphne participated in a 5 mile walk around town in support of “Bark for Life” which researches canine cancers. Daphne decided she was done with the walk with a little less than a mile to go back to the starting point and sat down, refusing to go any further. Hubby had to go rescue Sarah and our obstinate fur-baby and take them home! I decided a second 5 mile hike the next day was probably not the best move for my aging golden.

Tonight is a night I’ve looked forward to since Christmas time. As a Christmas gift, my father gave Meghan, Sarah and me tickets to see the Moscow Ballet perform “Sleeping Beauty” at the Hanover Theater in Worcester. In just a short while, Sarah and I will head out to Worcester to pick up Meghan and go out to dinner, followed by the ballet – sure to be a lovely evening.

I hope you have a lovely weekend in store! Tell me about your plans in the comments if you’d like to share!

Stripping Away the Color

When Scott announced his photography assignment for this month, I wasn’t sure I would participate. Black and white photography!I thought to myself, oh dear, not a favorite for me.
For me photography is all about color – yes, composition and subject are huge parts too, but I just didn’t know if I could find any of my photos that would be interesting enough to present in black and white. I don’t react well to black and white photography as a general rule. I’ve had this pre-conceived notion in my head that black and white is always moody.
However, to show my support of Scott’s tenacity for bringing us new assignments every other month ( I know how much work it is to write those wrap-ups from when I did the photo hunts), I decided to peruse my archives to see if I could find some shots of interest. I believe I still like these photos better in color, but I can see some appreciation of the subtleties of black and white as well.
In this first picture, Meghan had asked me to take a picture of her in an arebesque on pointe so that she could use it for an art project.

In removing the color from this photo, I noticed shadows both on the walls and in the mirrors that I hadn’t seen in the color version. I think that adds some interesting movement to the shot that wasn’t in the color one. The Christmas decorations still hanging on the walls are little less emphasized in the black and white version as well.

For this photo, it occurred to me that Teddy could make a good subject for black and white photography since he is really a study in contrasts to begin with.

Teddy has a truly expressive face, and at times it is quite comical, but black and white seems to bring an unusually sorrowful look to his usually clown-like face.

I chose to include this last shot in the black and white assignment because when I originally posted it in color in the “What Winter Means to Me” assignment, my mother happened to comment on how much she liked the “black and white” photo of my backyard! There was very little color in the original, so I decided to see what it would look like completely stripped away.

The photos don’t look extremely different, but I think the black and white looks more like bad weather is imminent.

For a transitional month, so lacking in natural color, this black and white assignment turned out to be one that I could work with afterall! I am, however, very much looking forward to the colors of spring!

Scott’s assignment isn’t due until this Wednesday the 20th if you think you’d like to join in!

Picture Winter Day 26

“A Beautiful Mess”

When I first read today’s prompt, I thought it sounded a bit familiar, but then I realized it was looking for something quite different.  “Is there a mess you might consider visiting today that when appreciated for what it really is, can be seen in a new light? It might be a challenge, that’s for sure, but if we’re trying to reframe our lives, there’s no better place to start than our messes.” 

I took this to mean that we should photograph a mess that we can appreciate its reason for being.  Hubby suggested I should shoot his sauce-covered plate in appreciation for the lovely braciole he made for dinner this evening, but I didn’t think that would make a picture anyone would really want to see!  So once again, my thoughts turned to my daughters! LOL!  Daughters-teenagers-messes… wonder how I made that connection? 

I opened Meghan’s dance bag and peered inside.  How could I create a beautiful mess from this?  Here’s my interpretation of the prompt:

                       nifty-fifty, 1/50 sec, f1.8,  +2/3AV

To me, ballet is one of the most beautiful arts.  I envy and admire those ballerinas with perfect balance on the tips of their toes.  Those hard-working toes really give pointe shoes a beating, so I find them to be a most beautiful mess.  And this is only halfway through the dance year!  They will look far worse come June.

Picture Winter Day 10

“Seeking Balance”

One third of the way into my 30-day “Picture Winter” class, the prompt read: “As we tread softly into 2011, let’s focus on ways to keep balanced. Literally.  How about finding something that displays a poetic balance?”  Someone, rather than  something, was the first thought in my mind:

I’m hoping that the spirit of this prompt is a case where centering the shot actually works and is called for.  Finding a place in the house for Meghan to perform an Arabesque “en pointe” and fit her all into the view wasn’t an easy task.  For whatever this shot may lack in composition, I think my daughter’s beautiful pose, position and spirit compensates. 🙂