Rite of passage

It’s summer. It’s time for T-ball. This is where it all begins. For some, it’s their first year of organized sports and perhaps their last year. For Eli, it’s a right of passage to the much sought after status of little league stardom before moving on eventually to the big leagues.

His goal is to be a left-handed relief pitcher in the majors, or maybe that’s his mother’s goal. But regardless of the intensity of the game there’s always time to turn around and say “Hi mom.” Yes, it all starts here.

Thank you!

Thank you for freedom.
Thank you for serving.
Thank you for giving.
Thank you for protecting.
Thank you for the peace we have under this flag.
May we never forget the sacrifices that got us here.

Holiday driving

Don't you just love a holiday? Gas stations slowly increase their prices about 20 percent in the weeks before regardless of oil prices because they know we'll go. But if you're like us and stuck in traffic, get out the camera and start taking pictures. There are trailers, campers, wagons, vans and canoes all trying to get someplace but going no place. If you're really curious and brave, roll down your window and ask where they think they are going.

It seems sitting in cars on the holiday highway has become an American pasttime, so take advantage of it. It's an opportunity to chronical life around you. It's one thing millions of Americans do on a holiday. Open the sunroof and photograph the people behind you, beside you and in front of you. Shoot road signs and people signs. Some people send some rather direct signs, but keep your distance and keep shooting. You'll never see them again, hopefully.

Shadows

Did you ever think about shadows? They have no substance, yet they have shape. They are two-dimensional, but can wrap around the edge of a three-dimensional object. There are no identifying details.
We identify most objects because they are lit, but a shadow is formed by the absence of light. Geometric shadows can be misleading in that the shadow of a cube can be a hexagon and the shadow of a pyramid can be a square. Similarly, shadows of people can change their shape depending on the time of day and how they face the light.
The same shadow can also evoke a sense of fear to one person and security to another. Some may find shade in the shadow of a tree or building while others find danger.
Children like to chase their shadows until they find there is nothing there and if they turn around, the shadow is gone.
Shadows can actually give life and character to someone. This shadow, for example, gives life to the boot. It causes us to imagine the rest of the story which will be different for everyone who sees it. How about you?

Outside the box

Stay in the box and stay with the crowd. It’s safe, it’s comfortable, it’s the norm, and you won’t stand out. In fact, no one will even notice you’re there, or anywhere for that matter. But if you want to make a difference, take a risk and get outside your box whatever it might be.

Make people think. Play with their minds. Give them a reason to seek you out first. If you’re outside the box, you’ll be easy to find.

Reach for the sky

Do you remember what it was like be a kid and just swing away the day? No stress. No pressure. No deadlines. Just hold on and reach higher and higher for that big blue sky. Sometimes we had someone to push us and other times we just did it ourselves.

In many respects, we’re still kids. Yes, there is a little stress, more pressure and a few deadlines, but we still manage to hold on as we reach higher and higher for that big blue sky. Sometimes we need someone to push us and other times we just do it ourselves.

Ed

Ed – amazing illustrator, competitor, mentor, coach, advisor, confidant, and above all, friend. He exemplifies Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

While I am very privileged to work professionally with my wife throughout the week, I find it especially important to have another guy with whom I can share my burdens and concerns. There are so many distractions that impact our marriages, families, and careers that we all need a person of like mindset who will hold us accountable and is not afraid to challenge, encourage and ultimately sharpen us, regardless of the cost.

For more about Ed, check his website and follow his blog.

Look like a bug

So often we get stuck in a “visual rut” where we look at something, or perhaps everything, from the top down or at best straight on, as long as we don’t have to stoop too low. My visual rut is usually six feet above the ground. It’s convenient to not have to bend down, stoop, or get down on the ground to shoot, but it’s also boring because that’s how the vast majority of floral images are shot.

It’s more fun to look like a bug. I don’t mean wondering what it’s like to have six legs, wings, antenna and faceted eyes, but instead to imagine how a bug would look at a plant. From the dirt below, it towers like an oak. From the center of a leaf, it looks like a well manicured lawn, and from the edge of a petal, it looks like a rolling hill or soft valley. For some, a plant is food, for others, safety, and yet others, danger. For us, a plant is something beautiful no matter how you look at it. It’s a sign of life, and when we look closely enough, new beginnings are ready to blossom.

The blogger

Sometimes we just don’t know what to say. We have a stack of paper on our desk, our pencils are sharp and we’re holding our tongue just right. Finally, we get an idea, and the words begin to flow. Our imagination begins to unwind and before we know it, hours have passed by and our pencil feels like a five pound weight. It gets heavier and heavier, but we are still focused on the story as we try to keep up with an imagination that just won’t stop. Perhaps we get a little goofy or cynical as our imaginations get sidetracked. Perhaps it’s an opportunity to vent or tell how we really feel about something, or someone. Maybe it’s a journal so private that we won’t let anyone read it, or maybe it’s for my blog when I have nothing else to say.

Waiting for the doctor

Doctors! Have you ever tried to see one without insurance? I called around today to get an appointment with an internist, but none will let me in the door unless I have health insurance. For the self-employed, you are better off being self-insured, unless of course you actually need a doctor. I even asked if we could get an appointment if I walked in with a bucket of cash to pay right away. “No, we only accept patients with insurance,” she responded.

Finally, I found one that would take cash, but they had so many new patients in the first three months of this year, that they aren’t sure if they can even handle a new patient at this point. I guess I’ll just wait.

Alone in Central Park

New York’s Central Park is a melting pot of people from every culture and position in life. Some have their favorite bench, tree or patch of grass on which to hang out, or grab a hot dog. Some are there just to enjoy a sense of solitude in the midst of one of the most densely populated and perhaps the most influential city in the world.

For a photographer, it’s a whole new world within a world. It is a place where you can get into your own creative zone and, like everyone else, hope that no one notices.