Some Days With The Camera Are Better Than Others

"Art is what gets us beyond what is real. It makes reality more real. It also shortens the distance we gotta travel to see how connected we are."

~Laura Pritchett, Sky Bridge: A Novel

Some days I pack up all the cameras, 6 of them at last count, and I head out of the house with no expectations of what I will photograph. Other days I plan, and plan, and I map it all out carefully, from the routes to the time of day I want to be in a certain spot, and I know what I want to accomplish right down to the last detail. Two very different approaches, that usually have two different results. I swear, I do my best photos on days when I have no expectations as to what I will see or come across! I am not quite sure why that is... except that perhaps I do better when I don't assign myself the added stress.

For the most part, my photography has been a creative outlet. A way to process emotions and head noise. I know it has been instrumental in keeping myself sane! LOL. I have taken some of my best photos during times of deep grieving, and sorrow. When my friend Frank died and the weekend Pam passed away, I managed to see things with a more appreciative heart. I was still alive, and grateful for all the beauty I was seeing. It felt especially strong after Pam's passing. She and I talked more than once about the natural beauty of the world around us. She had a good heart. I miss her terribly. No one should die at 50!

Cancer is an asshole!

Anyway, it frustrates me when I leave the house with all the equipment I need to take a really excellent photo, and I just can't seem to accomplish it. The photo above is one such example. It was a perfectly clear day. I was focused on the Golden Gate Bridge, there was very little wind to mess with the focus, and yet I just couldn't seem to get the photo as sharp as I wanted and even right now looking at the photo, and remembering the day, I just don't know why. Like I said... it's frustrating. I remember giving up that day, because at one point I just knew that if I tried to force it, the whole experience would have become a chore, and not a joy. There is definitely a time to let go.

Still, in an attempt to pull something positive from the photo, I love the way Cozelman road, along the headlands, lines the hillside. It looks really sharp I think. Okay, so it wasn't a total waste of time. And at least I have the experience of knowing when to give up, and save it all for another day.



Mood: Quiet

~Me :)

Out Of The Blue

"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."

~Dorothea Lange



I had a good day yesterday. A long drive up the San Mateo coast, into San Francisco, and then up to the Headlands, in Marin County. This was my favorite photo of the day, although as photo jaunts go, I was pretty happy with most of what I was able to accomplish. The only snag came when I found that a small access road just off Cozlemen road ridge, had been eliminated. That was the only road that looked directly downward on Point Bonita Lighthouse. 

That lighthouse has proven quite difficult to photograph, especially in that I am not up to the long steep walk it takes to reach it, and the distance it sits on the cliffs from most vantage points. Okay, so, I will keep looking for the way, perhaps I will try climbing on some of the old ruins of the old Nike Missile site, there might be a good point of view from there. I will have to wait for warmer weather to attempt that, which is fine, summer is not too far away!

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)