Stare, Pry, Listen, Eavesdrop

"Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long."

~Walker Evans

I love today's quote. I try... try mind you... to put all of my senses to work when I am taking photos. I want the full feeling to dictate how I approach a subject. Touch is usually the most difficult to use, because obviously, you can't always be in a position to touch the subject of the photograph! But when I can, I do.But when I can't I try to make some sort of contact with the subject. That usually means a smile or wave. Sometimes eye contact fills the moment just fine.

I took this photo way back in February. It is a bouquet that a lovely young lady was holding, while posing for what I think was her engagement photo. She and her man were at the Queen Wilhelmina garden in Golden Gate Park, and they were posed, on a blanket, sitting next to the emerging tulips and multicolored California poppies.

It was a very cold day, but with his arms around her, she was perfectly warm. He had a smile of a man who had found perfect happiness. All was right with the world on that cold, slightly drizzly day, for him it was bright and sunny outside, and just watching that much happiness, made me happy and warm inside as well. I felt warmer, just by witnessing their happiness. 

After the photo session was over for the couple, the young man helped his lady up, and they moved to another part of the park. I didn't want to disturb them when the photos were being done, so I didn't photograph them, but when the young lady placed her bouquet on the cement while she got up, I took a quick snap of the flowers. When I lowered the camera from my face, I saw the groom-to-be looking at me, patiently waiting for me to take my photograph of the bouquet, with the sweetest smile on his face. His expression seemed to say...

I know... right? :)

It was a good day to STARE, PRY, LISTEN, And EAVESDROP!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Spring And Monet

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

~Claude Monet

It's officially spring, which means I am going to be searching out all things pastel and garden! I am planning a trip, very soon, to the central coast. Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, all along to coast of Monterey County, which will be an all day long event. One of which  that will leave me completely exhausted, but very happy inside! It will be a physical and mental workout to be sure, but nothing brings me to life inside, like a really good day with the cameras! The picture above was taken in the spring of 2005, at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. It's gorgeous there in the springtime. It should be absolutely stunning right now. I might pay a visit there this week or next. I will be in the park to photograph the tulips at the Queen Wilhelmina Garden, so I will probably try to take in as much as possible.

The following are some photos I did this past winter. Again I was inspired by Claude Monet and his attention to light and color. There is a small amount of enhancement to bring the original photo to a more artist feel. Most of the time I refrain from doing too much editing to my photographs, but when I set out to do something a little different, something slightly more romantic of just give the subject a softness, I will use the editing tools to create my version of impressionism. I am hoping to get the paint brush out later this year and do a painting, but then again I have been thinking of doing that for several years and have ended up procrastinating. LOL. We'll see if this is the year!

Three Of My Favorites By Claude Monet...

The Complete Works Of Claude Monet

Two New Original Photos From Winter

The Cliffs Of Pacifica...




I get excited just thinking about the outing with the cameras! The 17 Mile drive is full of amazing beauty, and the purple ice plant along on the cliff side in Pacific Grove is breathtaking, as is the Monarch Sanctuary! So much beauty! Spring may not be my favorite season, but it is full of a lot of my favorite things. If only we could drop autumn leaves in spring time, life would be just about perfect!

"Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It's enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it."

~Claude Monet

Mood: Happy, Inspired

~Me :)

On A Late Winter's Day

"A garden to walk in an immensity to dream in... what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above the stars."

~Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

It was so beautiful yesterday in Golden Gate Park, but words aren't really needed to convey that are they? The poppies are gorgeous, but in about another week or so, the tulips will be fully open! I can't wait... there is more to come!

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Happy

Me :)

The Colors Of Golden Gate Park

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

~Alice Walker, The Color Purple

California Poppy


Isn't that color amazing? I found the pretty little purple flowers growing at the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, in Golden Gate Park. I am not sure what they are, pansies I think, but I can't be certain. Anyway, they were so lovely I couldn't pass up the chance to capture their image when I was there the other day. Beautiful.

Spring is beginning to blossom all over the park. I could see that among the gorgeous California poppies, there were tulips here and there. In a month or so, the place will be all tulips! That's why spring is my favorite time in this park, everything is so alive with color! It always lifts my mood and makes me smile. 

There is a lot of beautiful color to come... stay tuned!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Round Robin Photo Challenge: Gardens

"A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in... what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars."

~Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

RRC: Gardens

I had a difficult time deciding whether I wanted to feature flowers, or vegetables for this Round Robin Challenge. I thought about visiting one of the many community gardens in the Bay Area to feature the lovely way they dress up a neighborhood, but in the end I decided to do a round up of some of the prettiest flower gardens I have been to in my travels with my digital cameras over the last 10 years.

Enjoy! :)

Let's begin with the photo featured at the top of the post!

Pastorino's, Half Moon Bay, California


Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California


Conservatory Of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California


Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California


Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California


Capitol Rose Garden, Sacramento, California


A Lovely Balcony Garden, 20th st. San Francisco, California


The Brazilian Room Garden, Tilden Park, Berkeley, California


Now that you have seen my gardens, please be sure to visit the other Round Robin participants. Please click the Link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog. :)

Mood: Creative/Happy

~Me :)

Steller's Jay and Blue Heron

Elk Glen Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco 3/27/2013

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

~John Muir

 
Blue Heron

Yesterday, my travels about Golden Gate Park saw me enjoying all the bright shades of yellow that were dotting the park, but there was another color that kept showing up as well, which gave they day a nice balance. Blue. Lovely, calming, quiet... Blue. Just after finishing my time with the camera photographing the pretty yellow tulips at Queen Wilhelmina garden, I was fortunate enough to spot a gorgeous Blue Heron, sitting a little back from the road near Mallard Lake. While taking his photo, we were visited by a gorgeous Steller's Jay who wanted some attention as well! He made a racket! He photo bombed the perfect pictures that would have been, and generally stalked me until I gave him the proper respect and time he deserved. I happily obliged and it payed off with his showing up again, a short time later, and soon along came about 20 of his friends and family, this time a short walk from where we first met, in a small grove adjacent to Elk Glen Lake, inside the park.

Here, Have A Look...

Steller's Jay


To my delight, I actually found quite a few different species of birds yesterday, which means I can fill in some entries for my birdwatching journal. I am anxious to get out and do more birding. For now though I have to track down a couple birds I spotted yesterday, but couldn't identify. I like that part of birding... learning all about a new one. It's a mystery, but soon you find the information and it's like finding a new friend. I hope that makes sense! When the Steller's Jay came along yesterday, I hadn't seen one since the autumn of 2005. They are such beautiful birds! And really fascinating as well!

As soon as I I.D. the other birds I saw yesterday, I will post them to Ellipsis. :) But until then, tell me, do you do any birdwatching? If so, do you live, sleep and eat... well... not eat... but obsess maybe... on birds? If so, how often do you go birdwatching, and is it a hobby or just an occasional activity? How many different birds can be spotted in your neighborhood on any given day? And what bird would you say is your absolute favorite? Tell me everything!

Elk Glen Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Ca

Map of Golden Gate Park (PDF)

Mood: Happy

~Carly :)

And The Color Was Yellow

"On a traffic light, green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the hell did you get that banana at?"

~Mitch Hedberg

When you first pull up to the curb in front of the Queen Wilhelmina Windmill Garden, in Golden Gate park, you most often see the color purple edging around the entrance, but that doesn't mean there is purple stealing the show inside the garden itself, so I try to look away when we first get there, just to give myself time to imagine what flowers of amazing beauty will be planted this time! If it's March, you can usually count on it that there will be tulips, and sure enough, when I visited yesterday, it was! Gorgeous yellow tulips were the main attraction, but the left side of the park had some soft pink ones, and there was a lovely display of white ones, surrounded by bright orange California Poppies in the middle of the garden!

Here Have A Look...



It was a lovely, gray, overcast day. Big drops of rain? Not so much, but there was a lot of fog, and an actual misty drop or two, so we didn't stay very long. My cold is about 85% better, but the body aches continue, as does the occasional coughing rant. Also, the Fibromyalgia is not to be out shadowed by the lesser head cold, so it is in full on rage, meaning body aches, extreme sleepiness, joint pain, Fibro-Fog (that thing that makes me think a certain word, but say a different one instead) but it felt really good to get out of the house for a few hours. Today I plan to take it easy, and just tend to the basic stuff around the house. I have a couple errands, but that shouldn't take very long. We'll see! For now I am concentrating on the beauty of yesterday, the color was yellow after all! Who doesn't smile when they see yellow?

:)

Mood: Hopeful and Happy

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 139~ The Black Phoebe

"Summer makes me drowsy. Autumn makes me sing. Winter's pretty lousy, but I hate the spring."

~Dorothy Parker

 

Yesterday, Alan and I decided to take the new toy to San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is great this time of year, everyone is back at school, and the tourists are waning off. It's so much easier to find a place to park this time of year. The summer can be downright frustrating, so we didn't spend a lot of time there this year. Now it's time to make up for lost time!

The gardens within the park are absolutely gorgeous! One of our favorites is the garden at the Queen Wilhelmina Windmill. During the spring months, the landscape is usually covered with brightly colored tulips and California Poppies. But in the autumn the garden is transformed with flowers of crimson and rust colors. It's lovely. I got a nice surprise while visiting yesterday, when I spotted a Black Phoebe resting for a bit on one of the small rock walls. Happiness! I wish I could have gotten closer to the Phoebe, but I wasn't planning on doing birdwatching, so I am just happy I got this photo no worries!

:)

Vacation officially starts Monday, and I am planning on doing a lot of bird watching. I am hoping to post at least one new bird photograph per week. If you want to join me, we can designate one particular day to post our cross posts. Let me know what you think!

Only 40 more days left in my project, "A Photo A Day For 6 Months." If you haven't participated, and would still like to, you are more than welcome to do so. Jump in anytime. Just post your photo, of whatever subject catches your eye that day, and leave me a link to it in the comment thread. I will make sure your name is added the the participation list with the next post. Joining in couldn't be easier! At the end of the 40 days I will announce whether or not I will be relaunching the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot (EMPS). Let me know how you feel about that project. If there is no interest, no worries, perhaps it was time to let it come to it's logical end, but if you really enjoyed it, I will be happy to host it.

Just know... NO worries either way. Okay?

:)

Okay, that it for me, now go visit my pal JR. He has been a great and loyal friend. Its those like him, that make me thankful that I took on the MPS, because I have enjoyed viewing his photography very much! If you haven't been by his blog... go... view... be happy!

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-135.html

~Me :)