“Though the rules of the road have been lodged, it’s only people’s games that you got to dodge. And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it.” Bob Dylan
What about the Children?
Tag: Black and White
Time Enough at Last
“The trouble is, you think you have time.” Buddha’s Little Instruction Book
The Dark Days
“There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.” Gandhi
Basic Stereotyping
“In this world of basic stereotyping, give a guy a big nose and some weird hair and he is capable of anything.” Frank Zappa
Teachings
Eckhart Tolle, in The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment said to let the flowers teach you how to live and how to die, and how not to make living and dying into a problem. Butt wait, there’s more.
Let them teach you about composition, aperture, exposure compensation and shutter speed. Let them teach you to not only keep a tripod in your car but to use it.
Let them teach you about light, wind gusts and patience. Let them teach you to pay attention to signs, and not get locked in the park overnight. Let them teach you about color and how to bring out their beauty in a photograph.
And finally, if it takes a while to learn all of that let them teach you to convert to black and white, and pretend that you feel color is distracting and that you were going for that aesthetic, artistic look.
Why?
“Start by asking the question ‘Why’. This is because behind the question ‘Why’ there lies answers to your question.” D.S. Mashego
Hitting the Wall
“I am hitting my head against the walls, but the walls are giving way.” Gustav Mahler
Spring Training
It seemed like a perfect day to go back to bed and fantasize about winning the Powerball. An hour after that thought I was standing on the tracks in thirty degree weather waiting for the steam engine in Strasburg.
I saw it in the distance and got out of my car to find that the wind was twenty miles an hour blowing directly into my face. But since I like a challenge I set my camera to speed priority and gave it a shot (26).
Tears were streaming down my face, I was almost shooting blind, and the only other photographer probably figured they were tears of joy. Maybe some of them were, but at that point I was once again thinking about taking up golf.
While the composition could be better I was surprised that the image was sharp and was glad that I forced myself to go out. To be honest my obsessive compulsive photography disorder got me out but it didn’t matter.
I probably won’t win the lottery tonight and if I do I have a feeling I’ll be doing the same things in the same way. Maybe I’ll pull up to this spot on a brand new motorcycle, but I’ll still be standing there with a camera, waiting.
The Free World
“If you want to change the world, start with the next person who comes to you in need.” B. D. Schiers
Ephemera
“We’re as ephemeral as raindrops. We all fall, and we all land somewhere.” Robert Charles Wilson
