when the planets align

We were returning home from an afternoon spent with some friends when we remembered the solar eclipse was about to start. We pulled our cars over near the coast to take a look. Far too bright to really see, we struggled with make-shift ideas of how to knock down the glare enough to make out the shape as our sun was slowly being covered by the moon. Three pairs of sun glasses, looking through the tinted glass of our car windows, seeing it via reflection...some methods worked better than others but after a few minutes we all got back into our cars, a little defeated, and headed home.

Back at home we tried a few more of my crazy ideas (why we didn't Google it is beyond me) but we couldn't see it like we'd hoped. The family had pretty much called it an event but I kept walking outside every few minutes to see if anything had changed.

Imagine my delight when in rolled in the most ideal layer of thin coastal fog I had ever seen. Like a sheer curtain, the marine layer filtered the sun just enough to be able to get a perfect and clear glimpse of the eclipse. I screamed for the family and when they all came running outside, they were as tickled as I was.

The next time this will happen here, my kids will be 19 & 25 years old. In other words, I knew we were witnessing something very special. Click, click, click went my camera as my girls, now 8 & 14 danced along the sidewalk, squealing and giggling. I'm not sure if I'd have been able to capture the eclipse at all if it weren't for the perfect timing of that marine layer but it didn't matter; the planets had aligned quite literally and I had the honor of documenting it.

If you captured the eclipse, we'd love to see your perspective. It's Best Shot Monday, so share any image you'd like where the planets aligned and got you all aglow!

weekending by tamar haytayan

Tamar Haytayan shoots images like this with her Nikon D80 and D5100 and spends her weekends with her family in beautiful rainy Vancouver, relaxing, cooking, clicking, and trying to find some time for herself in between.

Tamar can be found online on her blog Colour of Pomegranates and on Flickr.

Won't you share with us the kinds of things you discover while you're weekending?

To be featured on our weekending series, email us an image that tells your weekending story.

self-discovery

Last month I traveled to Haiti with a non-profit organization to document the re-opening of two primary schools that were devastated by the 2010 earthquake. I knew that the experience would be somewhat extraordinary. That as soon as I would land the fears that had been keeping me awake for many many nights would disappear. That I would learn, and hopefully thrive as a photographer. And delight in the discovery of a new culture.

And although my understanding for this country has shifted, and I now have a much better sense of appreciation for life, and respect for photographers who are in the field serving the stories of those in front of the lens, I am mostly grateful for the way this experience has uncovered many layers of my personal story, and helped me discover what I am capable of, what I'm passionate about, and who I truly am. 

Today share with us. What did photography make you discover about yourself?

stolen moments

Just when I thought my night was ready to wind down, my son tells me he has nothing for breakfast the next morning and that we're out of bread to make sandwiches for his school lunch.  To say that I was not pleased about having to go the store at 9 p.m. is an understatement.  I grabbed my keys and purse and stomped out of the house while grumbling all the way to the car. 

Once I arrived at the store, I grabbed a basket and continude my grumbling as I headed out for the items I needed.  Of course the items I need are on both ends of the store.  First I grabbed a loaf of bread on one side and then stomped my way to the other side of the store to the cereal aisle.  I located the requested box of Fruity Pebbles and tossed the box into my cart.  As I prepared to move on, in front of me was a couple, both easily in their 80s.  With their basket sitting in the middle of the aisle, they stood there arguing about which cereal to get and just listening to them made me smile.  

Now I have tell you, I have a thing for the elderly.  I mean, I really do.  If I had a choice of sitting in a room of my peers or a room of senior citizens, seniors win, hands down.  I want to sit with them and soak in as many life lessons from them as I can.  I miss my grandparents tremendously which is why I think I tend to gravitate to seniors so much.  Being near this couple made me miss them even more.   

As I stood there in the company of this sweet couple, my irritation instantly disappeared.  I grabbed my phone and took this photo as they finally decided on their cereal choice and made their way slowly down the aisle. It was my little gift to myself, a stolen moment just for me and I reminded myself that life is too short to sweat the small stuff, fruity pebbles and all.

Today, share your photos of stolen moment with us and let us have a peek inside, too. 

Weekending by Kate Sutterfield

Kate Sutterfield shoots images like this with her Droid smart phone on instagram or Nikon D40 and spends her weekends soaking in the sun or moon on a patio somewhere or running lots of miles with her Lab.

Kate Sutterfield can be found on her blog, on instagram as @kates1 or on twitter as Mrs Sutterfield.

Share  your illuminating weekend images with us.