obstructed view

I raced the sunset last night; home to grab my camera and back up to the highest hill in town in anticipation of the last light and color of the evening.

I made it in time but was disappointed by the view. How was it that I forgot about the fence up there that stood between myself and the expansive sky?

Regardless the obstacle, I shot a number of images. Looking up, across, vertical, horizontal and finally, through. And of all the shots, there was something about the shot that included the obstruction that captured my interest. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. In this case, it kind of worked.

Have you ever taken a risk and shot anyway, even when conditions weren't right, the scene not what you expected? Today share a view that clicked for you, regardless the obstacles.

For No Obvious Reason

I can't tell you why exactly, but I love this photo. I don't know much about rules of aesthetics that determine whether a photograph should or shouldn't be pleasing to the eye, and quite frankly, I don't really care about the rules. What I can tell you is that the first time I saw this photo, I was instantly smitten. Perhaps it's because looking at it made me develop a narrative about the woman on her phone. Maybe it has to do with the perspective from which the photo was taken. Or it could be because nothing is really in focus in this picture. There is no specific reason for me to like this photo, but I can't deny that I do find it beautiful, and that to me is more important than if a bunch of rules deem it to be a photo worthy of my admiration.

Today, share with us your images that you instantly fell in love with for no obvious reason. Who knows; maybe we'll be smitten as well.

coupled up

It all started about a week ago with a pair of bananas in the fruit bowl and it quickly became my own personal photo project. And now, everywhere I look, I find yet another couple.

Today, as we celebrate a day of love, what could be sweeter than sharing the tenderness of two? We ask you today to bring us your images of coupling.

meant to be

I took a few dozen shots of her that late afternoon. Effortless, expressive, fun; her. 99% of them didn't look anything like this one. And even after adoring all the shots that really captured her lightness and ease, her playful spirit, it's this single image that stays with me. 

It was the first shot I snapped before I checked my manual settings and it's (obviously) about 3 stops underexposed. 

There's no telling what magic can happen when we're least prepared and not all all expecting it.

I'll admit, I took it into Lightroom and thought that maybe a little processing might "correct" my mistake but nothing I did actually improved the image. This is exactly how the image needed to be. Underexposed and unaltered. Unapologic in every way. A rare gem. A true gift. Totally real.

Share with us a rare gem of yours. Maybe it came through calculated planning, by accident or by fate. Whatever the case may be we want to see your images, exactly how they were meant to be. 

Jumping and perseverance

I spent most of 2010 outside my comfort zone. For various reasons I was traveling a lot, meeting new people, and figuring out how to navigate through many different (sometimes daunting) situations. It left me feeling mostly adventurous, stimulated, and fulfilled. But when the new year came, I was ready to hibernate. Tired of pushing, I scheduled three solid weeks of not having to be anywhere. I worked in sweat-pants, showered every other day (maybe), and let the pendulum swing back into a the more normal place (for me) which is somewhere between extrovert and introvert, party-animal and hermit. 

And it's this notion of extremes that got me to thinking, maybe I don't have to be dancing on tables one day and hiding under them the next? Maybe there's a vastly less dramatic space in the middle which doesn't require so much pushing. I've taken my share of risks, "leaping by faith". Sometimes it works out, other times I've fallen flat on my ass. Because let's face it, sometimes the net doesn't appear. And I don't mean that in a negative way, because I also believe things have a way of working out after a fall. But sometimes we get so distracted (or addicted) to the drama of leaping, that we forget how important it is to ordinarily plod along. Of course there are moments when leaping is necessary: sometimes the lease is on the table, sometimes money needs to be transferred before you know what the end result will be. There are inevitable moments that require us to let go, hold our breath, and jump. But that's what they are: moments. The rest of our time (lives) is spent doing the less glamorous work of putting one foot in front of the other. Whether you want to be a pilot or a pop star, a writer or photographer, it's this quiet, ordinary perseverance that gets us there. 

Don't you think? What has been your experience? Has the net always appeared for you? We'd love to hear.