Daily Practice

Today I was out at the lake with Ben. It was absolutely beautiful. The snow was so pretty....a perfect backdrop. I walked about snapping photos, soaking up the extra warm air. I paused for a few moments, took a deep breath and in that moment I felt a deep-down gratitude. Gratitude for an hour in my day, to just walk and think and BE. 

So good!

Ben and I walk each and every day...rain or shine, sleet or snow. We head out on the trail. It's a must for both of us....like sleeping, eating, breathing.... We just gotta do it. It's our daily practice, and I'm most grateful for it.

How 'bout you? What do you manage to do, everyday, no matter how crazy life gets? Please share with us today.

Getting Creative

Fall seems to be turning to winter sooner than it usually does, from the early snow storms in the east to the earlier than normal rain here in Southern California. We had rain off and on Friday through Sunday and I really needed to get outside, even if just for a little bit.  There was a brief break in the clouds and I remembered my rubber duckies that I had been holding onto since last spring for days just like these.  I grabbed my 11 yr. old son, he grabbed the ducks and off we went to find the perfect puddle to set them free in.  Not only did I get some camera time in, my son and I had some good old fashioned outdoor fun, and for that I am grateful. 

How about you? What do you when the weather doesn't want to cooperate? Today, show us how you work with the weather in your neck of the woods. 

snow globe

Winters where I live can be long suffering. Photography has given me a much needed incentive to be out in the elements more often.  This winter I have had fun photographing our snowfalls.  We have plenty of them, so I happen to get a lot of practice...  I love trying to capture the real feel of a storm. Whether is be the massive amounts of flakes that fall in a given moment, or the blustery winds, i want the photo to reflect those elements and give someone the feeling of being right there.  I often say I feel like I live in a snow globe and many of my shots this winter seem to reflect that.  My main tip in photographing snow is to pull the focus in on your lens,  if you leave it on auto it is sure to focus on something large in the background,  like the trees or a person,  but if you put it on manual focus and pull the focus in off the background you will capture those falling flakes giving your photo the effect of a snow globe all shook up. 

How have you pictured winter?  Did you go small and capture the fragile beauty of a single flake?  Did the beauty after an ice storm captivate you? Perhaps some amazing ice patterns caught your eye. Before the snow and cold are all but a memory, share a favorite winter shot here with us all today.