Tag: Snow

Auld Lang Syne

It's the end of 2012 and the end of my photography Project 52. It seems like it's been a long time but in reality, 52 weeks is short. There were some weeks when I struggled to find something interesting -- from my perspective -- to photograph but I always found something. Fortunately, I knew other photographers doing their own Project 52 who helped provide motivation to get out and shoot. A 52-week photography project is much easier to complete than a 365-day photography project. I've tried those in the past but given my personal and professional schedule -- and my dislike of winter -- there were many days when I couldn't be bothered to pick up the camera. Having a whole week to find a subject that was interesting took the pressure off.

I learned a lot in 2012. The project has helped me practice my technique and compositional skills. I learned more about my Nikon D40 camera -- which I've had six years now -- and it's limitations. For HDR photograph having a camera capable of auto-bracketing is essential and a higher resolution and high ISO sensor helps maintain quality when cropping. I tried overcoming the limitations of my camera via my Raspberry Pi but I would love the convenience of a built-in feature. Finances permitting I would like a new camera body in 2013.

I also learned a lot about lighting. I've taken a few courses and workshops in the past but having my studio strobes has allowed me to experiment. I learn more from doing. My intention for 2013 is use those lights to start and grow my photography business. I prefer landscape and nature photography but it seems more customers are willing to pay for portraits.

So that's it for 2012. I'm looking forward to 2013 and whatever new adventures await. So as the song "Auld Lang Syne" suggest, the time has gone by. May the new times ahead bring incredible new adventures for you.

A Daily Choice

A Daily Choice

I’m reminded that every day brings me one essential choice. I can make the most of what the day brings, or I can choose to despair.

Despair is a strong word, but it’s at the end of the road that starts with a complaint. Last week, after returning home from a week abroad, we found that winter had arrived while we were gone. A week away from home results in a lot of catch up work on its own; throw in 2 feet of snow to the mix, and suddenly I easily find a reason to complain. Instead of spending my evenings working on a side project or prepping Bible study, I’m dealing with snow for 2 hours.

And those are the moments where I’m faced with the choice. I can grumble inside, allowing myself to be stressed by the mounting task list. Or, I can take a deep breath, look up into the moonlight heavens, recognize the majesty around me, and remember that I’m incredibly blessed to be warm, to have a home and family to care for and rest in the knowledge that the work will never be done. Not in this world.

I struggle with this choice every day. But with age comes wisdom, and I’m learning.

"It snowed!"

People who know me also know that I'm a fan of neither cold nor snow. I grew up in the warm climes of the English speaking Caribbean (the British West Indies) and had my first experience with snow when I was almost nineteen. It was my first semester at college and I had made a few new acquaintances. One of them came banging on my door, yelling "Snow"! I stepped outside with him to experience this wonder of white stuff falling from the sky. I remember enjoying the cold wet fluff in my hands and was told to try and catch a snowflake with my tongue. It seemed wonderful and magical. It was only later that I came to understand the true meaning of a snowfall.

It meant trudging out in the cold and wet to a class. It meant that my shoes were full of sand and salt. It meant that I had to spend months under a blanket. Yeah, I'm not too positive about snow. Today's snowfall means my back will get a real work out. It means the roads will be full of incompetent idiots in SUV who think they are invincible (thank goodness Montgomery Martial Arts is closed today). My wife, Bhavna, wonders how I managed to survive the winters in Michigan while attending the University of Michigan. I did it because I wanted an advanced degree. She's right; I survived it.

But now … I've got kids. The first words I heard from my eleven-year-old daughter this morning were, "It snowing! It snowing!". My almost thirteen-year-old son says he won't let us move to California or Florida — I keep threatening to do it — because it doesn't snow. Perhaps I need to see this through their eyes. Perhaps, it's time to put away adult thinking and just enjoy what is. "It snowed!"