Convergence and a Crossroad

by Kim

"Above all, I crave to seize the whole essence, in the confines 

of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the

process of unrolling itself before my eyes."

- Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a street photographer. And although this is not about street photography, it is still about the essence we can capture in a single photograph in the moments that move through us if we allow them. 

It is about being able to see and fully experience the beauty beneath the exterior of life . . . because even beneath the surface of the grayest of days, both physically and metaphorically, there is something that shimmers, like gold.

For me, photography has always been a kind of spiritual practice. I've always felt that the photograph is secondary to my experience.

But there are some days that the convergence of my heart with the mindfulness of the present does not always become reality and I find myself at a crossroad of sorts.

Just being in the "right spot"isn't enough if I have disconnect between my head and my heart.

And honestly, there are days that I go out with my camera and have every intention of  "finding something" to bring home on my memory card. Those are the days that I find myself the most frustrated.

Because I've forgotten that expectations lead to disappointments, and that the process or practice of putting my camera to my eye is much more about a path of discovery, of myself and the world around me.

And then there are days like this one, where there were no preconceived ideas about what the sunrise should look like. Where I could feel the essence of the morning in a single photograph, and moments lingered like eternity.

"To us, the difference between the photographer as an individual eye and the photographer

as an objective recorder seems fundamental, the difference often regarded, mistakenly, as

separating photography as art from photography as document. But both are logical extensions

of what photography means; note-taking on, potentially, everything in the world, from every

possible angle."  - Susan Sontag

Of Transitions and Treasures

by Dotti

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

                                                                         ~ The Book of Ecclesiastes

It’s that time of year again, isn’t it? I call it the season of transitions, this season of graduations, weddings, anniversaries. {Today just happens to be my wedding anniversary!} There is a common rhythm to our lives: infant, toddler, preschooler, elementary school, middle school, then the first ‘big’ one – high school followed too quickly by the really big one – college or career or military.

And it doesn't stop there. The transitions continue: graduation, graduate school or career, perhaps marriage, and then perhaps grandchildren. All these things come in their own seasons and we are powerless to stop them. We move from young adults to middle age to older adults. Our heartfelt protests will not stop the march of time and the transitions of life.

The big one. The one that allows our ducklings to leave the nest, leaving us with an empty nest.

My little duck family seems to be better prepared for that empty nest than we humans do. They nurture their young while they need it and then push them out on their own. All of us, I’m sure have witnessed the mother bird teaching her young to reach farther and farther for the food she brings until they realize they can fly on their own, they can find their own food.

But for so many of us who are part of the human species, it doesn’t go quite so easily and smoothly, does it? It’s something we’ve talked about many times here at FOL, readers and contributors alike, how we ventured into photography to help fill the void in our lives. Not all of us, but many of us.

Photography itself is a transitional experience, a journey. We pick up the first, simple point-and-shoot or 35mm camera. Oh, my! This is fun. So we graduate to our first DSLR. Oh, wow! This is even better. Then we might move to a fancier DSLR, more lenses, and possibly even more accessories. But in the end we learn that it isn’t the equipment that makes the photo, it’s our vision, and our hearts, and our imaginations as well as the desire and will to continue to pursue our passion, to push through the periods of drought until passion and creativity return.

Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, 

you have to love it and

be able to make sacrifices for it.

                                                                      ~ Maya Angelou

We all know that Maya Angelou made the final transition in her life last week. What a treasure she was! {I know - you were wondering where the treasure came in.}

I had the privilege of hearing Ms. Angelou speak at the college where I used to work. She is as regal and as poignant, as wise and as funny as you always imagined she would be. She spoke from the heart; she sang; she laughed; she cried; the whole gamut of emotions. What I took away from her that night was her intense desire to spread love and acceptance and tolerance and peace - for we are all human.

{That very night, we learned of the invasion of the first Iraq War so I will forever connect those two events. And the dissonance they brought to my heart.}

But, anyhow, as I thought about my post today, I googled quotes that are attributed to Ms. Angelou. If you admire her as I do, I suggest you do the same. There were seven pages of them on Brainy Quotes. I copied 36 into my ‘quote doc’ and could have copied many more. They are well worth your time to read them.

Early in her life, she learned that she could - and wanted to - write, particularly during her mute period. Once that voice was unleashed, it was never again quieted. And, oh, my! How much she had to say. It boggles my mind that one person could have such insight, such pathos, such depth.

So I’ll leave you now with this quote from Ms. Angelou:

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Be sure to check out the Monthly Focus tab at the top of the page. This month's theme is 'Patterns' and you'll find more information and inspiration under the tab. It should be a fun month!

Heart Art

by Susan

It's the month of February...the month of 'love'...the month of hearts!  In case you haven't noticed...hearts are everywhere! Here-a-heart, there-a-heart, everywhere there's heart art.

If you adore photographing hearts, well then this is your month! But what about when February passes? Do you still see them? Search for them? I'll let you in on something about me...I do! I see them everywhere. Seriously...I'm not kidding. Everywhere! Want to know something kinda cool though? I think it's rubbed off a little on my family. Check out the shot below that my sister, Karen, just had to share with me.  There's a sweet little random heart in what appears to be a...litter box? Yes, that's a litter box. My sister's cat peed a heart...and she was soooo excited to share with me! Of course I love it!

With Valentine's Day almost upon us, may you see the love, feel the love, and 'be the love' in all that surrounds you.  You'll be amazed at what's out there…

Happy Valentine's Day everyone...from my heart to yours. 

  

Follow Your Heart

By Carol H.

Before I turn the page over to Carol, I have the very sad duty of informing you that this will be Carol’s last regular post with FOL. You see, Carol has another love … in addition to her husband! You'll find the 'rest of the story' in her beautiful post below.

Carol promises me she’ll pop up on our pages every now and again and there may even be a mystery blogger waiting in the wings. So today, be sure to stop by to wish Carol well. We’ve all been inspired by Carol’s photography and writing and have learned from her and about her. I say with all sincerity, ‘Carol, we hardly knew ye!’ So come back often. ~ Dotti

Seems like sound advice doesn’t it? Follow your heart, find your passion, and then do that. But what if you have more than one passion?

I love taking pictures and processing them. I love combing them with words to tell a story. That’s what is so great about the blog platform. It’s a place where we can combine these things to tell stories. And when we’re lucky, we find a community like Focusing On Life where these stories are shared and a conversation begins. In these conversations we have learned from one another, been inspired by one another, and been comforted by one another. This has been my experience here at FOL and I am truly grateful to everyone for that gift.

But I have another passion – gardening. I don’t have a degree in horticulture, nor could I tell you the Latin names of the plants in my garden. But I can tell you how wonderful it feels to work the soil, feeling its cool moisture between my fingers. Its sweet smell reminding me that nourishing the soul is work that begins beneath the surface, deep within. I lose track of time when I’m out there.

I've been a member of Northwest Perennial Alliance (NPA) for a number of years. It is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to binging gardeners together to learn from one another through classes, workshops, and their Open Gardens program. I have benefited greatly from them and have been looking for a way to give back. That opportunity has now presented itself. I will be the new Open Gardens chair in 2014. It is a great honor, but one that requires a serious amount of time. In order to balance this responsibility with the rest of my life, I find I have a difficult decision to make. Following my heart I have found is very much like walking a labyrinth. Though I want to walk a straight path to the center, there are times I am forced to make a turn.  And so, it is with much regret that I must step back from being a regular contributor here at FOL. I am so grateful to have been on this journey. All of you, contributors and followers alike have been so kind and encouraging. This community is a wonderful place to share. Focusing On Life has taught me the importance of focusing on my own life as a creative and surrounding myself with like-minded souls on the same quest, even though we may take different paths. All roads lead home. Just follow your heart.

Do you have more than one passion? How have you balanced your life to include them? What sacrifices have you made in order to follow your heart? Please share your story here, on our FB page, or show us through your pictures on our Flickr page, our Flickr phoneography page, or on Instagram with the hashtag #focusingonlife.

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Happy Holidays everyone! May the spiritual light of the season guide you through the new year. Much love,

Carol

PS – I hope to be a guest poster from time to time so I know our paths will cross again!