A Glance of the Eye

"An eye can threaten like a leveled and loaded gun, or it can insult like hissing or kicking;  or, in its altered mood, by beams of kindness, it can make the heart dance for joy . . . .
One of the most wonderful things in nature is a glance of the eye; it transcends speech; it is the bodily symbol of identity." Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), USA

When you were a kid, did your mom ever give you one of those looks that made you know, without her saying one single word, that she meant business and that you'd better move?   Or, did your child ever look up at you, with such loving eyes, that you didn't really care about the mess they'd made?  Our eyes can express anger, frustration, sadness or love.  They can tell another person what kind of mood we're in.  They can be so intense that they stop us in our tracks.  They can give us away if we're lying and they can tell someone that we love them.  They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul.  I hope that today your eyes will express happiness, peace and love to all those who you meet.  Have a wonderful day!

The Art of Photography

"I want to expose people to nature and wilderness and wildlife, and make a difference, but also do it in a way that has all the elements of what we consider traditional art: the creativity, the composition, the light, design, texture, whatever it might be, and the moment."  Conor Risch
I found this quote in PDN Magazine yesterday and thought it was worth sharing.  All of the things Conor mentions are important to good photography.  You can take pictures of a scene, but without the proper lighting it's not going to be as dramatic as it would be otherwise.  The same thing applies to "capturing the moment" when you're photographing wildlife or people.  You can take wonderful pictures, but if your subject is not doing something interesting, it's just not going to have the impact that you want. So, be patient, wait for the right light, compose creatively and capture the moment.

Have a great day and Happy Shooting!

The Sandhills of Yellowstone

Sometimes something as simple as a sandhill crane sitting on a nest in the middle of a pond can convey a sense of peace and joy.   Although we'd seen sandhills in Yellowstone before, I enjoyed watching this pair more than the others.  Perhaps it was because they were in such a beautiful setting,  because they were so interesting or because they looked so peaceful.  The female remained on the nest while the male dug in the shallow pond to get more debris for the nest.  He then flew over to the side of the pond to look for food for his mate.   Based on what we'd seen in other nests, it was too early for their eggs to have hatched, due to the extreme cold weather in Yellowstone this spring, but soon there will be little sandhill cranes running through the grass.  I wish we were going to be there to see them, but we had to return home to our normal lives.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted and I guess all good things must come to an end.  Visit http://carolynfox.photoshelter.com/ to see more new pictures.

I hope you enjoy the sandhills and have a wonderful day.

Advice from Little Bear

Do you remember Little Bear?  Well, he decided to come out of hiding to give you a litlle piece of advice.  When he was in Yellowstone last year, he observed the workshop particants running here and there to get that "perfect" shot.  As you can see here, however, he sat down in front of these flowers and took a little time to relax.  Now that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with trying hard to get the picture you want, or working diligently to succeed in your job.  But, sometimes if you slow down for just a few minutes and take time to "smell the roses", you replenish your sense of self and breathe a little extra passion into whatever project you're working on.  So, next time you're working so hard that you begin to lose track of where you are, start forgetting little details or get so tired that you can hardly move, remember this advice from Little Bear, because he knows things.  No matter what he's doing, he always takes time to smell the roses.   He never gets migraines.  He never gets an upset stomach and he's never going to have a stroke or a heart attack.  How about you?

I hope you have a wonderful day and take a few minutes to stop and smell the roses.

The Hunt

"Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter." African Proverb

The Simple Beauty of Nature

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God.  Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simply beauty of nature."  Anne Frank (1929-1945), Netherlands.

If you ever feel like things are too crazy and that your life is spinning out of control, find a beautiful spot outside where you can relax and commune with nature.  It will help to put things back into perspective and rejuvenate your soul.

I wish you a day filled with beauty, love and inspiration.

Make It Happen!

I know I've been neglecting my blog lately, but I'll try to get back with the program.  :-)

Whether you're trying to win a war or trying to learn to play a muscial instrument, this quote from Michael Jordon might apply.

"Some people want it to happen,
Some wish it would happen,
Others make it happen."

Make sure you're one of those who make it happen.  If it wasn't for those types of people, we probably wouldn't have electricity, wonderfully talented musicians or great works of art and we'd probably still be ruled by England.  It takes persistence, hard work and courage to change things or to learn something new, but the rewards can be tremendous.

I hope you have a wonderful day and learn at least one new thing.  We shouldn't stop learning, just because we stop going to school.  Learning should be a life-long process.