Superior or Inferior?

"The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creatures that cannot." Mark Twain (1835-1910), USA

Is man superior to other animals?  Does the fact that he can make decisions and then still do wrong make him inferior?   Mark Twain was always good about giving us things to think about.  What's your opinion?

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!

Great Blue"

"I asked the earth, I asked the seas and the deeps, among the living animals, the things that creep.  I asked the winds that blow,  I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars and all things that stand at the doors of my flesh . . .
My question was the gaze I turned to them.
Their answer was their beauty."
St. Augustine of Hippo  (354-430), North Africa

This is another version of the heron shot I posted a couple of days ago.  I almost deleted the original picture, because the heron was so far away.  Instead, I decided to keep it and see what I could come up with by using some filters, plug-ins, etc.  This is one of the results.  You may like it and you may not, but I'm glad I kept it. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week-end and a Happy Easter with friends and family.

Only This Moment

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late."

                                                         Marie Beynon Ray

Dedication

Today's post is dedicated to my dear uncle who passed away yesterday.  He was 92 years old and lived a good life.   He'll be missed by all who knew and loved him.  I used this photo, because he always loved my pictures of the Yellowstone elk.  I hope these words give some comfort to my aunt, my cousin (who's more like a sister to me than a cousin), his grandchildren and other relatives.

Please don't mourn for me.
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side each night and day.
And within your heart I long to stay.
My body is gone, but I'm always near.
I'm everything you see, feel and hear.
My spirit is free, but I'll never depart
As long as you keep me alive in your heart.
I'll never wander out of your sight -
I'm the brightest star on a Summer night.
I'll never be beyond your reach -
I'm the warm moist sand when you're on the beach.
I'm the colorful leaves when Fall comes around.
I'm the pure white snow that blankets the ground.
I'm the beautiful flower of which you're so fond,
The cool clear water in a quiet pond.
I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the Spring,
The first warm raindrop that April will bring.

I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine.

And you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.

When you start thinking that there's no one to love you,

You can talk to me through the Lord above you.

I'll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees

And you'll feel my presence through the soft Summer breeze.

I'm the hot, salty tears that flow when you weep,

And the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.

I'm the smile that you see on a baby's face,

Just look for me, I'm every place.
Author Unknown

Light

"Light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself, a revelation." James Turrell (b.1943), USA

The Eagle

"When thou seest an eagle, thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head." William Blake (1757-1827), England

I love eagles and take photos of them every chance I get.  I got this shot as we were going from Yellowstone to Jackson Hole last month.  There were three eagles, two adults and one young one, sitting in trees aways off the road.  This one took off as we were watching them and I was fortunate enough to get a few pics of him.  I hope you enjoy it.

Pay Attention

"When you mak the effort to pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells and sensations around you, you're encouraging yourself to live in the present moment."  Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Success

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. "- Albert Schweitzer

The Elephant

"The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the femaile of their choice, mating once every third year and then for no more than five days and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife." St Francis de Lals (1567-1622) France/Switzerland

I had never heard this before and thought it was interesting, so I wanted to share it with you.

I hope you have a wonderful day. Perhaps you should start it by giving your significant other, your children and/or your parents, a big hug. You'll all feel better for it. After all, hugs make us feel good .

Which Wolf Will Win?

A Native American was talking to his grandson about how he felt.

He said,

"I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart.

One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one.

The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."

The grandson asked him,

"Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?"

The grandfather answered,

"The one I feed."

Native American parable

Isn't this true with all of us? We have two sides - one which wants to do good and serve humanity and the other which is self-serving and maybe a little bad (dare I say evil). We can choose which force to listen to and control which personality wins out. The future success of our great country depends on those who listen to their "good side". So, feed your good wolf & let the bad wolf starve.

One Day At A Time

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." Ashleigh Brilliant

I think this baby bobcat looks like life has gotten him down, like he's tired and has had enough. Do you ever feel like this, like the world is ganging up on you, like you just can't take one more thing? When you do, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and just relax for a few minutes. When you open your eyes, you'll feel better and be more prepared to face the challenges of the day.

I hope that today is a day of joy for you.

A Little Piece of Nature

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." Thomas Merton


I don't know if you consider this art or not but, as far as I'm concerned, each time you capture a piece of nature, you create a type of art. When I'm out photographing nature, I completely lose track of the time. My focus is on my subject, on the light, on the beauty of what's before me. I hope you enjoy this little piece of the beauty I found yesterday.

Beauty

"Everything has its' own beauty, but not everyone sees it." Anonymous

As you look at this picture, what do you feel? Do you get a crawly feeling, do you think about the butterfly this caterpillar will become or do you just enjoy the colors and the wonder of this creature?

We all see things in different ways and what's beautiful to one person may not be to another. Sometimes I take pictures of simple things that I think are beautiful, but to someone else they may be very ordinary or even ugly. When you look at things that you might want to photograph, try to see them through the eyes of a child. Look at them in a new way, from a different perspective. Try different angles, different lenses. Experiment to see what you can come up with. You may just create something wonderful. Don't forget the old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Painted Pictures

This is yesterday's pic of the day for the photo challenge. As you can tell, I modified it by applying a PhotoShop plug-in. I'll probably get tired of this look pretty soon, but for right now, I like it. I hope you do too.

Now, here's a quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer's little book Everyday Wisdom. "You're the result of all the previous pictures you've painted for yourself . . . and you can always paint new ones."

I hope you have a wonderful day & a great week. I'll be back tomorrow & hopefully, you'll stop by again.