Nature Heals
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
~John Muir
Kim Klassen, my very first photography mentor and whose video tutorials taught me Photoshop nine years ago, has brought back her Texture Tuesday linkup! When I saw the announcement last night, I leapt at the opportunity to download her free textures and participate! I have gotten away from still life and have ventured into other areas of photography, but am so, so grateful to come back to Kim’s special world, especially NOW! Thank, you Kim!
Social Distance
Today’s photo was taken on February 27 on Newport Beach, and how things have changed since then! Even then, we were very aware of the looming health crisis and had brought hand sanitizer and lysol wipes with us to California, but how quickly things have escalated! We barely leave the house ( have gone on two walks), and we have never felt so far away from our children and grandchildren. We are keeping busy with projects that have been long-postponed- mostly going through boxes of photos and videos- trying to put some order to a an almost 50 year collection of our photos and movies and another 50 year collection of my parents’- and then the photos from earlier generations and extended family. We are avoiding the stores, but at some point will have to risk it, I guess.
When I first edited this image a couple weeks ago, I saw it as a peaceful beach scene- but now I see it in the context of social distancing. The mother and child are each looking out of the scene- at other people? at the empty beach? I added a slight frame to emphasize their containment within their own little 6-10 foot space.
My hope is that we all emerge from our separate spaces into a kinder, gentler world- and are truly grateful for our families, our health, our friends, and our planet!
Be safe and well, my friends! And stay home!
Patience
Another thing about the beach- there are surfers! There is a lot of patience involved in surfing , I’ve discovered on my beach walks; there is more waiting than actual surfing. But then the right wave comes, it’s magic!
Greeting the Day
Good Morning, Sunshine!
What a joy it was to be back walking on the beach with my new knee! It still doesn’t feel “normal”- but I can walk without pain and without poles. And watching the waves and the birds is the best therapy!
At Newport Beach
Contemplating the Vast
I think it’s the vastness of the Pacific that first absorbs us when we catch our first glimpse of it. And then it’s being mesmerized by the waves- but I think everyone is pulled back to the horizon eventually, contemplating the sheer size of this body of water.
We made a quick trip to Southern California to see our son and family for Father’s Day. The family was at work and daycare when we arrived, so we spent a couple hours at Crystal Cove, north of Laguna. No, that is not my husband in the photo- and I don’t think those children were with that gentleman.
Spirit of the Sea
Maybe I’ve spent too much time watching the waves- am I the only one seeing a face out there?
Disappearing
We walked down to the water’s edge in the morning, and I was captivated by the little footprints disappearing into the surf.
Haze
I suspect that smoke from the fires added to the haze at sunset last week at Huntington Beach. If you look closely you can see surfers in the waters.
Surf City Sunset
We have just returned from a short but wonderful visit to Southern California, where we visited with our son’s family. We have developed a tradition of spending one night at the beach before heading over to see the family. This time it was Huntington Beach with its majestic waves and ever present surfers. We got there just in time for sunset and had a great time walking around- people-watching and soaking in the ocean views and sunset.
This is the Huntington Beach pier, which I have photographed many times- and that’s Ruby’s Diner at the end. I reduced clarity in post-processing to enhance the dreamy mood.
Unfortunately, I took so many photos I managed to wear out my shoulder again- when will I ever learn? My favorite way to shoot is to walk around with my (heavy) camera on my cross body strap- constantly bringing it up to my eye and snapping. I think it’s the repetitive motion (and the weight of the camera)that causes the pain. The next day, I just used my iPhone camera. This whole issue is weighing on my mind; I am definitely not ready to give up my big camera (or go to a lighter mirrorless camera), but am considering only using my iPhone for street/beach photography and camera on tripod for scenes like these. I hate having physical issues get in the way of doing what I love, so I am determined to find a work-around!
The Book Club
It is a photography paradox to me that many, many, many of my favorite photos were taken on Southern California beaches- when I spent so much of my adult life disliking Southern California (the crowds and the TRAFFIC!). There is something about the serenity of the water and the white sand that appeals to my eye. I remember looking at this trio of ladies with their hats and cover-ups and thinking they looked like my kind of people- so I titled it “The Book Club.”
Two Men
I think there are two men in this photo.
- The guy taking pictures from the rocks and . . .
- Can you see the profile on the cliff???
Just Palms and Ocean
I managed to grab a quick minimalist shot of these palms when we went out to lunch at Laguna on our trip to Southern California.
Beach Blur
Intentional camera movement (moving and/or wiggling the camera while taking a photo) created this photo which I took from Photoshop into Topaz Studio to add a painterly layer at low opacity.
