Sunday, July 29, 2012

Week 30 - Floral

Vacation is over, for me!  I'm back at work.  But Summer is still here and the fun-filled events of summer are too.  Some of those things are nights at the Hollywood Bowl or the Greek Theater, the free concerts at the Santa Monica Pier and Culver City City Hall, movies outside at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery or Exposition Park.  All of these events mean food, friends, family, fun and an evening under the stars.  These recreational gatherings help you enjoy specific events, the people around you and delight your soul.

When summer is over these events will go away until next year.  I am going to try and enjoy a few more of these activities before they do, but I need to change my recreations to more rejuvenating activities.  Work is stressful because of all of the new things that are happening in our organization such as,  layoffs, reconfigurations, limited resources and decision to be made based on a shifting reality.

This week's theme is Floral, which I thought little of at the time because there are always flowers available to shoot.  But because I'm back at work, I no longer have access to them.  For those of you that know me, I have a black thumb, literally and figuratively.  My plants are artificial or are cared for by someone eles.  So, I made a special effort to and find flowers.  In the process I was able to get some of the rejuvenation I will need for work.  I went to a local park, early in the morning and walked the around and finally ended up sitting at the pond and watched the duck and the flowers.  In those moments I was able to exercise my creativity, reflection and rejuvenate my soul.  Please enjoy this photo and see the others I've shot on my flickr site, click the blue and red dots to the right to go there.


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Week 29 - Hit the Streets

Street Photography is one of my favorites.  For me, it's the ability to capture and hold a singular moment. It takes the mundane and raises it to something extraordinary.  When you look at some of the pioneers of Street Photography; Henri Cartier Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz, and Robert Frank who are the paved the way for many of us.   

When I found out about the discovery of photos by Vivian Maier, who literally came from obscurity to fame, I was truly inspired again.  The discoverer of her work, John Maloof, has a blog of her prolific work, if you get a chance please check it out.  In the digital age, the photos are instantaneous and can be sent around world.  Instagram, I am a huge fan, please follow me, just click the little camera to the right, has changed street photography for every.  

The week's assignment is Hit the Streets from my FOCUS 52 group.  I started back to work this week so my street time was down.  I did go the Hollywood Bowl to see Smokey Robinson and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and took photos of a long standing tradition of friends, food, wine and song, among other things.

 

Monday, July 16, 2012

Week 28 - Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

This is my last week of vacation.  I will be returning to a job that has become unfamiliar to me.  So I am grateful for the time away.  This vacation is the first time I've had to myself in over ten years.  I'm doing a little introspection and reevaluation.  There is nothing like a summer vacation to get that done.  The theme for my FOCUS 52 group is The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer.

This summer, and my vacation time, I'm spending at museums.  Museums are places where you are suppose to spend time in quite meditation and reflection.  The origin of the word is a place sacred to the muses; to muse, to meditate to ruminate.  In Classical mythology the muses are any number of sister goddesses, but more commonly as  the daughters of Zeus and Mnenosyne who presided over various arts.  I'm focusing on photography exhibits, surprise.  I'm also spending time at the beach, another sacred place where the work of art, called nature called nature also allows for muse, meditation and reflection.  At the right time of day or a the right beach, it can be very calming.  Sunset at the beach is also soothing and rejuvenating.  You can see some of my library photo on either flickr or follow me on instagram.



Sunday, July 8, 2012

Week 27 - Celebrate

This week's theme is Celebrate for our FOCUS 52 Group.  Week 27 is a week of celebrations for two of the larges counties in North America, Canada and the United States.  I believe most of our Southern neighbors celebrate their birthday's, Independence Days, around the middle of September.

Fireworks are nice.  I can say that because very few people dislike them.  I am not on of those fireworks enthusiast who attend any and every event that has fireworks.  I am not one of those who even say, "Oh there are firework at this.  That would be nice to see."  I can take them or leave them.  This past Fourth of July was the first one since both of my parents are not here and I felt like going somewhere and looking at them in the distance, far from the crowds.  My mom loved fireworks and my dad always made sure she and us little ones got to see them.  I at a barbecue that day and as it cooled off we went inside, began other social activities and completely forgot about fireworks.  Before we knew it, night time was on us and some of the fireworks shows had already begun.

I decided that I would try and catch some of the programs on my way home.  To my surprise as I turned the corner to my house, fireworks began to explode in an vacant lot of an old shopping center.  I whipped about the corner, along with other motorist and just pulled up to the curb and got out.  A new community was forming around the fireworks shoe.  People were pulling up, double parking and joining us.

I pulled out my iPhone and began to take pictures.  Those you can see on instagram.  Then I remembered my camera was in the car, so I got that one out.  This is an example of what I was able to capture.  For whatever reason, fireworks are mesmerizing.  We all stood there oohing and ahhing.  And applauded when it was finished.  Nothing else mattered for that thirty minutes.  We all left happier and some of us proud to be American.  I hope our neighbors to the North had the same sort of experience on the 1st of July.   Happy birthday to us all.


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Week 26 - Half

This week marks the half way point of the 52 project with FOCUS 52.  We are half way through the year.  The weeks leading up to here seem to have gone by quickly.

I have missed the posting deadline to the Focus 52 site for several weeks, so my photos have not been shared on that site.  I've continued to post here consistently.  I thank all of my followers who have signed up and the occasional visitors for taking a look and seeing what i'm doing.

I started this blog, as you can see on the side, in 2008 when I was reading a book, Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age by Suzie Boos and Jane Krauss.  It is about integrating technology in the classroom through the use of Project Based Learning.

I have been using the sire with greater regularity over the past two years because I have been trying to developing my photographic eye through the participation in the 52 projects.  Now that you have the history, heres the photo.  This a street lamp on Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica.  This one of my Drive by Shootings.  I chose the because of the deep blue sky in the background and the half of the reflector pedals being lit from my angle.