"You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough.  You can be anything you want to e, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose."

-Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America

Week 33 - Blue

This week's theme is Blue.  I was blue because of the level of humidity we had this past week.  As a native Angelino, I am not used to humidity.  I am used to dry heat.  Dry heat is different, as those of you who visit Las Vegas and Palm Springs know what I'm talking about.  It can be in the triple digits and the dry heat will bake you skins as the dry air blows your skin even dryer.  It's not my preferred weather, but if I had a choice, I'd choose dry heat over humidity any time.   But yet I digress.    

Our blue skies have been hidden by the clouds from all of the humidity.  Many local areas have sufferd from golf-ball sized hail and flash floods.  I had sweat more this past week than all year.  So to mark this unusual weather I have taken a picture of clouds that are formed by the moisture in the air, as the blue sky peeks through.  I wish cool summer days to everyone.

Week 32 - Flight

The theme this week is Flight.  In order to take a photo I ran through my mind all of the definitions I had of flight.  A flight on an airplane, to flee, the Hebrews flight from Egypt, birds flying, and a flight of stairs,.  Well with all of these choices, I chose a flight of stairs, and I had one particular in mind.

In Culver City, there is a commercial complex called Conjunctive Points.  It houses many types of companies, that I assume do business in movie or music industry.  This is a photo of the Gateway Tower, designed by Eric Owen Moss Architects.  There influence can be seen all throughout the Hayden Tract near downtown Culver City.  It is a flight of stairs that goes nowhere and leads to nothing except to the top of the flight of stairs.  At night it becomes a spectacle of lights, design and color.  Those photos you can see at my flickr site, (click the thumbnails to the right).

I've missed posting my website information to the FOCUS 52-12 websites lately, but I have continued to post on my site.

Week 31 - Water

This weeks theme was Water.  When I think of water, two quotes come to mind, "Water, water everywhere and nor any drop to drink." from Samuel Taylor Coleridge from the poem,  Rime of the Ancient Mariner and "Water always wins." from the Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who, David Tennet, in the episode, The Waters of Mars.  I know I should have put up a nerd alert for that... sorry.

Anyway, water in Southern California is an easy thing to find with the Pacific Ocean, Marina de Rey, lakes, and creeks all within twenty miles of my home.  So what did I shoot?  Kids at a fountain.  Out of all the photos I shot last week, this is the one that I liked the most.  It is summer and another quote comes to mind from the Sly and the Family Stone song, Hot Fun in the Summertime.  My favorite line is "Boo-boo-poo when I want to, out of school."  These girls are out of school and doing what they want to.  That is summer.

I hope your summer is as enjoyable as this moment the two girls are having.  Enjoy your summer and all of the fun it brings.

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.

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.

 

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.