Posted on October 6, 2020
This month I chose the theme {Books} for our challenge. I wanted something that could be done at home. While things seems to be opening up down my side of town, I am still not convinced we are out of the woods. So I am probably going to keep doing what I have been doing.
The definition of books is as follows “a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers”
Books, however, are so much more to me. Book smell so much better than an iPad. They also don’t hurt when they hit your face. I love to turn the pages of a book. I love to escape to lands unknown, to medieval times, to Scotland in the days of the Bruce, to the bravery of men and women during WW2. Most often at night, you will find me on my couch in my office reading a book instead of watching the television.
I have taken a number of images over the past 4 years of books so here are some of those images.
When I thought about books for this theme, I wanted them to be timeless, so black and white was where I went this time around with the {Books} theme.
Books make me smile, they bring me to a happy place. I like to escape into them. I very rarely go to bed without reading. When I thought about what I wanted for this theme, I really wanted to show that books are timeless. Books for me are old friends. Stories of life, pages I can turn. I have some collections, but I have realized that the amount of books I read means I am running out of storage space. So nowdays I am using my Kindle app a lot more. But I do not like to get rid of certain books, my poetry books, my old English books, my Shakespeare, Chaucer, Thomas Hardy books. Classics, I have held onto them. Novels about WW2, favorite authors, they grace my shelves. General novels I will happily pass on.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six blog post. This is a circle blog. The sneak peaks that are shared are stunning. The challenges always stretch us just a little bit further. I blog with an incredibly talented group of ladies. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist who always amazes me with her images Katherine of Cobert Photography to see what she has for you this month. To view her Facebook page click here and her Instagram page here.
Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
Come and share your images Facebook and Instagram tagging #sharesix_books
Posted on July 27, 2020
And so life goes on…. Florida is spiking like crazy and I am staying at home as much as possible. The virus came closer to home with my sister in law, who lives oversees, being diagnosed Covid Positive. Then one of my husband’s employees was diagnosed Covid positive. We are now quarantining for the next 2 weeks dependent on his test this last week. It is a bit of a wake up call that it really can affect you no matter how much care you take. The good news is that I am okay with staying home 🙂
Work happens 4 days a week, and all is good. Our vacation was cancelled and that was a real bummer. Hopefully August 2021 will be a better year. Now to figure out what to do with 24 days of vacation.
Oh, I so want to travel. What better to do than to go back in the archives and see what has not been edited. Maine 2018, and we had just traveled through Bar Harbor. What to do the next day? I suggested we go to the “less busy” island adjacent to Bar Harbor. Less busy was a good description. What we had more of was mist. That said mist gave me the opportunity to go back and play with black and white images. This month I am sharing 30 minutes of a day in the mist.
Mist or fog creates this eerie kind feeling as you walk along the banks of the water. However, I did like the mist slipping around us. One day we will be able to get on the road again, and I have to be honest I look forward to it. I am sure you do to.
Please stay safe, wherever you are in the world. Thank you for joining me for 30 Minutes in the Life. I would encourage you to take some time to visit my very talented friend April of April White Photography and see what she has for you this month. Check out her Facebook page as well.
Posted on April 6, 2020
This month Ceri of Ceri Herd Photography chose the theme {Imperfection}. The dictionary says that imperfection is the state of being faulty or incomplete.
I love fresh flowers. Flowers make me happy. I love the vibrant colors, the smells, the perfection of new flowers. Flowers bring a smile to my face and this is definitely one of my love languages
What I don’t love that they don’t last forever. I have had this bunch of flowers drying out downstairs for the past two weeks so that I can photograph them in their imperfect state – dried out crinkled and looking beyond repair. Yet in their state of imperfection, there is still something that appeals to me. There is a different kind of beauty albeit imperfect.
Right now we are looking at an imperfect world. There is very few places in the world that have not been affected by this virus. The USA has 278 458 positive cases of Corona Virus. By the time this goes live I have to wonder how close we will be to 300 000. (I will add in a piece here. From I time I wrote this to now is a space of 10 hours. The number has not only reached but surpassed 300 000. It is now this morning sitting at 312 345.) The US has surpassed the rest of the world for positive cases. The death toll sits at 8438 and it still has to peak. I have not seen an update yet on the death toll this morning, but it will climb, it is just a matter of time, and how many.
And yet in this imperfect world, there are levels of perfection. The medical staff across the world are worthy of being hailed as an element of perfection in this world. No person is perfect, but when I look at how the medical staff have rallied to the call that is perfection in my eyes. Those men and women who have selflessly stepped up and answered a call, that is perfection for me. Those medical men and women who have gone above and beyond their call of duty, going into situations with one thought – to save a life. I respect and admire and salute these men and women for their courage, their dedication and the willingness to give their all, including their lives, for this imperfect world.
I look at our own medical staff, who are not on the front lines, but are willing to see women who may need answers, despite the risk to themselves. They have stepped up been counted, and while they may have worried about their health, have still come into the clinic each day to serve those women who still come looking for help. I admire these women. They are perfection in an imperfect world.
There is beauty in the imperfection, we just need to look beyond the outer appearance. Look deeper at what lies beneath. Look for the good in all of the bad. Look for moments of perfection in spite of the imperfection.
As we continue to watch the world, isolated in our homes, I pray that you are safe and continue to stay safe.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six blog post. This is a circle blog. I love sneak peaks – they are always amazing. This is an incredibly talented group of ladies. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist Lynne Grant Photography and see what she has for you this month. To check out her Facebook page click here and her Instagram page here.
Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
Come and share your images Facebook and Instagram tagging #sharesix_imperfection
Posted on March 30, 2020
It is 30 Minutes in the Life, and if you are wondering, my 30 Minutes was not at the beach. Since March 13, I feel like I have been on a 25 hour call. Why? My real job is working with Policies & Procedures, Written Plans, Quality Control, training, and such other things that may be assigned, for Medical Clinics. And yes, we are most definitely impacted by the changes the world is seeing.
I am tired, but so are many others. This 30 Minutes I wanted to look at the contrast in life – what does that look like, and where do we go from here.
For so long life has been kind of rosy. The last Flu pandemic, according to the CDC, was in 1918. Almost 100 years ago. I feel like we have become complacent and unprepared. I understand, we do not want thousands of ventilators sitting around for 100 years. However, it feels like society has been slow to respond to what is going on around us.
On any given day, our lives are sunny and rosy and off to the beach we go. All these image are taken at Orchard Beach in Maine.
But we don’t know what lurks around the corner. China was slow to get the news out that things had turned dark, and that they were struggling with something that was rapidly becoming beyond their control. Limited information came out until the situation be came so dire that they were overwhelmed with what they are dealing with.
The rest of the world carried on as normal, enjoying life, living what essentially is part of the social norm. We head out to restaurants, we go to the beach, we cluster as folks are often want to do.
It was only when Italy started to show signs of panic that the rest of the world opened up their eyes and started to take notice. And when Italy’s days became bleak, finally the rest of the world sat up and said perhaps we should do something about it. The information I kept reading seemed unbelievable and disturbing.
But the world was slow in responding, we carried on as normal. Around mid March, our offices, began to look at the what if, and a meeting was called to plan for the what if. What if we have to shut down, do we have a pandemic plan in place, do we have policies and procedures in place? Do we have a pandemic plan? Can you draft up one? Beyond that what does it look like to have staff working from home? What does it look like to run medical clinics on limited staff? Can we go virtual? I am grateful that our office was forward thinking and we began to seriously plan for the potential future.
As the devastating news came out of Italy and the numbers began to increase, and the horror of living with a pandemic really looks like when you are not prepared for the impact of it, begins to seep in. What hospitals look like when they are overcrowded. When people are sleeping on the floor because there is no beds for them. What medical staff have to endure when they are working 24 hours on call and they are watching, not only 1 or 2, but thousands of people dying. When morgues and crematoriums cannot keep up with the death rate. When churches start to store the coffins and the bodies lie waiting for when their loved ones can bury them. When medical personnel are required to choose who can live or die. My heart breaks. It breaks for each and every person fighting for the life of someone who may die, or more than likely will die. My heart aches for the medical staff’s family, who do not know if they will see their loved one again. Children who cannot see their parents.
And yet here in the USA it is business as usual. While leaders indicate that there is a problem, it does not appear that they are ready to make some hard choices. Spring breakers still hit the beaches in Florida because it is their right to do so, forcing the state to close parks and beaches. Restaurants are shut down except for take out. I worry about the possibility of workers being contagious. People head out on the Intracoastal on their boats, with little regard for the potential that they may be carriers. It is their right, and besides it does not appear that their age group is not dying, although stats coming in show that the virus is moving across age groups. They may not be dying, they are right, but they may be killing their grandparents, or parents.
The USA is slow on the uptake. It seemed that it was viewed more as a hoax and then as something we would be over soon. March 20, the numbers were around 8500 people who were tested positive for the virus. While I understand that there was limited testing in the early days, and a scrambling for the necessary equipment and testing kits, over the past 10 days the numbers have escalated to 105, 470 (as I am writing this). The death toll is 1590. This is no longer a joke or something that will die down in a few days. We no longer have control of the virus. The situation is bleak. Working from home is not what folks may think it is. Working from home, for me, this past 12 days has felt like a 25 hour day – 7 days a week right now. It is learning new technology so that we can still meet the client where they are at, that we can still be of service. Virtual is the new normal!
The days ahead seem surreal. Cities are slow to shut down. Government is worried about economy. I understand, but I have to wonder what the economy will look like 24 months from now if a stand is not taken now. I am praying for a nation wide shut down. Life to freeze in all aspects, so that this situation can be controlled. We don’t want to be China. We don’t want to be Italy, where the death toll went from 9134 to 10 779 men, women and children in less than 24 hours. We don’t want to be Spain where they are having to make decision on who lives and who dies. Where they are using scuba diving equipment just to help people breathe. Where they are storing bodies in an ice rink just to protect the bodies from decaying and smelling.
Life has become a roller coaster. We are on a fast ride, and we don’t know when it is going to stop. We need to face reality that unless something significant is done by all States at the same time, nothing is going to change. Right now I live in a State and in an area where “snowbirds” are a huge part of our lives. In winter they are in our county and in summer they head up north. A lot of them to New York. I cannot blame them for wanting to flee New York. That would be my first instinct as well. But I live here and I have to wonder what that will bring to South Florida. A community made up of a lot of elderly folk. Already Miami is under curfew, Broward county is under stay at home, Boca Raton, is under stay at home, and Palm Beach County has implemented some mandates as well. We have to start making some really hard decisions at a much higher level than me. All I can do, is do my part.
We can be part of the pack, or if we are able, we can stay at home, isolate from the crowd. We can protect our families and friends, and we can ease the burden that our medical system is going to have to deal with. Friends remember to take these items into account:
If you have please, please you need to consider quarantining yourself
Wash your hands, well, use hand sanitizer if you have it. If you go to the shop, take your sanitizer with you and clean the cart. Be aware of what you are touching, the people you are interacting with, people who may be coughing and sneezing around you. Protect yourself, protect your family.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay sane, don’t be like me, having major conversations with the TV, and watching my blood pressure rise.
Category: 30 Minutes in the Life Tagged: #blackandwhite, #blackandwhitephotography, #canonphotography, #monochrome, #monochromephotography, #ontheroadagain, #orchardbeach, #orchardbeachpier, #seagulls, #sharleenstuartphotography, #travelblog, #travelblogger, #travelblogging, #travelbug, #travelbuglife, #travelphotography, #vacation, #vacationmode, beach, Canon, Canonusa, Travel, waves
Posted on February 6, 2020
Did I say Share Six was going to take us out of our comfort zone this year. Well so far it has. I chose the theme this month and yesterday realized that I had not got all six images, so some quick work had to be done. This month’s them is {out of focus}.
I lean towards abstract images as being some of my favorites. There are ladies in this group that excel at these images, and leave me green with envy. I wanted to attempt this myself.
Lensbaby is a great way for me to get an out of focus image. Sunsets are a favorite time of day So what a great time to get images. I headed out to the wetlands to play and see what I could come up with.
This was another lensbaby image. Partial blur. I love black and white images and played around until I got the finish I was looking for.
In camera motion or my attempt at taking a photo from a moving vehicle. I am definitely going to try this again. We were out at St Petersburg, had just watched the sunset from the beach and were now heading towards the Sunshine Skyway. I decided to pull at the camera and slow the settings and see what I could come up with. Not perfect but I am okay with it for a first attempt.
Another Lensbaby and post edit combination. While the container was out of focus the straws were more defined. I played around in Photoshop until I got the result I was looking for.
This photo was also taken heading towards the Sunshine Skyway just outside of St Pete’s. This time I was passing some bushes. It’s kind of creepy but I love the wave effect of the water.
Last but not least, I had a friend visiting and we took her grandson to the park to wear off some of his energy. The park was amazing for that. Next to the climbing area was a carousel. I knew that this was going to be one of my out of focus images. The color images was great but the black and white created the mix of definition which I loved.
I am by no means an expert in {out of focus}, but practice and more practice will be what helps to make it better. I hope that you enjoy the topic and feel like you are stretched a little bit further as well.
Thank you for joining me for this month’s Share Six blog post. This is a circle blog. I love sneak peaks – they are always amazing. This is an incredibly talented group of ladies. Please take time to visit my friend and very talented artist Liz of It’s Still Life Photography by Elizabeth Willson and see what she has for you this month. To check out her Facebook page click here and her Instagram page here.
Keep following the circle to see what the other photographers have shared this month. Don’t forget to leave a little love on their page as well.
Come and share your images Facebook and Instagram tagging #sharesix_macro
Category: Share Six Tagged: #blackandwhite, #blur, #canonphotogaphy, #canonphotographer, #carousel, #monochrome, #outoffocus, #sharesix_oof, #sharleenstuartphotography, #sunsets, Canon, Canonusa
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