the word hope...

On this past Sunday, I read about a mural that was painted in downtown Greenville over an 8 hr period the day before. I hate that I missed the opportunity to get a photograph of the artists in action.  But I did stop by on Sunday afternoon to get a photo of a portion of the mural.  The word hope rings as true today as it always has. Here is an excerpt from a blog post that I did several years back:

hope - to have a feeling, chance, desire, expectation or wish to do something or to make something happen...

Without hope, our lives would be meaningless. We all have hopes that get us through the day (week, month or even year).  Hope is something that transcends all things.  Let me say it again...  Without hope, our lives would be meaningless.

I love this excert that photographer Robert Adams wrote and how he relates it to hope. "Of all the sacred places on the coast, none is more comforting than where rivers join the sea. By the river's disappearance we are reminded of life's passing, while by the ocean's beauty we accept it, in a hope we cannot explain."

We could all learn something from this.  Maybe by trying to focus a little less on the fleeting failures in our lives and focus a little more on the hope in our lives that eternally matters.

Do not discard...

Double and triple exposures are not something that I've done very well.  This one accidently turned out (and I really like it). I was trying to take a photo of Maci with a flash on my Polaroid 250 Land Camera.  The flash didn't fire, so I took another one. After it didn't fire the second time, I figured that one more wouldn't make it any worse. No flash again, so I pulled the print and was amazed at the results. 

So much can be brought out of this one simple photo that some might discard. 

It demonstrates how time does not stand still. Ever... 

It represents an end to a year that was definitely a blur for me. Where did it go... 

It helps reiterate why I have backed off on social media to enjoy the here and now in my life at home. Real images capturing real moments of real people that mean the world to me... 

It is a wonderful image of my oldest daughter that I will cherish. Forever... 

It helps me understand that good things can come from stepping outside of your norm. In everything...

a bit of reflecting...

Another one of my many reflection photos. I sometimes take these because I get bored, but mostly because I want to have images that show that I mostly inhabit the space behind the camera. These images, coupled with the many that I take of others and the things around me, will ultimately be a part of documenting my time spent on this earth...

a little introspection...

Spent some time these past few days reflecting on life with very little social media. This included lots of time playing board games with family, spending time with Sherri, watching tv, reading photography books/magazines and rethinking how/why I use my cameras. Honestly, this has been something that I have needed for some time. A balanced life is something we all pursue. I seem to be in constant pursuit of this balance between work, family, spirituality, photography and now social media. Probably not something that I am going to solve anytime soon, but I feel that I have made some great progress...

uncertainty...

When things are not altogether clear, life can often throw us a sharp left turn...

follow the light...