Photo-heart connection, number X

I watched a man fish . . .


{KKlassen texture that I forgot to write down}

I spent a lot of time by the bay last week watching the sunrise,

and,

I watched a man fish.

 

One morning after the sunrise, I went to the boardwalk overlooking the bay to walk

and watch the pelicans, and to just observe whatever the morning had to offer. It was a beautiful

crisp morning, sunny and with a slight breeze. Sailboats were coming and going through the harbor

and I even picked up a few bird friends who literally followed me on foot along the way.

And then up ahead as I turned around the corner I spotted an older man in a very small boat, and
he was fishing. I paused for a moment, and watched, and curious as I am I asked him if he was fishing for a specific kind of fish, and although he answered I didn't quite understand him. I'm not sure if it was because he didn't speak English or I just didn't hear him very well. I continued to watch him, in awe really, as he was

catching a fish about every minute or so, sometimes less. And, ever so often he would look up at me and I would give him two thumbs up and tell him he was doing a great job and we would exchange smiles.
(As if this man, who had a bucket full of fish needed me to tell him that. )

{KKlassen portrait}

But the longer I watched I began to realize, that he wasn't using a pole, just a fishing line with a weight and
shrimp for bait. And it seemed that just as soon as he was dropping the line, he was pulling another fish from the water. He had this wonderful rthymn that just made it seem effortless. He would hold that tool in his right hand, slipping the line into the slot while pulling the fish up to the top of the tool until he could no longer pull. And then with a quick downward motion he released the fish into the bucket.

It was when he ran out of shrimp and needed to cut up some more, that I noticed his missing thumb.

{ My chosen photo for photo-heart connection - KKlassen texture warms sun}

This months photo-heart connection is unique for me in that there were really two connections.

My first connection is to the first photo and my realization that he was fishing in what many would consider a rather primitive way, without a fancy fishing pole but instead with just the line. He was simply catching fish

based on his technique and not based on equipment and he was getting great results. 

I began to relate this in my mind to photography. Because even the best equipment won't help if we don't first understand technique. I also know that my lack of equipment doesn't take away from my imagination, because no amount of money will buy that. This just reminds me that what ever our chosen craft, it is more about the crafter than what we use to make it. But that's not to say that we won't ever need different equipment as our vision or technique's change, just as if the fisherman wanted to catch a shark he would definitely need something more than just the line. I do believe it's more about our vision through technique rather than our equipment that defines art. And I don't think the man I watched is any less of a fisherman because he didn't use an expensive pole.

The next connection, and the last photo connected me with my heart.

After about twenty minutes of watching this man fish, he filled his entire bucket! And when he released

the last fish into that bucket, he promptly grabbed onto a rope that dangled from his boat and as he began to

pull on it, he turned and looked at me and smiled and said, "time to go home." As he pulled that rope, it took him about twenty feet away and as he pulled some more it brought up an anchor that he hoisted into his boat. And as he sat down and was driving away he looked up at me again and gave me a wave. We had a little bond that morning, a connection between two strangers. He didn't know it but he was for those twenty minutes a teacher, and I a student, both of us practicing our chosen craft.

Love, Kim

XO

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday, I have missed you....

October has been an especially busy month at my house, between football,

being sick, and a one parent household for much of the month.

But I have to warn you, I'm really stre---t---chi-----ing the prompts this week!

Last week, I was given a challenge and loaned a 300mm f2.8 D II Nikkor lens by a photographer

who photographs all of the sports at my kids high school. I met him last year, and this year we have

gotten to know each other standing on the sidelines at the varsity football games. He was going to be

out of town and wanted me to fill in for him.....I was a little nervous as I had never shot with a lens with

this kind of reach before (or price tag). On my crop sensor camera the 300mm (in 35 mm terms) is 450mm!

I literally had to stand in the end zone of the opposite side of the plays!

I have fallen in love with this lens.

Going back to my 70-300 4.5-5.6 is just never going to be the same.

So, here are my prompt interpretations:

{ patterns }

At half time, the band and color guard perform while walking in patterns on the field.

{ machine }

This one I took the day before at my son's freshman game, being a tackling machine.

{ signs or logos }

This is the sign you get from #28 after he sacks the quarterback!

{ rocks or stones }

No, no rocks or stones, just a fumbled football . . . however when you get the little recycled tire pellets from the astroturf in your shoes, they sure feel like rocks!

{ sparkle }

And what would a football game be without the lovely drill team in all their sparkles?

And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it . . .

Have a great weekend y'all!

Love, Kim

XO

Something missed, something gained . . .

"In every walk with nature one receives

far more than he seeks."

- John Muir

This week, that couldn't be more true!

As I mentioned on Sunday, we had planned on going to watch the sunrise. . . but, although I set

the time on my alarm clock, I forgot to turn it on. Yep, I woke up and saw it was completely daylight

outside and looked at the clock . . . 7:20, the exact time the sun would be peering over the horizon.

Let's just say I wasn't a happy camper, although I did make it later in the week, here.  When that happens,
I wonder if there was a reason I wasn't supposed to be there. Well, at least that's what I tried to
tell myself, and since we were already up we just decided to head over that way and take one of the trails.

First stop, butterfly garden, of course! We may not get much in the way of fall around these parts

but our wildlife is around a lot longer. This Gulf Fritillary didn't seem the least bit worried about me and my lens. But I was a little disappointed though, not to find any monarch caterpillars on the milkweed.

{Photograph life - fall color}

I was definitely not seeking a grasshopper, especially not a giant 3-4" one. But there it was blending right in and I can safely say that out of everything I usually run into, snakes included, that grasshoppers are not my favorite. It does look like he escaped with his life, just minus his jumping leg . . . ever wonder where they get ideas for alien creature feature films, look no further!

And as I was walking away, I spied this leaf, pierced by a falling acorn top!

Then we hopped back into the car and went further down to hook up with another trail. And as we were crossing over a small bridge on the road (on foot) I spotted this gorgeous Tri-colored Heron. I don't see many of these along my travels, so this was a treat! Just look at his gorgeous colors!!

After a few minutes he flew down to the water looking for food.

And this yellow stuff, ragweed, it's what's making everyone miserable - and it's just everywhere you turn.

And these pretty little flowers/weeds (?) lined a part of the path . . . what is that they say . . .  a weed is a flower in the wrong place. I would say these looked to be in the right place.

This week over at Pixel Dust Photo Art, Bonnie, instead of a theme gave us a fabulous freebie texture called leafy landscape for our challenge this week. I knew right away what photo I would use with this, that I had taken just days before. And wow, I love the texture with this - it was just the right touch for this photo, and then I topped it off with her vintage vellum.  Thank you Bonnie! If you haven't participated in her weekly photo art challenge before, I encourage you to go now and hang a piece of your art in her link-up gallery. (opens at 7 tonight, you can follow the theme or enter any piece of art)

"All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole."  - Hal Burland

So although Saturday morning I was seeking the sunrise, and despite my foul mood, and showing up anyway, I received far more than I bargained for. And with each discovery, on foot, I was able to see the bigger picture and by the end of our walk I had almost almost forgotten about the sunrise!
I'm pretty sure I learned a lesson here!!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love Kim,
XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Finding Serendipity, This and That Thursday,
Fabulous Friday, Photograph Life, Little Things Thursdays

Thankful for a headache?

"Far and away there in the sunshine are my highest

aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look

up and see their beauty, believe in them and try

to follow them."   - Louisa May Alcott

I had not planned on going to watch the sunrise this morning, as there were things to do and

an orthodontic appointment for the choir girl. In fact I was going to sleep in this morning, but

a rotten headache and allergies kept me from going back to sleep after I made sure the kids were

in fact up and getting ready for school. And as they walked out of the door at 6:50 my daughter said

it's going to be a great sunrise this morning. She doesn't usually say much that early in the morning, and that is when I knew I should look.

I peeked out the door . . . and was completely gobsmacked (I love that word). Blown over, in a panicked kind of way as I knew the time for the sunrise was 7:23 and it takes about 20 minutes to reach the bay in the morning school traffic. There was just no way I was going to get there before it rose, to capture what I was seeing.

Of all the days, the dog picks today to not ask to go out first thing, gee thanks! ha ha

I made a split second decision to throw on some clothes and go anyway, and you know, I had even considered just going in my p.j's to save a few minutes. That was fleeting.

Today, I was thankful for red lights . . . when does that ever happen!

And for my phone camera!

This was my first shot, as I almost tripped trying to get out of the car so fast and get my tripod up.

7:29 AM

7:38 AM

7:41 AM

7:42 AM

{KK paperlove, takeheart}

7:43 AM

The Theme this week for Texture Tuesday is "look up".

8:26 AM

{KK partings, aurora, just cause}

This was the view as I was driving out of my neighborhood!! This is from my phone .  . .

And this is half way there . . .

I learned after I got to the sunrise, from another photographer, that these clouds are the outer bounds of a hurricane off the pacific coast (CA, Mexico border), reaching all the way into the Gulf of Mexico. You can tell they have a swirling movement to them.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't beside myself for not being right there to photograph this! And although

every sunrise is beautiful and magical in its own way, this kind of show doesn't happen often. But, I could

have slept through it, so I guess today I'm thankful for that headache too! : )

Have a lovely Tuesday all . . .

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Communal Global, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesday



Scavenger Hunt Sunday

So glad to be back this week for the hunt, I just couldn't manage

to pull it together last week, but I think I'm finally on the mend. Thank you for the well wishes. Now

if someone could only figure out how to get the ragweed pollen down,

I would really be in business!!

This weeks prompts are . . .

{ water drops or water flowing }

I know, some of you saw this one already this week, but I really liked this one and it saved

me from having to dig into my archives.

{ faithfullness }

Just a little reminder, that we can fly with a broken wing.



{ then and now }

Now and then (pretending it's reverse day), you set your alarm clock to get up and go watch the

sunrise, but you forget to turn it on and wake up at exactly the moment (today it was 7:20am) that you should be standing by the bay with your camera on a tripod, sipping coffee  . . . watching, but you're not.

So you go for a walk instead . . .and you are thankful there are no more encounters with poisonous snakes.

{ fingertips }

Yet another lizard I made friends with!

{ Autumn bucket list }

I chose theme park from the list . . . this is Pleasure Pier in Galveston. There used to be a hotel

here, until hurricane Ike destroyed it and they replaced it with amusement rides . . . over the ocean!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

A textured Friday . . .

"Everywhere water is a thing of beauty

gleaming in the dewdrop,

singing in the rain."

- John Ballantine Gough

Oh wow, I haven't even been out with my camera this week - I haven't felt well, which is why it's been a little quiet on my side of the pond. So, I finally went to the doctor and have a sinus infection, fluid filled ears and seasonal asthma! UGH!!  It's amazing what a couple of days of medication can do though . . . which is a good thing . . . because I'm not very good at doing nothing.

This week at Bonnie's photo art Friday the theme is liquid. So I went to my archives for a few photos with some kind of liquid and decided to have some texture fun.


This first one, dew drops on a weed stem . . . 

If you haven't noticed, I do seem to have a fetish with water drops. In fact I carry a small spray bottle in my camera bag along with an eyedropper . . . yep,  my big tip for the day!!

{Photo Art Friday and Foto Friday}

This one I textured with her new freebie, Blue Depths in overlay - just love how it complimented the stone wall but in a subtle way.

These are the same rose, different textures . . . the bottom photo has her soft sunset texture in 2 layers, both in overlay. Such a great painterly effect . . .

{Flower Art Friday}

Short and sweet this week, I'm going to go take a nap now! ; )

Have a great weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with Photo Art Friday, Flower Art Friday, Fabulous Friday, This and That Thursday,

Finding Serendipity, Foto Friday

Recorded moments . . .

"To us, the difference between the photographer as an individual eye

and the photographer as an objective recorder seems fundamental,

the difference often regarded, mistakenly, as separating photography

as art from photography as document. But both are logical extensions

of what photography means; note-taking on, potentially, everything in

the world, from every possible angle."   - Susan Sontag

I think that just about sums it up for me . . . I'm definitely a note-taker with my camera,

on everything I see, AND from every angle possible! (angles that make the people around me go, hmmmm) Just ask my camera . . . over 80,000 clicks in the last year, yikes!! And it contains the only card I know of that one can max out, costing nothing but time.

And speaking of time, I took my father-in-law who has been visiting on a little tour of some of my favorite spots, the butterfly garden and along the birding trail...it was a good day, but it's a good thing to remember that when in nature, sometimes curiosity can kill the cat.

We may not get the typical fall colors here, but when the temps cool off into the 80's nature gets happy again! Honestly, I have no idea what kind of plant/bush this is, but it's PINK and it was gorgeous.

{Flower Art Friday}

Of course there was a visit from another one of my green friends, who was trying to figure out

just HOW to jump that far back to the plant he was on.

And the dragonflies were out in full force . . . this one reminds me of a giraffe with his markings. 

But in between the dragonflies we saw, I spied this butterfly resting . . .

But then I saw some movement, thought I saw a dark colored lizard tail . . . I moved in further to investigate to find this staring back at me. He just stared and I tried to get closer, but couldn't, then I lost him.....

 . . . and more dragonflies

And ones that had wings that shimmered like gold!

One with dots, and what looks to me like a shade of red lipstick!

And oh yes, one made specially for me, in pink, holy cow!!

{foto friday}

We eventually made our way to the bay and started the trail back to the car when something caught my eye on the side of the trail . . . I looked down and said to my father-in law, it's dead right?! haha  Well, as I looked through my camera, to get a picture, I realized not only was it NOT dead, but he was in a threatening stance, and I was standing about two feet from it . . . but unlike the one I saw earlier, I knew this one was a cotton mouth, aka a water moccasin . . . poisonous!! One dead (sorry) giveaway that it is a cotton mouth rather than just a water snake is the stripe along the side of this head, well that and his wide body and boxy head.  They are known to stand their ground, but we didn't panic,  moved slowly and he turned and went the other way. 

And not to leave you with a snake embedded in your memory for the rest of the day, this is my submission to Photo Art Friday. The theme this week is figures. I thought about a statue from the archives but I took this one on our walk, a shadow of the two of us enjoying an afternoon watching the dragonflies, and the birds, and avoiding snakes!  I thought it was interesting that in our shadows is the reflection of the leaves on the trees above us.  I used Bonnie's Irish moss, and gold dust textures.

"We do not remember days; we remember moments."

- Cesare Pavese

Have a great weekend, recording as you go!

Love, Kim

XO

Sharing with, Photo Art Friday, Flower art Friday, Finding Serendipity, Foto Friday,

Fabulous Friday, This and That Thursday