Progression of a Sunrise

What can I say, I lOVE watching the sunrise. Now I understand why people throw all caution to the wind and live on the water. Yes, I did just say that. It was really quite spectacular and I wouldn't have believed the pictures had I not been there. No color correction or saturation in any of these pictures. Actually, the only thing I did to these pictures was a slight sharpening. Wish you had been there......

These are all from yesterday within a 45 minute window. The sunrise was at 7:13 and I put the time stamp with each picture so you can see the progression of time and how vastly different the first picture is from the last. It was probably the most varied sunrise I have ever seen. Enjoy!

7:0l

7:02

 7:09

7:14

7:19

7:20

7:26

7:36

7:44



Foto Friday

The weather is getting warmer and people are starting to mingle about a bit more. This means that the chess players at the Starbucks I frequent are taking it outside. I'm not much of a people photographer and not exactly a shy person, but it can feel a little awkward to ask strangers if they mind I share their personal space. I'm getting over it! But don't let the pictures fool you because although they look deep in thought there was quite a bit of laughing going on. I do find people to be quite interesting and maybe I'll start bringing a journal with me....everyone has a story.

Concentrating.....

I love how the game board is reflected in his glasses.

A friend watching. . .

. . . his friend make a move.

They invited me to come back with or without my camera - maybe I'll even learn how to play chess?

Then it was off to you know where to get some pictures of flowers and such.

Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons, everything renews.

I didn't bring my tripod with me this time and it was just breezy enough to make

it tricky to get a really good focus. But I do love the old fashioned feeling of this one.

 

And I never tire of taking a picture of this gate!!

  And then a little game of hide and seek. As soon as he saw me he ran between two concrete benches with an opening of maybe an inch. This lizard and I had a love hate relationship. I loved that he posed long enough for my camera and he hated that I wouldn't leave!

After I left there it was off to a favorite path that leads to the gulf and one that has a sign that says 'snake and gator habitat' but I have yet to see either one!

Yep that's me and my shadow.

That path led me to this. And you can't see from here but there is a party happening at the end of this pier. Probably about a dozen people fishing, and having fun, and some of which I suspect were playing hookie from work. As a group of them were leaving they asked me to take their picture as long as their wives didn't see it.

 

This was the only catch of the day between about twenty poles hanging over the edge of the pier.  Ask a guy if he caught anything and they are more than happy to take it out of the cooler and pose with it. He wanted to know if it would be on the news. Umm, no. He was wanting me to help him get a sponsor for bass fishing, really?

The next two were actually shot earlier in the week and are one of my favorites to do - silhouettes!

There is this grove of trees that are scattered along a creek and they're covered with Spanish moss. As I was crossing the bridge over the creek as the sun was setting it looked like an enchanted forest. But when I actually got down into the trees the perspective just wasn't the same as it was on the bridge. 

And last but not least I do like the contrast in this one between the soft focus of the trees

and the hard lines of the iron fence.

Wishing you all a great week, and don't forget to take your camera with you. You never know what or who you might run into.

Kim

I Am Enough . . .

Why is it that I have struggled so much with being enough?  I can write these words, read them and even some days actually believe them. But there are all the other days when the voice of inadequacy becomes louder than that written word and when I start wondering if I am really enough to be a photographer, artist or even writer of a blog and can I do it in a way that will give meaningful inspiration to others.

Am I enough because I never went to college. Am I enough because I no longer have that cute figure from my younger years and that time is starting to show in my face. Am I enough because I wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't know how to do it any other way. Am I enough because I am not perfect. I have never been one to compare materials things, but I am guilty of comparing myself to how well others do things. I have questioned all these things and more, but I can say at this point that I am finally on that journey of discovering what is enough, the process of becoming me again. The one I forgot. The person I have always been but didn't see.


About five years ago my women's bible study group studied the book of Romans and the cover of the workbook said, "free, released to be uniquely me". It was this study that had a significant impact on the way I viewed myself and was an extraordinary launch into my journey. We talked about a glory bestowed upon us, an original glory that was greater than anything that has ever taken our breath away in nature. I don't know about you, but the beauty of nature has more than stolen my breath so it was a statement that captivated my attention. To think that when we were created God gave each of us a glory so deep that all creation pales in comparison. A glory unique to each of us and one that deep inside I think we have all been looking for ever since. But somehow over time I had come to believe I was not enough.

And then during our study I came across a writing by Marianne Williamson that moved me to tears and tugged at my heart. It was a moment when something clicked in the deepest part of my soul. Maybe it wasn't just about being enough, but something more.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"Who are you not to be?"  WOW! I read that question and then I read it again. This question echoed within me, and it was one that I couldn't easily answer. Was I afraid of my own light because that brought more uncertainty about being enough. I began to realize that I was not granting myself the same permission that I felt free to give others. I was so busy trying to measure up to what I thought should be enough for me that I lost track of the knowledge that I was already enough. I was beginning to see that the only person that could really give me permission to be enough was me.

What I have learned is that you and I are enough. All that we are is adequate for what we want and need, and who we are is sufficient enough for the purpose of satisfying our dreams and our desires because we were made unique. Because each of us was made a shade of color like no other person on earth. It's been here all along.

I am just so thankful that God is all about reclaiming the potential he has planted within me because too many times I have turned my back in fear. When I look back I see that He always keeps me in close proximity to where I should be, and waits. I have learned more about living in the imperfect moment and I feel alive at the wonder of the world through renewed eyes. I also know that how I see myself will determine how I live and that when I see myself as enough, it will help serve as permission for others. I want to be all that I was created to be without fear.

I am learning to be me again, the girl who used to wear feathers in her hair only now they're pink highlights, and I am dancing like no one is watching. I leave the house with dishes in the sink and dust bunnies in the corners and I go to my metals class to create art from my life. I am letting go of who I think I should be and embracing who I am . . . a vulnerable woman full of passion for the smallest things in life who is not perfect. A woman who is enough just the way I am.

Love, Kim

Foto Friday - It's all about sepia

Hello Friday!!

I didn't get out with my camera this week as much as I would have liked. However off and on rain makes that a little tricky, not to mention soggy. After my metals class on Wednesday I decided to go to one of my favorite mom and pop nurseries and was pleasantly surprised to find poppies!

The poppy has a unique stem that makes for a great back lite photo showing the details of the hairs. This was actually an orange one, but I just wasn't diggin' it so I turned it into sepia. I like it, in fact I liked it so much I changed all my pictures this week into sepia.

From a hanging basket was this double fuschia, beautiful stop you in your tracks hanging heaven. And I love color, but I wanted to showcase the form of the flower and sometimes color gets in the way.

This is the all popular knock-out rose that was a soft pink. And although pink is my favorite color,  I couldn't help but also make this into a sepia finish since it also helps disquise that the focus was too soft. Add a little more blur to the edges and it's quite dreamy and well, romantic!

Before I went to the nursery I stopped off at a spot where I know the birds frequent - I just sat in my car and listened to the music of the water and the birds as they searched for food and chased each other. Two seagulls were fighting over a fish that one of them caught and in their argument they weren't paying attention to this beautiful Great Blue Heron that came in and swooped up their lunch!
















I wish you all a fabulous weekend!  I hope you're inspired to take your camera with you or at least to take notice of all the wonderful things that surround you.

Love,
Kim XO