Looking Up

     I've had a heck of a time photographing these roses.  It always seems that I get too much light on the red while the greens get properly exposed.  Then I'll fix the red and the green gets so dark you see no detail.  Oh it drives me nuts!  However the beauty of the rose just continues to call me to try and get it right.

     The photo you see above is one of my better attempts.  In this case I shot the rose using backlight in the shade.  Everything seems ok because the shade and the backlight made let the subtle details and colors come out.   To get this photo I had to crawl between the bushes, avoid stepping on other lovely flowers and then get low looking at an unusual angle...upwards.

     We all have something that drives us crazy as we try obtain that perfect rose photo.  We will often fail in the individual attempts, but those failures do not have to define us.  We just have to keep improving and learning...and not failing so catastrophically that we lose the resources to try again.  If we keep going we can navigate around the obstacles and get the next shot at the rose.

    Rough week at work?  I know all about it...just maybe keep this in mind.   Keep looking up!

ehw-

Something a little different

Today was two days in one, so please forgive me if this is a confusing.

We had one of those days around the house which makes you appreciate each person in your family and close friend circle a little more than when you woke up.

We had the little boy praying for his favorite pastor, now in heaven, the night before surprise me with the things he learned about faith, hope, love of God, and respect for authority this year in Blue Knights (and his catechism!).

We had a friend race over to help us and another storm heaven with prayers, as Mom and Dad had to make an unexpected trip...and we saw how deeply we love the lives of our children...and the new one on the way...before any saw the first light of day.

I had two big kids step up and grow up just a little more when faced with a challenge. I love them lots. Much more than words or photos could ever show (well no one really gets photos of me with my kids since I'm the photog!)

And then my youngest daughter fell asleep on my shoulder in church tonight while two boys sang in the children's choir (of course now at almost 10PM she just wants to party!).

This photo I played with seemed to fit the day's adventures. A lovely red blossoming flower surrounded by by busy texture. That was today...life unfolding surrounded by the texture of confusion, noise, friends sustainment, and warmth.

All in all it was a day when we could say God is good to us in ways we could not fathom at the first light of dawn. A day reminding me to say thank you to God for all he did in so many little ways and lives to sustain us. A day which makes me say thank you for having one more day tomorrow to recover and praise his name again.

-ehw

Something a little different

Today was two days in one, so please forgive me if this is a confusing.

We had one of those days around the house which makes you appreciate each person in your family and close friend circle a little more than when you woke up.

We had the little boy praying for his favorite pastor, now in heaven, the night before surprise me with the things he learned about faith, hope, love of God, and respect for authority this year in Blue Knights (and his catechism!).

We had a friend race over to help us and another storm heaven with prayers, as Mom and Dad had to make an unexpected trip...and we saw how deeply we love the lives of our children...and the new one on the way...before any saw the first light of day.

I had two big kids step up and grow up just a little more when faced with a challenge. I love them lots. Much more than words or photos could ever show (well no one really gets photos of me with my kids since I'm the photog!)

And then my youngest daughter fell asleep on my shoulder in church tonight while two boys sang in the children's choir (of course now at almost 10PM she just wants to party!).

This photo I played with seemed to fit the day's adventures. A lovely red blossoming flower surrounded by by busy texture. That was today...life unfolding surrounded by the texture of confusion, noise, friends sustainment, and warmth.

All in all it was a day when we could say God is good to us in ways we could not fathom at the first light of dawn. A day reminding me to say thank you to God for all he did in so many little ways and lives to sustain us. A day which makes me say thank you for having one more day tomorrow to recover and praise his name again.

-ehw

The Slow Spring

I don't know about you, but this almost feels like we're going to have a year without a summer!  The flowers and blooms though are trying to come out and enjoy the sun.  Just a quick shot from the yard in the fading spring light this weekend.  These flowers are very graceful for a day at most, then they get twisted, and lose a lot of their appeal.  So if I want a shot of them, I need to photograph them as soon as they open.  So the lesson of the day is to take the shot now, because you never know if it will be there tomorrow.

Good lesson for life as well.

-ehw

P.S. Fuji X-E1 with 60mm close up lens.  (This is not a true macro as it will only do 2:1, not the full 1:1 a traditional macro will obtain)

Happy New Years Eve!

On this evening I found myself in pleasant company leaving work...the three people I said farewell to are headed the same place I am in a few minutes...to church. I felt warm in knowing, contrary to popular culture, that some people out there still believe the evening is about more than a simple drinking fest..it is about thanking God for another tour around the sun!

Today's scripture reading in the Divine Office from Colossians 2:4-15 hits that point on the nose: "See to it that no one deceives you through any empty, seductive philosophy that follows mere human traditions, a philosophy based on cosmic powers rather than on Christ." It is to God that we owe thanks...not the maker of Miller, Jack Daniels, or whatever else there is.

The homily by St Leo the Great reminded us, "For every believer regenerated in Christ, no matter in what part of the whole world he may be, breaks with that ancient way of life that derives from original sin, and by rebirth is transformed into a new man. Henceforth he is reckoned to be of the stock, not of this earthly father, but of Christ, who became Son of Man precisely that men could become sons of God; for unless in humility he had come down to us , none of us by our own merits could ever go up to him."

I'm not implying we need to forgo a nice glass of wine, but we need to forgo the culture and philosophy of worshiping those earthly things for the sake of themselves. In many ways, abuse of anything takes our eyes off the prize. It could be internet addiction, money, sports, you name it...anything pulling too hard will hurt our time we should rather be spending to build up the kingdom of God. Just watch a few minutes of commercials during a bowl game or the parties tonight and you'll see what I mean in spades!

So there is my resolution. Get control of things that distract and get God put back in charge.

I hope you have a noble resolution as well!

Happy New Years Eve!

-ehw

iOS Travel Photography

I am mad as heck at myself...I ran out of the house to beat the rush and forgot my lovely X-E1 in the house on my desk with two charged batteries. So when I got he photo bug I had to turn here to my iPhone. I know, I know everyone is doing it nowadays. I am just resistant to it. I'll use live view and all the modern conveniences but at the end of the day I just want my real camera.

Well I had the bug to shoot something, and I found myself at a rest area. I got a quick shot with a little morning sun. Problem was the flowers were definitely starting to fade...some flowers were downright depressing for what I wanted to do. So I came back to my room and played with the photo...first in iPhoto and then on Snapseed. Snapseed gave me some fun options I liked and knew how to use from my extensive experience with the product....and iPhoto is on its first run with me in its current regeneration.

The bottom line is that even when you have what you feel is little to work with, in today's world it is a far cry from what we had just ten years ago. I made a pretty interesting piece...or so I hope!

Stay optimistic, and drive on to making some art!

-ehw PS iPhone camera on auto, edited in Snapseed.

Sunday Glory..for my best friend

Just a quick image for my wife captured at church last night...