Home - a total newbie's test post on the curse of beautiful things...
It's a curse I tell you - being submersed in beauty all the time.
I grew up in New York City, the grandson of a photographer that became known in the 60s for her intimate, honest view of the Harlem Renaissance. As a young novice my questions were rarely about capturing the play of light or mastering the shadow rather how one goes about plucking subjects of note from a backdrop woven, almost entirely, of the notable.
15 years ago, my wife and I packed up and moved to Florida to be closer to her family. It was easy to gasp then. Easy to see how some might believe this place was paradise. Surely, it was for some.
But once again I found myself asking the same questions I always had. As gasps turn to pauses and pauses to glimpses and glimpses to momentary acknowledgments that I'd forgotten to look at all - how does one protect their ability to enjoy the ubiquitous? When this is the canvas of every morning cup of joe, how do you remember how gasp-worthy it all is?
Happy Holidays everyone.
I wish you all joy and peace and the will to see the extraordinary in every moment.
Photo Information:
Camera: DJI Inspire 1 v2 | w/DJI X5(FC550)
Lens: MFT 15mm f1.7 ASPH
Date: 6.30.16 :: 6:53EST
Shot: 1/[email protected] | ISO:280
(animated in post)
Author: Jon Hardison (me)
Being from the sterotypically beautiful islands of Hawaii I can definitely relate. Maintaining perspective when beauty is all around can be tough.
Gratitude is what brings me back to the beauty when life is going sideways. So much to be thankful for!
Well said and thank you for the food (coffee?) for thought!
Hawaii? Oh no! What a nightmare! LOL!
I've been looking at all the photos of snowy caps that have been popping up this year. Ridiculous!
And the black sand? Flowers? Wildlife?
There aren't many places I feel I must visit but Hawaii is high on that list. Thanx so much for your visit and kind words. :-)
That picture (video?) is amazing. The clouds are always moving away but they never dissipate!
Thank you! It's a still that's been animated in post. They're really fun to make and easier than you might think.
Wonderful shot! And cool animation. I've seen that effect before. A lot of my photog buddies do similar effects. There is a web service that lets you do it, right, for some hefty subscription cost? It goes well with this photo.
If I lived close to the beach, I think I would be there just about every evening for sunset photos. I hear what you are saying—we don't want to forget how amazing something is and start taking it for granted. I guess the only way around that is to remind ourselves of how amazing it is every day. That's what I try to always do.
On appreciating the ubiquitous - I try. I really do.
But I've found that the longer I'm in a place the less likely I am to even notice things, so my camera sits dusty and untouched. I think that's part of the reason @authorofthings invited me here. To jog my eye loose.
She is brilliant, is she not?
The familiar can become invisible to us. Occasional trips to faraway places can make coming home the best part of the journey.
We're on the East Coast @dbooster, so it's always sunrise over the water here. Much too early on most days :-) Ditto on the rest of it. And I'll let @j-o-n answer the software thingie. :-) I am pretty sure it's just an app though.
Yep! The guys you're thinking of do have a web utility and it is expensive. But they also have an iOS app that's fun and remarkably capable. I use it on an iPad. Can't imagine doing it on a phone.
Nice photo, clouds moving in fantastic way wow
Hey there Moustafa! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a kind word.
Much appreciated, Sir. ;-)
wow ...perfect photo
Thank you so much. :-)