merry christmas

Just a few festive Christmas photos after all the holiday cheer.  Enjoy drinking your spiked egg nog and kissing under the mistletoe!

raindrops on roses

A couple of day ago, Dad, Michael and I went for a walk and I snapped a few photos around the neighborhood.  We walked past these beautiful red hibiscus in full bloom, so I took some shots of them, all the while saying, "these flowers don't bloom very long; not for more than a day or two."  This morning I went for a walk in the rain and it was wonderful.  I did the exact same route and as I was passing by the hibiscus they were all withered and dead.  The cycles of life made me smile so I took a picture of one to add to my blog.  I also threw in a couple of portraits I took of my dad while he was here.  :)

A few shots in the sunshine...

My dad :)

These are the red hibiscus two days ago...

And these are the same ones today...

These are some beautiful pink roses in the sunshine...

And these are those exact same roses in the rain...

And more shots in the rain...

Merry California Christmas, everyone! :)

a few christmas lights

What I love most about photography is that it brings back all of my childlike awe.  It's all about truly looking around you and seeing things in a different way.  How often do we rush through our day, doing one thing after another without really stopping to take a deep breath and actually look at what's around us?

How often do we see how enchanting the evening sunlight is, streaming through the dining room window down on to the salt and pepper shakers in front of us while we eat?  How often do we stare at our computers for hours and forget to take more than a second to appreciate the gladiolas swaying in the breeze?  How often do we stop, just to remind ourselves that we're still alive - living, breathing beings with limitless possibility surrounding us at all times, if we only look in order to see it?

I didn't used to very often, but now I look around me and all I see is beauty in every texture, shape, and tone.  All I want to do is take photos.  Even when I'm not taking them (...especially when I'm not taking them!)  But often times, when I am taking them, too.  I naturally look around me and see things in terms of light.  How much is there, and what do I need to adjust in order to capture it, just the way it is falling?  I don't take pictures of subjects, I take pictures of light.

Light brings the world to life.

It is what always draws me out to take a picture in the first place.  I find it is easier to adjust my camera to capture what is already around me than it is to try to change my surroundings to fit what I think it should be.  I don't mind changing my surroundings, but I usually don't unless I really need to, which isn't very often.

Tonight I went out and took pictures of Christmas lights in the dark and I felt a sense of absolute wholeness and completeness.  It was still, quiet, and cold.  A dozen tiny colorful lights lit up the streets around me.  And my camera is working again... absolute bliss!