Well, here we go...day one and I am encouraged by the start.
I should start this off by saying I will be using a point and shoot compact camera. These images in the following months will be basic point and shoot imagery. I do not want to drag out the heavy, cumbersome Nikon's... couple of reasons for that and it mainly has to do with sticking to my initial goal of losing weight...the camera part is just a diversion for my weak willpower and mind.
Made my usual early morning drive before photo shoots to the beach in Avila. Avila is where I live, though not exactly. I live in the hills above Avila Beach in an unincorporated rural area with a distant view of the Pacific and her majestic sunsets. I was resolved to take my morning coffee (Diet Coke...I know, I know !!) and start my diet out right by walking the beach and maybe down to the far beach (Port San Luis). got out of the car and snapped this quick pic as my shadow looked so thin and lanky...A good omen ?? no se...
This morning was/is one of those great California days. low 60 degrees already, light offshore wind and not to many people in sight...Not bad for a February/Winter morning !!
I walked along the beach, trying to keep a nice brisk pace but I kept being distracted by the sheer beauty of this place, this beach. It felt like a Spring morning when all is new and thriving. Maybe this is just the state of my mind now, I am really happy to start off on this diet/blog experience.
Down by the bridge that takes you across the San Luis Creek I was watching the sun play its early morning tricks on the shadows of a dog... It was hilarious !! Being so early in the morning (and Winter as well) the shadows formed are always so exaggerated... kinda like Natures Fun House where you walk in front of those crazy mirrors that contort your body...
This poor dog was truly challenged by it's own shadow and there ensued a standoff...much posturing, barking, and challenging until the poor guy had worked himself into a lather. The dogs owner and I exchanged Good Morning's and I mumbled out something like "reminds me of me and my shadow... I am not to happy with it...trying to lose a few pounds"
Images are amazing things...Sometimes we don't want to really look at them, sometimes they scare us...Sometimes a couple (or three) glasses of wine will blot the memory of that days images if those images/experiences of the day aren't so great.
If you are a photographer (or know one) the question you get asked the most is "What is your favorite picture that you have taken" My answer and I think most peoples is, "My best images/pictures are in my head" Isn't that a cool thing ?? Your most precious images or memories are firmly locked up in your brain...to be called upon when needed.
My new friend "Rodger" the dog made me realize that sometimes how we view ourselves needs to be looked at closer. Rodger's shadow was not a threat and my whimsical description of the image of myself appearing to be as skinny as the telephone pole shadows is/was just wishful thinking.
As I crossed the bridge further my mind was going in 6 different directions at once. This silly by chance encounter with "Rodger" had me questioning all kinds of things including the fact that my stopping and meeting "Rodger" and his owner was not doing anything for my cardio functions.... Was I lacking will power and stalling...resting and not keeping up the pace???... What if I just wanted to take all of life in as it comes to me and I will deal with that excersise part later... ARGGHH !!
I decided this example (I will call it the Rodger Vortex) is how, so many times in the past my firm resolve gets hosed down in the face... too many distractions, one needs to focus and be centered. I have yet to be truly focused...maybe that's why I like cameras and the imagery they provide...ya lock in on a subject, focus, set the aperture/shutter speed and out comes a nicely baked presentation of what you saw/imagined.
As I was stalling from getting back to my walk/exercise, I was looking over the bridge into the estuary that is created when salt water meets fresh (kind of a salt water wine) and froze for a second... the small wavelets that were coming in from the ocean were meeting the same type of energy but with fresh water from the creek creating what looked to me to be an X-Ray of my brain at that particular moment, all mixed up !!!! Wow, this was mesmerizing...I could watch these patterns for hours !!! So there ya go, a perfect example of how easily distracted I get...but how cool was this, it was a natural kaleidescope...After many minutes I continued on with the reason I am out here...my excercise/walk !!
In all the years (55) I have been coming to the shore on an almost daily basis, this is (I think) the first time I have seen a square shape created by waves.... Time for Tic-Tac-Toe !!!
Well, I got near to Port San Luis pier but turned back as I had a shoot to go to and I walked back on the same tracks I had earlier walked. I was thinking of the approach that I was going to take photographically with my model. I had it all figured out, I was thinking clearly and walking briskly...All was good !!! I got back to the bridge on the creek, leaned over to watch those crazy patterns for another moment or so and this was all I saw, over and over...
I almost laughed out loud... my head was clear as was the swell/energy coming from the Sea. At this moment there was no tug of war with the flowing water from the creek... I walked away just laughing to myself !!
So thats it...one moment chaos...the next one clarity... As usual Ma Nature has taught me one more lesson.
As I was getting close to my car I saw something I have never seen at Avila Beach...An Elephant seal had made this stretch of beach his own and was sun bathing. Elephant Seals are really common here in Central Calif. but I had never seen one on this beach, mostly thirty miles or so North up by Hearst Castle.
After watching him awhile, he decided to take a dip... I went home to my studio to photograph and vowed to come back down this afternoon with my surfboard and get in some exercise like my elephant seal friend !! Gonna take my underwater housing to, so I may (or not) get a shot or two !! More later !! comments are always welcome ! Regards, clikko
I should start this off by saying I will be using a point and shoot compact camera. These images in the following months will be basic point and shoot imagery. I do not want to drag out the heavy, cumbersome Nikon's... couple of reasons for that and it mainly has to do with sticking to my initial goal of losing weight...the camera part is just a diversion for my weak willpower and mind.
Made my usual early morning drive before photo shoots to the beach in Avila. Avila is where I live, though not exactly. I live in the hills above Avila Beach in an unincorporated rural area with a distant view of the Pacific and her majestic sunsets. I was resolved to take my morning coffee (Diet Coke...I know, I know !!) and start my diet out right by walking the beach and maybe down to the far beach (Port San Luis). got out of the car and snapped this quick pic as my shadow looked so thin and lanky...A good omen ?? no se...
This morning was/is one of those great California days. low 60 degrees already, light offshore wind and not to many people in sight...Not bad for a February/Winter morning !!
I walked along the beach, trying to keep a nice brisk pace but I kept being distracted by the sheer beauty of this place, this beach. It felt like a Spring morning when all is new and thriving. Maybe this is just the state of my mind now, I am really happy to start off on this diet/blog experience.
Down by the bridge that takes you across the San Luis Creek I was watching the sun play its early morning tricks on the shadows of a dog... It was hilarious !! Being so early in the morning (and Winter as well) the shadows formed are always so exaggerated... kinda like Natures Fun House where you walk in front of those crazy mirrors that contort your body...
This poor dog was truly challenged by it's own shadow and there ensued a standoff...much posturing, barking, and challenging until the poor guy had worked himself into a lather. The dogs owner and I exchanged Good Morning's and I mumbled out something like "reminds me of me and my shadow... I am not to happy with it...trying to lose a few pounds"
Images are amazing things...Sometimes we don't want to really look at them, sometimes they scare us...Sometimes a couple (or three) glasses of wine will blot the memory of that days images if those images/experiences of the day aren't so great.
If you are a photographer (or know one) the question you get asked the most is "What is your favorite picture that you have taken" My answer and I think most peoples is, "My best images/pictures are in my head" Isn't that a cool thing ?? Your most precious images or memories are firmly locked up in your brain...to be called upon when needed.
My new friend "Rodger" the dog made me realize that sometimes how we view ourselves needs to be looked at closer. Rodger's shadow was not a threat and my whimsical description of the image of myself appearing to be as skinny as the telephone pole shadows is/was just wishful thinking.
As I crossed the bridge further my mind was going in 6 different directions at once. This silly by chance encounter with "Rodger" had me questioning all kinds of things including the fact that my stopping and meeting "Rodger" and his owner was not doing anything for my cardio functions.... Was I lacking will power and stalling...resting and not keeping up the pace???... What if I just wanted to take all of life in as it comes to me and I will deal with that excersise part later... ARGGHH !!
I decided this example (I will call it the Rodger Vortex) is how, so many times in the past my firm resolve gets hosed down in the face... too many distractions, one needs to focus and be centered. I have yet to be truly focused...maybe that's why I like cameras and the imagery they provide...ya lock in on a subject, focus, set the aperture/shutter speed and out comes a nicely baked presentation of what you saw/imagined.
As I was stalling from getting back to my walk/exercise, I was looking over the bridge into the estuary that is created when salt water meets fresh (kind of a salt water wine) and froze for a second... the small wavelets that were coming in from the ocean were meeting the same type of energy but with fresh water from the creek creating what looked to me to be an X-Ray of my brain at that particular moment, all mixed up !!!! Wow, this was mesmerizing...I could watch these patterns for hours !!! So there ya go, a perfect example of how easily distracted I get...but how cool was this, it was a natural kaleidescope...After many minutes I continued on with the reason I am out here...my excercise/walk !!
In all the years (55) I have been coming to the shore on an almost daily basis, this is (I think) the first time I have seen a square shape created by waves.... Time for Tic-Tac-Toe !!!
Well, I got near to Port San Luis pier but turned back as I had a shoot to go to and I walked back on the same tracks I had earlier walked. I was thinking of the approach that I was going to take photographically with my model. I had it all figured out, I was thinking clearly and walking briskly...All was good !!! I got back to the bridge on the creek, leaned over to watch those crazy patterns for another moment or so and this was all I saw, over and over...
I almost laughed out loud... my head was clear as was the swell/energy coming from the Sea. At this moment there was no tug of war with the flowing water from the creek... I walked away just laughing to myself !!
So thats it...one moment chaos...the next one clarity... As usual Ma Nature has taught me one more lesson.
As I was getting close to my car I saw something I have never seen at Avila Beach...An Elephant seal had made this stretch of beach his own and was sun bathing. Elephant Seals are really common here in Central Calif. but I had never seen one on this beach, mostly thirty miles or so North up by Hearst Castle.
After watching him awhile, he decided to take a dip... I went home to my studio to photograph and vowed to come back down this afternoon with my surfboard and get in some exercise like my elephant seal friend !! Gonna take my underwater housing to, so I may (or not) get a shot or two !! More later !! comments are always welcome ! Regards, clikko
Beautiful photography, Lance. I've never seen the criss-cross water pattern.
ReplyDeleteWishing you great luck on your new project!