My Daughter's Portrait

"A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give." 

 -  Laurel Atherton

"Daughters hold our hands for a little while but hold our hearts forever."  

 -  unknown

Props From Nature

'Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.  Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.'  -  Betty Smith, Joy in the Morning

'One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.'  -  Henry Miller

'The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.'

-  William Butler Yeats

I remember when my daughter was little, she is now 14, and looked with wonder at everything.  Rocks, flowers, animals, everything was new, wonderful, and amazing.  Somewhere along the way, for all of us it seems, these everyday things lost their allure and aren't quite as amazing as they once were.  

Photography has taught me to look closer at the things around me while searching for 'good shots'.  It has helped bring back some of that child-like wonder of the world. I find details I would have otherwise missed, notice the way light shines, shadows lie and colors brighten up a scene.  Of course this doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen more than it did before photography. 

For the Be Still class this week, Kim Klassen sent us out to 'take a walk and find some props'.  It was raining, so I improvised.   I used items I had previously collected: beach rocks, a feather, moss (purchased from Michaels)  and beautiful flowers from Trader Joe's.  Nature can provide some beautiful props, I just have to slow down and open my eyes to see them. 

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday and the class Be Still.  My images were textured with Kim's texture 0603.

Thank you for stopping by!!

Have a great week!!

Michelle

Kindness

My computer has a virus.

The day my computer was given the virus I went to Trader Joe, I had to get out of the house.  I got my favorite marinated mozzarella and an evergreen wreath.  The cashier made the mistake of asking how my day was going.  I let it all out, the short version, and then apologized for complaining.  He told me it was ok, to go ahead and vent if I needed to.  I told him thank you, it did help to let it out.  I made it almost to my car when I heard behind me someone yell, “Excuse me, ma’am.”   I turn around and the cashier was holding a bouquet of flowers.  He handed them to me and told me he hoped my day got better.  I cried. 

   

I guess there really are good people still out there.  

I am still keeping my Winter Gratitude List (check out this post if you would like to know more about my list).  It is helping me find reasons to like winter a little better.  For the sake of brevity I am going to share my five gratitude favorites from the past two weeks: 

Black coats – when snowflakes land on them you can see the individuality of each and every snowflake.

Icicles – I just really like icicles.

Winter Berries – they brighten up my home.

Quiet – the snow seems to act as a natural sound buffer absorbing noise and creating a quieter world.

Holiday Gatherings – reconnecting with family and friends.

Why are you grateful for winter?

Today I am joining Kim Klassen’s Friday Finds and also the class Be Still 52.  My images were textured with Kim’s texture wednesday.  The class assignment was – square, from above and two sides.  My Finds this week were kindness and a beautiful bouquet at Trader Joe, the rose above was part of that bouquet.

Thank you so much for stopping by!!

Have a great weekend!!

Michelle

 

Confucius Quotes and a Still Life Portrait

 ‘Respect yourself and others will respect you.’ - Confucius

‘The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.’ - Confucius

‘What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.’ - Confucius

I was searching for quotes and came across a few from Confucius.  He was a smart guy.  It is amazing that quotes from over two thousand years ago still hold significance today.  

In my Be Still 52 class the assignment was to take a Still Life Portrait, no person in the image but items that give you a 'portrait' of the person.   This is a Still Life Portrait of my daughter, Megan.  I took the photo on her worktable, under the strong light.  This is where she loses all track of time.  She makes jewelry at this table, stamping letters into metal shapes or making pendants with wire and beads.  Megan loves chocolate milk and Trader Joe’s macaroons.  Blue is her favorite color.  She collects keys and went through a phase writing faces on rocks, I still find them everywhere in the yard.  She loves the ocean and collecting seashells and sea glass.  Megan’s love for the ocean prompted her to get certified in SCUBA, just in an indoor pool for now; someday she would love to SCUBA in the ocean and be a marine biologist.  Her bird Rosie is one of her favorite companions, Rosie follows her everywhere.  Thirteen years flies by so fast…

There is a slight chill in the air, fall is on its way in my part of Ohio.  It is time to find jeans and sweaters that have been hidden for a while now, making soup and soon taking lots of pictures of colorful leaves.  I hope you are enjoying your fall weather too.

Today I am joining Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday.  My top image was textured with Kim’s texture 0603 and my Still Life Portrait was textured with total grunge.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Have a great week!!

Michelle