Getting Back to Me

Spencer Spit State Park, Lopez Island, WA
© CND Photography 2010
I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Hello everyone! After a much needed vacation, I'm back and feeling refreshed. It's funny how alittle time in nature can really help you to refocus, ground & center yourself so you can get back to being productive. Personally, I never feel more centered than when I'm outdoors enjoying the planet! That's what I really needed when I went on vacation last week. With the economy being what it is, I knew I couldn't go far, but I wanted to get out of Seattle, so I went to Lopez Island (the smallest of the San Juans; highly recommend it for nature-lovers). It's a very small place, very natural. The locals are very protective of it and are very eco-minded. Many people don't drive or drive little, and often bike around the island. Not having done much biking since I was a kid, I thought this would be perfect opportunity to see the island, and get around. So I biked, hiked, and kayaked my way around the island for 4 days, which was really wonderful. I was completely exhausted, and had no idea my legs could be so sore, but it was completely worth it.

I'm hoping to have a photo essay put together by next week to show you some of the highlights of my trip, and the little cottage I stayed in (seriously, so cute and the perfect place to get back to nature while still being close to the center of town). Until then, I wanted to share with you the image above. This was taken at Spencer Spit Park, and it just a beautiful image of the island. This was the only day I was there it was sunny for more than a few hours, but that's life in the Pacific Northwest! Have a great week!

Change Your Mind

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change. - Buddha

My challenge to everyone this week is to look around, REALLY look. Explore the subject of your images as if it's something miraculous & rare, something you've never seen before. Study it from every angle. Try to find a unique approach. Sometimes we get so used to seeing something that it just becomes mundane. This is when we have to challenge ourselves as creative human beings to see the beauty all around. How has this improved your photography? Leave a comment and let us know.

Chasing The Dream

There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream. ~Author Unknown

I would like to make clear, first, that the image above is NOT mine, and unfortunately, I could not find the name of the photographer. However, it expresses exactly what I want to convey today, so a thank you to the photographer who this image belongs to...

Sometimes, life is all about perseverance. I've been working for several weeks to create an area on my website where you can purchase my images. Being a small, young business, I am on a budget like so many people right now. So, I set out to learn the CSS/HTML coding to make the page myself. I had a very definite idea what I ideally wanted the page to look like, how you would scroll through the images, how they would enlarge, etc. After spending two weeks trying to research online how to best do this and even buying a book on CSS, I finally decided I had done enough of the research stage, now it was time to get started on the actual editing and coding. I tried for a solid week to make the gallery exactly as I wanted it. Ultimately yesterday, I realized that I'm trying to make this elaborate gallery which I don't have the coding experience and knowledge to do. So, I tweaked my idea for the gallery layout, and voila, last night I was able to (finally) complete it.

I'll be honest, it was an incredibly frustrating process, and I have a new-found respect for those that work in I.T. :)! However, by pushing through and allowing myself the realization that you have to walk before you run (and make a less complicated gallery), I was able to accomplish the ultimate goal of having it be not only functional but professionally presented, even if it wasn't in the exact format I wanted.

To me, perseverance is an important part of life. And part of this is knowing that sometimes you have to be flexible enough to change the course, as long as you get to the same end goal. Sometimes, you have to push yourself to keep going and get to the finish line, but when you do, it's always worth the effort.

How has persevering helped you in your life? Let us know.