Walking down the street, with no intention of taking a picture, there they were, swaying seductively in a cool spring breeze. I got down inside the bed of these magnificent blooms to be among them, seeing what they see.
You know, if I could, I’d spend my days taking pictures and reading Substack. Since I have “real life” to manage, I try to stay aware of what’s around me and grab shots, even if they don’t always impress me later.
I’ll take shots of just about everything… especially flowers. But I try to not be predictable and work to see things differently. Even a dead zinnia, hanging its head in sadness, is magnificent in its beauty.
A trip to Arizona brought new opportunities. Cactus blooms are so “other worldly”. Like something from Star Trek.
In one of my first essays from February, I said: Always Take Pictures. The more I take, the more my brain is wired to finding a unique angle. A zinnia from the bottom up made for an interesting view.
A single raindrop. I can still smell the morning I took this… so fresh.
And ferns pushing their way up out of the ground. I laid down next to this patch of ground, getting quite dirty, to find this one, insistent on being free.
And finally, these were too sweet to pass by. So soft and delicate. I loved how the petals clustered tightly together, tinged with blue, reaching for sunlight.
Photography takes me away from my failing country, my still sore knee, and whatever else is cluttering my mind. We all need to divert our attention from life's harsh realities and do something to feed the creative spirit we all have.
Tell me what you’re doing to nurture your soul. ❤️ Thanks for being here.
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The great photographer Diane Arbus said:
“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” (She is so right. Anyway, who doesn’t Oreos?)
Elie with the 106.9 mph throw to first....and here we thought Aroldis had a fastball. Nope, I don't want him pitching, even in a pinch. We'd lose all those other gifts as they went unused and after a year or so he'd be doing the Tommy John.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!