Tag Archives: Reflection

Evergreen

Dec
20
2013
by IBK | 2 Comments

©2009IBKimage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking closely at today’s image, you’ll see a small tree growing out of a rock field on a ledge near a waterfall at Yellowstone National Park.  The falls are more famous as well as spectacular grand views  often seen on postcards.  What intrigued me about this small tree, was it’s actual existence in a harsh environment. Think of the various conditions of wind, rain,  hail storm and at times extreme heat and cold; look closely at the small bend in the tree, suggesting at one time perhaps a boulder lodged in its trunk and yet it is quite hardy, crowned with healthy new evergreen growth.

 

At this year closes perhaps we can be grateful that in the midst of our sometimes  difficult conditions we at some point – if we’re open to that – are transformed by change and loss and after a time of grieving and  anger and inconvenience and love and nurture by those close in heart, even if far away, in the new season the new growth appears and the heart rejoices; changed, but with stronger roots to withstand the opportunities and challenges of being human.

Blessings to you and yours as you gather near and far in the coming days rejoicing in the love of God and neighbor.

Joy,

IBK

Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged , , , , , |

Waiting

Dec
13
2013
by IBK | 2 Comments

©IBKimage2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very early one morning, in October, a group of photographers attending a Frans Lanting Workshop car-pooled to Four Mile Beach near Santa Cruz, California .  In the dark we gathered our equipment and layers of clothing and walked a half of a mile to the water. I had forgotten my headlight, but others guided us along the path with a variety of light devices .  We arrived at the water’s edge and heard the tide coming in before we saw it. After the initial shock of  the cold tide coming in over my water shoes ,worn for stability on the slippery rocks, I was overcome with emotion and could only weep at the beauty pressing itself into all of my senses and my soul.

 

We set up our tripods on the wet sand, and I peered into the fog and tried to find something to take a picture of.  Gradually I saw the shape of a surfer and then several more and then as dawn’s light appeared, the waves,  rocks, and vegetation magically appeared.  I took a few pictures, and  then proceeded to move to another view.  At that moment our leader Frans happened along and asked another participant and I if we’d like some coaching  in what we were seeing and so on.  Yes of course we did and he proceeded to tell us to watch how the incoming and outgoing waves created very different patterns and flows and many other things that I had never, ever, had thought about.  I can only describe it as a seeing beyond.

 

I took a few pictures and started to look for  another view.  Frans kindly but emphatically asked:  “Where are you going ? You’ve got a great spot here … work it … learn to wait for it” … and oh my, how those few words from a gifted teacher have taken me in new directions both personally and as a photographer.   My impatience and jumping from one thing to another has often stopped me from experiencing something that I was to learn.  I remember a long ago phrase that nurtured me well when I used to (and still do) get ahead of myself.  Wait, watch, pray, trust and obey.

 

Today’s image is from that sacred morning.  In the midst of the fog,churning waves and low light, our early bird is perched and … waiting.

It’s good to be back and in the coming weeks I’ll share some insights that I’ve been learning in a time of intense transition and … waiting.

IBK

 

 

 

Posted in Insight, Inspiration, Waiting Also tagged , |

Discovering the Grain

Sep
19
2013
by IBK | 0 Comments

©IBKimage 2012

 

My father was a German master cabinet maker.  New projects began with a trip to the small town lumber yard where we lived.  He would look through the various  offerings and then make a choice based on the end use , the hardness or softness, the straightness of the piece, the unique grain running through it and so on.  I would watch him draft a plan for the object ; measure, cut, plane, sand, smooth, file, turn, nail together, dovetail, glue, bore, chisel and numerous other processes to get the end result.  The best part of all was when it was all ready for finishing.  In photography we call it post processing. The intent is the same, to take a well crafted wooden article (or a well composed photo) and bring out the best from the raw material. In wood-working this is usually done by adding a stain to bring out the beauty of the unfinished grain. My father disliked covering up the grain with paint.  Today’s manufactured particle board has to be covered up since there’s no unique grain.

In the Biblical book of Proverbs  22:6 we are told to “train up a child in the way they should go and when old they will not depart from it.”  The lesson is that instead of conforming our children to our desires and dreams for them, we actually are encouraged to help them find and recognize their “bent” and then provide an environment for that to develop and to provide boundaries and correction when off the path.

As we mature, it is often hard to continue to honor that bent among the many novelties calling out for our attention.

Today’s image comes once again from the Queen City Architectural Salvage Yard here in Denver where the discarded  can be restored and transformed with love to once again delight in its bent.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Seeing In New Ways Also tagged , , , |

A Man and His Sons

Mar
01
2013
by IBK | 0 Comments

©IBKimage1989

 

February is a frequent  birthday month in our small family, including my own, so I gave myself a two week sabbatical from blogging.

I pinpoint the time that I became a photographer  to the  Spring of 2008, when I took my year old digital point and shoot camera to Seattle with me on a return visit to the neighborhood where I had lived for 2 plus years while attending graduate school as an  “over 50”, and more importantly  to reunite with friends from my time there.  My friend B. took my husband and I to a small Japanese garden  and it was really through her encouragement that I started to “see in new ways”.  She had such a wonderful sense of composition with her own photography, that I was inspired to keep going.

Several years ago I scanned all of our old film photos into the computer and today as I was reviewing some, I came across today’s image which I took on an old film camera , so a seed was perhaps planted then that finally sprouted in another season.  It was especially poignant since the guy in the red shorts turned 28 today.

I’m reminded of the beautiful lyrics of a song from the old musical, “Fiddler on the Roof; sunrise, sunset,swiftly flow the years, one season following another, laden with happiness and tears; …”    No matter how young or old we are, it matters that we are present in other peoples’ lives and that we engage with others in relationship.  My friend’s love and encouragement started a whole new way of seeing for me, and allowed me to share my words and images with you 5 years later.

Think of someone that had that effect on you and how it’s changed your life.

IBK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Inspiration, Seasons, Seeing In New Ways, Uncategorized Also tagged , , , |

It’s Your Turn

Jan
18
2013
by IBK | 3 Comments

©IBKimage2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My purpose for writing this blog is to offer insight and encouragement during life’s transitions.   I know that many of you reading this blog have experienced many transitions this year.  You’ve moved; changed jobs; lost jobs; are looking for jobs; had babies, are expecting babies; had cancer; are recovering from cancer;  became grandparents, aunts, and uncles; bought homes; sold homes; got engaged, got married; ended relationships; found yourself; learned to live with a chronic illness ; made commitments, broken commitments; lost friends and family members; made new friends;  and so on.  In short you’ve been confronted with or have chosen to take a look at yourself in a new way because of these transitions.

As you can see in today’s image, I’ve been out in the field this week looking for images that tell a story about our transitions and how we “are in them”. I’d like you to finish this blog by sharing some insights about what you’ve learned in your own transitions.  A brief example:  I’ve learned that :  I don’t have to fill in the blanks and force the  answer but can wait to discover the answer when it comes.  My niece taught me just last week that:  “You don’t have to own that” … i.e. that’s not yours to do …

I will use some of your comments (pithy please) in next weeks blog to offer insight and encouragement.  (your identity will not be revealed)

IBK

 

 

 

Posted in Seeing In New Ways Also tagged , |

Do vs. Dew

Dec
06
2012
by IBK | 5 Comments

©IBKimage 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Dear Readers,

I’ve taken a break from blogging because, quite frankly, I’ve just been worn out.  I’m learning that just because I can, I don’t have to.  Like the beautiful drops of dew in our image today, there are so many interesting drops of delight that can keep us fascinated and ready to engage in the next good thing.   There have been many good things this year and I’ve learned a lot, and challenged myself and met some wonderful people who have encouraged and nourished me. I’ve “tried on” new activities and discarded old ones (and some of the new ones).  Old habits came back to support me and to discourage me; friendships were renewed and deepened and others let go of; friends and acquaintances received serious diagnoses, and thankfully are recovering; grieving occurred and joy returned.  A year of being human.

 

I’ve also discovered again that it’s easy to let the good things crowd out the better or best things.  Much of my fatigue in the last month, resulted from activity vs. focused engagement on what is mine to do.  Yes of course a lot of our lives require daily maintenance and routine, and maintaining relationships, but if I neglect the inner life for too much outer activity, I won’t be able to distinguish the “dew from the do.”

IBK

Posted in Insight, Seasons, Uncategorized Also tagged , , |

Gratitude

Aug
24
2012
by IBK | 2 Comments

©IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, but not often enough I “get over myself”and just relish the dance in the moment. Last week I joined a photography “Meetup” at the Denver Botanic Garden for a member’s only 7:00 a.m. entry before the general public admission at 9:00.  How delightful to be able to “capture” morning’s soft light offering and it’s cool breeze.  When I put the camera to my eye to frame a shot, all of the tensions of a hundred details attended to in the previous week, float away, and  the music of intentional seeing starts its tune.  Here a color, there a texture, water flowing, interesting patterns, butterflies landing,bees pollinating, reflections on the pond, water lilies opening on their own schedule …. and I’m released from mine.

 

Todays image could be cropped to capture only the most beautiful  strong proud “pick of the litter” (I live in Denver where there are almost as many dogs as flowers … I digress) and that’s where the focus usually is, but if you saw the image in full size you’d see the most beautiful light illuminating the bent stems of the drooping flower.  The flowers are still alive, but just not strong enough to stand upright.  A reminder perhaps that sometimes we have to take a leave of absence  from our, activities, challenges, schedules, burdens, losses, and incessant doings. A  garden to dance in and to wait, watch and listen as one season follows  another, one flower dies another shoots up new life.  Meanwhile the light shines in the darkness and the early morning light.  How divine.

 

IBK

Posted in Aging, Letting Go, Seeing In New Ways Also tagged , , , , , |

Everyday Delights

Jun
01
2012
by IBK | 1 Comment

©IBKimage2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning.  Yes I know it’s not Thursday evening nor have I made contact for three weeks.  I’ve been preparing for and have taken a two week hiking trip to Northern England, specifically an 84 mile hike along Hadrian’s Wall Path from east to west. My companions were 8 members of the Colorado Mountain Club .  With walks in London to lodging, train stations, tubes (subway) as well as our bed and breakfast lodging off trail, it was well over a hundred miles  in 10 days.  Even though I’ve completed the walk and the open blisters are healing and I’ve walked gently every day since coming home, I’m still astounded that I did “this”.

Time spent walking, away from the cacophony of modern noise and incessant marketing,allows one to reflect at many levels.  Walking through many pastures of  “moms” with spring lambs, seeing a brand new baby calf minutes after birth with the mother still laboring to deliver the afterbirth, listening to the sweet music of birds singing,  reawakens ones delight in the  beauty possible in every day.  The challenge is to remember to take intentional steps to experience that delight when we’re slogging through the ordinary.

Since coming home, I have become a morning person with the jet lag adjustment.  It’s been delightful but of course most of you reading this already know that.  My challenge to you is try the opposite of the familiar from time to time.

I’l have more to share in the coming weeks about “hiking the wall”.  Todays image is an example of  an everyday delight.  I took a few photos with my phone camera just to see how it worked and was delighted with the results.

IBK

Posted in Seasons Also tagged , , , , |

“Open Doors Denver”

Jan
27
2012
by IBK | 2 Comments

IBKimage2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Open Doors Denver” is an annual  two day event event  in April sponsored by the Denver Cultural Affairs Office. The purpose is to celebrate design and architecture at over  70 sites  which are open to the public over the course of 2 days. It is a delight as a photographer to have access to places high above the city streets as well as walking into landmark building with unique views of of rooftops at eye level.  Part of the fun is a photo contest where the public votes for their favorite pictures.

The door in today’s image was the last one of the day as I was heading home.  We are intrigued I think about the idea of doors in our lives opening with new possibilities, and yet what I loved about this rather ordinary picture is that the door was closed but offered a reflection of three lighted windows across the street.

It is an interesting dilemma re: doors.  Sometimes the door isn’t open so we have to wait for the right timing;  sometimes it is slammed shut; other times the door is wide open and we are unable or unwilling to walk through it; in another scenario we must open the door; and finally perhaps  the door is wide open, we’ve entered and the time comes to close the door behind us.

There are many opportunities and much that is painful when doors open and close.  I wish you friends for the journey and courage to look for the light that illuminates.

IBK

Posted in Seasons Also tagged , , , , , , |

A Moment in Time

Jan
19
2012
by IBK | 3 Comments

IBKimage2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The camera can never fully capture what the eye sees and adjusts for and the heart remembers. But as a photographer I have the privilege of trying to capture a moment in time that will remind me of a place I have been or to document an experience of some kind or to record a gift I have been given.  Moments are just that … a brief time when we can make a decision to observe, ignore, squander or embrace. Being present to engage with a moment is surely one of the blessings of being human.

In the image above, an ordinary tree when illuminated during the golden hour – that time for a photographer about an hour before sunset – becomes an extraordinary gift perhaps even sacred. How many moments are we missing that will never present themselves again, because our fears, ambitions and distractions cause us to squander the opportunity for engagement?

IBK

 

Posted in Seeing In New Ways Also tagged , , , |