Category: photography

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata”

Photos taken during almost-sunset at Pier 11 after disembarking the Red Hook ferry.

unseen

“Hark, dumbass, the error is not to fall but to fall from no height.
Don’t fall off a curb, fall off a cliff.”

― Dean Young

i’m not gonna lie- in every way that i’m an obsessive list-and-spreadsheet-and-calendar organizer, i’m also a complete rebel against rules when it comes to certain other types of creation – for the longest time i avoided titling blog entries, and capitalizing, and being careful, and creating structure, and adjusting photos to perfect white balance just because, well, sometimes those things stunt the very art of it all. yes, i’m perfectly aware that this is why i could never be a successful professional photographer.

to be truthful, i’ve avoided technique because i’m actually terrified of imperfection. i never took tango lessons, i never took cooking lessons, i never learned photo editing, i never took proper writing classes. though i should do all of the above. i just kind of try to feel my way into doing things. yeah, i do fail. all the time. but what i do decide to do, i try practice a lot. and with a big dose of heart.

yesterday someone talked about the imperfect white balance of one of my photos and i was like, hmm. so in jovial response (retaliation?) i created a project of the unseen ones, in all their glorious off-angles and off-light and off-balances. of course, there are other reasons for these photos – my lifelong journey to notice (and celebrate) the extraordinary in the ordinary.

i mean, there’s a time and place for it all, isn’t there?