In love

It was Helgo Shomer who reminded me last week about the fact that when we are in love, we view the world differently. 
As I was taking pictures of this couple today, their sense of fun and interaction reminded me once again that we have a choice to be in love with life, or to take it for granted.

People who are in love with life celebrate the challenges and the victories, people who fall out of love with life are blinded by the obstacles and the defeats.
Nature, like a camera lens, is neutral.
It's the eye and heart of the beholder that makes it good or bad.
Do you still look at life through the lens of love, laughter and living?

A girl and a horse

Mostly photographers look for eye contact - still, sometimes it's all about the moment.

As she walked away, I pressed the shutter - some will say: "Not a great photograph," because of the rules. Others will realize it's about enjoying the moment.

We need to do it more often - Moments are made to enjoy.

They're our gifts.

That's why it's called: The Present.

Fun people

As I was taking pictures of this family, it was just fantastic to see them interact.  There was a consistent sense of fun and good-natured humour.

So often we fail to just "be in the moment" or "go with the flow." Actually that's when we really can be our true selves.  Still we make it difficult, we try to look professional, sophisticated or fancy.  When it's actually easy to be all three.
If we just be who we are...

It's so much easier than we think, because it comes naturally.

If we let it.

Where people still matter

This weekend, my family and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time in the Kalahari. Although the weekend was short due to the long distance, it felt like a holiday. Mainly because of the friendly people, the creative encounters and the early mornings. (Jeepers - on Saturday we were out and about just after 04:30).
Maybe we should remember that weekends are mini-holidays, especially if we take more time to appreciate and less time to criticize, more time to reflect and less time to rush, more time to be and less time to become...more time at the oasis and less time in the desert...

In the end, it's about the landscapes of the soul, those unchartered panoramas of peace, we visit within ourselves, is it not?

And when we visit those panoramas, we find the great pictures, and call them memories...

Anienie looked back at the camera.
She was having so much fun - with so little -
All we need is sand, sun, water - and the eyes of a child...

There is one gift that distinguishes geniuses from others...
We all have it, but very few use it.
It's the gift of natural curiosity, the willingness to learn, to experiment, and to keep on pushing the limits, because we know there is more to learn.As my son looked through a window, I hoped that he would treasure this gift, finding the windows of hope always opening as he keeps on living the quest for truth, love and happiness.
Godspeed, dear traveller.

A friend of mine got married and asked me to take the pictures. Every time I see a bride, I realize that we need to keep our Fairy Tales alive. Our life stories may take us on many roads, but it's not our external lives that makes Fairy Tales last...It's our hopes, dreams and beliefs.
No one can steal them, they help define us.
Like they define the beauty that one sees when one sees a bride with her eyes fixed on the future, her heart full of love and her thoughts filled with happiness.
The camera needs only to record, the fairy tale is already happening.

My cousin's matric farewell. I was taking the picture. I thought it would be lovely if she stood on a railroad track with the others just looking at her.
Then it happened.
As all had struck there poses, she momentarily lost her balance...
What a wonderful moment.
Maybe not at the time the picture was taken, but when one looks back, is that not what it's all about.
Unexpected moments, providing us with something to smile about.
Remember the moment is spontaneous, the interpretation afterwards is choice.
Little can be done about chance, but a great deal can be done about choice.

Girl Photographing a Dog

Girl Photographing a Dog, originally uploaded by National Media Museum.

As I was doing research for some training on Social Networking, I came across this little picture. What fun it must have been to take it. Imagine the planning, the dressing up, the setting up...
And yes, more than anything else...
The sharing of a fabulous moment with others...
Too often we share our problems, ailments and complaints. We talk about the news and the recession.
Let's also rave about great moments.
Photography is painting with light, maybe we should take more light into our lives as well...
Share a great memory today.
It's part of the ingredients of what is called a great life!

It was early morning.
There is nothing like early mornings.
Everything is fresh, the colors keep on changing, there's expectation in the air.
Anien, my daughter was running on a dune with a friend.
"Sunchasing."

Too often the break of dawn brings the newspapers and newsbulletins. Mostly negative.
Sunchasing is about the positive stuff.
Loving the break of a new day.
Looking forward to gifts bestowed by the day:
Moments - turning into seconds, minutes and hours.
Moments to run towards the sun, passionately pursuing the firelights of our purpose.

I knew that the picture was there. The moon was shining beautifully over the sea.
As I watched the scene, I realized there was no foreground interest. A big log was lying about 200 meters away.
It took a little help, sweat and effort from a friend. And then the composition could be made.
The result was this:
Then last Sunday there was a sermon on VISION. If you have a vision, you can work towards it, you can create it. Disney saw Disneyland before it was there...

So yes, if you see the picture before you create it, you'll be able to find the materials you need. It all makes sense. And yes, all it takes is effort, sweat and a friend or two.

So in photography, as in life, we need to:
Know what we want to achieve (Vision).
Focus on our vision. (Usually through goals)
Find what's needed to compose the final picture. (What's left out of the frame and what is kept)
Go out and do it.
And yes, have fun along the way.

Wonderful place, the web.
I received a comment from someone about a picture. It was a picture of the farm where I grew up.
I love taking pictures on the road to the farm

As I replied to the comment, a bit of a digital conversation ensued... And here's the fun part. Turns out we are neighbours (her parents now reside on the farm next to the one where I grew up).
It made me think of the old saying, "A stranger is just a friend you have to meet," but what a strange world it has become, - meeting your neighbours in cyberspace.
Maybe there are too many strangers and too little friends these days.
Strange.
Friends or strangers? Who decides?
You do.

Let's learn from the kids.
They live in the moment...
Happy or sad.
They know the present is the greatest gift we have...
That's why it's called the present...

Life for kids is full of color, sepia (the past) brings great memories and the future is filled with dreams...

Let's live, dream and remember things that make us better!

I was driving through a small town called Koffiefontein. These guys were having fun, playing with their self-made push-and-go car. I took some pictures and went on a drive through the town.


On my way back, I found only this guy...

Yes. The wheels had come off.
Suddenly he was on his own.
Is that not true sometimes? When the wheels come off in the drama of life, we suddenly find ourselves feeling alone?
Well, take note that it's mostly a "feeling" and not a fact. And even if it seems like a fact, it's a very subjective fact, which makes it no fact at all!
But what if it is a fact?
Well, make sure you spend the time well, make sure you use the winter of life to prepare for the spring that's coming.
Spring always follows winter.
And if it seems to be happening too slow, don't just sit there, start pushing the car!

Energy...

Is it not fascinating how some people just have it?
My friend, Hendrik, a life coach, (See the link to Craffie's Coaching), talks a lot about energy.
The energy that makes us walk upright, smile sincerely, breathe deeply, laugh loudly and live passionately.

Last year during the December holidays, I was asked to take pictures of a group of young people. They were making calenders for their parents. When they arrived, they had all the fun stuff! Winter clothes, summer clothes, hats - the whole lot! They were having a ball. Because they had the main thing: Energy.
Energy is an interesting thing, the more you have, the more you give - and the more you give, the more you get!

Please feel free to write in the comments field about something or someone that energizes you...

And then smile, pull back your shoulders, breathe deeply and take in the energy.
It's free.

Two years ago my son's pre-primary school had a Visitor's day for grandparents. As I was taking pictures, I was drawn to the beauty of hands. Old hands and young hands were working together, painting together and being together. It reminded me...

My grandma used to have hands filled with blue veins, which she used to knit and create. My mom had gentle, comforting hands. My dad had strong healing hands. When I think of these hands, none of them being on earth anymore, I realize that we have to use our hands to make the world a better place.


And how do we do it?
Well, reach out to the many miracles that surround you. Touch a tree, caress a flower, hold a hand.


If you have a story about hands which meant a lot to you, please feel free to share it in the comments field below.
Reach out.
Love.
Live.
Lend a hand.

What if your body left?
What would remain behind?

We call it legacy.
It matters more than we think...
I think.
If you can remember someone whose made a difference in your life, please write it down in the comments field.
Share the legacy.

Low light. No tripod.
It was easy to realize that the evening was ruined.
Still, we had a great walk on the beach. My wife and the kids did not worry about the lack of light. They were on holiday. They had their feet in the water. They were not worried about blurry pictures as I was.

So there we were - the same scene, but different feelings.
I think that life's the same. It's the framing that matters.
Remember the old poem -
Two men looked through prison bars,
One saw mud, the other saw stars...

So what's your frame like today?

I was reading Martha Beck's Steering by Starlight. Realized again how we complicate our own worlds. So often we come under stress because of all the stories we keep in our heads.
Clutter is bad. Simple is good.
Same goes for photos.


Just for today - clear all the stories out of your mind.
Appreciate the moment.
Click the shutter.
Enjoy the picture.
It's yours.

Ask any photographer about the nature of light, and learn about the light of nature.

Every season brings its own glorious light. There's the yellow-brown of autumn leaves, the fresh pink blossomy arrival of spring, the white of frost in winter and the luscious green of summer grass. Every season brings the gift of color. And so often we forget that the seasons in life bring color too.

Sometimes life seems cruel and unkind, yet every winter predicts a new spring. Somehow we need the dark cold nights of winter to appreciate spring even more.
Whatever the season - appreciate the light!

So it was the first day of school.
And yes, there were fears, uncertainty and a fair bit of worrying.
Still, they were having fun.

And I thought about my life and work.
I often have fears, uncertainties and worries.
It doesn't matter....

As long as I have fun.

Have fun today. Every day is the first day in the school of life.
Every day is the first day of the rest of your life. ( I think I heard it in a movie - but it's only now beginning to make sense!)

Think about it...

Then live it.

A brother and sister. She tickled him. He was tired. It was late on a hot December afternoon. He could not walk properly, but she did not mind. When necessary, she carried him. The words of the song came to mind: He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

And then it happened, I had captured the moment above, but my finger was still on the shutter, and I am glad, because the next moment they fell over...

Is is not great to know that life always has more great moments in store?
Keep watching out for them.
Celebrate them.
Treasure them.
Enjoy remembering them.
They're yours.
No one can take them away.

Where did the time go? Well, that's probably one of the questions one also asks at your eightieth birthday.
For me, suddenly there is a new year and the previous post was a month ago.
Does not feel like it!
Hopefully this year there will be more opportunities to share some moments. Like we had at christmas. Grandma bought my kids kites and there was a photo opportunity!
I really battled to find good pictures.
All the time I knew the pictures were there. It was for me to position myself right in order to find them. Sprawling on the ground and changing lenses, I just did not seem to find what I knew was there.
Don't you sometimes feel that life is like that as well. There seems to be more out there, but it seems to just remain out of reach.
Maybe that's what makes life such a wonderful experience, the fact that we are always striving, always on a quest, looking for more...
And knowing that we'll find it, because, like the seeds of an apple, what we're looking for is already within us!
I don't know who thought about it in the first place, but is it not great that we can count the amount of seeds in an apple, but not the amount of apples in the seed...
May 2009 be a year of growth!
Make your dreams soar like kites, keep the string tight and pray for wind!

It's been a while.
That's all I can say. As I look at how time flies, I realize how fleeting life is. During the past week I attended a conference in Mpumalanga (a province in South Africa). It was incredible to see how many people had cameras. Compare that to 10 years ago --- when film and development were expensive and few pictures were taken.
The scary part is that more pictures often lead to more clutter - and what do we do with our record shots? I remember as a child we used to watch slideshows with an old-fashioned projector that often screeched to a halt when a slide jammed the mechanism because it was slightly skew. Treasured moments.
Treasured because slides were precious and rare.
These day it's so easy to capture a moment - making it much more difficult to treasure.
When I look at how quickly time flies, I realize the importance of taking time to treasure. But it's not easy...so often I feel like a tourist in my own life - pausing at the "designated moments," and then hurrying on to the next destination -and when I think about it, I realize that I have to get off the beaten track sometimes.
In order to live, rather than merely passing by -
Before passing on.

It was a misty autumn day. The road was wet and the air fresh. It was just one of those days which makes one appreciate the true wonder of being alive. As I stepped out of the car to take pictures, I was hit by the freshness of being outside. And I realized how we spend our time in front of screens: Windscreens, computer screens, tv screens... We are the screenagers. Sometimes we need to "unscreen". Because we don't live a virtual life. We live a real life.
Nothing can replace the incredible realness of reality. Think about it.

Then go ahead.
Live.

He was playing in front of the camera. Jumping up and down, smiling and friendly. His sister was shy. Eventually she decided that it had to be fun. He just seemed to be so happy. So she joined. His hand was comforting, holding hers to reassure her.

I learnt from him that if one really enjoys what one does, others cannot stay away too long. People want to share in the fun that passionate people have. I think it's called the law of attraction in popular literature -
There are always those daring to take chances, who seize the opportunities, those who are not afraid of change or new things, they are the pioneers, but they turn from pioneers into leaders when they hold the hands of the uncertain, often scared followers.
Whenever I work with real leaders, I realize it's about more than pioneering your vision, it's about caring for your people, giving them the greatest gift of all -
Faith in their potential and a helping hand when needed.

Just a quick Saturday morning blog -
One should always try new things, and I am connecting my Photoshop Express trains to this ...
And yes, I don't know whether it will work - but we often don't do things because we don't believe they will work - so hold your breath and watch with me...

This weekend we had a photowalk in Paul Roux. The weather seemed to be heading for "rotten", but we had to push through.
What a privilege when the light eventually appeared.
Some clouds acted as natural diffusers and, in general, we had a great time taking pictures of the kids who walked along.

The great thing about the weather was that those who seriously wanted to be there, were there - is it not true that sometimes we have hurdles for one reason: to find out how seriously we really want something?
Next time you see a hurdle, enjoy its presence, it is an opportunity to test your commitment and willingness to achieve what's on the other side of the hurdle!

They said there was nothing to photograph.  They said it was a boring country road.  They said it could not work on a misty morning.  

But I went out.

And I took this picture...

Because they are merely voices in my mind.  They are critics without reason.  They are voices of reason in a world of dreams...

They are needed sometimes.

But sometimes we need to listen to the voice of unreason. 

Because all breakthroughs are made by unreasonable people - people who hear other voices, voices that come from deep inside, from forgotten selves - voices that tell them to keep going when it does not make logical sense.

The voices that actually matter - because they are not "theirs", they are "ours".

The light was harsh. It wasn't the perfect time for taking pictures. I could have said no. There were "thousands" of legitimate reasons not to do it.
As I walked back to the car after the session, I was concerned about what the results would be.
And then, when I opened the pictures on the computer, I found that sometimes we have to ignore the excuses and just do what we want to do -

There will always be excuses, and there will always be opportunities - it's up to us to weigh them ... it's up to us to take action despite the odds.
And then be surprised!

Sometimes all we need are the words. Every day we tell ourselves stories. It never stops. The story runs in our heads whenever we interpret something. Whenever we judge or appreciate, we tell ourselves a story that's worthy of judgement or appreciation...
Stories give birth to words, words to thoughts and thoughts to actions... That's not always the sequence though, sometimes thoughts give birth to stories, stories to words... and so it changes, it doesn't matter.
As long as we remember to take charge of our stories by taking charge of our words...Like trees on the water, sometimes we need to reflect on our stories, often to find ourselves in our reflections...

A few years ago, I was assigned to do an article on the power of history. As I walked through a small cemetery with my family, my son kept on asking questions about war and the reason why people kill each other.

This weekend, while watching the movie, Life is Beautiful again, my son asked the same question.
And again, I had no answer.
Wherever I travel with my camera, I want to celebrate life. And so often I find that it's something humankind - (is there still some "kind"-ness or "human"-ity in humans) has not been good at. It's just so sad that so often human beings become the sacrifice in other people's ideologies and powerplays.
And when I think of my son's sincere questions, I want to hug him and tell him the world is not such a bad place.
And then I wonder if I will be lying.
It' s not easy.

Frames are fascinating. They can often make or break a picture. And as human beings we often talk about have a "frame of reference" or a "framework" etc.

So often people "frame" themselves as victims, forgetting that we have a "frame of mind" with which we approach life.

As a photographer, I am consistently looking for frames. One tries to remain aware of the different frames that can be used, like in this picture:

And I have learnt that if I go out with the right frame of mind, the right pictures often appear. So how's your "frames" with which you view life? They are more important than one may think!

There was a hole in the fence.

The farmer would not like it.

It assisted me with the composition of the photograph.

Someone's frustration is someone else's opportunity.

Just look at your frustrations through the eyes of the opportunist.

Just a normal park.

During the day the kids come to play.

But early in the morning...

It can be eery...

Or

Romantic...

It depends on the mind of the person looking!

This picture is not about the photography...

It's about the thought that came to my mind while taking the picture...

A prayer, I read somewhere...

"O Lord, the ocean is so wide, and my boat is so small..."

We've all got small boats.  

The ocean is wide.

Know where your power comes from.

A landscape photographer's greatest friend?

The sun...

It's the sun that provides the paint - we only have to find the palette. 

And sometimes the sun seems to be nasty...hiding behind the clouds when we need it...

Not appearing.

And then, when it does show, it's magnificent.

But to create that magnificence, it needs the clouds.

So I had to learn to love the clouds as well - they help me create better pictures in the end.

When "Camera Raw" was introduced, I immediately started using it.

There was the promise of the "power of Raw"  - you would be able to do so much more with

your pictures.

Still, they seemed dull.  The camera had done everything before, now I had to work.

And I had to learn new things!

Yikes!

Now those new things are habits - it was worth all the effort!

The more effort you put in, the greater it becomes...

And the greater it becomes, the less the effort seems to be...

He was just an old man, on his way to work.

To some it was exactly that - an old man, going to work.

As a photographer, you suddenly see the beauty of it.

Not merely an old man going to work.

A great moment in life.

Magic comes in little parcels called moments.

Appreciate them.

One weekend, while on a photosafari, I took the delegates to stables close by.

We thought the horses would make great pictures.

Somehow, many great pictures were not of the horses. 

 There were lots of other beautiful things...

So remember, when you're at the stables, don't look only at the horses!

I had the whole frame composed.

Then, as I was about to press the shutter, someone walked into the picture.

Darn.

Or so I thought.

Luckily, I pressed the shutter.

When I looked at the picture later, I found it was better with the person.

I learnt again - big opportunities are often hidden in those "darn" moments.

So remember, event if the moment seems bad, seize it - it's yours.

Carpe Diem.