What if 2020 isn't cancelled?
What if 2020 is the year we've been waiting for?
A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw-
That it forces us to grow.
A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us
from our ignorant slumber.
A year we finally accept the need for change.
Declare change. Work for change. Become the change.
A year we finally band together, instead of
pushing each other further apart.
2020 isn't cancelled, but rather
the most important year of them all.
- Leslie Dwight
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I have not taken as many photographs as usual this past year, but I took this one in February 2020. It is a multiple exposure that perhaps mirrors our circumstances in the world right now. Darkness, with a glimmer of color and light that is sure to creep in with time.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. But churches will be mostly empty. The Corona virus has changed the world. We woke up one day to a new way of living, surrounded by a global pandemic. Around the world we are all wearing masks and practicing social distancing and washing hands in order to flatten the curve of this monsterous threat. People have either lost their jobs or are working from home, schools and colleges have been cancelled for the year and going to the grocery stores has become an adventure. We focus on trying to stay 6 feet away from anyone we meet during our excursions and we carry hand sanitizer which is almost impossible to buy. We are using tela-med doctor visits for any medical problems that arise because our hospitals are over run with people sick and dying from COVID-19 infections. We are socializing and meeting up with friends and family using Zoom and FaceTime. Our nurses and doctors, along with many others have automatically become essential workers with the extended title of superheroes. I wish I could document it with photos.
On a lighter note, I am now awaiting a new Fiji XT4 camera, which may arrive sometime next month, or because of our delimma maybe later. I am hopeful that soon after it arrives, I will begin to see a glimmer of the silver lining that will sparkle with a renewed way of living, more kindness, and less rushing around for things that seem so unimportant now. I don't think any of us can predict now the changes that are bound to happen but I think they will be good ones and hopefully permanent. We should not ever think about going back to the way our life once was, but we need to take this lesson to heart and make positive changes.
There will be an end to this. Mahatma Gandhi says, "In the midst of darkness light persists."
Maya Angelou agrees saying that, "every storm runs out of rain."
I too remain hopeful and expectant of a new day coming soon, when we can once again walk out the door, using what we have learned, and our world can heal. The photos will begin again for me, and although there will always be clouds, the sun will appear to shine more brightly.
Happy Easter!
Connie
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Tattoos! They are everywhere. I love the art, and color, and design of so many of them, am confused by some of them, but with my love of street photography I have found that the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention is a fun place to visit for many reasons. There are so many silent stories walking around in that convention center, with bare skin showing, and bodies and tattoos proudly displayed. Some are upsetting to me as I feel like they border on disfigurement, some are as beautifully crafted as a work of nature, but all of them are whispering, or screaming out a story needing to be told. The people there, whether they are sporting their body art, designing it on art tablets, or inking it on others, are mostly all willing to share their craft and with permission most will agree willingly to allow photographs.
My eldest son had many tattoos on his body that I only had glimpses of over the years. He hid then when he was at our house, always with long sleeves, but I knew they were there. I learned later that he was also very talented in the art of designing and tattooing.
Ryan is/was a heroin addict and has managed to keep more secrets from me than just the tattoos. I am left now with a huge box full of drawings and designs on tissue paper while he has been missing for more than a year. I wish I knew the rest of his story, although I sometimes feel like I never knew the middle, and maybe not even the beginning. If he is still alive I can only hope to have the chance to talk to him more, among other things, about his tattoos, and what they mean.
Tattoos! If you have them..... let them speak, they are so quiet, sitting there on arms and legs and sometimes faces. If you want one... get one.. why not? And make sure you check out the tattoo convention... View it as an art gallery! A museum of unusual and beautiful things. you might be surprised at the people you will meet and how nice everyone is and how much fun you will have.
Bring a camera for sure!
Tat taa
connie
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Last night I had the opportunity to visit a herd of sheep. I found them fascinating with their cartoon like faces and wooly coats. Their eyes are striking behind beautiful eyelashes. They were friendly but wary of me and a camera lens in their personal space.
I realized that if I was sitting down they would wander closer to me as they moved like lawn mowers through the grass. Whenever they felt uncomfortable they immediately trotted together as a tight knit group (no pun intended) to a different location in the field. Then after a short time they would decide to change their location again in the pasture and they would all promptly trot together to another spot. No one lagged behind and said, waitttt, but I Likkkke it over here. they all agreed immediately it was a good idea and went with the flow. What an uncomplicated life!
After they got used to my presence some started checking me out more closely, their warm breath huffing over my skin as they moved past me thru the pasture. Then a few decided to take more time and lick me and inspect my clothes and my shoes. I tried not to worry about them biting my toes (maybe sandals were not the best idea) but I was more interested in snapping a good pic as they didn't hold a pose for long.
Soon the light was gone and my zen time with the sheep was over but the next day I still felt their calming presence. Forget about counting them at night, some days you just need some good sheep!
Peace,
connie
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I recently spent a week in Washington DC in March, 2018. For a photographer the city boasts a wealth of iconic opportunities and I enjoyed all it had to offer. I really loved traveling from place to place using the easy color coded Metro system. I was happy that I packed mostly winter clothes, complete with gloves and hat, because spring was close but not yet present and neither were the cherry blossoms. While editing my photos after returning home I reviewed an image of the capitol and another of these religious figures that I loved from the ceiling of the Basilica. These two images seemed to gravitate towards each other in my mind, so I combined them into a double image.
With the ongoing troubles in our government, this combination although amusing to me, portrays a comforting idea.
Yours truly,
connie
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I took a walk yesterday in town, the the day after the mass shooting in Florida claimed the lives of 17 innocent school children and teachers. The grey overcast day seemed comparable to the news of the past couple days, but carrying my camera I was looking for some light.
As I waited at an intersection, I noticed an elderly man struggling to pull a cart full of groceries up the steps to his house. I was too far away to help but I saw a motorcycle pull up to the curb. The guy hurriedly parks, takes his helmet off and jogs up to the man on the steps who has stopped mid way up.
The younger guy easily helps him push the loaded cart up the last few steps and thru his doorway. They briefly murmur some words and he waves and returns to his motorcycle, puts on his helmet and zooms away. The elderly man pausing in the doorway, looking back seems to be thinking who was that man? It kind of felt super hero-ish to me. If only he had been wearing a cape and I had been close enough to grab a photo!
This morning I am reminiscing as I review the photos I took yesterday. These white daisies sitting alone on a table amidst all the reflections in the windows around them impressed me as did the super hero on the motorcycle, both adding light to a somewhat overcast day.
Happy Trails,
connie
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I was taking a photograph one day and a lady came over to me and she asked me, "What do you see?" Before I answered her I immediately thought... really? All you have to do is look where my camera lens is pointing and your question will be answered. But honestly that is not always true and it made me love her question all the more.
Everyone has a different view of the world and it might be questionable to you when you see where my lens is pointing at any given time, as to what I am seeing and why I think it might be worth documenting. Although we view the same world, we each see different aspects of it.
Photography has improved my vision whether or not I have a camera on hand or not. But when I do venture out with my camera, the question I ask myself is always the same and it makes perfect sense when thrown back at me. The question is, " What will I see today?" The answer is always illusive.
Here on this site I share with you some of my favorite views from my camera lens. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed making them!
Till we meet again,
connie
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