I have played around with camera movement on many occasions and come up with some wild images. It doesn’t always work and in fact there are more duds than keepers, but I like to experiment and sometimes accidents do occur. The image I am using today is about as blurry as you can get, although I know I’ve done blurrier than this. Just imagine for one moment if one day the world as we know it ceases to exist and everyone in it begins to get swept up into the sky. So you see where I’m coming from when I chose to call this image The Rapture. It was taken in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, and originally I was going to call it California Dancing. Call it what ever you want to. It’s all in the way you see it. A lot of music comes to mind when I view the image but in the end I went with I’ll Fly Away, by George Jones. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

1-07 I’ll Fly Away

The Rapture

Do you ever feel like you’re stranded on an island and there’s no way out? Today’s photo and song address that feeling. But, as I keep repeating, everything belongs. There are no coincidences, and there is a reason for everything. I thank the universe for where I am. The title of the image is Stranded. It was taken in Puerto Rico while we were on Spring Break. There is a cemetery next to El Morro in Old San Juan and I couldn’t pass it up without taking a couple of shots. The title of the song of course is Stranded, by Van Morrison. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

21 Stranded

Stranded

Eight years ago today my wife Didi Stuart passed away. Normally my sons and I prefer to celebrate her birthday and commemorate it with fond memories and stories about her and how she brightened our lives, but today I feel the need to talk about her. On her birthday we are aware that many of her friends and family are also thinking of her and telling similar stories about her. We know that they are missing her today too. She had many friends that loved her and each of them has a story or two they can tell about Didi. She was a beautiful woman with many talents and a dedication to her family and friends that never wavered. She was the person you went to when you had a problem or just needed someone to talk to. She had a way of cutting through the details and seeing the bigger picture. You might not have wanted to hear or liked what she had to say, but you always listened.

The very first time I saw her I knew she was the woman I had been waiting for all my life. She knocked me off my feet with her beauty and every time I saw her I got butterflies in my stomach. I was so sure of being turned down that it took me several months before I asked her out and had a hard time believing it when she said yes. My life was never the same after that first night out.

She brought two beautiful sons into the world and she adored them with all her being. She always called us her boys and we will always be her boys. She taught us that every day was a good day, and every day was a great day to be alive. She lived her life with an unwavering belief that she would survive her cancer and fought it until the end.

She died at home on a beautiful spring day. The kind of day she would have been outside working in the yard relishing the sunshine, the earth, the air, and her life.

We miss you Didi. We love and miss you ever so much.

02 Stardust

Sam & Didi

Sam, Kirby, Elliot, & Didi

Sometimes an image will sit around for quite some time before I finally decide what to do with it. Many times there’s something missing that I can’t put my finger on, but in my case it’s usually the opposite, meaning that there is too much in the photo. Sometimes there’s too much drama in the image, or too much detail and not enough left for the imagination. I like to leave my viewers with something to think about, not just something to view. Today’s image is Mirror, Mirror and brings attention to the idea that we are not always who we think we are. The song is titled Song Beneath The Song, by Maria Taylor. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

02 Song Beneath the Song

Mirror, Mirror

It feels good to be reenergized. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the position of the moon in the sky. Maybe it’s just that it feels good to be alive. Good things are happening in the universe tonight. Here’s another silent face to add to the collection. The music is by Daniel Melingo. The title of the song is Corazón & Hueso. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

12 Corazòn & Hueso

Your Silent Face XVII

Things have to be pretty boring if you start taking photos of your shoes. In this case I wanted to create the illusion of movement when no movement was really involved. Sometimes when you’re bored it’s a good thing to have a camera with you. Then again, sometimes it may not be such a good idea. The title of the image is I Feel Like Dancing. Click on it to see it on a black background.

The title of today’s song is Le Sable Mouvant, by Keren Ann.

02 Le sable mouvant

I Feel Like Dancing

Sometimes I feel like all I ever do is repeat myself. So I will spare telling you all about the wondrous miracles you can perform with an iPod Touch and how you can distort reality with a click of a button. The image is titled The Path. The title of the song is April Come She Will, by Simon & Garfunkel. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

09 April Come She Will

The Path

The photo I’m including today was shot with my Nikon using my 14-24mm wide angle lens. The image is all blown out because I was wanting to give the impression of seeing a mirage. Hence the title of the shot is, you guessed it, Mirage. You might wonder why I would deliberately distort an image to the point that you can barely make out what the subject is and I have to admit that I have wondered about that myself. Many times. I guess it’s my style and I’m learning to live with it. Remember, everything belongs.

The song I am including today is Son Mystere, by the group 17 Hippies. Once again I have no idea what the lyrics are about but I do like the song. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

02 Son mystère

Mirage

My sons are two of my favorite subjects to photograph but they don’t like having their pictures taken. Getting them to pose can get tricky at times and sometimes I have to move fast. This series of Silent Faces has been a challenge but for the most part I have been pleased with the results. There is something appealing to me about blurring the lines. Undefined lines on a face, blurry features, or an emotionless stare is what I look for. I admit it’s not for everyone, but for me they are the ingredients for the perfect silent face.

Today’s song is Friends, by Francois And The Atlas Mountains. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

01 Friends

Your Slent Face XIII

The other day I was walking along the hike and bike trail when it started to sprinkle. I was walking past a stand of trees and could see the rain coming so I whipped out my trusty iPod Touch and snapped a few photos before it started pouring. Sometimes there’s nothing like taking a walk in the rain. I had the trail mostly to myself but there were a few other people out there having the same joyous experience that I was having. Staying with the same theme, today’s song is Caught In The Rain, by Preston School Of Industry. Click on the image to see it on a black background.

03 Caught in the Rain

Caught In The Rain #2