197: Wandering with clouds and light

Look at your feet.  You are standing in the sky.  When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth.

~ Diane Ackerman

Watching the clouds drift by

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.

~ Rumi

Sunset spills onto the pond

When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

~ Buddha

Golden light reflections

Last week’s WP Weekly Photo Challenge was light.  I’m a little late in getting to it.  The new challenge (“old”) just came out a few hours ago.  At first I was thinking I would need to go in search of light, capture something special.  Maybe light something up specifically for this challenge.

Sunset painting the locust tree

But then it occurred to me that photography is all about light, and has been called “the art of light.”

Light is the photographic medium par excellence; it is to the photographer what words are to the writer; color and paint to the painter; wood, metal, stone, or clay to the sculptor.

~ Andreas Feininger

A light on the ceiling

…amateurs worry about equipment,
professionals worry about money,
masters worry about light,
I just take pictures…

~ Vernon Trent, photographer

So really, any photo will do because without light, whether I capture it with the camera or bring it out with post-processing, there would be nothing but darkness, a black square or rectangle where the photo is supposed to be.

Light in the kitchen cabinet

I gave up lighting candles and searching for ways to bring out light, and looked at what I’ve taken this past week.  And there it was:  Light.

It doesn’t get any easier than this, as far as photo challenges go.

Today’s Outdoor Adventures

It’s been raining off and on throughout the day.  The bogs are becoming boggier than usual.  But it is kind of warm (about 50), and I stepped out to enjoy the misty rain for a little while.  It did nothing for my hair, but such are the sacrifices one makes to honor a commitment to get outside every day.  😉

Raindrops on catkins

The bogginess is remarkable.  Yes, I know.  I already remarked on it.  Or about it.  What I mean is that there is so much water it has created a series of underground streamlets draining into the pond.  The earth has collapsed in spots, making it easy to see where the water is running.  I stood over one such example for quite a while, fascinated with the way the water was underground in one spot, then it flowed over the top of the area where the earth had collapsed, and back into a hole which moved it underground again.  Because there were occasional holes where I could still see it, I followed the rivulet to the pond where it gushed and blended with the pond water, carrying clay-colored earth with it.

Raindrops on daffodil

I found it all pretty confusing too.

Today’s visitors to the pond included a single male mallard (poor guy seems to be without a mate right now, and looks lonely in comparison to all the pairings-up going on in nature right now), a red-tailed hawk, and two geese.  I haven’t seen the turtles or frogs since we had the cool down.  Bet they’re waiting, just to be sure Mother Nature doesn’t fool them again.

Don’t tell M I was photographing the geese instead of harassing them.  In my own defense, I did try to chase them off, but they just move from one side of the pond to the other and then honk at me.  It’s their version of “ha-ha!”  I laugh back at them, and we’re all happy for a moment.

Have a great weekend!  I’ll be back tomorrow with some orchids.  Or something.  And Sunday is the big Worldwide WordPress 5k.  I won’t be taking photos of me at the finish line, but I will be taking photos along the way.

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