I was wandering around the other day challenging myself to try to see in black and white. Not an easy thing for me since my eyes always go for the brightly colored flowers. As I was traipsing through the weeds I noticed this lizard darting about on the tree branches that had fallen on the ground. He ended up on the edge of a branch and was just looking around at the view. I grabbed my camera and tried to get as close as I could without scaring him off. He let me get a couple of shots in before darting back down into the weeds. I soon realized he was not alone. There were probably dozens of them running all over the place. They caught my attention because they weren’t the typical lizards I see around my house. These were dark black and had a brilliant blue color underneath them (come to find out they are actually called “Blue Bellies” or Western Fence Lizards). The blue is just an amazing and rich color – like sapphires. Unfortunately, they all refused to roll over for me so I couldn’t get it on camera so I decided to stick with black and white. 

Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a flash, a moment – a little makes the way of the best happiness.

 ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Sitting here in front of the computer working on images of flowers just wasn’t doing it for me this morning. I was (am) listening to the new Jack White album, Blunderbuss (which is fantastic, btw) and these photos seemed to fit the mood much better than nature would. I’m not sure why, but this music really goes well with drab suburbia. Of course, putting it that way makes it sound like it’s really boring, when in reality it’s not. It definitely inspired my post-processing. You just have to go listen to it to see what I mean. 

I came across this today and it made me nostalgic for old friends…

I climbed the three staircases, raised the trap-door of the attic, and having reached the leads, looked out afar over sequestered field and hill, and along dim sky-line—that then I longed for a power of vision which might overpass that limit; which might reach the busy world, towns, regions full of life I had heard of but never seen—that then I desired more of practical experience than I possessed; more of intercourse with my kind, of acquaintance with variety of character, than was here within my reach.

It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are condemned to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot. Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth. Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts, as much as their brothers do … It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex. 

~ Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

We spent a few days in Phoenix last week. Not quite a vacation, but it did get us away from staring at computer monitors all day which is always a good thing. There was just a lot of flat desert sand where we were so I didn’t get my camera out much (although maybe I should have tried to get more creative!). I did go for a walk a couple of mornings and there were these beautiful yellow-flowered trees lining the streets. I have no idea what they are, but it was one of the few bright spots over the weekend.

Who will believe my verse in time to come,
If it were filled with your most high deserts?
Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes,
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say ‘This poet lies;
Such heavenly touches ne’er touched earthly faces.’
So should my papers, yellowed with their age,
Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be termed a poet’s rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
   But were some child of yours alive that time,
   You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.

~ Shakespeare, Sonnet XVII

To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget…

 ~ Arundhati Roy

Dandelions always remind me of spring, even though they seem to be around all the time. It must be the idea that they are spreading new life. I know most gardeners view them as a blight (and I do too when they are in my own yard), but when you get up close they are so beautiful and they are built exactly for the job they need to do. Every seed able to fly away in the breeze to start something new. Just what spring is supposed to be, a chance to start from scratch.

The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.

 ~ Unknown

I usually go out of my way to avoid shooting the banality of my neighborhood. It is a pretty boring city with the typical cookie-cutter houses and strip malls. Living here, I try very hard to look for color, anything that will feed my soul. Doing that for months though, I found I was getting into somewhat of a rut. I was going to the same fields, seeing the same flowers, shooting the same things. I needed a challenge, something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of what I usually shoot. I decided to go out one morning and specifically take photographs of my town and accentuate the boring and mundane. Taking cues from one of my favorite photographers, William Eggleston, I wanted to find the things that normally wouldn’t be considered “beautiful” and make them stand out. These few photos are just a few of the images I took that day. I actually find that I like them quite a bit. I think this may turn into an ongoing series, perhaps even going to other cities to see what I can find below the surface.

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.

 ~ Bill Vaughn

I knew today would be a bit stressful since my niece is having her first baby at some point (and I thought MY day was stressful) and I need to figure out how to get things done and still get over to see her. It’s been one of those weeks where I feel like nothing has gotten done so I was determined to make the most of my morning. Of course, I had to wake up with a toothache, so I am off to the dentist this morning instead of sitting in front of the computer working. I don’t think I’ve mentioned before how much I hate the dentist. I needed a few peaceful images to look at today. And, hopefully at the end of the day, there will be a beautiful new baby boy to hold for a few minutes.

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. 

 ~ Jennifer Yane

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart, but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself.

 ~ Frederick Terral 

I’ve always believed art is important. Whether it’s just looking at it or creating something new. It does remind us we are alive. That life is more than just bills and work and simply existing from day to day. Art can bring us joy, sadness, contentment, fear… a whole range of emotions. Do something today other than think about what’s for dinner. Pick up an art book, sketch something, write a poem, anything that uses another part of your brain. It might wake something up in you that you never thought existed before.