A year of reflection

So 2010 wasn’t the worst year of my life, but was definitely in the top 3.  I lost my father and my business of 20 years suffered major setbacks due to the economy.   Some good things came out of this year though. 

• ·         My baby Granddaughter, Faith, has been a full year in my life now and I have to say she has been the greatest source of this year’s joy for me. 

• ·         I have been reminded to look for and appreciate the simple joys of every day rather than looking for the next big event or vacation or purchase for happiness.  There is greater joy in these simple things.

• ·         I found the inner motivation to be more disciplined about my health and fitness.  It is paying off and I am excited about the results.

• ·         My mind is still once again and I am restful within.

• ·         My relationships feel sweeter somehow now than they did a year ago.  I think I am somehow sweeter too. 

Gifts… these were the gifts from the same year that brought me tremendous stress, grief and feelings of failure.

The Tao Te Ching teaches us to “live our lives like water, flowing over and around rocks”.  It has been my experience that success or failure in life depends upon our ability to adapt to whatever life puts in our path.  I will remember 2010 as my year of major detour.  While the scenery is different and it is a long way off my original path, I am somehow richer for having gone this way. 

Shooting in Snow

I feel so encouraged.  Last year when it snowed I took pictures around my neighborhood and not one  was worth saving.  Not one with any compositional interest and they all just seemed flat.  Here, a year later in Cades Cove everything I shot was picture post card beautiful... at least to me.  I actually used this one of the John Oliver Cabin as my Christmas Card this year. 

The only thing I really did different was to increase my exposure.  The camera, because it sees so much white in snow, thinks there is too much exposure and therefore compensates by decreasing it.  So even though your camera may be showing a balanced exposure it is actually too dark and the snow will come out looking muddy.   Increase your exposure over to the + side.  You may have to experiment with it but here mine was increased about a full stop.  Any brighter and the roof the cabin was over exposed. 

Clingman's Dome II

The tree limb continued to bug me so I worked on removing it in photoshop.  I don't know if there is a better way than with the clone tool, but it was pretty tedious to try and get the mountains and shading to look right.  I am sure many flaws can be seen by those looking for them. 

I tease my husband, as he is with me on most of these adventures, to hang out over that ledge or wade into that raging river and removed this or that eye sore for me.  Unfortunately he is not committed to risk life or limb for my "obsession" as he calls it.  He feels his standing around waiting on me for hours while I take 100 shots of the same flower from every possible angle and aperture is sacrifice enough to get him that special place in heaven for stoic husbands... he is correct.  His patience with me is saintly. 

My boys, who are in their 20's, have expressed to me that they don't think anything should be photoshopped out of a photo because it is not a true rendering of the scene.  For me it is about not letting something insignificant from destract from the scene that was so awe inspiring.