Lately, I've been taking a few more photographs than usual. I'm pricing out a new camera and so I figure I should be taking lots of pictures to justify spending the big bucks on a cool camera. Actually, I haven't been taking that many pictures, but I have started more and more to visualize the photos in my head. Any good photo will start as a vision in the photographers mind and so even if I don't take the actual picture I can figure out some of the details of how I would compose the subject and what kind of aperture and shutter settings I would use to get the best results. I have found that just by practicing in this way, I keep my eyes open for interesting subjects. This means that I am seeing more of the beauty around me such as nice sunsets and skies, trees and many other things. As well, I see more of the things we tend to ignore, such as the homeless, garbage, plastic bags stuck in trees and graffiti. Both the beautiful and the ugly are important. They both tell stories of God's grace and also of our sin. The story of humanity contains both elements. So art in general, be it photography, painting, writing or music should contain both of these elements because lessons can be learned from them both.

So, one thing that I have been thinking about is acquiring some good, old fashioned, child-like enthusiasm. You know the kind. The kind where you clap out loud in a restaurant when you hear a funny joke. The kind that gets your face beaming when a band rocks your socks off. The kind that makes you dance when you are in your room listening to said band. The kind that gets excited when doing something new you've never done. I just love to ride the c-train on Saturdays to choir practice because there is guaranteed to be families with young children. These kids are so excited to be riding the train. Everything about the experience is exciting for them: the sights we pass, the interesting people on the train, the way the doors open magically when you push the button, the way the floor turns in the middle of the train. The whole thing is enough to make them wet their pants, it is so amazing. I need more of that sense of awe about things that have become mundane.

So, I promised I would post some photography sights I have been visiting lately so here you go. Knock your self out:
Day 19
A Photo A Day
Paper Brigade
Young Photographers United

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions--the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet (1772-1834)

Whoa, it's been a month. I apologize for that. Uncalled for. So I read an interesting article at the morning news. It talked a bit about the pending war and the general feeling in Washington now. What really stuck out for me was the first two paragraphs when he described the change from winter to spring. I really noticed that here in Calgary last week more than I ever have. Most of the time, the passage from winter to spring happens over the course of two or three months and then one day you notice that the leaves are starting to come out and you notice the first blades of green grass. Well, last week that was compressed into the span of ten hours when the temperature changed from two weeks of -20 degree weather to being +10. Everyone in the city was so sick of the cold weather that when it warmed up so suddenly, you could hear everyone join in this collective breath of relief. People were suddenly dressed like it was warmer, and had more enthusiasm and joy that only comes with the onset of spring. It was truly an interesting experience to be a part of.

Doing: a lot of photography. Also pricing out new cameras.
Reading: Sanctuary by William Faulkner, To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Listening: Mae, Further Seems Forever, Pete Yorn, Braid
Working: at making pretty maps