Coyotes Don’t Sing No Lullabies

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Yesterday, I was certain that my post for Wednesday would be about the excitement, questions, and frustrations presented by my brand new monitor. It’s not as if those things weren’t much on my mind when I went to bed last night—especially since I had dragged my feet and never made the final decision on a calibration device. That means I have this shiny new screen on my desk, yet now I wouldn’t dare nail down the processing on a color image. (Today’s shot was processed quite some time ago, then saved as a jpeg, this morning. I will risk putting this up and deal with the embarrassment later.) I must make a decision and commit to the further strain on budget before this day is done. (Yes, I have winged it all this time, spending hours of hair-pulling and calibrating to dozens upon dozens of test prints.) Being convinced that I don’t have it in me to go through that again, I will finally add a calibration device to the long list of equipment. Does better late than never count here?

When I could no longer hold my eyes open to stare at all that glorious real estate on my desk top, I fell in bed with hopes of slowing down my racing body and mind to get a good night’s sleep. (After all, the new goal is to get up before the sun does.) I was making a little progress in slowing my brain and, I think, drifting off, when several ear-splitting high-pitched screams split the air. It sounded as though a dog were being torn to shreds. “What’s that?!”, I cried as I jumped up. “It’s just coyotes,” The Husband calmly replied. I was stunned that he was unruffled. Wide awake now, I knew as he was right, but I couldn't clear my mind of stories about neighbors' cats and small dogs that had fallen prey to coyotes .

The singing persisted. The pack, and judging by the racket—it must have been a quite a large pack, was just outside our bedroom. Now, coyotes are common place in Los Angeles—especially in any foothills area. In Shadow Hills, I heard their singing on many occasions. But in the past, they have been further away, and if I ever heard this many of them, their distance from me muted the sound. It’s not a sound that is easy to ignore when it’s that loud and that close. It’s eerie and just a little disturbingly primal. I wasn’t frightened, but it is a sound that if loud enough and close enough does tend to set your teeth on edge. Within a few minutes, it even got to The Husband, who dealt with the situation in a quite straightforward manner. He stomped to the door nearest the bedroom, flung it open, stepped out on the porch, and yelled at the pack—telling them in no uncertain terms to “knock it off”.

Whatever the occassion for the friendly singalong in our field, it took the coyotes quite a while to wrap up and move on. Yes, while The Husband was forceful, he wasn’t altogether successful. I even had the impression that the pack stuck around for a time chewing over the unseemly outburst from the porch. I lost track of how long the racket continued. It frayed my nerves a bit. The sound coyotes make is called singing, but believe me when it’s outside your bedroom, it won’t lull you to sleep. Thank goodness they eventually moved on but they left behind them an air of uneasiness.

The experience convinced me that I prefer my coyotes one at a time, in broad daylight, at a comfortable distance, and definitely not yelping and howling.

(Note: If you are curious about the sound that I finally fell asleep with, I found a link for you at National Geographic. To prepare yourself for the full experience, scroll down to “hear a coyote”, turn up the volume on your speakers until the noise is ear-splitting, close your eyes, imagine that you’re in bed and that it’s quite dark outside, and listen for a while. Have a nice nap.)

Rosy Outlooks

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I am not able to view the world through rose-colored glasses with all the scary news today, but the sky outside my window really was that odd color this morning. Honest. That's not Photoshop stuff. I had no intention of stepping outside in my jammies before the sun warmed things up out there, but how could I say "No" to a rosy sky? I scorched the oatmeal a tad, but it was worth it.

You know, this getting-up-before-sunrise thing is not half bad.

(By the way, I was surprised to see that I have been breezing along, since the start obviously, with the clock in my still newish 40D set incorrectly. The EXIF shows that this was shot at 6:34 PM yesterday. Don't you believe it.)

Foggy Mornings and Brighter Days

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Whudda thunk that it would take fog to help clear the fog? That statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true that a different type of challenge in shooting (photographing scenes shrouded in fog) has been a major contributor to helping me break free of my creative block—at least temporarily. Anyone who has been at this photography thing a long time knows, far better than I, that this is one of the accepted solutions for getting un-stuck.

I don't take credit for being smart enough to employ that technique. Rather, I can thank a splendid convergence of forces, namely unfamilar-to-me foggy mornings and a subject on the minds of the two Pauls (I linked to their posts a couple of days ago) and Amy Sakurai. The thoughts expressed and the images displayed spurred my curiousity and I began experimenting. Ultimately, a couple of the shots lured me into one of those digital darkroom sessions, where I became curious about split-toning, a technique I have played with on only rare occassions.

As enamored as I am with my possible relationship with fog (now that I live in a valley in the mountains, fog is unlikely to remain unfamiliar), there are other conditions where the haze may be lifing. It is looking more as if we may sell our house in Los Angeles and that means we have a possibility of being able to stay here.

I have already confessed that I do not take to a lifestyle that doesn't include roots. I went through that period early in life and found that it didn't suit me. I crave roots. These last few weeks have been a bit disorienting and not just because the scenery is new. Physically, this is a beautiful place to live. Whatever direction I turn, there are scenes that lift my spirit and speak directly to my dyed-in-the-wool western heart. Yet even while I drink in the wide open space, I have struggled to hold back and resist falling too much in love, in case we aren’t able to stay here. I fall in love easily, I like falling in love. But, this time I had too much of an investment, and I haven't had the courage to risk falling in love only to say another good-bye so soon.

Fog and Blogs

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[I have no idea why, but lately posting on Blogger seems to be a matter of playing chicken with a photo. Periodically, the shot that ends up on this site bears almost no resemlance whatever to the image at the main gallery. I thought I had a solution, at one point; but, today that didn't work, and I have officially given up on this one. Click on the link, please, and ignore the mess above.]

Since fog seems to be a theme in my corner of the blogosphere, I decided to join the fun. I don’t have much experience yet (note the optimism with that qualifier) shooting in fog and frankly, have never been a huge fan of fog—especially in long and large doses. (Once when I spent a few days in San Francisco, I made a note to never consider living there. I was certain that I would go stir-crazy with so little sunshine.) However, it seems there are a great number of changes afoot.

This morning started out busy, since The Husband was getting off to Los Angeles for chores down there. But, from the moment my feet hit the floor at 6:30, I had been admiring the fog hanging over the Tehachapis and wishing I could get out the camera and experiment instead. As soon as the oatmeal was done, I stole a moment to see what was going on at some of my favorite photoblogs, only to find both Paul Butzi and Paul Lester talking about fog! Well at that point, fog won the tug of war, and The Husband was on his own.

I was already too late to get to a point where I would find any interesting foreground for my shots as the fog was burning off fast, so I settled for shooting from the backyard. I wasn’t satisfied with any of my photographs (the shot above just shows I did get out and there really was fog here), but I had a wonderful time. Moreover, I have decided that fog may not be so bad after all.

Perhaps another fog is lifting.

Looking Up

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This last week I have been overwhelmed with how little I know about photography, On second thought, maybe I just need to substitute life at the end of that thought. To compound my discouragement, I am becoming uncomfortably certain that in the time I have left on this planet I will make only minuscule progress. Life is too damn short. And, why on earth do many of us waste so much time on what are essentially trivial matters? If only I could go back and buy some of those wasted hours.

Every day, I am humbled by the posts that I read and the images that I view. The names of the artists that I am referring to are familiar to anyone who stops by here even occasionally. I mention the contributors by name repeatedly, and if I linked each and every post here that has blown me away recently, this entire entry would be nothing but a long series of links. Just click on any of the links in the sidebar on the left, and work your way back through page upon page of inspiration and enlightenment.

No doubt about it, most of the time it’s invigorating to spend time listening to and watching the work of people who are far more talented and smarter than I will ever be. After all, looking up helps to keep me focused on my goals and be reminded that just because I can’t make many images that work, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It only means that while I am mostly bored with everything I am producing recently and don’t feel I am seeing anything in an interesting way, the situation may not be hopeless. Perhaps it only means that I have a great deal to learn.

Still, sometimes it’s downright depressing. Now, I admit that my personal life offers more than enough reason to get depressed these days, but the deepest concern right now is frustration about how little I know. A couple of days ago, I ordered Photography for the Joy of It by Freeman Patterson. A quotation from Mr. Patterson, posted by David duChemin at http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2008/09/for-the-joy-of-it/, got me thinking that I need to keep reconnecting again and again with why I am doing this in the first place.

Thus, I will look forward to the arrival of still more inspiration. Meanwhile, I will continue shooting and continue discarding. Thank goodness there is no Society for the Protection and Preservation of Pixels, since I make ‘em and destroy ‘em at an alarming rate.

More Thoughts on Audience

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We certainly don't get this sort of light show every evening, but we get our share. Still, each one fills me with awe and gratitude.

Meanwhile when I am not gawking at sunsets or sunrises, admiring swooping hawks, or laughing at ground squirrels (so long as they aren't eating my geraniums!), I digest and adjust. Along with settling in physically, I am still very much in a gathering mode—reading, looking, finally taking a few more pictures, and processing more ideas than photos. For one thing, I am chewing on a number of topics that have been much discussed recently by the bloggers that I follow. For example, several whose thinking has long inspired me are talking lately about audience—a topic that has long been fascinating for me.

From the time that I first picked up The Husband's new then, but now defunct Canon A70, I was clear about the attraction of photography. I had no intention of beginning, so late in life, a new career, nor did I imagine that I would burst on the art scene and create a sensation. Primarily making images was a tool for dealing with some old hurts and losses that had barely faded with time. I had no idea how effective making images would be in that healing role, much less what lay ahead on my journey. Ultimately, my still budding relationship with a small parade of cameras has begun to play an ever-increasing part in answering questions about still another me and who that is.

If I begin to fret about whether others will find meaning in my photographs or whether they will approve, I am almost instantly paralyzed. This is an exact parallel to acting (I am convinced that it holds true for any creative endeavor). Indeed, it holds true in the everyday business of relating to other human beings. We all know people who are so busy trying to appear confident, smart, and witty that whoever they may actually be is smothered by the phoniness and the desperate need to be admired. They are so busy trying to please their audience they can't simply be.

It was a struggle with most actors I taught to convince them that during execution it was only by letting go of the need to please that could they could be freed to thrill, delight, and entertain their audience. When we are consumed by the need for approval, that becomes the intention and the focus. Then, there is nothing to be said other than, "Look at me, I desperately want to please. Like me; please, please like me." While any artist must hone the basics of craft, inspiration and creativity do not succumb to commands and needs. Creativity flourishes only when we risk yawns of disinterest, even outright rejection.

Of course, I am keen to improve my skills, so I may make images that better capture what I saw. After all, as so many others have already pointed out, I may end up with an audience of one: me. Since that is the only audience I can be certain will "show up for the show", its the audience I had best connect with.

By the way, I don't see that my claiming I aim first and foremost to be clear in communicating what I saw and doing so in a way that delights me, negates in any way the satisfaction that comes in pleasing others along the way. I know some want to make this an either/or situation. In other words, you are dishonest if you claim to create for yourself, while also making your work public and taking enjoyment from knowing that others take pleasure in it as well. I don't see the conflict. For me, it is a simple fact and quite logical that I take the photos first for me. If I am not happy with them, I have failed in my intention. When the result pleases me, I feel the effort was well spent. Yet, there is an eager embrace of a further bonus, when the work connects with another person. It isn't a required validation, but more of a buzz that comes from having sent out a signal and then getting back a signal from a kindred spirit. It's a little like that satisfaction that comes from "Did you see that?!" "Yes, I saw it too. Wow."

Pink Petaled Therapy

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I needed the company of flowers today. Not only that, I needed to stare at them and spend time with a couple of photos of them. Welcome to my therapy session.

An Evening Treat

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Tonight was a treat. We took off for an hour and a half and wandered around down by Cub Lake, enjoying the swallows, ducks, dragonflies, horseback riders, dogs, and kids along with a wonderful sunset. Not bad for one evening. Since this is one of those areas that also warrants an early morning outing, I am delighted that it is so close to our house. In fact, we can see our house from the lake—which is actually more of a pond, but don't tell anyone here I said that.

I certainly hope you are clicking on the link for the larger images. These thumbnails on Blogspot are pretty sad.

Clocks, Calendars, and Such

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There is no way anyone can convince me that the recent interruption in my posts lasted only sixteen days ago. No way. I wandered in the wilderness for at least six months.

Funny, isn't it, that we think we have this time-measuring business all worked out? After all, we have accurate-to-the-millisecond watches and clocks; we have calendars and books full of information on the rotation of our planet not to mention all the amassed knowledge on the history of measuring time. Still, in spite of all that data, we understand so little about how and why we experience time in the various ways we do. (There are some experts who at least think they know something about the subject—I have read a little on the topic.) Still, that information isn't part of our everyday lives the way clocks, calendars and such are. After all, a school child understands the basics of reading a calendar and telling the time of day. And, most societies have an abundance of time-measuring devices that are understood even by the young. On the other hand, theories about the how and why that explain the elasticity of time are not part of our basic vocabulary.

Enough mulling of riddles, the point is that the three weeks seemed to be an eternity and the wilderness I wandered in was dark, thorny, and bumpy. Along the way, I seemed to be constantly collecting psychological bumps, scrapes, and bruises. Finally, I am enjoying the brightness out here and looking forward more than ever to getting my clock and my calendar all tuned up and functioning normally.

Outside My Window Bear Valley Edition

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I haven't been getting out and about much, except on errands, and what with all the computer confusion, I haven't been taking many photos. This view outside the back of the house never ceases to delight me. I expect I will amass quite a collection depicting this scene.

This morning we watched a coyote this side of that fence as he watched a bicyclist on the trail that follows the edge of our property—it's used mostly by horseback riders. Last week, as I did the kitchen clean-up, I watched a doe graze inches from our back patio. Periodically she looked up to see if I had moved, but she took her time cleaning the area. Betty, the hawk along with a young (we think) falcon keep the sky-view interesting, clouds or not. Then, of course there are all the other birds that dare to risk becoming hawk or falcon lunch along with the ground squirrels and moles.

Yesterday, we stepped outside the front door to check some measurements (plans for fencing pasture) and The Husband spotted, on the door jamb, a Praying Mantis that had definitely been eating his Wheaties. I have never seen one so large—his body was three-and-a-half to four inches long. He was the color of straw—perfect camouflage for all the grass this time of year. Unfortunately, this fellow had encountered a nasty spider web and was crippled. The husband caught him (it wasn't terribly difficult due to the insect's shackles), put him down on the porch, and we went to work cleaning him up. It sounds crazy, but even though he seemed quite panicked when we started, he appeared to calm as we freed him. Perhaps he had only gone into shock, but at any rate he was helpfully still. At one point, he stood as patiently as a well-trained horse waiting for the farrier to do his work—one long spindly leg up high in the air—while The Husband separated the stubborn, sticky strands of the web. Eventually, he was free and we turned him loose in the pasture to take his chances.

Overall. my world is quite different what with new vistas, more critters than ever and a completely different rhythm. This is what I have only experienced in the past as an interlude while on vacation. There are parts of my being that still struggle with the lostness. Still, I know it is only a matter of time.