You needed to see the sunset because the world felt too chaotic. We spent two nights together watching the sky become gold and then black. I couldn’t erase the pain behind your eyes, but I could remind you what was in the sky. It’s always there for you, as I am.
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” —Rabindranath Tagore
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This is dedicated to my daughter’s best friend. Believe in yourself always, dearest. The sunset will always ground you as the ocean inspires you. I believe in you.
Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Fall into the waves with me before we dance among the bowed heads of the pink flowers. Did you see the deer? The starfish? The seagull? What did they have to say to you? I thought I heard them giggling. Perhaps they know more than I do about what’s to come.
“I spent uncounted hours sitting at the bow looking at the water and the sky, studying each wave, different from the last, seeing how it caught the light, the air, the wind; watching patterns, the sweep of it all, and letting it take me. The sea.” —Gary Paulsen
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The last photo is of my brother’s dog Henry. He’s such a good boy! All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Labor Day weekend I visited our local Chalk It Up event, a free open-art festival for families. My daughter had the privilege of opening the show with her G.I.R.L.S. Rock Sacramento band. One of her friends was a featured alumni artist and created the first image below. This event has become a family tradition and this year felt even more special with lots of our friends and family attending. Life has been busy, but it’s never too late to share.
Let me know if you have a favorite image and have a fantastic day!
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The last photo is of my gorgeous daughter. I’m so proud of her. Keep playing!
Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Mom said she wanted witchy photos in the woods. She wanted to dance in the moonlight and howl. She wanted pointy hats and dark makeup. She wanted her vision of us to be captured forever.
What she didn’t say is generational pain lives in our bones and she wants us to be free. She didn’t say mortality knocks and time moves oh so quickly. She didn’t say let’s be stronger, my dearies, and stop letting others control our happiness. She didn’t have to.
Mom said she wanted witchy photos in the woods. I gave them to her, minus the hats.
This is for you Mom, the one who gives and loves so big, who taught me to be strong, and who carries so much and still laughs. I hope you like the photos and know how much you are loved.
“You’re breaking generational curses. That’s why this doesn’t come easy for you. You’re who your bloodline has been waiting for.” —unknown
These photos are of my mom, my daughter, and me. All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW, except the last one and it’s a screenshot from a small video I took on my iPhone 13. My talented daughter took the photos I’m in.
Surrounded by the pink sky, the blue moon winks at the girl walking with her brother and his little dog. The moon knows the unspoken things they don’t say to each other. The dog does too. The wind blows softly and the waves lap against the shore. Seagulls watch and the girl can’t help but wonder if they are the same ones she saw last time.
“I’m okay,” she wants to call to them, even though she’s not sure it’s true.
It could be.
“Here I came to the very edge where nothing at all needs saying, everything is absorbed through weather and the sea, and the moon swam back, its rays all silvered, and time and again the darkness would be broken by the crash of a wave, and every day on the balcony of the sea, wings open, fire is born, and everything is blue again like morning. “ —Pablo Neruda
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I saw the eighth full moon of the year while at Dillion’s Beach with my brother, mother, and my two teenagers. These are my favorite full moon photos so far. I know they are kind of repetitive, but I liked so many and hope you do too. Please let me know if you have a favorite.
Also, I’m considering entering a photo contest. More on that soon!
Oh, and here’s my brother’s dog Henry. Isn’t he cute in his little sweater?
All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
Take a trip with me to the iconic city of San Francisco. We will stroll the Ferry Building, visit Fisherman’s Wharf, and spend a fair amount of time in Chinatown. Will finish our evening beside the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. Let me know if you have a favorite image.
“In San Francisco—life goes on. Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain. The sound of music floats down a dark street. A young girl looks out a window and wishes she were married. A drunk sleeps under a bridge. It is tomorrow.” —Hunter S. Thompson
I spent an evening at the lake with my daughter and her best friend. We swam in the murky water with ducks and seagulls. A beautiful crane watched us from afar as the sky turned gold. While I search for balance in my life, I’m still creating. For now, that’s enough. Let me know if you have a favorite photo and thank you for all the love and support you continue to show me.
“‘YOU are the big drop of dew under the lotus leaf, I am the smaller one on its upper side,’ said the dewdrop to the lake.”—Rabindranath Tagore
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These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW. Here’s a bonus selfie photo taken with my cellphone.
am i road splitting two dry fields. crawling toward certain death. unnatural instincts. unknown breath. furry-mouthed bloodied brethren. witness destruction inside looking outside. who feels what. ask the real questions. dare me.
i am mother holding. hands clenched wheel turning. stop music. folding. heart races. breath lost. feelings aren’t truth. outside looking inside. where did you go. still here. rearview mirror sees wind. bright eyes. keep asking.
A few weeks ago I threw my couch cushions into the back of my van and went camping with family. It was only two nights, but the ocean was incredibly healing. I read some books, sang songs, and ate roasted marshmallows. I hope these photos transport you for a moment. Let me know if you have a favorite.
“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things—help and comfort and laughter—and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”—Frances Hodgson Burnett, “A Little Princess”
Bridgette Tales 