first, accept the truth of it—
beneath the rippling sound
live words, layered thick
upon the land. remember
you’ve known this bone
deep from the beginning.
when mother stepped away,
the birds told you. it’s why
you cried under the tree.
it’s why you’re still here
reading beside me.
follow the light
any of them
see them connect
you and me
bough and child
finger and key
cloud and vase
book and honey
gravity and peace
Last week I revisited the Tomales Catholic Cemetery after spending the week with my family at the beach. Here are some of my favorite images from my brief time wandering the small area with my camera. I’m experimenting again with a more vintage, film-like editing style. Let me know what you think and if you have a favorite images.
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Took my camera camping with my family at the end of March. Finally finished editing them last week and wanted to post them here, because these are some of my favorites.
I recently booked ten photo shoots. These are all free while I’m learning and building my portfolio, but I’m so excited people trust me to take their photos. In a few months, I’ll share some favorites as I get ready to launch a real business.
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A few weeks ago, a friend showed me this nesting tree near me. It’s located behind a fast food restaurant, in between two strip malls, if you can believe it. I pulled out the tripod Neil left me, and sat behind the stores to watch these beautiful creatures flying in and out of their nests.
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She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”
—A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young
Yesterday, I returned to Coyote Pond to see if it might be a good place to take senior portraits (yes, yes it is). My first visit was during a rainstorm, and I took some of my favorite pictures of birds. This time, the sun was shining brightly and the entire morning felt like magic.
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A crane sat staring at the moon. I couldn’t stop my van to take its picture because several cars were behind me, but I saw how it lifted its elegant white neck to show reverence. A few minutes later I found a spot to pull over and startled a field of crows who took off noisily, letting me know I’d disturbed their quiet sunrise.
My camera helped me worship the full corn moon, to capture it sitting on branches and bobbing between power lines. I was struck by how much of an outsider I was to this scene, but also how much I long to remember my connection to all things.
As the bright moon faded into the blue morning, the sun took over the sky. It blinked over the horizon blinding me temporarily, and my eyes fell on the plastic Superman dangling from my rearview mirror and it reminded me I’m doing my best. We all are.
“That is where you’ve always been wrong about me, Lex. I am as human as anyone. I love, I-I get scared. I wake up every morning, and despite not knowing what to do, I put one foot in front of the other, and I try to make the best choices that I can. I screw up all the time, but that is being human, and that’s my greatest strength. And someday, I hope, for the sake of the world, you understand that it’s yours too.”
—Superman
Let me know if you have a favorite photo and I hope you have a fantastic day.
In 44 days, my book will be out into the world. A book with my words inside and my name on the cover. It’s a strange feeling still buried beneath all the details of self-publishing, but I wanted to acknowledge it here. With you.
This week, I got the Library of Congress number and started Instagram promotions. Next week, I’ll receive my proof copy, meet the bookstore manager to plan the book signing event, reveal the cover, and begin pre-orders.
It’s all happening.
It feels like it did when I published my first blog post—terrifying. Will anyone but my mom buy it? I recently came across an interview with David Bowie where he said, “If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
I’m going out of my depth, and it’s scary.
So for today, I’m going to share with you photos from a recent trip I took to Dillion Beach. Photos of water, birds, and starfish. These photos make me feel safe and I hope you like them. Let me know if you have a favorite, and I’ll see you next week with my heart in my hands.
Over on my Instagram, I’m showcasing the vibe of each of the short stories in my collection. I hope you’ll consider checking it out.
The sea spoke of you. Its voice, usually thundering and loud, lowered to a rhythmic whisper. I listened as the fog hugged the sand and the birds scurried in search of scuttling breakfast. I listened as my heart hurt for the world and my beautiful baby girl turned 17. I listened as your pain became mine and my pain became yours. I listened and listened as my body felt it all, as my heart broke and repaired itself again and again and again. I listened. The sea spoke of you.
“To the ocean I offered a seed
and its body dissolved it
like time, composing
a life.” —Howard Altmann
We are at Dillion Beach (yes, again) celebrating my daughter’s 17th birthday. I’m amazed I can still find things to delight my camera and I hope you are too. Please let me know if you have a favorite. As usual, these were taken with my Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”—Heraclitus
Our bodies hold onto pain and memory. We can feel it take root within our bones and we can either address or ignore it. I’ve spent the last five years ignoring it, but recently I’ve taken up swimming daily. This practice is slowly returning me to my body. No longer a stranger, we are becoming one again. Pain and all.
I share this and these photos as part of the journey of rediscovery. Look closer. Look again. You might see something different.
I’d love to know if you have a favorite image. I secretly have my favorite. Can you guess?
