Photolearningism

LIFE THROUGH A LENS Sometimes I feel like the world through a camera takes a different shape. It's more than just a moment you're capturing. It's more detailed than colors, lines, and shapes. The image is deeper than a feeling. It's an expression of the heart. A seeking of meaning and understanding. It's an exploration. It's an adventure. It's (always) a learning experience. It's why I sometimes twist myself sideways or upside down.  PHOTOLEARNINGISM I imagine my branding of "Photolearningism" causes some to raise eyebrows with a moment of quizzical fascination. It's not a word you'll find in any dictionary (except maybe Wikipedia some day, if that counts - It's not there now, I checked! LINK to Wikipedia Search  ), but it's the thesis of my photo journey. Let's break it down: PHOTO (or Photograph) =  "An image of an object, person, scene, etc, in the form of a print or slide recorded by a came...

WEATHER RESISTANCE I was a little discouraged this morning in seeing the conditions of the outdoors (which was thick overcast, snowy, dark, and just BLAH). I had been hoping to spring out in the afternoon and snap a few photos and had convinced myself that today simply wasn't worth braving the cold and flying, frozen water. I had taken brief retreat in my bedroom because my children had simply used up my "nice and patience daddy-ness" and took to consideration the afternoon before me. I pondered the return of a day such as this and came to the conclusion that since I hadn't means to change the weather, I would bundle myself and embrace the gruff outdoors and prove my resolve. BACK TO THE ADVENTURE I had a spot picked out, not far from my home in Wappingers Falls, NY. I'd been to various stretches of Fishkill Creek and had decided on a new extension of it. I left my adventure-mobile in a safe parking lot and carefully crossed the road between car gaps. After jumpin...

GETTING GOING AGAIN After a few weeks of attending to family maters and (to be perfectly honest) my own mental health, I took to the cold this morning, thanks my wife's encouragement. To make the best of a small amount of time, I traveled about two blocks down the road to a pond I'd been before. It was actually the first place I'd ever visited to photograph, from well over a year ago.  DEJA VU It was just as cold as the first visit, with a breathtaking morning. I was still wearing the same hoodie with the same winter coat (with the same paperclip in the zipper to keep it going). I promise that the hoodie has been washed a couple of times since then. Maybe more. To shake things up, I didn't climb a tree this time. I felt like I had mastered that tactic from the last visit and should explore other options (such as not climbing trees that overhang precariously of a frozen pond). FEELING THE GROWTH I shot 21 pictures in the span of 10 minutes, waiting for the sun to ...

A DAY THAT STARTED YESTERDAY I can count the number of hours I slept last night with just a couple fingers. Development work on a website kept me going until the unrecognizable hours of the morning, and shortly after, it was time to get going to day-job work. It wasn't a bad day, but I worked hard and needed to find a place to quell my now-oversensative nerves. WHERE THE QUIET IS I went for a run on the Ridgefield Rail Trail, which has a way of getting me off on the right foot (Yes that was a joke and you may excersize your immune system with laughter). I smacked my foot soles for a few miles back and forth and felt like I still had the steam to go a little further, so I did. Latelly, I've been noticing my stamina has been growing, and I was thinking about slowly increasing distance to conquer at least a half maration some day.  CREEKS THAT SPEAK I had to make a stop at the East Fishkill library. While there, I decided to take another walk along the creek and ...

THE WALK After work today, I spent the evening lingering in Ridgefield, CT. It's a relatively small town, one that you could fully cross on foot in the course of an afternoon, if so determined. There is a park I'd been eyeing, on the way through to work, that I thought could be interesting to explore. Being that parking was something of a challenge near the park, I opted to keep my car at work, just a block or two away. The way by shoed feet was nothing short of adrenalizing (You may recall my previous descriptions of local roads in earlier posts). After patiently waiting at several road crossings (I didn't dare challenge cars for a piece of the road otherwise - seriously, how silly of me to try something as crazy as crossing the road!), I did safely arrive at my intended destination. THE PARK I ventured into an unnamed park that hugs Ridgefield Creek with a refreshing affection. A well maintained path gave me a steady direction and I gladly accepted its advice, sto...

Taking a small departure from my usual routine, I went on this week's photography adventure on a Friday, being that I had the day off. I've been searching out historic sites within the Wappinger area and landed today in the Village of Wappinger, trying to locate the cotton-textile mill, originally constructed in 1819. After a little research, it seems that the original construction was destroyed by fire and quickly rebuilt in 1856 (Ref -  http://www.livingplaces.com/NY/Dutchess_County/Wappingers_Falls_Village/Wappingers_Falls_Historic_District.html ). I parked in a comfy two-hour parking slot and went adventuring, starting at Wappingers Creek Bridge (Originally constructed in 1852, but re-constructed and widened in 1884 - Ref -  http://bridgehunter.com/ny/dutchess/1006380/ ), which supplied a fantastic view of the gorge below, but didn't give me any clear hints as the exact whereabouts of the mill. I walked down Market Street for a bit, which proved fruitless, as ever...

I've been exploring Wappingers Creek and surrounding areas. My first adventure to the Hopewell Rec Center a couple weeks ago was a bit different. My, how the tempature has plumeted since then. Today was a brisk 30 deg F when I started. This hobby certainly tests your resolve against frozen limbs! That aside, it was gorgeous and I landed some fine moments, which I look forward to reviewing in the years to come. Here is my flickr feed - hope you enjoy the explorations with me! https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/129003675@N04/ Quick video -  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0BCvUMdqhIA&feature=youtu.be This is me warming up post outdooring~