by Dr. Arlene Taveroff… This year, I decided to think differently about winter and focus on the beauty instead of the cold. So out came my camera – that incredible little thing that connects me to my inner Self and allows me to see on a very instinctive and uncluttered level. My camera somehow finds beauty all by itself. All I have to do is be open to seeing what the camera is guiding me to. My inspiration comes from within. Every photo I create carries a piece of this inspiration, a little bit of the energy that is me.
It was late in December and it had just snowed like crazy. The next day the sun was shining and it was seriously cold and windy. Don’t go out weather. But I did. I headed for a spot near the lake where I thought the trees and the snow might be interesting (and not too far from the car). What interested me about the lake shore was that I could find trees there that were uncluttered. Was that something I was looking for in my life? They say that a photo is always a self-portrait, a mirror of the soul…
In any case, I saw this really big willow tree, and it spoke to me. Here’s an approximation of what went through me in the space of the next few seconds:
It’s big and that’s one of the things I want to convey – I’ll cut off the branches and leave some hanging outside the frame. The tree is too big to fit in; if I leave sky and space around the tree, it will give a completely different impression of size. Good thing the lamppost and bench are there beside the tree – they confirm the scale and the huge size of the tree. Hmmm, I wish those other fence posts weren’t there – they’re in the way. No – actually they’re not. If I frame it right, the lamppost and the fence posts form a triangle around the tree – they help lead the eye to and then up the tree and also add perspective and depth to the shot. And you know what? I’m glad the wind is blowing a zillion miles and hour – it’s blowing the wind on the lake behind the tree, so there’s no definite horizon line cutting the image. That’s amazing – especially in an image like this, where all the lines are vertical and flowing (blowing, actually, and it’s producing nice curved lines at the end of the branches.) Despite the blowing, though, the tree has a certain calmness that I admire. It is what it is, undaunted by the high winds. Its majesty and strength and quiet calmness all come from within.
Click went the shutter. Run, run, run, went my frozen body into the car to thaw out.
Dr. Arlene Taveroff is a professional photographer who collaborates with businesses and individuals to amplify their message with her unique and inspirational eye. She is cofounder of wisdomalacarte.com free inspirational eCards. Email her at arlene@wisdomalacarte.com
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